Unpossible
The following could not have happened:
String of shootings in New York City leave 8 hurt: Unpossible since carrying a gun is illegal in NYC. Unless you’re rich and famous, of course.
A British student has been arrested in the US for attempting to buy a gun for a dare using fake ID, US police said.: Unpossible, we all know that you can walk right into any US gun shop, buy a machine gun, and send it to Mexico!
Oakland is drowning in guns: Unpossible in #1 ranked for gun control California!
Gun ownership up in Scotland: Unpossible since there are all those gun laws to prevent that.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Regarding the 2 UK stories…
Maybe I’m not up on Scottish usage, but WTF is “Deer stalking?”…we call it “hunting” over here, and I believe it’s a term not unheard of in Britain either. I hope that’s an obscure Scottish colloquialism and not the politically correct locution it reeks of.
Regarding the British kid trying to buy a gun w/ a fake ID in the USA. Idiot.
Learn the rules, mate. The hilarious part of the story was the (over)reaction of the local British police in the guy’s hometown…ZOMG! I mean, how F*CKING insane is that…
American cop: “by the way, one of your students tried to illegally purchase a firearm in Vermont”
British cops: “Good heavens! LOCKDOWN PROCEEDURE! EVERYONE! He might have left a BOMB in his dormitory before going abroad”
American cop: ???!
May 28th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Can’t blame him. He’s been told his whole life that you can walk right into any US gun shop, buy a machine gun, and send it to Mexico!
May 28th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Now Uncle that is just not true. Me thinks you are getting your propa… I mean facts confused.
Gunshows are where you can walk in and buy a machinegun for $200 with no questions asked.
Guns shops are were you go to make a quick buck by buying a cheap “Saturday Night Special” and then turn around and sell it to a criminal.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
“Deer Stalking”: you follow them around in the shadows, take candid pictures of them for your website, send them little “presents”, call them late at night and curse at them, breathe heavily without saying anything, or hang up right away…
May 28th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I’m still not sure I understand the point of the whole “unpossible” schtick. People do things that are illegal all the time. The fact that this is true says nothing one way or the other about whether those actions should be illegal. I don’t think anyone seriously argues that making something illegal will completely prevent it from ever happening again. It merely gives us a legal framework to punish the transgressors.
[P.S. to the peanut gallery: Don’t think I’m defending gun control laws here — I’m not, so get over yourself. I’m just saying that the “unpossible” rhetorical device isn’t a particularly strong one.]