Stephen King's Gunslinger?

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MeekAndMild

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I wonder has anyone ever given thought to the rules of inheritence for firearms in the first of King's Dark Tower novels? Ever wonder how there could evolve an hereditary caste of gunmen who were allowed legal firearms while everyone else on the side of the law had to be content with sticks and knives?

A big jump here, but one could imagine a caste system in 22nd century California where only the direct descendents of gunowners could own guns. Or perhaps a USA where there are no new legal machine guns being licensed so only the children of NFA owners would be allowed automatic weapons?
 
I predict this thread will devolve into plain silliness in one page of posts. Oh, 'scuse me ... that prediction is a little too obvious, since it starts out silly. Eh?
 
I would like to think that hereditary rights, specificaly a hereditary caste system has no place in American society. That is why we don't have a king.

Kali is not going to allow any guns if they ban them. It will be turn 'em in or else.
 
I predict this thread will devolve into plain silliness in one page of posts. Oh, 'scuse me ... that prediction is a little too obvious, since it starts out silly. Eh?
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You have forgotten the face of your Father......
 
He was refering to a line that is used repeatedly in the Gunslinger series by SK. Seven books, each of them a page turner. I think I read the entire series in about three weeks. It pretty well consumed every free minute at home and work!:eek:
 
Mad Martigan,

That is a pretty arrogant assertion. You make assumptions. We have Private Messaging for situations in which a member is unhappy with the contribution of another. Use it.

By the way, I have read the first three volumes of the Dark Tower series: The Gunslinger, The Drawing Of The Three and The Waste Lands, and enjoyed them.

I guess I was wrong about this thread. It did not devolve into silliness. But the original hypothesis of this thread, if taken seriously, is a subject for the Legal & Political forum. If not taken seriously, it is a waste of bandwidth and will end up closed. Given the premise of the opening post, a serious discussion on the future of firearms ownership is unlikely. However, my intervention may have contributed to that situation. MeekAndMild, I invite you try to rephrase your hypothesis with less sci fi/fantasy and try again, if only to prove me wrong.:).

Moderator status aside, outright confrontations by one member toward another will get a thread closed.

I post this so that the participants in this thread will understand this next action.

Closed for 1) lack of civility and 2) fantasy subject matter. (Note: without 1) this thread might have been salvaged. )

Mad Martigan, you have email.
 
imagine a caste system in 22nd century California where only the direct descendents o

My point is that you have nothing constructive to add to this thread.
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How about this?

Remember that inheritance taxes would require the heirs to "sell" property in order to retain a portion of their inheritance.

This would then lead to the "gov'mint" allowing for a tax deduction for each weapon "turned in". :barf:

One thing for sure... If the anti-gun liberals could make this happen... they would make this happen... :mad:

It would be a major "coup" to "eliminate" gun ownership by attrition...

But for now...? :cool:


I would like to think that hereditary rights, specificaly a hereditary caste system has no place in American society. That is why we don't have a king.
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Leave us not dream too much!

Socialism had no place in American society... among other kinky things.
 
OK, let me try for a minute. Since this is social conjecture I think that General is a better place for it than L&P. And I do hope that some of the posters treat it a little bit more seriously.

You are probably all aware of the hereditary nature of the right to bear arms in medieval feudal societies. The relationship between the nobility and the underclasses started out as one of division of labor but gradually evolved to one of a dominent class which kept arms by virtue of tradition, power and wealth.

What could be precipitating circumstances in a future US where a similar class structure could evolve? We probably wouldn't call the them 'landed nobility', nor 'private armies', but we already have military families (the McArthurs and the Pattons come to mind). We no longer have local militias; instead we have nationalized guard units. We already see cities and states where CCW is effectively limited to the wealthy and politically connected.

So are there any serious conjectures? Thanks, pointer. The tax idea is an interesting one. You were posting as I was composing this so I missed your post. I edited to include the last three sentences.
 
Tax incentives are a horrribly plausible way for the gun grabbers to make rounding up firearms more attractive. However, Doesn't that top tier inheritance tax start after the first $2 million of inheritance? I would think most people inherit much less than that and are taxed at a much lower rate, while people inheriting more than $2million would have to get a pretty damn nice tax incentive for handing over guns to even care.
 
In a desperate attempt to help this thread devolve into silliness, I think in keeping with the events of the first book (if the gun grabbers were successful), we could all revert to concealed-carry of trained attack hawks.:D

Another bit of curiosity: I've read the first four books, and the closest I can remember to figuring out what caliber he was shooting was in the second where our character walks into a gun store and trades for some ammunition. Other than the "sandalwood-gripped" revolvers being big and heavy and probably something like Rugers, did SK ever say what loads they were chambered for? From his descriptions of size, I'm thinking probably something close to .44 Mag, but that's just my impression.
 
after the first $2 million of inheritance?
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I don't know if they've raised the limit to $2 million...?

But I have a friend from Kalifonika who inherited three houses from his mother...

Together, I believe, they were worth more than $800,000...
The "cutoff", at the time, was $500,000.

The Federal Estate/Inheritance tax was $80,000.
The Kalifornika tax was $20,000...

He was forced to liquidate the properties, below their value, in order to pay "cash" for the socialist "gov'mint" extortion. :mad:

Edited PS...
The "gov'mint" doesn't even hesitate a little before confiscating money and lands...
That's why I believe the ONLY thing standing between us and a brand new "king" is the Second Amendment...

Guard it well... Guard it well.
 
The Drawing of the Three tells us that Roland's pistols are chambered in .45. I would guess .45 Colt, but the clerk at the gunstore only calls them "Winchester .45".
 
The Drawing of the Three tells us that Roland's pistols are chambered in .45. I would guess .45 Colt, but the clerk at the gunstore only calls them "Winchester .45".
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Yep. Exactly right. I've only read this series 3 times and listened to it another 2. (addict, sorry)

I never got the idea from the books that the "commoners" were denied guns, just that they were rare. In fact, in book four (Wizard and Glass) several random ranchers/farmers in Megis have their own pistols, though they are more family heirlooms that may/may not shoot. I got the impression that perhaps powder, ammo, and quality guns were in very short supply due to "the world moving on" as King puts it.
 
And the 'world moving on' in some parts was due to the destruction of industry by generations of wars. They lost the knowledge to use and maintain machines, or refine fossil fuels, or use electronics.
The Man in Black helped some 'remember' some of these things.

I still want this series made into a rpg video game.
 
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