this post was submitted on 12 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 184 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Would be funny if this is how gun control becomes a thing in America. A bunch of greedy landlords unable to overcharged people for rent because the neighbourhood is deemed unsafe start lobbying the government to get guns under control because it's affecting their bottom dollar.

[–] [email protected] 62 points 1 week ago (1 children)

As if. Bye bye neighborhood library boxes.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Cool. I made mine look like a traffic cam

[–] WoodScientist 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Disguise it as one of those police camera trailers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Disguise it like a gun and it will never be taken away

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Is it that much different from how fun control became a thing in California?

The "wrong" people have to start enjoying guns is all

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Join the SRA! (Socialist Rifle Association). We are the wrong people! We either arm the vanguard (not actually a goal) or we get more common sense gun laws implemented. It's a win win.

In more serious terms, think of it as an organization where you can learn responsible gun ownership without being surrounded by maga hats. You don't need to consider yourself a socialist to join. Though there is a basic vetting process to keep the maga hats out.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I've been trying to look into joining the minnesota chapter but their website appears to do nothing but point to their socials. I'm not on social media (privacy concerns, fuck Elon and Zuck) so I'm at a bit of an impasse on how to learn more.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

This is also my problem. Hi there fellow Minnesotan, just gonna scooch right past ya there.

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[–] kopasz7 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Similar. Main difference being the SRA actually believes in the thing their org is built on.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Think the FBI hangs out with y’all, post-9/11-mosque style? Which was very nice and not harassy of them

Wonder if members are safer given you’ll all be more knowledgeable than average or whether fascists would make a point to target the group as the rights situation further declines.

Hopeful the midterms magically change things somehow and we don’t devolve into this conversation being incredibly relevant/important and it can stay a no-knowledge theoretical comment of mine

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's most peoples understanding that being a member of any organization that has "socialist" in the name can make you a target for fascist. But I think it's also most peoples perspective that EVERYONE is a target for fascist eventually. There is no defense in just sitting by and hoping that you're the last to be targeted.

As a straight white male it's definitely a privileged position to not have to be as concerned yet.

The SRA itself is not at all political though and members are discouraged from doing any organizing that could be connected directly to the organization. It's basically meant to be a safe space for people to learn responsible gun ownership. Something that is usually dominated by the "maga hats".

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago

They'd just ban little libraries.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Would be funny if this is how gun control becomes a thing in America.

They're way more likely to outlaw little free libraries. Also, people are gonna notice that the little free library in their neighborhood smells like spent gunpowder.

[–] MyNameIsIgglePiggle 5 points 1 week ago

Not when everything smells of spent gunpowder

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Could just hide a speaker in a tree or something. Hell hide them all over.

[–] [email protected] 86 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I think "pranks" that involve misleading everyone in audible range into fearing for their lives would reduce property values regardless of open house timings

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago

The trick is to get an entire neighborhood in on it. That way you can schedule shouting matches in the front yards of the houses neighboring the open houses as well.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

If it fires upwards then it's not misleading at all.

[–] [email protected] 59 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They're talking about shooting blanks

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Ah good, carry on then. Although, there should be a small disclaimer about gun safety in always assuming it's loaded with live munitions. This issue was recently in the news over Alec Baldwin's movie set where an actor was inadvertently shot and killed.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's not hard to set it up without an actual gun. You can get reloading primers. 3D print something to hold one in place, and then have a spring-loaded nail that can hit the primer when released. Should make a pretty good bang. Cheaper than any actual gun, too.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Or just a really loud speaker

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Sure but isn't the idea that you set this thing up yourself? So you would know what it is loaded with.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Doesn't matter. If the firearm has left your possession, you need to check it rather than assume the condition.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I want my property value to go down, it means less property taxes.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well, as long as it's near the bowling alley.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Homer's six-shooter shotgun.

[–] WoodScientist 27 points 1 week ago (1 children)

There has to be a way to improve this. The problem is that you have to refill the cap gun. Could you instead do something similar with a solar-powered compressor and a small pressure chamber? Can you make a realistic gunshot sound with a pressure tank and appropriate plumbing?

If such a thing could work, you wouldn't even need to install it in an easily accessible place. This thing here needs to be a little library because the cap gun needs reloading. And a free little library is one of the few acceptable reasons for a random person to install a big box in a public place.

But...if this were a system that just compressed atmospheric air to be released periodically as "gunshots?" Then you could put them anywhere; they wouldn't need reloading. You could install it on a power pole or up in a tree. Anywhere that can hide a small box and a little solar panel. Hide it somewhere that's difficult to find. Hell, you could sneak them onto people's rooftops via drones at night! You might be able to make some sort of methane fuel cell and hide the damn things in the sewer.

Oh, and be sure your gunshot simulators have some RNG built into them. You don't want gunshot sounds coming from the same fixed set of locations every time there's an open house. Better to have 20 gunshot generators scattered across a neighborhood, hidden in all sorts of creative locations. Tune the RNG so that every third house showing experiences at least one simulated gunshot. And don't have them coordinated. Make each individual box roll its own dice to determine whether it will respond to an open house. And if mechanically possible, allow for variable numbers of shots! Feel free to also add loudspeaker that will make the gunshot sound be accompanied occasionally with the angry yells of men of non-white ethnicity. Or possibly the sound of an angry man shouting in Spanish or Arabic.

Ooooh... if you could mount the system high enough, and build the appropriate automated gimbling system...you could use a highly directional speaker to direct a cone/beam of sound just in the direction of whatever houses had open houses that day. It would be like an automatic gun turret, except instead of bullets, it broadcasts gunshot sounds and the shouts of angry men at open houses.

Oh man, this is fun to think about. The possibilities are endless!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Now that's innovation.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Random question but where can one get a little library (sans gun)?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago

Local hardware shop, some assembly required. Nothing says it needs to be extraordinarily fancy so long as it keeps the contents dry.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

In Holland people will just put old shelves on the street with some books in them and add a sign.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don’t even have enough shelves for the books I have, let alone old shelves 🤣

[–] Corkyskog 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Get a plastic box, write "books" on the side?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I couldn't find a plastic box, so I used an old white van, by then I forgot what we were trying to give away, so I just assumed it was free candy. Now the police want to talk to me. 0/10 do not recommend using a plastic box with "books" written on the side.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Dang the official ones are expensive huh

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago

Several people have died a block away from my building over the years. I personally have been in two fights right outside. Rent has only continued to go up.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

I live somewhere where we have had multiple stabbings directly outside in the last year or so. Our rent is still increasing. Our landlord spoke to the landlord of a property that is in much worse disrepair near us and saw cash in his eyes.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

So… the longer rentals aren’t rented, the higher prices go until the local rental economy collapses and properties get sold off to decentralized management firms, who are willing to gentrify a group of properties until they can raise the rent floor on everyone.

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