Author Archives: Jeff Porten

“@jaketapper: cannot vouch for authenticity, but you should read anyway. bit.ly/VJ35z0” // I can. No help unless you’re dangerous.

“@chrislhayes: Am I wrong that it’s unclear whether assault weapons ban would pass constitutional muster?” // assuming same Court hears it

“@tombrokaw: We also have to address a popular culture that treats graphic violence as routine” // 40 years of research shows NO link.

Aymerik Renard @aymerik:
OH: Can anyone explain how one attempted shoe bomber equals removing our shoes at airports, but regular massacres don’t equal gun control?”

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
A well-regulated militia in 1792 could fire about 2 rounders per person per minute. bit.ly/ZqTT9h

@GlennF Also, the miniball wasn’t particularly lethal. Most casualties resulted from lack of medical care for non-lethal hits.

Kirk McElhearn @mcelhearn:
@jeffporten @GlennF Wasn’t the minie ball much later, in the Civil War?

@mcelhearn @glennf Sorry, yes, you’re right. But I was *essentially* correct. :-P

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@mcelhearn @jeffporten Forget the pellet: aim was ridiculous, and misfires common!

Kirk McElhearn @mcelhearn:
@GlennF @jeffporten Yet Burr still managed to kill Hamilton…

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@mcelhearn @jeffporten It was a neat trick he pulled off.

@mcelhearn @glennf Check out the history of duels, most didn’t result in a fatality. Press then was shocked that Burr aimed lethally.

Chris Breen @BodyofBreen:
@mcelhearn @GlennF @jeffporten Raymond Burr shot Hamilton Burger? Must have missed that episode of Perry Mason.

@BodyofBreen @mcelhearn @glennf It was the Very Special episode directed by Ken Burns and scripted by David McCullogh.

Kirk McElhearn @mcelhearn:
@jeffporten @BodyofBreen @glennf With interviews with Shelby Foote.

Marco Tabini @mtabini:
I have always wondered whether gun control would actually make any difference. The problem seems to me to be cultural, not legal.

@mtabini Speaking as a patriotic American, I have to say that our culture is not THAT fucked up.

Marco Tabini @mtabini:
@jeffporten I think so, too, as far as normal people go, but the sensationalization of violence must be like crack to the deranged.

@mtabini That’s inaccurate. You’re approaching it like a rational person. The point is, they’re not.

Marco Tabini @mtabini:
To those who say that gun control works in other countries: My question was specifically whether that’s confusing cause and effect.

@mtabini How about we try it and find out? It’ll be like a sociological experiment.

Marco Tabini @mtabini:
@jeffporten I’m afraid that’s up to you—I already happily live in a country that has very strict controls.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
Guy in my stream insinuating govt conspiracy about multiple mass shootings to provide cover for gun-control legislation.

@GlennF We know it’s not a gov’t conspiracy, because it happens too often and too many people are dying.

“@Slate: RT @MarlowNYC: AP: This is a pic of a .223 rifle. This is legal. bit.ly/SpKVHq” // Good thing it has a scope, kids can run.

Andy Carvin @acarvin:
Producer: Are your kids okay? Me: yes; they’re in Maryland. Producer: But you’re connected with the school? Me: No, I’m with NPR.

Maybe it’s just me, but anyone who doesn’t know @acarvin is a journalist should quit the news business forever.

Rich Mogull @rmogull:
18 dead kids in another spree shooting.

Fuck the NRA, its time for the grown ups to have a serious conversation and make the hard choices.

John C. Welch @bynkii:
@rmogull @jeffcarlson it’s time to have a serious talk about how we handle mental illness in this country.

@bynkii @rmogull @jeffcarlson As a guy with mental illness, I agree. But since it can manifest as evil, also need to prevent these actions.

John C. Welch @bynkii:
@rmogull @jeffcarlson guns should be discussed, but they’re not the root issue here. They’re just the one easiest to bring up.

@bynkii @rmogull @jeffcarlson “not the root issue” in the same sense that a million gallons of gasoline doesn’t self-ignite.

John C. Welch @bynkii:
@jeffporten @rmogull @jeffcarlson you can’t stop people from getting stuff. Ask potheads.

Anil Dash @anildash:
To those who love their guns: Do you think gun sellers & distributors would follow a new set of rules with better accountability?

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
~@anildash Curious about whether a driver’s license style testing (knowledge of danger, proficiency) would be possible.

@GlennF @anildash How about we examine the policies of EVERY OTHER COUNTRY and figure out what they’re doing that we’re not?

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jeffporten @anildash American exceptionalism means we don’t believe anything works elsewhere that works here and vice versa.

Tim Garrett @trg83:
@jeffporten @GlennF @anildash Yeah, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan definitely have it all figured out. We should do that.

“@mattyglesias: Exactly RT @francesmartel: Too much gun control banter, not enough mental health policy banter.” // Sure. Do both, dammit.

“@mattyglesias: “surely you can see why law-abiding gun owners don’t like [universal ban].” // Fuck them. Once and for all, fuck them.

Abigail Collazo @LeftStandingUp:
“The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels.” #CTshooting

@LeftStandingUp I frequently wonder if sayings like that help us to do nothing about the next kids who’ll be killed.

PHR @P4HR:
RT @brycecovert: RT @mbyhoff: 31 U.S. school shootings since Columbine. In every other country in the world combined since that time: 14.

John Gruber @gruber:
Finding it very hard not to drop everything, go get my son at school, and tell him how much I love him.

@gruber Shit, go do that. Buy him lunch. Why else are you self-employed?

@erika_owens On this terrible horrible no-good day, I’ll wish you a happy birthday as a Twitter break. Do the same, mine was the 10th.

erika owens @erika_owens:
@jeffporten thanks, happy birthday to you too. Sagittarians are great. Today, though…yeah.

@erika_owens It’s a good day to stop being a journalist, and shut down Facebook and Twitter. If that were possible, which it’s not.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
Twitter is the universal empathy engine some days.

@GlennF On 9/11, took me two weeks to learn my two-degree connections. Now happens in minutes.