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Saturday, March 17, 2012
The Number 1 Threat - Bears
Thanks to Jon Perr who linked this video with my post about bears, on Crooks and Liars that was.
Overt Racism
My experience has been that racist Obama-haters deny their racism and wouldn't display it on their vehicle. Of course there would be exceptions.An image purporting to show a racist, anti-Obama bumper sticker on the back of a vehicle has been garnering lots of attention on Facebook in the past 24 hours.
The bumper sticker reads, "Don't Re-Nig in 2012." And in smaller print below, "Stop repeat offenders. Don't' reelect Obama!" The sticker also features an image of the Obama campaign logo crossed out.Several viewers have claimed the image has been digitally altered. After all, it seems shocking that someone would proudly display an openly racist image on their vehicle in 2012. So, is the image authentic?In short, yes.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
Mission Del Lago Golf Course Shut Down
My SA reports on another incident at the municipal golf course.
Last week I suggested a solution, half jokingly. Now maybe we should take it seriously. It seems a shame to shut the golf course, that's like blaming the victims, isn't it?Nine days after a golfer was hit by a stray gunshot while playing Mission Del Lago municipal golf course on the South Side, officials decided to shut down the popular facility Tuesday after reports of a another bullet whizzing over the heads of players.
I've got a new idea. Anytime one of these stray bullets hits somebody's house or lands in their back yard, or especially when one strikes a person, there's an immediate gun-free zone declared, let's say for a one-mile radius. With satellite imagery, they could easily do the mapping. Additional offences would result in permanent loss of gun rights.
It's interesting the gun rights folks are always talking about "blaming the victim" when we propose laws which would inconvenience them the tiniest bit. But when they're the ones at fault, it's perfectly OK to punish the golfers.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Obama Opposes NC Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage
Yahoo News reports
This is an interesting issue in that it clearly separates the Democrats from the Republicans. Obama's stance on this is another thing which puts him ahead of his competitors.President Barack Obama took a stand Friday against a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in North Carolina, a state he won in 2008 that remains crucial to his re-election hopes.
"While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples," said Cameron French, the Obama campaign's North Carolina spokesman, in a statement. "That's what the North Carolina ballot initiative would do — it would single out and discriminate against committed gay and lesbian couples — and that's why the president does not support it."
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Man Shoots Off Own Foot for Insurance Money
on yet another reason Florida wears the crown.
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Unregulated Lead Ammo
Huffington Post reports
A group of 100 environmental organizations has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate lead in ammunition as a toxic substance.
The groups argue that more than 75 species, including the California condor and bald eagle, are harmed when they feed on the carcasses of animals killed by lead bullets and shot. Hunters who eat meat from animals killed with lead ammunition also face a risk of lead poisoning, they say, because tiny fragments of ammunition migrate from the original wound site into more distant tissue. Research has found that lead poisoning can cripple motor coordination and cause digestive problems, blindness and death.
"The EPA has taken steps to address toxic lead in almost every available product from gasoline to plumbing to toys," said Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, which is leading the campaign. "The one source of lead that is still causing significant lead exposure is hunting ammunition and fishing tackle."
The Rod (Blago) Blagojevich Going-Away Remarks
Business Insider reports on bizarre going-away statement by the former governor.
But tonight, in a sun-drenched press conference, the man known popularly as "Blago," gave America a kind of farewell statement.
He bragged about his accomplishments as if he were just about to announce his candidacy for a new office. “I got bruised and battered and bloodied, but we were able to get those done,” he said, "And I never raised the income tax.”
In the extemporaneous address he shared that he had been reading both the Old and New Testament to look for examples of people dealing with adversity.
Bear Attack - Gun or Pepper Spray?
The gun fanatics often challenge us to produce statistics to prove our claims. Well, these stats seem pretty convincing to me. You've got a number of bear attacks in which the attacked person had a gun. You can't now say, but if they were trained better, or if they knew what they were doing better. You have to take the whole survey which necessarily includes all types of gun owners.While bringing a gun to a bear fight may seem like a solid way to win, experts say the gun largely provides a false sense of security -- and would be similar to trying to shoot, and stop, a small car careening toward you at speeds of up to 35 mph.
It's not that firearms don't work, but many people can't load or aim them quickly enough in the panicky moments of a bear attack, according to a recent study by bear researchers at Utah's Brigham Young University.
"It's more about how you carry yourself than whether you carry a gun," said wildlife biologist Tom S. Smith, the study's lead author.
The report analyzed 269 armed human-bear encounters in Alaska between 1883 and 2009, and found that the use of guns made no statistical difference in the outcomes, and many people were mauled or killed anyway -- 151 human injuries and 172 bear fatalities.
Interestingly the statistics on bear vs. pepper spray are good.
The obvious conclusions extend far beyond the wilds of Alaska. Gun owners and concealed carry folks are mistaken in their thinking that the gun makes them safe. In all too many cases it does not and there are better alternatives.In an earlier study, Smith found that pepper spray worked for all but three of 156 people in 71 conflicts with bears.
Pepper spray also has a lasting advantage, Smith said.
"When you spray a bear, you are powerfully conditioning that animal to stay away from people," he said.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Death of Washington Boy 3rd Gun Accident in 3 Weeks
The article points out that this is the third one in as many weeks. Yet, the pro-gun guys keep telling us it's not a problem.After his parents stopped for gas early Wednesday, the young boy scrambled out of his child seat, found a gun police say was left in the car by his father and fatally shot himself in the head.
Tacoma police said his father put his pistol under a seat and got out to pump gas while the mother went inside the convenience store. The boy's infant sister, who also was in the car, was not injured.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
9-Year-Old Arkansas Girl Responsible for Murdering Little Brother
I wonder if the kid will face the death penalty. People need to be held responsible for their actions. Accountability is important.Police said Wednesday that a 9-year-old girl pulled the trigger in the fatal shooting of her 7-year-old brother while their parents were briefly away from their Arkansas apartment.
The shooting on Monday afternoon was not an accident, Little Rock Police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said, but he declined to comment any further. Hastings' remarks come a day after a police spokeswoman said the girl shot her brother and then backtracked to say only that the girl was responsible for the shooting.
But, by all means let's not involve the parents. They were just exercising their god-given, constitutionally-protected, natural human right to own a gun. "Shall not be infringed" means exactly what it says.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Something You Don't See Every Day - A Mass Stabbing Attack
The rarity of this type of incident should be enough to highlight what a terrible blight guns are on our society.Three people were in critical condition and one in stable condition after a stabbing incident Wednesday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, that ended with the suspect being shot by police, Columbus authorities said.
The attack began inside a downtown building that houses Miami-Jacobs Career College, said Columbus Police Sgt. Rich Weiner.
The stabbing victims in critical condition underwent surgery at Grant Medical Center, while the one with less serious injuries was taken to Mount Carmel West hospital, officials said. The suspect was in critical condition at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, Weiner said.
What do you think?
Courthouse Shooting in Texas
A gunman killed one person and injured three others when he fired outside a Texas courthouse Wednesday, officials said.
Police said the suspected shooter, 41-year-old Bartholomew Granger, was a defendant in an aggravated sexual assault trial at the courthouse in Beaumont, Texas.
Two of those wounded -- including Granger's 20-year-old daughter -- were witnesses in the trial, which had started Tuesday and was continuing Wednesday, police said.
Those Poor Republicans
Some of the rhetoric coming from the Republican candidates for president makes me wonder if a group of paranoid schizophrenics weren’t prematurely released from a mental institution…without their meds.
What Motivates Men to Own Guns?
Life is made of fear. Some people eat fear soup three times a day. Some people eat fear soup all the meals there are. I eat it sometimes. When they bring me fear soup to eat, I try not to eat it, I try to send it back. But sometimes I’m too afraid to and have to eat it anyway.
Martin Amis (Other People)
Toy Guns in Easter Baskets
The Chicago Sun-Times reports on the latest efforts of Rev. Michael Pfleger.
“As a Christian I’m insulted that Kmart or any store would use this celebration of life to have images of guns in Easter baskets, encouraging parents to buy them for their children. But equally important is that any psychiatrist will tell you a child who gets comfortable playing with toy guns and pointing them at people as a child becomes comfortable picking them up as an adult. In a nation that’s plagued with gun violence, neither Kmart nor any other store should be selling guns in Easter baskets to our kids.”
It's an old argument which doesn't really have anything to do with Easter. Does playing with guns damage kids developmentally. I say yes. Pfleger explains it well.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
The Afghan Shooting
I agree with the president. This is not who we are as a country and this is not who the military is. Nevertheless, we should get the hell out of Afghanistan the sooner the better. And I mean all of us, not like they did in Iraq.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Golfer Shot by Stray Bullet
There's a gun range within hearing distance, but of course the police are looking into all possibilities.The men told police they heard the gunshot but didn't have time to react.
"They heard what they claim bullets whizzing by them," Trujillo said.
The bullet was protruding halfway in the man's chest, police said. He was taken to SAMMC Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
I've got a new idea. Anytime one of these stray bullets hits somebody's house or lands in their back yard, or especially when one strikes a person, there's an immediate gun-free zone declared, let's say for a one-mile radius. With satellite imagery, they could easily do the mapping. Additional offences would result in permanent loss of gun rights.
Do you think that would get their attention?
Please leave a comment.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
More on the Trayvon Martin Killing
Trayvon Martin's family is outraged that Zimmerman has been allowed to avoid arrest for this cold-blooded act of murder. Please help them find justice by signing this petition initiated by Trayvon's mother that calls for the prosecution of George Zimmerman.
Dan Gross, Brady President on the Colorado Guns-on-Campus Ruling
Dan Gross, president of the Brady Center, issued the following statement today on the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that the University of Colorado became limited in its authority to bar guns on campus after the Colorado legislature passed a statewide concealed carry law.
The ruling does not immediately overturn the University’s guns on campus ban, but allows Students for Concealed Carry to proceed with their claim against the University.
“This is a dangerous ruling. Lives have the potential to be lost as a result. We urge parents, students, and faculty to demand that the University do all it can to keep guns off campus and prevail on their elected officials to reverse this ruling. The University of Oregon has reinstated its gun ban despite a similar court ruling. The Brady Center will help the University of Colorado work to keep young people safe from guns. As last week's tragedy in Ohio reminded us all, nothing is more important."
St. Gabriel Possenti Patron Saint of Handgunners
via Joe.My.God from the gunsaint site.
The St. Gabriel Possenti Society promotes the public recognition of St. Gabriel Possenti, including his Vatican designation as Patron Saint of Handgunners.
St. Gabriel Possenti was a Catholic seminarian whose marksmanship and proficiency with handguns single-handedly saved the village of Isola, Italy from a band of 20 terrorists in 1860.
The Possenti Society offers a variety of materials related to St. Gabriel Possenti and a biblical understanding of self-defense.
The Savior of Isola
In 1860, a band of soldiers from the army of Garibaldi entered the mountain village of Isola, Italy. They began to burn and pillage the town, terrorizing its inhabitants.
Possenti, with his seminary rector's permission, walked into the center of town, unarmed, to face the terrorists. One of the soldiers was dragging off a young woman he intended to rape when he saw Possenti and made a snickering remark about such a young monk being all alone.
Possenti quickly grabbed the soldier's revolver from his belt and ordered the marauder to release the woman. The startled soldier complied, as Possenti grabbed the revolver of another soldier who came by. Hearing the commotion, the rest of the soldiers came running in Possenti's direction, determined to overcome the rebellious monk.
At that moment a small lizard ran across the road between Possenti and the soldiers. When the lizard briefly paused, Possenti took careful aim and struck the lizard with one shot. Turning his two handguns on the approaching soldiers, Possenti commanded them to drop their weapons. Having seen his handiwork with a pistol, the soldiers complied. Possenti ordered them to put out the fires they had set, and upon finishing, marched the whole lot out of town, ordering them never to return. The grateful townspeople escorted Possenti in triumphant procession back to the seminary, thereafter referring to him as "the Savior of Isola".
Guns on Campus in Florida
A teacher fired from a private school in Florida on Tuesday returned to the campus with a gun hidden in a guitar case and shot the headmistress to death before committing suicide while school was in session.
This story, although just one example, illustrates why allowing guns on campuses is a bad idea.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Gun 101
Matthew Bayan has some interesting observations about mystery writers. via Mulholland Books
Unless one has hands-on experience with firearms, it’s easy to make mistakes. At a mystery writers’ workshop, I asked the audience how many had used firearms in their mysteries or thrillers. Almost every hand went up. I then asked how many had ever shot a firearm. Less than half the hands went up. If we’re going to write in these genres, let’s know a little about the weapons our characters use.
And some good advice:
What's your opinion? Don't you hate it when a movie or book makes obvious mistakes in the portrayal of guns? I don't mind too much when the hero has a seemingly inexhaustable magazine, but things like the continual racking of the slide bother me. What about you? What about the hero shaking off a bullet or two and continuing the fight? Do you find that unrealistic?And try going to a pistol range for some hands-on experience.
Please leave a comment.
Jon Stewart on The Kony Video
I often feel one could get all the news from Jon Stewart and be better off in the end.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
James Madison on Federal vs. States Rights
via Radamisto
I guess that means that Madison might have agreed with federal gun control laws that are binding on all the states.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
[T]he so-called "constitutional conservatives" insist upon States Rights as they claim the Founders understood them. We can't speak for all or even a majority of the Founders but we do know that James Madison, during the debates on the Constitution during the framing convention in Philadelphia, could envision the individual states simple disappearing:
Were it practicable for the general government to extend its care to every requisite object without the coöperation of the state governments, the people would not be less free, as members of one great republic, than as members of thirteen small ones. A citizen of Delaware was not more free than a citizen of Virginia; nor would either be more free than a citizen of America. Supposing, therefore, a tendency in the general government to absorb the state governments, no fatal consequence could result.This passage was brought to my attention by Irving Brant's wonderful biography of Madison, The Fourth President: A Life of James Madison (1970), page 162. This is an abridgement of Brant's monumental 6 volume biography.
Date: Thursday, June 21, 1787
I guess that means that Madison might have agreed with federal gun control laws that are binding on all the states.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
Florida Neighborhood Watch Captain Kills Unarmed Teen
Neighborhood watch guys, like many concealed carry guys, are inadequately trained and unfit to manage their guns responsibly. When that's combined with the vigilante mentality, people get hurt or dead.The parents of Florida teen are demanding that a neighborhood watch captain be arrested after their 17-year-old son was gunned down in February, possibly because his bag of Skittles was mistaken for a weapon.
The Retreat at Twin Lakes neighborhood watch leader George Zimmerman had called police to report Trayvon Martin as a suspicious person, but by the time the police arrived the young man was already dead.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
The Gun-Carry Culture
Daisy, my blog-sister and one of my very first blog supporters, sent me this wonderful link. The Christian Science Monitor, in this lengthy article is basically observing the winning ways of the gun-rights movement, attempting to plumb its mysteries and origins.
I particularly liked this. It seems to me that the enjoyment of one's freedom to own and use guns very quickly diminishes the freedom of others.
One of the closing paragraphs contained some statistics which I suppose are to show the innocuous and even beneficial nature of the gun obsession.
But more importantly, when either side of the gun debate presents statistics on gun violence to support their argument, they're leaving out the important fact that gun availability is only one factor. Other factors which contribute are, social conditions in the country, unemployment and education, the various waves of illegal drugs being introduced into the society. There are many variables, the gun is just one, but it is one of the most tangible and one about which something should be done, in addition to addressing the other social ills of course.
The number of defensive justified killings rose dramatically, but aren't those numbers laughingly small. Please keep in mind that many gun-rights advocates claim there are 2.5 million defensive gun uses per year, yet only a couple hundred result in death. Don't get me wrong, the fewer people killed with guns, the better I like it, but don't go telling me this handful of justified killings is why we need laxer gun laws. Guns still cause more harm than good, in my opinion.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
I particularly liked this. It seems to me that the enjoyment of one's freedom to own and use guns very quickly diminishes the freedom of others.
"People are buying guns to deal with their anxiety of feeling they have no safety or they have this need for their political sense of freedom, but not everybody shares that level of personal threat," says Joan Burbick, author of "Gun Show Nation," a critique of American gun culture. "And when you're going to insist upon this in public spaces or shared spaces like a basketball game or a park, then you're really intruding into where other people get their personal sense of safety."
One of the closing paragraphs contained some statistics which I suppose are to show the innocuous and even beneficial nature of the gun obsession.
Moreover, the number of deaths caused by a gun in the US has been declining even though the number of guns carried in public has been growing. Federal statistics show that between 2005 and 2009, the number of annual murders committed with a gun dropped from 10,158 to 9,146. During the same period, the number of justifiable, or defensive, homicides rose from 196 to 261.The declining number of murders, approximately 10%, over those 5 years is partly due to better trauma care in hospitals. Advances in medical procedures and lessons-learned from past experiences accounts for a good bit of that. Fewer people who are seriously wounded die.
But more importantly, when either side of the gun debate presents statistics on gun violence to support their argument, they're leaving out the important fact that gun availability is only one factor. Other factors which contribute are, social conditions in the country, unemployment and education, the various waves of illegal drugs being introduced into the society. There are many variables, the gun is just one, but it is one of the most tangible and one about which something should be done, in addition to addressing the other social ills of course.
The number of defensive justified killings rose dramatically, but aren't those numbers laughingly small. Please keep in mind that many gun-rights advocates claim there are 2.5 million defensive gun uses per year, yet only a couple hundred result in death. Don't get me wrong, the fewer people killed with guns, the better I like it, but don't go telling me this handful of justified killings is why we need laxer gun laws. Guns still cause more harm than good, in my opinion.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Student Arrested for Threatening a Shooting Rampage
I don't know, that kid sure has a droopy left eye. No guns in the dorm, no guns in his parents' home, sounds like he's quite a threat.
What's your opinion? Did they mention in the video how many people say stupid things like this and don't carry it out? I suppose it's right that they arrest the kid and check him out, but anything more than a slap on the wrist for being stupid would be too much.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
Three West Virginia Gun Bills Being Considered
Senate Bill 149, introduced by state Senate Majority Leader John Unger (D-16), would mandate police authorities return all seized firearms, not currently being held as evidence in a criminal investigation, to the lawful owner if able. If the lawful owner is not found or unable to take possession of the firearm, SB 149 would require these agencies to sell these firearms at a public auction to a licensed firearms dealer. Current West Virginia law allows for seized guns to be immediately destroyed. SB 149 would prevent the wasteful and expensive practice of destroying firearms that could be re-circulated through licensed dealers to the retail market.
Senate Bill 353, introduced by state Senate President Jeff Kessler (D-2) and Senate Majority Leader Unger, would expedite the process of purchasing a firearm for valid concealed carry permit holders by making West Virginia eligible for an exemption from the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Such carry permit holders have already cleared a background check. This legislation would further conform state law to federal law and lead to greater reciprocity for permit holders throughout the United States.
Senate Bill 478, also sponsored by state Senator Unger, would create an apprentice hunting license that is available to West Virginia residents and non-residents alike. The licenses established pursuant to SB 478 are similar to current youth hunting licenses but would be available to apprentice hunters of any age. Apprentice hunters will be encouraged to go afield while under the supervision of a person eighteen years of age or older who possesses a valid West Virginia hunting license. This would allow the “apprentice” to be introduced to hunting without having to take the otherwise required hunter education course.
I would have to say no to that middle one. The other two can pass, I suppose.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
The Three Republican Weasels of the North Carolina House
It's fascinating how the gun-rights extremists are so quick to turn on their own if they don't tow the line. Any reasonableness or compromise is unacceptable for them and will be punished. They are true fanatics.A political advocacy group is promising “payback” in this year's election against state Rep. Chuck McGrady and other North Carolina lawmakers they view as soft on pro-gun laws.
Grass Roots North Carolina, an all-volunteer organization whose main focus is preserving the right to keep and bear arms, has labeled McGrady, former state Rep. David Guice and House GOP leader Paul “Skip” Stam as the “three weasels of the North Carolina House” for what it views as the Republican trio's role in weakening an omnibus gun bill signed into law in December.
McGrady last week defended an amendment he introduced to the bill — which passed by a 59-57 vote — that allows business owners to prohibit those with permits to carry concealed handguns from locking the weapons in the trunks of their cars. McGrady said he stood by Stamm, who spoke on the House floor about the matter last summer, agreeing that it was a property-rights issue.
“I think when one owns one's property, you ought to be able to tell people whether they can bring guns or not to your property,” McGrady said.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Officer's Daughter, 7, Dies after Being Shot by Younger Sibling
Herald Net reprots
The 7-year-old daughter of a Marysville police officer has died after being shot by a younger sibling.
The girl died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle early Sunday.
The shooting happened Saturday afternoon in the officer's parked van in Stanwood. The sibling, whose age and gender have not been released, found a loaded handgun in the vehicle and fired it, striking the girl, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating.
The vehicle was parked across the street from Stanwood's City Hall near the intersection of Highway 532 and 102nd Avenue NE. The children's parents were standing by the van when the shooting happened, talking with their friend, local artist Jack Gunter.
The Famous 10% (Reposted by Popular Demand)
A couple weeks ago I made a statement that among the legal gun owners there are between 10% and 30% who should not have guns. After the bombardment of complaints I received, I retracted the statement and amended it to a simple 10%. Naturally, the pro-gun crowd who felt they had me on the ropes weren't satisfied with that. They were outraged. They demanded proof. They provided "proof" that the figure is really less than 1%. One guy suggested I downgrade my idea from "theory" to "hunch."
In this post I propose to offer a bit of what goes into my thinking. I won't call it proof, because as I've said before, much of this is not quantifiable. We must use common sense. So, in order to guard against bias, I'll downplay the numbers, allowing only very conservative figures to go towards the final result.
In the end, I will once again call my idea a "theory," and I would expect to never again hear the complaint that I make this up as I go along, that I say these numbers off the top of my head, and as Mike W. so eloquently put it, that I pull this stuff out of my ass.
Here goes. Let's presume there are 80 million gun owners. That means we need to identify 8 million who aren't fit to have a gun.
Good guys who turn bad. 1%
Some of you guys have generously provided the stats on concealed carry guys who get in trouble. That combined with the FBI stats of overall crime, allowing for the fact that some of the FBI criminals were not gun owners, we come up with about 1 million. So what we're saying is every year about 1 million gun owners out of the 80 million get in serious enough trouble to lose their right to bear arms. If you have trouble with that, look at the crime stats, add the felonies up and divide by 2, estimating that half the men own guns.
Alcoholics and drug addicts. 3%
It is estimated that 8.5% of the population is alcoholic. What percentage do you suppose has problems with other substances, anything from prescription medication to illicit drugs, another 10%?. Let's say 5%. That's 13.5% of our population at large and consequently of the 80 million gun owners. In all fairness, most of them, although I don't personally feel comfortable with their having weapons, won't cause any problems. But what of the worst 3%, say? These are the guys who become anti-social when they drink or party with drugs. You know the type. 3%.
Depression. 3%
It is estimated that about 8% of our population had at least one MDE (major depressive episode) in the last year. Gunowners, being no different from regular folks, can claim this same percentage, which I'll bet goes a long way explaining all those suicides. Since not everyone who suffers one of these episodes attempts suicide or does something else rash, let's call it 3%.
Rage (including road rage). 1%
One of the most frightening types of rage is called Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). It is estimated that 4% of the population has yearly episodes. I say not a single one of them should own a gun. I realize some of these guys also suffer from depression and may have even been counted under "Alcoholics and drug addicts," so we can cut the 4% in half twice and settle on 1%. I'll throw in the regular rageaholics and road rage maniacs for free. 1%.
Domestic abusers. 3%
It is estimated that 22% of women in America have been abused. It's men doing that abusing, usually the domestic partner, so let's say 22% of the men out there are guilty of this behaviour. Only about half of those men are gun owners, so we're down to 11%. Now, let's eliminate the one's who slap their partners once in a while because they asked for it. Now let's cut it way down because many responsible owners of firearms can successfully separate their domestic squabbles from their proper gun management. I say 3%.
Rape. 1%
The U.S. Department of Justice statistics for 2005 say that 191,670 incidents of rape or sexual assault were reported. Only 16% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported which brings the total in 2005 to about 1 million. 1 of 6 U.S. women has experienced an attempted or completed rape. These rapists may be some of the same guys we already counted in the "Domestic abusers" percentage. Also, some of these1 million rapes per year might be done by the same people, creating additional duplicate counting. I say we need another small entry here, say 1%.
General stupidity and irresponsibility. one half of 1%
I couldn't find anything to support this except humorous things that weren't very funny. But, just look around. You know who these people are.
There you have it, support for my "theory" that about 10% of the legal gun owners should not have weapons. I honestly believe using the same method I could make a good argument for the higher figures I'd stated earlier, but in the spirit of giving the benefit of the doubt in all cases, I'll leave it at 10% (rounded down from 13%, you probably noticed).
Some gun enthusiasts are very comfortable with the "us against them" mentality. They do it with the good gun owners and the criminal ones. They do it with the pro-gun folks and the anti-gun folks. It's all foolishness, say I. It is from their very midst, from this 10% that we have a significant "people flow." Not every one of the members of the group will go bad, and certainly not this year, but it is from their ranks that we see so many national headlines.
Please feel free to comment. I'd love to hear your opinion.
In this post I propose to offer a bit of what goes into my thinking. I won't call it proof, because as I've said before, much of this is not quantifiable. We must use common sense. So, in order to guard against bias, I'll downplay the numbers, allowing only very conservative figures to go towards the final result.
In the end, I will once again call my idea a "theory," and I would expect to never again hear the complaint that I make this up as I go along, that I say these numbers off the top of my head, and as Mike W. so eloquently put it, that I pull this stuff out of my ass.
Here goes. Let's presume there are 80 million gun owners. That means we need to identify 8 million who aren't fit to have a gun.
Good guys who turn bad. 1%
Some of you guys have generously provided the stats on concealed carry guys who get in trouble. That combined with the FBI stats of overall crime, allowing for the fact that some of the FBI criminals were not gun owners, we come up with about 1 million. So what we're saying is every year about 1 million gun owners out of the 80 million get in serious enough trouble to lose their right to bear arms. If you have trouble with that, look at the crime stats, add the felonies up and divide by 2, estimating that half the men own guns.
Alcoholics and drug addicts. 3%
It is estimated that 8.5% of the population is alcoholic. What percentage do you suppose has problems with other substances, anything from prescription medication to illicit drugs, another 10%?. Let's say 5%. That's 13.5% of our population at large and consequently of the 80 million gun owners. In all fairness, most of them, although I don't personally feel comfortable with their having weapons, won't cause any problems. But what of the worst 3%, say? These are the guys who become anti-social when they drink or party with drugs. You know the type. 3%.
Depression. 3%
It is estimated that about 8% of our population had at least one MDE (major depressive episode) in the last year. Gunowners, being no different from regular folks, can claim this same percentage, which I'll bet goes a long way explaining all those suicides. Since not everyone who suffers one of these episodes attempts suicide or does something else rash, let's call it 3%.
Rage (including road rage). 1%
One of the most frightening types of rage is called Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). It is estimated that 4% of the population has yearly episodes. I say not a single one of them should own a gun. I realize some of these guys also suffer from depression and may have even been counted under "Alcoholics and drug addicts," so we can cut the 4% in half twice and settle on 1%. I'll throw in the regular rageaholics and road rage maniacs for free. 1%.
Domestic abusers. 3%
It is estimated that 22% of women in America have been abused. It's men doing that abusing, usually the domestic partner, so let's say 22% of the men out there are guilty of this behaviour. Only about half of those men are gun owners, so we're down to 11%. Now, let's eliminate the one's who slap their partners once in a while because they asked for it. Now let's cut it way down because many responsible owners of firearms can successfully separate their domestic squabbles from their proper gun management. I say 3%.
Rape. 1%
The U.S. Department of Justice statistics for 2005 say that 191,670 incidents of rape or sexual assault were reported. Only 16% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported which brings the total in 2005 to about 1 million. 1 of 6 U.S. women has experienced an attempted or completed rape. These rapists may be some of the same guys we already counted in the "Domestic abusers" percentage. Also, some of these1 million rapes per year might be done by the same people, creating additional duplicate counting. I say we need another small entry here, say 1%.
General stupidity and irresponsibility. one half of 1%
I couldn't find anything to support this except humorous things that weren't very funny. But, just look around. You know who these people are.
There you have it, support for my "theory" that about 10% of the legal gun owners should not have weapons. I honestly believe using the same method I could make a good argument for the higher figures I'd stated earlier, but in the spirit of giving the benefit of the doubt in all cases, I'll leave it at 10% (rounded down from 13%, you probably noticed).
Some gun enthusiasts are very comfortable with the "us against them" mentality. They do it with the good gun owners and the criminal ones. They do it with the pro-gun folks and the anti-gun folks. It's all foolishness, say I. It is from their very midst, from this 10% that we have a significant "people flow." Not every one of the members of the group will go bad, and certainly not this year, but it is from their ranks that we see so many national headlines.
Please feel free to comment. I'd love to hear your opinion.
Major Insanity in a Dozen Other States
States currently considering the no permit law include
Colorado, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota and Virgina, according to the NRA.
The first state to jump into the mix appears to be South Dakota after lawmakers last week created a law allowing anyone 18 or older with a valid state driver’s license to carry a concealed weapon following a clean background check, that bill is still awaiting final approval from Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
Well, I guess you could say crime rates are low in Alaska and Arizona. I guess it depends on what you compare them to.
Supporters of the measure argue that crime rates are already low in Alaska, Arizona, Vermont and Wyoming, states where a carry and conceal permit is not required.
What's your opinion on this "Constitutional Carry" idea? Please leave a comment.
The Uncle of the Bremerton 9-Year-Old Shooter
The Seattle Times reports on the heart-wrenching comments by the uncle of the boy we spoke of the other day. The mom is being charged.
This video gives us a little glimpse into the far-reaching devastation which a gun incident causes. It goes way beyond the incident itself and the people hurt.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
This video gives us a little glimpse into the far-reaching devastation which a gun incident causes. It goes way beyond the incident itself and the people hurt.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Vermont Proposed Legislation - Pay for Not Owning a Gun
This bizarre nonsense must be a wild bargaining trick. If they propose such outlandish things as this, we'll be happy with the status quo.Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as Vermont’s own Constitution very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere.
Maslack recently proposed a bill to register “non-gun-owners”and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would become the first state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun.
Maslack read the “militia” phrase of the Second Amendment as not only the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
T.J. Lane, the Ohio School Shooter
Cliff Schecter wrote a wonderful piece for Crooks and Liars
About the two handmaidens, The violent family which teaches a kid that violence is the answer, although culpable, might be hard to identify and prove in many cases. But the other one, easy access to guns is not. The grandfather should be in jail and lose his gun rights. Safe storage laws could take care of many of these situations.Earlier this week it happened again. We don't know all the details, but what we do know is this. A young man named T.J. Lane walked into high school—here in my home state of Ohio—approached a table full of kids and started shooting.
Like with any tragedy such as this, there were many handmaidens. Certainly, chief among them was the violence this young man bore witness to regularly, in a household reportedly filled with it. His parents, both charged with domestic abuse and other violent behavior in the past, seemingly helped nurture a disturbed and dangerous kid.
But it's also been reported that the killer's grandfather—from whom Lane accessed the gun used—had so many weapons lying around that he couldn't figure out a gun was missing until afterwards. Read that sentence again.
Teaching a child that violence solves everything and giving him access to an arsenal. That should make his family criminally liable—although, current Ohio law will not allow that to happen.
Because, make no mistake, it's a love affair with guns by an obsessive and loud minority and the resulting lax regulation, which are key reasons these things just don't happen on a regular basis in any other Western country. While TJ Lane had easy pickings among a bevy of unaccounted-for weapons, the state of Virginia—under its culturally-Ragtime-Era governor—was removing a law that limited buyers to one handgun purchase per month. Which totally makes sense—how can you hunt moose or protect your house with only 12 guns per year?
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Fiorino Gets a Nice Pay Day
Philly.com reports on one of our favorite poster boys, just look at that mug.
I think the joke's on him and all his supporters. Open carry damages the gun-rights movement. Non-gun people, in other words, most people see guys like this as fanatics. The more prevalent they become, the worse the pro-gun folks will be thought of.A gun-rights advocate whom police stopped for openly carrying a weapon will settle his lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia for $25,000. Mark Fiorino's lawyer said the suit was not about money but about retraining police on open-carry laws.
Fiorino, 25, an information-technology worker from Lansdale, said he had been stopped three times for wearing a holstered gun on his hip. That's legal in Pennsylvania if the gun owner has a permit.
Fiorino recorded one profane police encounter and posted it online. His lawsuit alleged "vindictive prosecution."
And after this pay-out, I would imagine there'll be more.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Say Good-Bye to Ron Paul
Business Insider reports on the bad news for Ron Paul fans. I'm disappointed because the other guys are worse. It makes you wonder what the hell people are thinking. All three of the others say we should bomb Iran, for crying out loud.
The septuagenarian presidential candidate has based his campaign strategy on picking up delegates in the low-turnout caucus states, and was looking for his first win on Super Tuesday. His campaign's expectations were high going into yesterday's caucus contests in North Dakota, Idaho, and Alaska, three states well-known for their strong libertarian streaks. The candidate had also put in a surprising amount of campaign legwork in those target states this week, even traveling to Anchorage this week to rally voters in Alaska's tiny Republican nominating contest.
But the libertarian stalwart was frustrated on all three fronts. In North Dakota, Paul came in second behind Rick Santorum, despite rallying caucus-goers in Fargo on election night. The results were even more disappointing in Idaho, where Paul trailed behind Mitt Romney and Santorum. The race was closer in Alaska, but Paul still finished in third place.
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