The Plinking Sniper

Here's an amusing example, from Confederate Yankee, of how far wingnuts will go to deny reality:

"Our "Elite" Media: Anyone With a Gun is a Sniper"

Anyon with a gun. I see. Mr. Yankee continues:

"A wonderful example of selling fear is the story of the so-called "Berea Sniper." Someone has been shooting at cars in this Ohio town since this past August. No one has been injured by the shooter..."

Of course, the underwear bomber didn't injure anyone but himself either. However, wingnuts have no problem calling him a terrorist, rather than a person with a very faulty undergarment.

"The suspect, Paul Hausmann, has been tooling around this Cleveland suburb plinking at his fellow citizens with a .22-caliber replica of an old cowboy six-gun."

"Plinking." I.e. hiding and shooting at them with a gun which is very well capable of killing them. I always pretty much thought that was what a sniper is, but I guess I was wrong:

"But a story a story about what is essentially vandalism—even vandalism with a firearm—doesn't get the local chiropractor and car dealer to buy advertising. We live in an age where any crank with any sort of a firearm is a "sniper"

No, just any sort of crank who is shooting at people from hiding. But the wingnuts, who scream with pseudo-outrage that liberals are trying to treat terrorists as mere criminals, are willing to define down sniping to "vandalism," when one of their own is the perp.

Comments

Derek said…
"the underwear bomber didn't injure anyone but himself either. However, wingnuts have no problem calling him a terrorist"

There is a difference between someone who shoots at cars and a sniper. We have little to no way of knowing at what distance the sniper is shooting. The underwear bomber, is simply an unsuccessful terrorist. He is instilling fear through the threat of violence in order to achieve a political end.

"hiding and shooting at them with a gun which is very well capable of killing them. "

It's a .22, hardly any kind of sniper round. Sniper rounds are closer to something like a .30-06, aka 150 grain. A .22 is 30 grain.

'are willing to define down sniping to "vandalism,"

I wouldn't call him a sniper nor would I call him a vandal. He is a criminal, and firing and firearm at other people is dangerous. Granted, someone who thinks he is a sniper doesn't know enough about guns, just as the person who thinks he is a vandal doesn't have any common sense.
Green Eagle said…
"There is a difference between someone who shoots at cars and a sniper."

There is? From Merriam-Webster dictionary online:

"snipe

1 : to shoot at exposed individuals (as of an enemy's forces) from a usually concealed point of vantage

— snip·er noun"

Notice that there is no qualification here about the caliber of ammunition involved. I guess the people who wrote the dictionary didn't feel quite the same need that you did to prove what tough men they are by parading an alleged and utterly irrelevant knowledge about guns.
D said…
"
Notice that there is no qualification here about the caliber of ammunition involved."

Apparently any shooter who shoots from cover is a sniper? Tell that to a US sniper in the Armed Forces.

"by parading an alleged and utterly irrelevant "

Am I a sniper if I shoot at people from a bush with a paintball gun? Or a sling shot? Or a bow and arrow? How about a potato gun? Super soaker? It just says "shoot", it doesn't say shoot what right?
Green Eagle said…
Derek,

Your disingenuous arguments show that you are not at all serious about what you say, and make it clear that, in the end, you are nothing but a troll.

The rest of us here care about the fate of our country; you do not.
Derek said…
Answer my question honestly and maybe I'll take you seriously for once.
Green Eagle said…
You don't take me seriously? Then you have no business here. I will now thank you for ceasing to pollute my blog with your lies, Derek. I just ran out of patience for your childish tantrums. This blog is intended for honest, informed and serious people; none of these describe you.
Derek said…
"none of these describe you."

All I ever want is a straightforward and honest response from you. Is it really that hard?

Please answer the question.
Green Eagle said…
Beat it, Derek. We've all had it with you. I'm sick of getting private complaints from other commenters because you are wasting all of our time. You're through here. Can't you read?
Derek said…
"You're through here. Can't you read?"

Tired of my fact checking? Meh, bound to happen some time.

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