You’re goddamn right.

2016, we got a dictator because people wouldn’t vote for checks notes a “lesser evil”.

2004, we got a warmongering fascist with daddy issues because we wouldn’t vote for checks notes a “lesser evil.”

Ah, another empty reply, with no evidence to support your position.

What new risks? You haven’t mentioned any new risks, and you certainly haven’t put forward any evidence that those risks are changing the ratio of gun suicides to all other gun deaths. You just got feelings and vibes that something is happening without any data to back it up. Meanwhile data trends show that the ratio of gun suicides to all other gun deaths is actually went up last year, which is a complete refutation of your point.

If you can’t defend your argument with anything more than “feelings” then there is no point to discuss further, as your only tactic in this conversation is on par with brainless maga trolls.

To put it simply for you… Show metrics supporting your argument that there are new risks which is lowering the ratio of gun suicides to all other gun deaths (which is the exact argument you made), or admit that your position is incorrect.

The irony of saying this when we literally have a fascist dictator trashing the Whitehouse because we checks notes didn’t vote for the “lesser evil” last year.

All those tech companies downsized or all together pulled out for some reason in the last year…

Can you point to any statistics for this new danger. Specifically, can you point to any metrics which show that a firearm is more likely to be used defensively than it is to be used on yourself or your spouse? I do believe that was exactly what you meant when you said…

That’s nice, but those statistics are from a different time with a different threat profile.

If that is not what you meant, then you need to clarify that statement. I haven’t built a strawman, I pointed out that the current trend for suicidal gun use is increasing, and without any evidence showing a dramatic change in the ratio of self-inflicted firearm deaths to all other firearm deaths, then it is clear that your position is incorrect, and you are moving goalposts in order to avoid admitting that your position is incorrect despite the publicly available data.

Ah, so you think (without any evidence) that the trend suddenly and drastically reversed itself in the last 10 months and no one bothered to report on it?

They didn’t balk when their neighbors were being rounded up by the new gestapo and shipped off to extra-national slave prison camps.

Actually, about 27,000 people in the US committed suicide by gun last year, compared to 16,000 non-suicide gun deaths, and apparently the gun suicide to gun deaths ratio actually went up from 2023.

It defends you from other people who are emboldened to commit crimes against you.

No, it doesn’t defend you. At best, it will give you a chance to shoot back. Statistically speaking, the person you are most likely to use a gun on is yourself, second most likely victim of your gun is your spouse.

Then you have to remember that every force of violence in the US, LEOs, all branches of military, all support trump.

So, what kind of gun can I buy that will let me defend myself from a tyrannical reaper drone?

Or maybe planning to fight your enemy where he is strongest is fucking dumb?

Up until very recently, most of the deaths in wars were caused by disease instead of combat.

Give it a few months and the anti-vax stances paired with colloidal silver and horse-dewormer will leave plenty of guns and ammo for everyone.

In a different timeline, that would be funny.

Too bad the Arbiter wasn’t around to council on that one.

One of those was a helicopter, which in fairness, also does not go on water.

Some people just obediently blow up the illegal broadcasts without reading them.

I’m here for it. Is it okay if I throw Facebook and Twitter/X on the pyre? I’ve long considered them to be horsemen of the apocalypse.

A few years after 9-11 for me. I grew up watching my classmates sing songs about indiscriminately bombing people in Afghanistan, and news reports of people being beaten or killed in the US for wearing any clothing that appeared Middle-Eastern. It made me sick to my stomach.

Yeah. I’m waiting on them to show ICE agents as helldivers or something. That IP could not be more clear about it’s parody of the far right “freedom” quislings.

Eh, not really. For context, I switched from a hybrid manual to an EV last year. The EV, despite being more expensive, 8 years newer, and much more sporty (in terms of design and marketing) is not nearly as much fun IMHO. If you want a fun car, get a little coupe or hatchback with a manual, doesn’t even need a lot of power. If you just want to go fast in a straight line, get an EV.

EVs are even better - you’re fully in control of the power

Nope. You put your foot on the pedal, and the computer decides how fast you want to go. Put your foot on the brake, and the computer decides how hard you want to brake. All your controls are filtered through the computer. If the computer and I disagree, the only thing I can do is push my brake to floor, which engages the physical brakes using a traditional brake boost system, and fight the power steering motor for control of the front wheels, since there is a physical connection there.

In a manual, your control of the engine is much more direct (although mine did have throttle by wire), as well as your control of the transmission and brakes (when compared to an EV).

Honestly, if my wife did not absolutely dog on my CRZ for years, I wouldn’t have switched (yet). That being said I do like having a car she can drive and I can “fuel” it up just by plugging it into a standard wall outlet.