Why The Gun Lobby Is Terrified Of California - from Mother Jones - *5-cent tax on each bullet*

[Crepuscular]

234. Still a silly idea

Taxing ammunition based on bullet weight is still a silly idea, since there is no relationship between bullet weight and the propensity for misuse. It's a totally arbitrary metric.

I have no idea what percentage of hunters "blast away at the range" and I wouldn't trust a published statistic that indicated a certain percentage as being any way reliable. If I had to guess, I would say "a whole bunch". Not sure what report you were quoting from, so I can't comment on the validity.

Not a member of the NRA, although I was for a couple of years back in the 1980's. I'd bet that the reason I was a member would be true for a lot of other hunters. I belonged to a local sportsmen's club, primarily because it got me free access to a pretty nice target range, instead of having to pay for using one. Part of the membership fee automatically included a membership in the NRA, you didn't have choice in the matter. The reason they required that was primarily because the club got their liability insurance through the NRA at a discounted rate and I believe that it was a requirement to have the club members belong, in order to qualify. A few years later I bought my own property that provided me with a place to shoot, so I dropped my membership in the club and as a result also from the NRA. Never had any interest in rejoining.

So while I couldn't say for sure, it's possible that the statistic you mentioned about NRA membership may be accurate but it's also possible that a significant number of those members are only members of the NRA as the result of joining other organizations, where NRA membership is included.

Regarding the headlines, I don't watch Fox or any TV for that matter, I get my news primarily from DU. The headline I was referring to was from earlier today, here is the thread;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014383041

Feel free to allege racism, it's completely inaccurate. I dislike rap as a genre, I think it's shitty music and that opinion has nothing to do with race. If you look at my Ipod, you will see artists ranging from Louis Armstrong and Billy Holiday to Albert Collins to Stevie Wonder, all amazingly talented musicians and all associated with genre's that have deep roots within African-American culture. I think you are either naive or disingenuous if you fail to note the association between violence, particularly urban gang violence and rap music but if you want to try and spin someone acknowledging that connection as being racist, so be it.