Las Vegas Sun NewsGuns are big business in Las Vegas — and a source for international mockery
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15 January 2013
2 a.m.
Guns and ammunition are flying off the shelves in Las Vegas. The fear of heightened regulation has sent people streaming into valley gun stores for gear and training. Federal lawmakers, responding to last month’s shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that killed 20 children, are looking to crack down on gun ownership and there is talk of a renewed ban on assault rifles, but it’s unclear whether any new laws will pass through Congress. “Obama’s our best salesman,” Range 702 manager Michael Heck said. “Every time he says the word ‘gun’ on television, sales go through the roof.” Sales have ...
Ric Anderson contributed to this story.
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Teach those untouchables a lesson and force collect all their guns and rifles! They will have spent their money for nothing!
Liberals, the teacher's union, brothels and the city moniker "Sin City" have done all the damaged to the image of Las Vegas and its business climate. Outsiders do not view this city as a place to raise a family or move a corporate headquarters.
Gee Brits, that gun ban of yours sure worked good in Northern Ireland.
Freeman...
Good humor!
Las Vegas is a gambling mecca built by the MOB.
Vice is it's calling card.
Gamblin, drinkin' & whorin'...
Sex, drugs and R & R.
Your post is beyond rididculous.
Blaming 'liberals & the teacher's union' for Las Vegas's poor image?
You are a real card.
Avarice suits you.
The teacher's union? Come on. Let's try to be real here.
I chose to live here. Simply because it's a great place to live. I could care less what an "outsider" (RefNV's term) thinks.
Other countries? Again, lets try to be real. Who cares?
Mred, stupid comparrison. Where were some of the guns and funds to buy the guns in NI comining from? And how many innocents have died by those guns by terroists on both side of the fence. I really don't see your logic.
@ RefNV (Re Freeman)
Assuming that what you're saying is correct, you act like this is a bad thing.
Let people think that Vegas is bad. That keeps the mindless suburban scum out who drive up the price of everything. Do you also live your life this way too? Worrying about what other people think about you, basing your whole life off of the validation of others? No one cares what outsiders think. You really think that corporations care about Las Vegas' image? Have you seen the places that some of these companies outsource work to?
The only time that "Sin City's Reputation" ever becomes an issue is when some uptight prude wants to push their narrow-minded agenda onto everyone else so that they can feel superior, or some corporation throws a tantrum because the NDA or some other agency refuses to grant them their ridiculous tax incentives, so they then want to get even with Nevada.
And since I don't see you posting any letters of incorporation...
"Sales have skyrocketed for military-style rifles in particular, such as the AK-47...."
Segall & Velotta -- you guys need to get your facts straight. Unless it's full-auto -- as in a machine gun -- no AK-47 is being sold as you described. As for mockery from England, well they whined when our Minutemen picked them off from cover while their peacock infantry marched in the open. We're the ones still getting the last laugh on that one.
"Gee Brits, that gun ban of yours sure worked good in Northern Ireland."
mred -- excellent post!!
"@ RefNV (Re Freeman) . . . . .Do you also live your life this way too? Worrying about what other people think about you, basing your whole life off of the validation of others? No one cares what outsiders think."
DMCVegas -- good one! Especially loved your bit about outsourcing!
"The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials, and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One's right to . . . fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections." -- West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette - 319 U.S. 624, 638 (1943)
The premise of this story is so thin, it's laughable.
While the headline presents "international mockery" as fact, the story waits until the 19th paragraph to even introduce that aspect, and only by relying on the weasel word "could".
The Sun writes: "The rush on guns and Las Vegas' booming gun range industry, while good for the local economy, could backfire and hurt the valley's image."
So, what evidence does the Sun present to support that premise? None. In fact, the only person quoted about that possibility -- in the absolute last paragraph -- says: "I've never seen any instances personally or any evidence that something like that has hurt us," Handel said. "But then, I don't know that anybody's really researched it either."
Well, so much for that splashy headline.
Incidentally, even the "mockery" is a matter of opinion. The Sun cites no concrete example that the UK stories were truly mocking Las Vegas, so it created its own "evidence," by writing: "the subtext of the stories was that the services symbolize an unhealthy obsession with guns."
Oh, so it was the "subtext." Lord knows, when I need someone to ferret out the hidden subtext in a story, I let the Sun do my thinking for me.
It sounds like the agenda-crazed Sun got a little too worked up trying to fulfill its twin mission statements: 1) advance all loony Left causes, gun control in this case, and 2) always, always, always be a cheerleader for Las Vegas, and criticize anything that makes "us" look bad.
Grow up.
You really think international tourist are going to stop coming here because we have gun ranges? Like some others have pointed out (whether the know it or not) people come here to have a reckless good old time. If they really think guns are as immoral as they say they are they would embrace having them in Las Vegas.
I go into The Gun Store on Tropicana quite often. And guess who are always lined up out the door to shoot guns??? Foreign tourists, which a majority happen to have British accents. They seem to all leave laughing and smiling with their paper targets in hand like trophies.
According to NBC, four handguns were recovered from inside the school, and no rifles -- assault or otherwise, though a rifle was in Lanza's car. Can the reporters on this story clarify?
Gee, some members of the British media don't like guns. I didn't see that one coming and it hardly warrants the all-inclusive headline. Is it possible that some members of the Vegas media don't like guns, too, and seized on some pretty far-left outlets from one country to reinforce their own bias? Nah, that would be unprofessional.
The pro mass murder people are out today supporting gun stores . It's time to ban assault style military rifles which were made for one reason, to kill a lot of people very rapidly. Kind of like the movie theater killer in Colorado and the Sandy Hook Elementary School killer. But a ban would also mean the owners of such guns must turn them in so the eventually disappear. It may take a few years to collect them all but doing something is better than doing nothing.
The City's "gun culture" is news to me. Nevada is like the Honey Boo Boo of states - a freakshow from which you cannot avert your eyes. I can hardly list the many sad, sad points in this woeful report. The increased volume of arms being sold; the "panic"; the inordinate claims of "fear" -- it's tragic.
But the saddest thing of all is the flimsy tourism angle. What is a "good number" of tourists? It seems that no matter how many or few it attracts, as long as we can lay any claim to guns as a tourist draw and economic generator, we will justify their promotion and exploitation as "adult freedoms."
If the gun culture is tied up with municipal and state tourism, it's also likely to be tied to public revenue. Is it? If the city doesn't directly promote shooting ranges, who pays for the airport posters?
LVCVA's Handel may see no evidence of the damage to Nevada's image caused by its exploitive and indulgent culture, but economic development agencies are wrestling with it all the time. Image is Nevada's biggest challenge, next to wanton commercialism.
Sounds like Obama may issue some "Executive Orders" if Congress doesn't give him what he wants on more gun control. The guy has a knack for getting what he wants one way or the other. Reminds me of Clinton.
This article and some comments show why one of the best gun safety laws would be to require a comprehensive mental evaluation before licensing any gun to a person.
Millions of Americans have and are leaving the US to live in foreign countries, and they are not government employees. Millions more are considering leaving. The reasons are many, but not usually political.
They can always come back for a short visit to Las Vegas to get a taste of the reasons they left. We have it all.
There is something to be said for some people's desire to live in civilized societies rather than a paranoid delusional fantasy of the US in the 18th century. That is their choice, and I respect that.
Unfortunately, we lose experience and talent, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and people who can contribute some wonderful things to our country, including Las Vegas. We lose!
Ever notice how many escaped criminals are recaptured in LV by Metro? They seem to think this is the place to disappear.
We won't have any loss of the criminal types, nor the mentally unstable. Las Vegas will take any one's money. Those individuals will surely find some way to get weapons in Las Vegas from private sales, gun shows, or robberies.
I wonder how many people have purchased guns to protect themselves from the fanatical gun owner's, and right wing?
I'll let the British know how much I care about what the British think about vegas or any other US city...oh wait, I don't think I care enough to care. Next...
Either that or I could always refer them to Alex Jones, lol!
KillerB for someone who tries to impress how well read you are, It seems that you too easily believe everything that is written in this article. And to agree with Mred comparing the situation in NI to the present Gun debates in the USA makes me realise it's probably better you rely on other peoples thoughts to appear intelligent, than your own.
Kidd, if they could not keep guns out of Northern Ireland, (an Island) how are they going to keep them out of the USA? drugs, booze, abortion, gambling, porn, etc. when has a ban worked? created more problems than it solves.
There is no mention made of how the Law will be imposed, or how the sellers of guns will be checked. Will it be just the police as now? May I suggest that Homeland Security has a division which could maintain a data base which would hold and verify all purchases of guns in the USA. This way the sellers actions could be monitored and purchses by possible terrorists and by mentally deficient males might be detected.
I wonder how many people have purchased guns to protect themselves from the fanatical gun owners and right wing media?...gee peacelily... you seems to be a left wing media expert so why don't you tell us...but like you post you are shooting blanks......