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Guns Are To Blame? Any Reason To Disarm America!Posted Wednesday, December 19, 2012, at 12:35 PM
It is so easy to blame movies, TV, video games, etc. but how about the parents and medical "professionals" and countless other "professionals" that interact with these people for years---and do NOTHING? In most of these cases countless people come out of the woodwork to talk about how "Johnny" was a messed up kid from way back. Or the parents state "we knew something was wrong but did not think medication was fair to our child." Or, "we slept with our doors locked because we were afraid of our child---we knew he would kill someone one day." Johnny used to "torture the family pets but we did not know what to do." And the list goes on and on. What is wrong with us as a society? Why do "we" feel that it is better to not deal with these issues than to hit them head on before it turns into a mass shooting? Parents would rather cover up the fact that their child is sick than deal with the problem. Educators, medical professionals and law enforcement interact with a majority of these people yet NOTHING is done to help these people. So we blame the guns! Really? Well, the gun certainly did not jump out of the gun safe (which most of these people probably did not even have these weapons secured), load itself and walk into a school and just start going off. Where is the accountability? Why have guns in a home where someone who is mentally ill is able to get their hands on it? Why have a gun safe, trigger lock, etc. if the person who is violent or ill will know the combination or how to disable locking systems? In most of these cases the people around these individuals will say that they KNEW something was wrong. Yet these people either never got help or the people around them worked very hard to cover it up/ignore it. That is what is wrong with society, IMHO. We are all about appearances---looking good in our community. Keeping up with the Jones'. Tougher gun laws are NOT going to cure this. The people who should not have guns will still have the guns or will know how to obtain the guns. Criminals are criminals. Parents need to be accountable! Educators need to be accountable! Medical professionals need to be accountable! Law enforcement needs to be accountable! Society needs to be accountable! Mental illness is a disease. Covering up the mental illness does not solve the problem or make it go away. Handing out pills without proper evaluation and follow-up does not solve the problem either. We need to spend less time covering the unpleasant things in life up and spend more time dealing with them. I have had three situations in my life where I have been directly touched by gun violence. I do not think the guns are the problem---it is the people who are able to obtain them and the people around them who cover up the problems. It is not the movies, the music, the video games, etc. that cause these problems. It is a lack of accountability by society. Unless this changes, no matter what laws are put in place, this will continue. This world has lost all accountability. On a side note, one of my favorite "gun shows" (American Guns) was canceled recently. These people did not promote murder and mayhem or "condone" gun violence. Watching American Guns was not going to "make" someone go out and kill somebody else. These people, IMHO, promoted gun safety and responsible gun ownership. They are now, collateral damage. So, I will end this blog by stating once again that the recent school shooting is a terrible, awful tragedy. It makes me sick to see how all of those lives have changed, forever. However, the blame is still in the hands of the parent who owned the guns, allowed the guns to fall into the hands of an unstable child and the professionals who saw the "solution" to the problem was not dealing with the problem. Sweeping mental illness under the rug NEVER works. In this case, society has failed. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
Str8 Talk  - Archives - Blog RSS feed ![[Feed icon]](http://www.mountainhomenews.com/images/icons/feed-icon-14x14.png){kind=icon} - Comments RSS feed - Send email to Tracy Lauric - Login I have lived in Mountain Home for over 11 years now. I love to be outdoors in wide open spaces (as long as it does not involve camping...in a tent and an out house). I dislike Government waste/abuse of tax dollars and "sky is the limit" spending by those that we elect to represent "us." I value free speech when what is stated is factual (as opposed to lies, gossip and un-truths). I love the Chicago White Sox (I never said I was perfect) and the Broncos are okay too! I am 38 years old and married to a guy who is active duty USAF (and a Cubs fan...he is the "perfect" one). I am anti-nuclear and against further desecration of our planet with waste that we can do little to nothing with. If you dislike blunt, this is not the blog for you. Enjoy!
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Guns Are To Blame? Any Reason To Disarm America!
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We need to outlaw guns now. That way people can't use them to kill anymore. We should also outlaw heroine and meth too so people can't get addicted. Maybe we should also outlaw illegal immigration so there will be no more illegals. We should also get rid of 30-round magazines, cause they cause more harm than 3-10-round mags. How does this begin to make sense? I say we take out-of-work vets, arm them, and pay them to protect our kids.
Tracy,
Your absolutely correct, society failed these children. And not by passing yet another law limiting law abiding citizens to own firearms. Over the past 30 years or so society has gradually moved away from personal accountability for our actions. We have psychiatrists telling people that life's problems are not their fault...it's their parents fault. While at the same time they're telling parents that they shouldn't spank or discipline their children. We've allowed parents to use mind altering medications to excess because it's easier to medicate than actually parent. We've taught our kids that they are entitled to everything that life has to offer no matter how much effort they put forth. We've taught them that when they don't get what they feel entitled to it's ok scream, rant and rave and do anything it takes to get what you feel entitled to. We've taught them that they don't have to respect their elders, god, or their country, or themselves for that matter. We've taught them that there are no negative consequences for their actions.
We can pass all kinds of laws but until we are willing to tackle the real problem nothing will change. I grew in a community where every pickup you passed had a gun hanging in the back window. You would even see guns in the windows of vehicles at the school and we never had this kind of violence. I would never advocate that this would be acceptable in today's society. But that's because society has changed not the guns.
Until we decide that this country is headed in the wrong direction and begin to bring back the traditional values that this country founded on we will continue to see these type of violent acts.
I hope this isn't too long but I feel very strongly that society needs to get back on track.
Thank you OM for the great blog. I always appreciate your insight on these things. I agree that we need to hold ourselves accountable. There has been a decline of that for three or four decades.
My oldest son is a mental health clinician and has been for many years. He had his own business for a few years but now works for someone else.
Anyone who thinks it is an easy job should get educated, learn a second language, as many clients will say they don't speak English, and start helping with the complex problems in mental health care.
Yesterday he spent 14 hours with clients, he treats young adults, and most of that time was spent in a state hospital.
I feel sorry for the people who lost family and friends but it is not the last time this will happen. Way too many people in need of help and funding has been cut and meeting at least three levels of government rules of enforcement is near impossible.
Thanks for another great blog, Tracy. You're spot on, access to guns is not the problem and never has been. We should be looking at why so many young boys today have this inner rage and mental illness. Boys used to be able to act out their aggressions with sports or even fighting but schools don't even require gym classes anymore and fighting is not acceptable behavior. Boys are pretty much required to behave like girls do. Now boys just go home and play video games that are all about murdering people. Couple the lack of acceptable ways to burn off energy with poor parenting, no accountability for actions, etc. and we're seeing the results. Removing guns will never be the answer. Schools and places where the public gathers like malls should be hiring armed security. If some of these punks were afraid they might get shot back at they would think twice.
The only gun control we need added to the alright gun control laws on the people behind the gun. Like it has been said NO GUN jumps up loads itself and starts killing people, someone is always in control doing that and all those that been doing it for the last several years had a plan before they did their evil deeds. Just no excuse for killing because someone wants to. All the problems rest with the person that loaded and fired it with their plan.
Great blog, Tracy. Great comments. I'm 70, so I'll probably not see much progress made in this area of mental health changes. I DO believe that it is the only way that the problem will be lessened. But, there again, it has that political potential of being a chance of placing anyone that is even remotely suspect in the hands of the Fed or state control. If done right, it can be a great help; done wrong, it can go the way gun control has been mishandled, or at least the way politicians want to do it. I don't even begin to think that I have any answers; but, I certainly hope that someone does have some that will help this terrible situation. Only the best minds and the help of God can change the way people see their children when problems arise. I believe it starts with the parents, then teachers, and then law enforcement. If it gets to the law enforcement faze, then maybe it IS time to place the child in control of the Fed or state.
Religion has absolutely nothing to do with this tragedy.
When a tragedy happens, everybody races to find an explanation. An explanation for why it happened and how to prevent it. People reach for solutions that they can implement quickly and tangibly. These supposed solutions may not be the best but it satisfies our need to have resolution. That is the reason for the fervor around banning assault weapons and such.
The flaw in that logic is that most of these shootings and most crimes that involve the firing of a gun are not done by registered gun owners. While there is no practical value to these assault weapons, they are not the problem.
The issue of mental health. Some will say that our kids are being indoctrinated and a bunch of other doomsday rhetoric. However, a few bad apples do not represent the whole bunch. Just think, what percentage of them did nothing to hurt anybody on that fateful Friday. Hmmm... around 99.999999999% of them. Hmmm....
What's your source MHResident?
Yes, MHresident, please share your source. I just checked the Connecticut State Police website and there is no such information there.
Zook,
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Final tidbit on this. Doing something just to say that you are doing something does not make it correct. Americans are mostly short sighted. We live in the now. In a week, something else will occupy our attention and this will go to the backburner. Our need for immediate results/gratification is what is driving this latest assault weapons ban or gun control. If they step back and take a look at the whole, they will see that 99.99999999% of gun owners have never fired at a person for any reason. They have had millions of opportunities and yet do not take it. There must be a reason.
1. Even the AR-15 that was or wasn't used in this shooting doesn't meet the definition of an Assult Rifle. To be considered an assult weapon in has to have the capability or selector to be fired full auto and/or burst.
"An assault rifle is a select-fire (either fully automatic or burst capable) rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine."
The AR-15 used and most are only semi-auto and don't have full auto capability. The media just wants you to see a big black scary gun. I can make a replica of a ferrari but it doesn't make it a ferrari.
Funny thing is this AR-15 like mine are not affected by an assult weapon band. Liberals just want to make the sheep happy with some window dressing.
For religion and/or political ideology to matter, one has to assume that the person was sane, rational, and self-aware. The young man was mentally ill and so lacked the capacity to factor in these higher level associations. No amount of religious training or whatever could have overcome his mental illness. Mental illness is one of biology not choice. If you want evidence, I can supply enough to keep you occupied for a decade.
Back to the topic.
We could have had even stricter gun control laws and the young man would have enacted his cowardly vengeance. Making it easier to have non-suicidal or less-than-completely-obvious cases of mental illness would have had a higher probability of success.
I agree Twil
Well, my editor is on vacation apparently.
Insert the word, "committed", in between illness and would in the final sentence.
That's understandable.
When the name of the shooter was first reported, that name was incorrect because the shooter was carrying his brother's ID. Media outlets get stuff wrong by trying to jump the gun on one another; this reporting is similar to the conflicting announcements regarding the Supreme Court's decision on Obamacare.
Media outlets want to grab us by the ears. They've got to attempt to add something to the story every few minutes so they don't lose our interest.
MHresident,
Regaurdless of which weapon he used it still wasn't and assult rifle like the liberal "main stream" media would like you to believe.
I refer to the definition of "assult rifle"
"An assault rifle is a select-fire (either fully automatic or burst capable) rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine."
An assault rifle is a select-fire (either fully automatic or burst capable) rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. It is not to be confused with assault weapons.[1] Assault rifles are the standard service rifles in most modern armies. Assault rifles are categorized in between light machine guns, which are intended more for sustained automatic fire in a light support role, and submachine guns, which fire a pistol cartridge rather than a rifle cartridge.
Examples of assault rifles include the StG 44, AK-47,[2] M16 rifle, QBZ-95, INSAS, Heckler & Koch G36, and Enfield SA80.
The assault rifle became the standard military rifle in the post-World War II era. The Soviet Union led the way with the AK-47, and other nations followed later. Combat experience during the World Wars had shown that most infantry combat took place at 200--300 meters (218--328 yards) distance and that the winner of any given firefight would most likely be the one with the highest rate of fire. The rifle cartridges of the day were therefore unnecessarily powerful, producing recoil and report in exchange for marginal benefit. The lower power of the intermediate cartridge meant that each soldier could fire more bullets faster and/or with less recoil and its lighter weight allowed more ammunition to be carried.
It's not going to make anyone safer but that's not what this blue ribbon committee is about. Guns are not the root cause of the problem, the real problem goes much deeper.
Mental illness is a failure of biology not choice. Down Syndrome is not the same as schizophrenia. One is genetic and one can be. Schizophrenia and the other mental illnesses that are involved in these attacks usually develop over time. They have genetic roots but take different form depending on the person. There is voluminous amounts of evidence that show that these mental illnesses are about 60 to 70% genetic in nature. Genetics override cultural tradition. No amount of teaching can change the genetic framework.
Hope,
If Adam Lanza had killed in the name of God, would you be rationalizing your ways as much? That psycho in Sweden killed in the name of God. I have yet to hear his name mentioned.
Good points twilcox.
I think everyone on here is in agreement that attempts at gun control are unwanted.
The U.S. tried the outright prohibition of booze. The Women's Christian Temperance Union told us that God didn't want us imbibing.
Dave Matthews Band - Time Bomb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gg8EQXV0...
Zook,
I had a similar incident 22 years ago when a guy tried to snatch my son out of the truck. I've never told that story to anyone, not even my wife because I didn't want to freak her out. Last night my son and I were talking and he asked me if I remembered. I didn't think he would remember since he was only 4 or 5 at the time.
I dunno MsM! If it is, it seems this incarnation is more wise owl than braying jackass.
I propose a compromise,
Liberals can have their gun control but only in urban areas of population greater than 500K. In the more rural areas, leave everything as is.
Most of these shootings have happened in or near highly populated areas.
One counterargument is that nutcases and wingnuts will simply travel to get their guns. However, they still have to travel. They will still have to travel to places that they are most likely not that familiar with. Small towns have a way of judging characters better due to less anonymity.
I realize that this would never gain any traction but it is a thought.
Canyon and Ada County are very near to that threshold in terms of population. In some federal programs, all of Treasure Valley is considered one urban area, so could easily be included in such a ban, Twil.
wh67,
Yeah, deciding what criteria to use would be a headache. Do you decide on the population of the city, county, Metro Area, etc. I just gave the 500K as an example. That number could be adjusted. I am sure that you get my overall idea, though.
Schizophrenic people are delusional, they hear voices telling them to do things. My son can hear voices coming from the tv that aren't there. He can hear voices in his head telling him to do things.
Years ago he was living in a 3rd floor apartment and the voices told him to throw everything he had in his living room out the window, and so he did. He even threw out is 10 speed bike.
The neighborhood kids were below encouraging him to keep throwing stuff. I was able to get some of his things back but a lot of it was long gone..
I am telling you this because if you have never been around a Schizophrenic person I want you to know what those who live with this illness can do. Of coarse this is just one story, I have many many more and they never end, there's always new ones.
Brain processes start in the mid-brain and work their way out. The most primal and salient things are processed there. These are things like the senses and pleasure. Things radiate out from here and more complicated associations and interactions occur. The final stop is the cerebral cortex where choice, cultural phenomenon or religion, and deliberation take place. Mental illness starts long before this step. It is a failing of genetics and biology and not choice. The young man in Connecticut had issues that were far deeper and more ingrained than choice.
Lets the Liberals have their way in the more populated areas. This well serve as a basis of comparison. It also will give them no leg to stand on when they see that their policies do not work. They sound good on the surface but are short sighted and ineffective.
I recently learned that the Ventromedical Prefrontal Cortex is an area of the brain involved with making decisions. In experiments, when individuals who suffered damage to this area of the brain are presented with a set of good and bad choices, they still make wrong choices.
Just to clarify my last, the individuals involved in those studies were provided three decks of cards. Participants were told that each card in each deck represented a gain or loss in money. Two decks were "good" (gain) decks and one was a "bad " (loss) deck . Participants were given an amount of time to accumulate the highest total they could, and were free to draw from all three decks. The participants with damage to that specific part of the brain involved in making decisions were unable to recognize that one deck was a "bad" choice.
Your comment serves my point.
Its back!
With all due respect and sympathy to the victims and their families of the Columbine, McDonald's, and Virginia Tech shootings, the Oklahoma bombing, and other mass murders, they were not the worst mass murders of children in the US.
On May 18, 1927, 45 people, mostly children, were killed and 58 were injured when disgruntled and demented school board member Andrew Kehoe dynamited the new school building in Bath, Michigan out of revenge over his foreclosed farm due in part to the taxes required to pay for the new school.
I saw this on Ancestry.com
Maybe we should outlaw taxes.
Thanks Hope4America. Of course it was the taxes that made him do it. Bet a lot of people would like to outlaw taxes instead of seeing them go up all the time.
Zook: Interesting read of gun control in Chicago and their murder rate.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/gun-righ...
Zook: Of course they want your guns and if they had their way in DC they would get them. That's why it's so important to not let them get any kind of ban. Nothing, no clip bans, no nothing.
I know Feinstein has said she would want to retroactively ban some guns, but is now saying prospectively. Retroactive bans means confiscation.
Crapo gets DUI. Soon to join the ranks with Larry Craig. Not sorry to see him go. What an idiot.
He should have been packing a 9. Those voters who support his right to carry in D.C. may outnumber voters who support DUI laws.
Regarding the petition.
The threshold for action from the Whitehouse on one of these on-line petitions is 25,000 signatures over a period of weeks.
This one had over 32,000 earlier this morning.
Worth keeping an eye on?
I have my doubts.
I don't see Glenn Beck or Rush leaving because of an online petition. I know there was one out there for Rush......
Another shooting this morning. This time firemen responding to a house fire. 2 dead and 2 wounded and the fire kept going causing 2 more houses and a car to burn up.
Piers Morgan. He's got First Amendment rights and he's exercising them responsibly, just as we've exercised, and will continue to responsibly exercise our Second Amendment rights.
Are you saying that because he has a different view of the Second Amendment he has no First Amendment rights?
The petition is a sideshow. If you want to debate Morgan, make debate his views.
Would you be objecting to the airing of his views if those views on the Second Amendment aligned with Justice Scalia's views?
We're talking about a right that we interpret as a fundamental right of all aren't we? God gave everyone the right to protect themselves.
Our government recognizes that. But the right would exist whether or not the government recognized it.
Strange thing about your comments. I didn't see anything over the line.
Morgan probably frustrates people who agree with the substance of his argument, but disagree with his presentation.
Putting people in a box marked "Incredibly Stupid" isn't very smart.
Guns didn't fail the firemen.
The prosecutor that accepted the plea bargain agreement to only manslaughter for this scumbag that killed his grandmother with a hammer years ago failed these firemen.
Should have never been allowed to see the light of day in the first place!! We need to quit trying to rehab "evil" and serve justice when justice is due. Stop plea bargains just for a speedy trial!
Piers Morgan is not an American Citizen, therefore, he is not entitled to the same rights as we are.
He works for an American company, but he is British and should not comment on our constitution. Beck and Rush are Americans and have that priviledge.
We would be better served if all of these commentators kept their mouths shut until all the facts are in. Instead, hours and hours of coverage and senseless conversations and speculation just to keep the ratings up and to beat the competition.
What would happen if all of these networks stopped and took a collective breath and started doing the honorable thing in regards to families and personal tragedies?
The entire world has gone mad and I am beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland. Only it is not so wonderful.
Can a convicted murderer released from prison have his friend buy him a gun? Go through the back ground check and then when he has the gun turn it over to the convicted murderer?
Trever,
So it was confirmed it was a "Fully" capable weapon?
The correct definition of an "assult weapon or rifle" is that it have a fully automatic or burst capability. Most of the weapons like the AR-15 that the media points to as an assult weapon are not really assult weapons. The media keeps saying it and the dumb people in the world just aggree with them. None of the weapons used in the shooting last week were "assult weapons" even though the media points to the AR-15 as one. If you don't believe me you should google the definition of "assult weapon".
Most of the weapons owned by the average Joe are NOT fully capable and are NOT assult weapons even though they might look like the military version. They even make an airsoft version that looks just as real but it also doesn't have a fully auto capability.
Don't blindly believe the press, check the facts for yourself. I'm sure the brother of the shooter would agree as the press released him as the shooter before having the facts.
The questions should be is why was he walking free? and How did a conviced felon get the weapons? Who sold them to him?
Trevor,
I only mentioned the term "assult weapon" because you said it in a privious post as though it was a fact. You didn't say "assult style".
As far as this case he was released after 17 years and if he could have got and served his a 35 year sentence he would still be behind bars today. I do agree with you though that this isn't enough; If you kill someone as in murder and it isn't in self defense or to protect someone then they need to be taken out and hung in the middle of town as a deterent. We need to get back to holding people accountable, you can't reform, regulate, or treat evil.
I see the shootings as the failure of the Mental Health system in this country not a gun issue. Why wasn't this young man in appropriate treatment?
None of us know enough about the young man to determine whether he was or was not in appropriate treatment.
If one person's health records become a public record, then we all could expect to have our records aired as the state sees fit.
I'll agree with that Trevor.
I should have been more clear. Without the benefit of hindsight we now have, we still don't know when he went beyond reach of the help that was there for him. For example, there may have been flags a week before the incident, on the other hand, there may have been just a few hours between his decision and his action.
What a mess. Happy New Year indeed. Change nobody should believe in. What a crock these fools in DC are. Our fearless leaders. LOL.
Mike, I'm with you on the part about these people will do ANYTHING to achieve their agenda. Mass shootings play right into their hand and it makes you wonder...
Makes you wonder even more when the media saturates the airwaves with the telling of mass shootings but, you hear nothing when a mass shooting is adverted by a good guy/girl with a gun.
Here's a story from Dec. 17th, just a few days after the CT. shootings. It happened in San Antonio. A man stormed into a restaurant and shot his ex-girlfriend. The people in the restaurant fled to a theater next door. The gunman followed so he could shoot more people. An off duty deputy happened to be at the theater. She pulled out here gun and shot the man 4 times before he had the chance to go on a shooting spree.
Why wasn't this headline news? Why has no one heard about this?
It's because if the media and this administration let you know that honest people with guns are the best thing to stop would be killers, well then that would just ruin there whole agenda, wouldn't it?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-5755...
And since some may think this story is fabricated to make a point....
http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/sana...
BTW, I also agree about the laws being too lenient. I was shot in the head when I was younger (maybe that's what's wrong with me ha!). The shooter, Charles Cooper, got off with probabtion and $800 in restitution.
His high priced lawyer was able to negotiate it down from attempted murder to wanton endangerment.
In my book, most defense lawyers are nothing but bums who would sell their souls for a buck.
This is an interesting story with some interesting thoughts from a parent of a student who survived.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/...
KT, if all the elements for attempted murder were present in the incident, and if the shooter was charged with only wanton endangerment, your case may have been one of poor prosecution.
The recent sentencing of Juan Tabares resulted from a prosecution, it appears, of crimes against two of five victims. I don't know the reasons for that and I haven't seen anything that would explain why.
On the main subject, here's an story where the parent of a Sandy Hook survivor mentions an interesting theory.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/12/...
Both links are the same. I thought I had posted the prior on Kelly's "Unspeakable " post.
Hurt? You mean killed don't you?
No, I wouldn't represent anyone, killed or not.
The lawsuit(s) that are spoken of here lower my faith in humanity. Next thing you know someone will burn themselves with hot coffee and sue the restaurant for making the coffee hot.
Trevor, I only had a head wound. Don't know how I wasn't killed. All I can say is that the guy is a bad shot, was crap faced drunk, and God must have been there.
I also agree about the expense of trial. My mom was killed by a drunk driver two years later. Wanna guess how much time that guy got?
What a joke this system is...
Just for the heck of it, I looked up Wes Faulkner to see where he's at now. I should have known, a personal injury lawyer ha! Why make $15/hour prosecuting bad guys when you can 15 million suing people? ( BTW, on his webpage it says that he had just graduated law school a year before being tossed my case. Thanks Jefferson County, Kentucky).
Mike, the broken fan belt IS a prime example of why everyone should carry.
Wish I could have seen their faces when they realized what kind of doodie storm they just stepped in to hahahahaha.
Wooops, just to clarify..... It doesn't say he "had just graduated law school a year before being tossed my case." It says he graduated in 1988. This happened in '89
This is interesting. I haven't finished reading all the links in it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/...
Patrick, I don't think it has anything to do with NCO's vs officers but, more to do with political correctness. We have become such a nancy country that we don't want to do anything to offend muslims or anyone else, even if that means shaving their beards so they can stand trial.
Regardless of how many of ours they kill and behead, we're not allowed to lay a finger on them because of the bleeding hearts.
Now, let the situation be reversed, as with SSgt. Bales, and look at how quick they are to move forward. Maybe he should grow a beard? Think that would work?
You can't call a fatty a fatty, you can't call a queer a queer, a muslim a muslim, or an illegal an illegal.
This country has become so worried about taking care of everyone else, that we've forgotten to take care of our own first.
Oh, and just for the record, Trevor, I'm drinking (an ice cold beer) :)
Happy New Year everyone!
:)
Thank you, Mike. That means a lot. I appreciate you and your daughter. It's a good feeling to know you're welcomed into a family and I appreciate that.
It's been almost 7 years that her and I have been together and like I told her tonight, whether it's 2013 or 2033, I'm going to love her forever!
Love ya, Mike!
Some real scum in that youtube.I guess they think they are the rulers and we are the ruled.
Hey Patrick Did you know if you call President Obama, At least one of the following names
Idiot, Socialist, Devil, Satan, Evil, Muslim, Nazi, Odumbo, Nobama, Obummer, hypocrite, Terrorist, Osama, and Anti-Christ etc, etc, you got the picture, Oh and you vote Republican Than you are an American more then some one who calls him "President of the United States."
I don't believe that for one minute but there are some who leave comments on here, think that way
Urkel sounds like a good name for him.
As KH Gal would say "there's an elephant in the room.
Happy New Year Buckshot!
The votes are in Boehner "YES" Paul Ryan "YES" and Eric Cantor "NO"
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-5756...
How Droll. MsM sees someone post 6 words and she knows it's BS61. Wayne posts 60 times and she ain't got a clue.
Boehner just rose a few notches in my book....
As they arrived for a much-hyped meeting with the President last Friday afternoon, Speaker of the House John Boehner spotted House Majority Leader Harry Reid approaching just steps from the Oval Office. According to "multiple sources," Boehner pointed his finger at Reid and without any other fanfare said, "Go f*** yourself." When Reid asked him what he was talking about, Boehner simply repeated his curse and moved on.
Priceless.....
Skeeter more then 6 words, it's multiple comments. I don't think you know what your talking about. I do believe there's more than 1 elephant in the room.
KT your example only proves that we have children in congress........
Wow! He said that as they were headed into the meeting?
Who do you suppose Boehner was speaking to when he cast his vote last night?
MsM, it took an F bomb for you to realize that? But apparently, that doesn't matter to us. We did re-elect them, didn't we?
I agree, Dave. The all gave us the middle finger last night. Most won't see it, though. These poo slingers will still get re-elected. What was it, $47 in new taxes to every $1 cut in spending? What a joke.
I guess the people like the shaft and deserve it. The "majority" anyway....
I better jump off here and start getting ready for work. Somewhere, out there, somebody's baby's mama is needing a new pair of shoes and a spendy foodstamp card thet we'll need to pay for.
I can see why the people who can, try and find every loophole possible when paying their taxes. I'm disgusted but apparently, in the minority. I didn't vote for a single one of these _________. Fill in the blank for yourself.....
Has anyone heard word on whether Vice President Biden's gun violence group has had time to develop any concrete proposals for dealing with gun violence?
*that
Dave, I think that was part of the deal last night.
Spend and tax so much that no one can afford guns.
If anyone EVER wants to know why Mike or I get so P'd off, one of the reasons is....
His daughter, my wife, is getting ready to leave shortly. She's going to an undisclosed country (she can't even tell me where) to gather and analyze intel for the Air Force for 7 months.
Sure, she signed up for it, and doesn't mind doing it (and believe me, it's not for the tiny paychecks). But, unlike the majority of this country, she didn't vote for leaders who obviously can't lead. Now, she has to go and do this, all for an administration who could give a crap less and who may or may not abandon her while she's there, like they did our people in Benghazi.
Oh, and it's OK for her to carry a gun while she's in someone elses country but, may not be OK for her to carry one in her own when she gets back. What a crock!
KT I have a son over in Afghanistan has been there 7 months now. He also signed up for it and was eager to go there. He signed up when he was still in High School...... That was a long time ago, while in the reserves he enrolled in college and got a degree and became active. He said he has been training a long time and was prepared. His paychecks aren't tiny...... :)
MsM, below is a monthly pay chart for the military. Unless you are a high ranking officer, they are all tiny, especially for the job they do.
But that wasn't the point of my post.
http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_...
Thanks, Trevor.
He's a Major...... I'm not sure how long he has actually been in but its got to be over twenty.
I know a young girl from here who joined the AF and is in one of those undisclosed locations.
No matter where they are its always hard on family's when their separated.
MsM
You started right after his first post.
I sometimes wonder if some people are so busy defending themselves and their ideology that they forget how to just be themselves. We will hold our beliefs regardless of what others say. This may appear random but look at a lot of the posts above and they spend more time defending themselves than they do actually saying anything.
Patrick, like I told MsM. My comment wasn't about the pay. It was about the crap leaders that the majority of the country chose to re-elect (and then cry when they do the same thing they did last term).
It was about an administration that could care less about the military. It was about an administration who you now have to worry will leave you in a combat zone with no support. About an administration who says it's OK to carry a gun in someone elses country but not your own.
I don't know where the "whining" came into play? I never said anyone was whining.
You said this about the monthly pay..."those look pretty good considering food and housing is usually provided by the military in addition to salories."
If that's the case, why don't we offer the military instead of foodstamps? Next time someone says they can't find work and needs welfare, tell them the military pay is "pretty good considering food and housing is usually provided by the military in addition to salories."
Pretty good my butt. As Mike said, do you know how many Christmas's, birthdays, Thanksgivings, child births, and on and on, are missed? That's if you have a family that can deal with all that and are there when you come back, if you come back.
Also, that pay that you talk about being so great, that usually has to go to support the ENTIRE family. Don't count on your spouse being able to find a job at every base. No one usually wants to hire someone they know is going to be leaving in a few years. Not to mention there may not be any job openings.
So that E-3 pay you talk about... That $2,000/ month, or $375/week after taxes, usually has to support a married couple and their kids. Still sound pretty good?
But again, nobody was complaining or "whining". I was simply pointing out a fact, since you seem to request those so much.
Here I go on a rant :)
People can say all they want that the military pay "looks pretty good" but, I'm sure a lot of bleeding heart liberals would be up in arms if they were told that an illegal family of four had to live off of $375/week.
A family of four can sit on their butts, not even try to find work and draw a total of $17,121/year, tax free, just off of foodstamps and welfare. Not to mention medical insurance. So, you're looking at what, $20,000
That same family of four is considered to be living in poverty.
But an E-3 with a wife and two kids bringing home $375/week or $19,500/year "looks pretty good?"
Give me a break.
Woops,,, didn't see your comment before posting mine. Back to the topic......
I apologize for straying on your blog, Tracy..... I'm sure you know how extravagant that military pay is, though :)
I saw this on Drudge and have to agree.
A letter written by an 8-year Marine veteran to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the architect of the comprehensive 2013 Assault Weapons Ban, has gone viral.
The author of the letter, Cpl. Joshua Boston who was deployed to Afghanistan between 2004-05, told CNN that he opposes gun registration because it will lead to confiscation. Moreover, that passing more gun control laws will only serve to disarm law-abiding citizens, leaving them defenseless.
"I own the guns I own because I acknowledge mankind's shortcomings instead of pretending like they don't exist. There are evil men in this world and there just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable to protect me or my family," Boston said.
Here is the letter Boston wrote, courtesy of CNN's iReport:
Senator Dianne Feinstein,
I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government's right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime.
You ma'am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one.
I am not your subject. I am the man who keeps you free. I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.
I am the man who fought for my country. I am the man who learned. I am an American. You will not tell me that I must register my semi-automatic AR-15 because of the actions of some evil man.
I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public.
We, the people, deserve better than you.
Respectfully Submitted,
Joshua Boston
Cpl, United States Marine Corps
2004-2012
I don't know if you'll see it over on the other blog so, I'll say it here.... Welcome back, Roy. Or are you just sticking to the Patrick_A these days? Anyhow, nice to see ya again. How did you come up with the Patrick_A. Is that your middle name?
WOW! It's so much fun guessing who everyone is!
I would have never thunk it but, the whole military pay thing gave it away.
Regardless if you are or aren't Roy (which I'm pretty sure you are), you are definately Roy now in my book.
Anyways, way off the topic.... has anyone looked at their paycheck stub? They are taking out a crapload more for FICA! $40 more in my case!!!
I thought I was part of that middle class that Obama was so worried about who wouldn't be taxed more?
This administration is a joke!!! Ya'll have a goodnight. I'm gonna go kick my dog!
I agree Mike. It is clear that the majority of America has learned to expect less.
As with Boehner holding on to his job yesterday. How? The only good thing he has done was to tell Reid to go F himself.
I get the feeling that Boehner knew weeks (or months) ago that this is how it would unfold and that this was what he was going to do. The more I pay attention to modern politics, the more it reminds me of WWE or other syndicated garbage.
And then that private info which you think is safe among yourselves gets passed on to other friends and they pass it on and then before you know it the rumor mill has it. Mountain Home is smaller then you think!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/...
Just confirms what most already believe
Zook Sometimes we don't have to guess. People can't always keep secrets and that info gets passed on to a person who you don't want to know the secret.
If it is a guessing game and the rumor mill has it, then its easy to read between the lines. :) It all comes out sooner or later....
Then you missed the point Bazookaman, so I copied and pasted it:
McCarthy acknowledged aiming at assault weapons misses the mark when dealing with Chicago's gang violence. The weapon used is generally a handgun and rarely is it purchased through legal channels.
The point being that we all know going guns owned by law abiding citizens will not do anything but cause more harm
oops, going after guns is how that should read.
Danshl
Don't ever turn your back on someone who bought their guns legally, they can still go haywire on us.
Your right Zook Anyone! 2008 it was McCain and Nov 6th 2012 Romney! and I have that right not misinformed lol!
Another Barrack lie? The last picture says it all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkUpp22fH...
Democrats aren't the only ones who want some stricter laws concerning guns. I have heard some Republicans speaking out about guns.
Here's something I found recently about the NRA
let's look at a few facts:
The NRA was taken over by the far right in 1977 under the leadership of Harlon Carter, an anti-immigrant fanatic. As a teenager, he was convicted for murder (his conviction was eventually overturned).
The 2nd Amendment was not conceived in an era of 30-round clips. Today, weapons like the AR-15 are sold at gun shows. Why isn't the NRA at the forefront of responsible gun reform?
Right, MsMarylin.... we should definitely all walk around in fear of the gun hobbyists we know, whether they are hunters, reloaders or sport shooters. My hobby is quilting, and I have some pretty sharp cutting utensils... Do you happen to have any knitting needles I should worry about? You could do some damage if you went "haywire" with one of those....
And the answer to the question about the NRA being at the forefront of gun reform is because that isn't what is needed, and we all know it. We all know that the reform we need is societal, but everyone is looking for an easier answer.
Right on mom!!!
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/06/geo...
Danshl Fill me in the percentage of those killed my Quilting Utensils (I quilt to) and knitting needles compared to guns. While researching check out knives to.
Explain what kind of reform do we need beside better mental health programs
I wish we could of gotten rid of John Boehner Mitch McCConnell, Michelle Bachman? maybe we did get rid of her..
I am all for speeding up death row as long as they got the right person and DNA to prove they got the right person and all other evidence
I am middle of the road, I don't lean somethings I am against and somethings I am for.......
Marylin, I am sure you well know that was sarcasm intended to point out to you the silliness of your "don't turn your back comment". Guess it didn't work, so I'll just tell you: your comment about not turning your back on gun owners was absolutely ridiculous and absurd, and you might as well say that anybody who has a hobby using tools that could also be used as weapons should not be trusted. Better?
As for the societal reforms, we should try keeping criminals in jail. That woman in the news story link I posted never would have had to defend her home, her children and herself if that guy was still in jail.
We could also try teaching our kids right from wrong again and allowing other adults to discipline them. Teachers, for example, have not been allowed to discipline in years, unless it's some insane zero tolerance action against a 6 year old.
To me, it's all common sense, but that has gone out the window. So most of us are left hoping that people with good sense will get power and that the people already in power will come to their senses!!!
Danshl Ditto my comment was sarcasm to. I'm surprised you didn't catch that.
I'm with you on keeping criminals in jail or prison where they belong, and give them a stiff sentence not a slap on the hand.
I think one of the problems with kids today is both parents have to work to put food on the table. When they all get home there's more work to do and they don't have the quality time with their children like it used to be.
For those that want to spread the propaganda that the government is going to take your guns, answer one simple question. Has anyone came to your door and attempted to confiscate even one of your guns?
Now answer this with only a yes or no. No justifications, no rhetoric, no ideology, no opinions. Simply a yes or a no.
NO !!
PAT,
I have to agree with MHRESIDENT on this, just becasue somepne hasn't come to your door so far doesn't mean they won't in the future. Nobody would have guess a crazy person would shoot and kill 20 children and 5 adults but it happened. Nobody thought a federal building would be blown up or that people would fly planes into a couple towers in NY but it happened.
Just because someone or goverment hasn't done something today doesn't mean they are not laying the ground work for it in the future. I served in 3 wars over 23 years and swore to defend the US Constitution not the pres, congress, senate or anyone else and yes that was forign and DOMESTIC.
If you don't think it is half the country then who is buy all these weapons? A couple guys from Alabama maybe?
"Just because someone or goverment hasn't done something today doesn't mean they are not laying the ground work for it in the future."
You could say that about anything. Planning for contingencies that are incredibly unlikely does not work for most, including myself. I could get in a bomb shelter and wait for the oncoming nuclear holocaust. What is the probability that it will actually happen? One in a trillion or so. Why not go about your business and do the best that you can and not worry about incredibly unlikely events?
The chances of blowing a tire are far greater than someone from the government coming to your door and attempting to confiscate your guns. Most of these gun control laws will affect very few (relative to the whole). I also get the feeling that even if passed, they are far from being set in stone. Why be paranoid and plan for the unlikely?
I spoke with a guy once who lived in Austin, Nevada. He claimed that the reason for having 200+ guns was that it would deter someone from robbing him. First, have you been to Austin, NV? It makes Mountain Home look like New York City. It is 2 hours of absolute nothing from the next town above 100 people. No one is going to make the drive to Austin, NV simply to rob some older and likely to be not all that rich person. I felt bad for the old guy. Why so afraid? He lives in a beautiful place so why not just go about life and see it for it what it is not what it could be or should be?
Twilcox, you call someone paraniod but others might call just call them prepared. A person that owns 200 plus guns isn't poor, have you seen the price of guns?
Are you so paranoid that you must carry a spare tire or wear a seat belt? I bet you would wear a helmet on a bike/motorcycle. I know wearing a seatbelt is the law.
As for 1 in a trillion.....A trillion isn't that much according to liberals. We are almost 17 trillion in debt and heading toward 20 trillion plus.....
200 guns seems like 198 to many. I will never understand a man needing 200 guns when he only has 2 hands one gun for each hand should work out
One can never have too many guns. They are like shoes and purses. Depending on the day or what you are doing...not all guns are created equal.
A girl can never have too many guns! All colors, shapes and sizes.
If you have been to Austin, Nevada you would already know that it would not appeal to most robbers. The town is semi run down. If I was out to rob someone with the express intent of obtaining the most loot, this town is not the place to go. Again, at least two hours drive from the next town above 100.
Trouble,
The probability of needing a spare tire far exceeds that of someone making a minimum two hour drive to the middle of nowhere and wanting to rob a house that looks run down and old. I can say with virtual certainty that the man had never been robbed. He was bragging about his arsneal. Why stop at that? If he had been robbed, he would have been more than willing to tell me his heroic story. He was at least in his mid-40's so it is a safe bet that he had been there a long time and never been robbed. I am sure that he has used a spare tire in that same time.
Finally, apparently you did not read the post of mine that mentioned the word, "Trillion". If you are going to be critical, at least read it and comprehend it. Your reply has absolutely no connection to mine.
Tell me with a straight face how 200 guns leaves you more prepared for an armed robbery than a smaller number than 5 or 10.
"than 5 or 10" should have been, "such as 5 or 10". I write these too fast.
I am not "preparing" for anything---I just like guns. I have them in all shapes and sizes. Some fit my hands better than others. Some, I shoot better than others. Some come in really cool colors! Sometimes, larger is better...just because. Sometimes smaller is better...just because. I was never really into guns but one day my husband asked me to go shooting with him. He taught me how to load it, check to see if loaded and how to tell once loaded, he taught me how to hold the gun, how to stand, etc. Now, I just like guns! I ride horses and have been known to ride off into the wild blue a time or two. Always good to have a gun. Would rather have one and not need it than need it and not have it. Better safe than sorry.
Just because you "collect" guns does not mean you are "preparing" for anything. I have learned over the years that when I first got started with guns, I liked smaller ones. Now that I shoot better and have my aim/target down, I can handle a larger gun. Now, it is just a contest in our house on who shoots better and with what. But if I should need a few...I have a few.
If this man (the one who claimed to have 200 guns) would have said that he was a collector, I would have never given it another thought. I have 750 GB of music on hard drives. I know about obsession. However, trying to tell me that the 200th gun made him any more secure in his incredibly remote house is comical. While he said nothing about it, I can see this same man puffing out his chest and telling someone that no darn gubmint is going to take his guns. Secretly, under all of his bravado he knows that the probability that the government is going to make the trip to his remote outpost just for that is absymally small.
If you have 200 guns then you are a collector or a gun store.
I will quit after this post but the man gave me quite a speech about how his 200 guns were a deterrent against robbery. He may have been a collector but there was no mention of it.
He may have been too caught up in the moment of making himself into a hero. Personally, I find that those who brag the most can do the least. He had to tell me that he was a man's man and could defend himself. Possibly he was just bored and had a new person to talk to. Austin, NV is not exactly a metropolis.
BTW: There are no gun stores in Austin. The nearest one is in Fallon which is roughly two hours away.
"A girl can never have too many guns! All colors, shapes and sizes."
That's how I feel about girls...a man can never have too many; all colors, shapes and sizes. Now, try explaining that to my wife.
Therein lies the problem of arguing whether or not you are an armed citizen, or, a collector.
Or not.
Hope,
Nowhere in my posts do I mention the second amendment. Nor do I mention whether he should be able to own 200 guns. My criticism is of the mindset. It is bogus reasoning to suggest his 200 guns make him any more secure and safe than if he had 5 or 10. Also, it is comical to think that someone is going to drive 2 hours at minimum so that they can rob him. This gentleman does the pro-gun crowd no favors by coming across as irrational and paranoid. I have met plenty of gun owners that are rational, logical, and reasoned so I know that it can be done.
On to other things,
This idea that the government is going to take your guns is irrational. I can't say it is impossible but the odds of it happening are so infinitesimally small as to question whether it is worth mentioning or not.
I get the feeling that 99.99999% of Americans (pro-gun or not) know this. However, they know that if they bring it up that the fingers will start itching and the opinions will flow.
This issue along with most others discussed here are not all that complex. The complexity comes when people start their rationalizing. If you see something for what is and not what you think it should be, it clears pretty quickly.
Think about the shootings objectively and most of them boil down to mentally-ill young men taking out their misplaced aggression on innocent bystanders. The mental illness is the first ingredient in the mess. The rest of it comes into play because of it. The guns and the subsequent use of them come after mental illness. The debate really should be about what we do about the mental illness.
These leftists are really jacked about getting guns and clips aren't they? Hope they give their guns up and we will keep ours.
The reason for 30 round clips is for protection from the governmet not for deer hunting.
The reason people have 200 guns is because they can, it's their right.
I guess all the problems have been fixed by DC so they have lots of time to go after guns and lawful citizens.
Guns don't kill people, abortions do.
"His right to own or posess"
*possess
Your welcome bucky
In summer 2010, there was a home invasion here in Reno. I have told this story before so if you need a refresher, just scroll up and find it.
Some quick statistical analysis shows that in the 28 years of data, they were approximately 28 million opportunities in Washoe County for a home invasion to occur. And it only happened how many times? 7. And only one since 2000. Given the vast area and the extremely low probability, that says that gearing up for the next one is akin to getting prepared for the next asteroid hitting your front yard.
The fact that the home invasion occurred was random. One can't really prepare for random events. The propaganda that was being thrown about was that everybody should go out and arm themselves. That is fine but this supposed need is bogus.
The fact that this man had to defend himself supposedly validates right wing types paranoid concerns about needing them to defend themselves. This act was random and therefore no meaningful conclusions can be drawn.
If I was going to own a gun, I would not need to rationalize it. I would own a gun and that would be that. A gun is just another possession. I would not need to justify owning it with some garbage idea about protecting myself against a home invasion.
Live And Let Live.
Different Strokes For Different Folks.
It Is What It Is.
To Each Their Own.
Obama said on the news this morning. He was not taking guns away. The fear tactics are driving up gun sales which is good for the economy.