People want to shoot the balloon from China out of the sky.
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (28100)
February 4, 2023 12:19pm CST
Some of these people are ridiculous. They think they should be able to try to shoot at this balloon. Even if they could try, it's just too high to reach. Bullets that go up, do come down.
I recall an incident not far from me a few years ago. A man wanted to try out a new high-powered rifle and shot it up in the air a few times. One bullet came down and hit and killed an Amish man while he was farming in his field. Just an example, but it's not a good idea to try to shoot the balloon.
For some strange reason, I remembered a line in the movie, Independence Day. I realize the details are different and that was a movie, not reality, but I still thought of it.
“Once again, the L.A.P.D. is asking Los Angelenos not to fire their guns at the visitor spacecraft. You may inadvertently trigger an interstellar war.”
Do people really think they can shoot something like that out of the sky??
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/suspected-chinese-balloon-over-us-02-04-23/index.html
11 people like this
10 responses
@MarieCoyle (28100)
•
5 Feb 23
On two news channels, it was said that he informed the department of defense to take it down--last Wednesday. They said it wasn't safe to take it down until it was over water, as the debris field would be so large as to put our people in danger if they were caught in it.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28100)
•
5 Feb 23
@rebelann
It appears they waited until it was above the ocean, to keep people safe. The debris field in the ocean from shooting it down was 7 miles wide.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118300)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Feb 23
That balloon was at an altitude of 60,000 feet. There's no way a rifle or pistol could shoot a bullet that high. People are just being dumb, or are just expressing their frustration that we seem to be helpless against doing anything with the balloon.
Anyway, the point is moot now, as the military shot down the balloon yesterday over open water off the coast of South Carolina. People didn't realize how big this balloon actually was. It was as big as three school buses. Had we shot it down over land, the debris could have caused a lot of damage on the ground.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118300)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Feb 23
@MarieCoyle I guess people weren’t thinking clearly. I’m sure people were just angry about the situation and were just expressing it the only way they could.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28100)
•
5 Feb 23
Like we don't all have enough to worry about, anyway. And then the officials from China acted all huffy and offended. If we had done the same to them, it would have been destroyed immediately.
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
5 Feb 23
At least at this point, it is shot down. I wonder if we'll ever know the full story behind it?
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28100)
•
7 Feb 23
I think we will, Kelli.
China acting all huffy and offended it was shot down. If we had done the same to them, there would have been no grace given.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (31602)
• India
5 Feb 23
@MarieCoyle I have just got the news the Chinese spy balloon is shot down.I support this action.China is not a country you can trust.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (31602)
• India
5 Feb 23
@MarieCoyle We Indians know China since 1962.That was the time when we had a weak government.But now it's history.We are well prepared now.
1 person likes this
@DevMrSamEleazar (13701)
• Philippines
7 Feb 23
ohh this is so famous right now.
I have seen memes of it. but I dont really much pay attention to it. but for me that is why government still dont take it down.
cuz it might trigger a war. as china might say they are testing something and a country messed it. so yea
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28100)
•
7 Feb 23
I think a lot more information will be available to everyone after they go through all of the debris from the balloon.
1 person likes this
@DevMrSamEleazar (13701)
• Philippines
8 Feb 23
@MarieCoyle ohh yea yea that will also be the effect. (Government hide something to people so yea)
@snowy22315 (169473)
• United States
4 Feb 23
It has been shot down now near the Carolinas.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (94603)
• Marion, Ohio
4 Feb 23
Hopefully no one tries it. But as I know there is many idiots out there I am hoping even harder that no one gets hurt
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155291)
• United States
6 Feb 23
Hopefully it will be handled in a thoughtful and safe way.
1 person likes this
