Posts Made By: Rod Kaufman

Originally Posted by Mel Maki

Some armies might even train with a twenty-two.

I'm not talking about training...

Originally Posted by Mel Maki

You claimed the semiautomatic AR-15 is made for combat. It is not.

No I did not. I quoted an expert who says it is. Read my initial post in this thread and you'll see this: "The AR-15 platform weapon -- whether it's in a long gun or pistol -- essentially has the same firepower. It's a semiautomatic made for combat," said Timothy D. Lytton, a gun industry expert at Georgia State University."

Originally Posted by Mel Maki

Your post number nine. You said it in capital letters without quotes!
We are done. You bicker like somebody that is a bit slow.

OMG!, I put it in CAPS without quotes!  And I had clearly done so in the same and previous posts stating the same source! 
You're the one who is being is a bit slow... 

Originally Posted by Steven Moore

This Ruger AR-556 pistol is only semi-auto not fully auto.  

We know that, so what's your point?

Originally Posted by Steven Moore

My point is that this Ruger AR-556 is not a fully automatic so it is not a machine gun and with a length 25.3 " to 27.9" it would not be like a hand gun that is somewhat easy to hide so it would be easier to notice.

Again, we already know that it's not automatic nor is it a machine gun. That said, it functions in the same manner an American soldier would use its counterpart in combat, ie semi automatic mode of fire with the same ammunition.
"... it is found the US troop engage the enemy on semi-auto about 97% of the time..." And that's using the same ammo fired by the Ruger.
http://www.shootingrangeindustries.com/how-effective-is-full-auto-do-soldiers-use-fully-or-semi-automatic-rifles-weapons/

Additionally, if you bothered to read the link in the initial post in this thread, you would have read:

"'You can stick the thing under a jacket'
The AR-15 was designed for the U.S. military in the 1950s. It was invented by Eugene Stoner, who worked for a company called Armalite, which is where the AR originated. The number 556 refers to the caliber -- 5.56 millimeters.
"So the shorter barrel and shorter stock make a smaller weapon that would make it more easy to carry around," Lytton said. "It would certainly make it more concealable. You can stick the thing under a jacket in a way that would be hard to sort of stick an AR 15 platform rifle under your jacket."

Originally Posted by Jim Moscheck

You guys are arguing semantics. No, it's not specifically labeled as an assault weapon, but it is popularly used as one in these mass shootings.

Whatever, make it harder for crazy people to buy one. License them like you do with a driver's license after you pass the required training and then insure them like you have to with your car. 

Right on, Jim. Even their vaunted 2nd amendment states a "well-regulated militia" shall have the right to bear arms so if a militia has to be "well-regulated" why doesn't some boob on the street have to be, too?

"The 21-year-old suspect in Monday's massacre at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket allegedly used a Ruger AR-556 pistol -- what one expert called "a semiautomatic made for combat" that is easy to carry and has "the firepower of a long gun."
"The AR-15 platform weapon -- whether it's in a long gun or pistol -- essentially has the same firepower. It's a semiautomatic made for combat," said Timothy D. Lytton, a gun industry expert at Georgia State University."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/24/us/boulder-colorado-weapon-ruger-ar-556/index.html

Originally Posted by James Lacey

This strikes me as a completely irresponsible thing for Redfield to say, given there is no clear evidence to support the "lab-leak" theory.

From the article itself:

It is a controversial, politically charged theory -- one the World Health Organization calls "extremely unlikely," and there has been no clear evidence to support this "lab leak" theory.

All this will do is provide fuel and fodder for the right-wing anti-vaccination fever swamp. They are already switching their attacks from "stop the steal," since that fizzled out as a meaningful political bludgeon and are now focusing on anti-vaccination rhetoric.

I have to disagree with this for several reasons. First, Redfield is a highly trained and experienced virologist. I find his expert opinion to be quite compelling based upon his argument that the lab in question would likely harvest the virus to encourage its growth in order to study it. He also notes that lab infections among technicians engaging in such work are a documented phenomena. The virology lab in Wuhan was already subject of complaints publicized by diplomats in the recent past for having unsafe containment procedures. And, as Redfield notes, it's unlikely a virus jumping from an animal to man would have the same level of virulence evidenced by covid19 because it takes time for the virus to adapt and evolve in a new host. 
In addition, China denied access to the WHO inspection team when they requested an inspection of the facility. Thus, the upcoming WHO report will NOT contain vital information in ruling in or out a lab escape of a viral pathogen. The team will simply be providing an opinion without clear evidence to rule it out. 
Finally, I note Redfield himself was a vigorous mask proponent who was shouted out by Trump and the latter is all his supporters need to hear. The MAGA media anti-vaccine campaign was already in high-gear well before Redfield made his comments known just the other day so I don't believe his comments are important in this regard.

The Wuhan lab escape theory as chronicled by a USA Today investigative reporter and a good read: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/opinion/2021/03/22/why-covid-lab-leak-theory-wuhan-shouldnt-dismissed-column/4765985001/

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

The Wuhan lab escape theory as chronicled by a USA Today investigative reporter and a good read: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/opinion/2021/03/22/why-covid-lab-leak-theory-wuhan-shouldnt-dismissed-column/4765985001/

It's official, the WHO study on the origins of the coronavirus isn't credible: "The governments of the United States, Australia, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom jointly expressed concern about the World Health Organization (WHO) study into the origins of Covid-19 in China and called for independent and fully transparent evaluations with access to all relevant data in the future."
“We join in expressing shared concerns regarding the recent WHO-convened study in China, while at the same time reinforcing the importance of working together toward the development and use of a swift, effective, transparent, science-based, and independent process for international evaluations of such outbreaks of unknown origin in the future,” Tuesday’s joint statement said.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/545536-report-from-who-team-finds-virus-likely-jumped-from-animals-not-from-lab