Well, I should have know that Ken Soderstrom (Public Forum, May 26, “Gun control partly to blame”) would again state that government laws are the reason for gun violence. What a diametrically opposed position that he takes. One, tell the government and its laws to stay away in any shape or form from gun control. And, two, the government has put in place laws that you can’t pack a piece, unless you are mentally unbalanced, in certain places.
So far in eastern North Carolina, we have had a concealed weapons carrier blow a hole in a retail store’s bathroom. No more shopping at that place for me with my grandkids. I have seen in the paper where several homeowners have rebuffed intruders with guns. That is where guns should stay. If you want to go back to vigilantes, then save taxes and get rid of the sheriff and the city police departments.
Harrington had a letter in the paper also stating the federal government is trying to take our six shooters away. I am not worried about the feds taking my six shooter away, but I am worried about the extremist in our society. That includes the above mentioned individuals, the current leadership of the NRA, and kooks like the most recent one in Colorado. They are all part of the problem.
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Comments
History of killing.
Biblically, first Cain killed his brother.
Scientifically, tribe of humans killed each other for food.
When Columbus landed in the "new world" he came ashore with three objects. A sword, A cross, and a flag. Then he proceed to kill.
When the pilgrims stepped on to Plymouth rock, they brought guns for protection and to kill for food.
As a one time killing machine for my country, I hope that someday we can all just get along respecting each other. I've seen far too much killing. I don't want to see another. I am and just and old man who cannot sleep without a gun within reach. Sometimes I ask myself how did that little boy who wanted to be a teacher ever come to that? How did that rebellious teenager who stole a car ever come to this? How did I become one with a gun, married to it, probably more than married to my now deceased wife.
My wife understood, her father was just as me. Our children learned how to shoot accurately before they were ten years old. I always had a loaded weapon at my side and standing beside my pack next to the door. My children understood an respected guns as much as I do. They all three are expert shots. In my business, it was home today, gone tonight, and never knew when I would be back. Sometimes it was a few days, sometimes a year.
If a person broke into my home tonight, sadly, they would be dead. Let's just suppose that that person was so hungry that all they wanted was a piece of bread. All that person has to do is knock and ask. I would give them a meal with the bread. I would give them shelter. It would be my honor to help them. I have seen far too much hunger, lonely children wandering around in rags parentless because a group just came to their homes and killed them, for a religion, a cause, riches, an idea or some other stupid idiotic reason.
I hope someday those words will never be thought or spoken again. I hope someday all of us will have a place to call home with enough food and an education that will allow our children to dream and imagine what can be. I hope someday that we can all greet and treat each other kindly and with respect and work together for the common good of all people. No religion here, just hope.
40 REASONS
40 Reasons For Gun Control Significant portions of this article are excerpted from Michael Z. Williamson's excellent and witty piece, "It's amazing what one has to believe to believe in gun control" 1. Banning guns works, which is why New York, DC, & Chicago cops need guns.
2. Washington DC's low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control, and Indianapolis' high murder rate of 9 per 100,000 is due to the lack of gun control.
3. Statistics showing high murder rates justify gun control but statistics showing increasing murder rates after gun control are "just statistics."
4. The Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, both of which went into effect in 1994 are responsible for the decrease in violent crime rates, which have been declining since 1991.
5. We must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go on a shooting spree at any time and anyone who would own a gun out of fear of such a lunatic is paranoid.
6. The more helpless you are the safer you are from criminals.
7. An intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven spray, but if shot with a .357 Magnum will get angry and kill you.
8. A woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.
9. When confronted by violent criminals, you should "put up no defense -- give them what they want, or run" (Handgun Control Inc. Chairman Pete Shields, Guns Don't Die - People Do, 1981, p.125).
10. The New England Journal of Medicine is filled with expert advice about guns; just like Guns & Ammo has some excellent treatises on heart surgery.
11. One should consult an automotive engineer for safer seatbelts, a civil engineer for a better bridge, a surgeon for internal medicine, a computer programmer for hard drive problems, and Sarah Brady for firearms expertise.
12. The 2nd Amendment, ratified in 1787, refers to the National Guard, which was created 130 years later, in 1917.
13. The National Guard, federally funded, with bases on federal land, using federally-owned weapons, vehicles, buildings and uniforms, punishing trespassers under federal law, is a "state" militia.
14. These phrases: "right of the people peaceably to assemble," "right of the people to be secure in their homes," "enumerations herein of certain rights shall not be construed to disparage others retained by the people," and "The powers not delegated herein are reserved to the states respectively, and to the people" all refer to individuals, but "the right of the people to keep and bear arm" refers to the state.
15. "The Constitution is strong and will never change." But we should ban and seize all guns thereby violating the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments to that Constitution.
16. Rifles and handguns aren't necessary to national defense! Of course, the army has hundreds of thousands of them.
17. Private citizens shouldn't have handguns, because they aren't "military weapons", but private citizens shouldn't have "assault rifles", because they are military weapons.
18. In spite of waiting periods, background checks, finger printing, government forms, etc., guns today are too readily available, which is responsible for recent school shootings. In the 1940's, 1950's and1960's, anyone could buy guns at hardware stores, army surplus stores, gas stations, variety stores, Sears mail order, no waiting, no background check, no fingerprints, no government forms and there were no school shootings.
19. The NRA's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign about kids handling guns is propaganda, but the anti-gun lobby's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign is responsible social activity.
20. Guns are so complex that special training is necessary to use them properly, and so simple to use that they make murder easy.
21. A handgun, with up to 4 controls, is far too complex for the typical adult to learn to use, as opposed to an automobile that only has 20.
22. Women are just as intelligent and capable as men but a woman with a gun is "an accident waiting to happen" and gun makers' advertisements aimed at women are "preying on their fears."
23. Ordinary people in the presence of guns turn into slaughtering butchers but revert to normal when the weapon is removed.
24. Guns cause violence, which is why there are so many mass killings at gun shows.
25. A majority of the population supports gun control, just like a majority of the population supported owning slaves.
26. Any self-loading small arm can legitimately be considered to be a "weapon of mass destruction" or an "assault weapon."
27. Most people can't be trusted, so we should have laws against guns, which most people will abide by because they can be trusted.
28. The right of Internet pornographers to exist cannot be questioned because it is constitutionally protected by the Bill of Rights, but the use of handguns for self defense is not really protected by the Bill of Rights.
29. Free speech entitles one to own newspapers, transmitters, computers, and typewriters, but self-defense only justifies bare hands.
30. The ACLU is good because it uncompromisingly defends certain parts of the Constitution, and the NRA is bad, because it defends other parts of the Constitution.
31. Charlton Heston, a movie actor as president of the NRA is a cheap lunatic who should be ignored, but Michael Douglas, a movie actor as a representative of Handgun Control, Inc. is an ambassador for peace who is entitled to an audience at the UN arms control summit.
32. Police operate with backup within groups, which is why they need larger capacity pistol magazines than do "civilians" who must face criminals alone and therefore need less ammunition.
33. We should ban "Saturday Night Specials" and other inexpensive guns because it's not fair that poor people have access to guns too.
34. Police officers have some special Jedi-like mastery over hand guns that private citizens can never hope to obtain.
35. Private citizens don't need a gun for self-protection because the police are there to protect them even though the Supreme Court says the police are not responsible for their protection.
36. Citizens don't need to carry a gun for personal protection but police chiefs, who are desk-bound administrators who work in a building filled with cops, need a gun.
37. "Assault weapons" have no purpose other than to kill large numbers of people. The police need assault weapons. You do not.
38. When Microsoft pressures its distributors to give Microsoft preferential promotion, that's bad; but when the Federal government pressures cities to buy guns only from Smith & Wesson, that's good.
39. Trigger locks do not interfere with the ability to use a gun for defensive purposes, which is why you see police officers with one on their duty weapon.
40. Handgun Control, Inc. says they want to "keep guns out of the wrong hands." Guess what? You have the wrong hands.
Beautiful!
The circular reasoning of the left is remarkable.
Reason from an expert.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/07/30/new-gun-laws-will-do-nothing-t...
Go grab a mirror to find the extremist...
I agree with Harvey Tyer’s assessment that extremism contributes to the problem of violence in our society, but differ about where it resides. To reiterate my earlier letter, creating large and concentrated defenseless populations is what is really dangerously extreme. Tyer conveniently avoids addressing this issue of “gun-free” zones and their repeated use in committing mass-murder. He complains that “balance” is gone from our society – and again I agree. Tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens disarmed on campuses, thousands on military bases, hundreds in movie theaters are clear examples of a dangerous lack of balance. There was concern expressed about irresponsible handling of weapons in public, and this is valid and should be addressed by encouraging training and discouraging the irresponsible to carry in public. The NRA vilified by Tyler has safety programs for children that could be incorporated to primary education that would go far in restoring safe and proper respect for weapons. Is it really surprising that ignorance of safe gun handling is a problem when Boy Scouts are no longer permitted to carry pocket knives to school, hunters can’t lock weapons in vehicles on campus during hunting seasons, and a mere picture of a gun is enough to have a student expelled? This sort of head-in-the-sand denial of reality forces all good citizens to be treated like the few criminals, and is another example of the problem of extremism that Tyer ignores. Here is the problem: Progressives want to pretend that weapons are no longer relevant to our “civilized” nation. Noble wishes for this to be true are dangerously naïve. So long as evil and violent people remain among us, personal defense will remain necessary - and the more of it the better in-terms of security. History suggests this reality will not change soon.
Math teacher
Do you have high blood pressure? Every single comment you make to this forum is angry. I fear for your health. You sound like a heart attack waiting to happen.
Irony...
Illustrated so well!
Extremist?
The shooter in Colorado isn't an extremist. He's a mentally ill individual. There are lots of them, some more dangerous than others. You cannot expect the police to protect you from every mentally ill person. You are responsible for yourself, both at home and when you are out in public. The police come after the fact. Maybe they get there in 5 minutes, maybe 15, but they cannot be everywhere all the time.
Concealed carry permit holders are not extremists or vigilantes. They are people like you and me that have taken some training and have decided that being a victim does not appeal to them. One gun owner who fumbles in the bathroom and has a negligent discharge is hardly a trend of maddened extremists shooting up the state.
I won't force you to be responsible for your own defense, don't try to force me to give up my responsibility for mine. That would be balance.
another bogus poll cited by fubar
This poll was taken for a group called mayors against ILLEGAL guns. The opperative word here is ILLEGAL. The poll was carried out in may but not released until Tuesday after the movie theater massacre according to reuters. The time elapsed between taking the poll and releasing the results make the poll suspect. There was plenty of time to fool around with the results and change them to fit an agenda.
But there is a bigger issue here. The issue of a legal purchase. I bought an AR-15 last October. I used my CCW permit to make the purchase. The CCW was issued to me after an extensive background check was done on me. The dealer who sold me the gun told me that without the CCW I would have had to wait a few days while a background check was done before getting my weapon. THIS IS A FEDERAL LAW. That means that James Holmes went through the same background check before getting his Ar-15. So it was a LEGAL purchase.
The reuters article said most gun owners favor background checks. That is true and I favor them also. But most guns used in crimes are either stolen or bought as a straw purchase. We need to make the death penalty universal and swift for gun violence. It may not act as a deterrent, but dead people don't become repeat offenders. And prisons need to look more like the one in The Shawshank Redenption and less like the country clubs that they are. As for overcrowding, stack the thugs in there like cord wood if necessary. But leave my freedoms alone!
You're a Liar, Math Teacher
Nobody has to wait a few days when you buy a gun--any gun. You fill out the form, stand there, and the guy calls the FBI. They say OK and you have a gun. The whole thing takes about five minutes.
wrong
you were told wrong, there is no waiting period to buy any long gun, unless the FBI puts a hold on the approval, which is not normal.
when buying a long gun, you fill out a 4473 federal ATF form, the dealer places a phone call, provides certain information, and normally the approval is given after about 1 minute.
be aware, lying on the 4473 form is a felonaly, possibly 10 years and $10,000 fine.
you can also buy a long gun using a pistol purchase permit, without the phone call.
if a dealer told you this, you need to find another dealer..................
Black Beard.., you are wrong
I have purchased and own an AR-15. I know what I am talking about and it's the truth. Try going to a gun store to buy an AR-15 and see that I'm right. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE SPOUTING OFF TO A TEACHER!!!!!!!!
dealer
please tell us which dealer told you that he needs to be informed or avoided
wrong again
I ran Black Beard's Guns in Farmville for 3 years. I know of what I speak.
Stick to math...
Sorry but you were told wrong and need to find another gun store. There is no delay or waiting period to buy any weapon, be it long gun or pistol. Your background check is done right there in front of you and unless you are wanted or give false info on your paperwork, they give the go ahead over the phone. I have purchased an AR-15, AK47 and multiple bolt actions and pistols. All bought without a CCW permit and no waiting other than a few minutes while they call in my information.
Just admit you were misinformed and are wrong.
Majority favor sensible gun controls
Even Republican pollster Frank Luntz found in his poll (partly) of gun owners & NRA members (former & current), found out that a majority favor sensible gun restrictions http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/25/us-usa-shooting-denver-guns-id...
If a majority of lemmings...
jumped off the cliff, the smart ones wouldn't.
The only gun owners I know who support further restrictions don't understand the Second Amendment. I see this as a problem with primary education.
Sensible
It's already illegal to shoot people. It was already illegal to have a gun in the theater. What sort of restrictions are you thinking of?
If you want to stop mass shootings, consider this. However insane this man, and others in the past, might be, they only places they pick to go on rampages are places where guns are not permitted. They don't go shoot up gun clubs or police stations. So, having some good people armed seems to be the best way to prevent mass shootings.
Since the statistics clearly show a drop in violent crime in states that permit some form of concealed carry, I propose opening up the guidelines to allow carry in more locations. The evidence is already clear.
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