Three times in the past year I have heard gunfire in my near vicinity in Columbia, MD. Including Friday night riding my bike to the gym. I heard six rounds go off no more than 100 yards away from me. A few weeks ago there was some sort of police action, with helicopters circling overhead as I walked my dogs across the street.
And speaking of dogs, people here are afraid of guns – so instead they get Pit Bulls which they can’t control and are a threat to everyone else around them. They apparently are afraid that a gun may get angry and go assault people.
My brother lives in Waldorf, in a very upscale neighborhood with beautiful trails and a lake. But nobody dares travel them at night, and some won’t even walk them in broad daylight anymore, because of violent thugs who look for well heeled targets. Not a quarter mile from his home, there have been two deadly assaults in the past two years, a shooting and a stabbing.
And yet my sister-in-law is afraid of moving to the country, or so she says.
That happens in Glasgow too, where both knives and guns are illegal.
There has been only one homicide in my county in over fifteen years, a mentally disturbed son who shot his father with a hunting rifle.
Everyone here is armed to the teeth, and we can legally carry our guns on our person.
Well I guess you have to carry a gun…if everyone else might be carrying one.
Guns allowed and guns not allowed, neither is a real solution to gun death….although, it couldn’t be called a gun death without
I know math is hard for you Chris, but concentrate.
1 homicide in fifteen years in a county brimming with guns. I’d say we’re onto something, unlike the poor sods in Glasgow.
Chris, why in the world would you say that you have to carry a gun if everyone else might be carrying one?
It doesn’t make any sense. You made a great observation about Glasgow. Where did this thing come from?
“I know math is hard for you Chris, but concentrate.
1 homicide in fifteen years in a county brimming with guns. I’d say we’re onto something, unlike the poor sods in Glasgow.”
Your maths are very easy.
1 county out of how many in your state, out of how many states brimming with guns ?
It is very good that guns feature in only 8% of violent crimes in the US, which shows the opposite of what some gun banners might have us believe
You cannot possibly be as stupid as you pretend. Guns are not the issue Dumb Dumb, can you guess what is?
I fully agree with concealed carry. If someone else believes you could be carrying like they are, they tend to get nicer, and think twice before starting any nonsense.
If I may (and to my way of thinking, on a grander scale), the world seemed much more stable during the Cold War with what was commonly called “M.A.D.”
Of course, there will always be some idiot that wants to test the common wisdom and engage in provocation whether on an individual basis, or nationally. As to the latter and in 1962, it was a Pit Bull named Nikita Kruschev. As I recall, he left Cuba with his tail between his legs only because someone with a bigger set of nads than him faced him down.
Col Welly says “Chris, why in the world would you say that you have to carry a gun if everyone else might be carrying one?”
I’m glad you saw the deeper point …….
About ten years ago here in the People’s Republic of South Jersey, my black Labrador Retriever was attacked by a Pit Bull in our back yard on Halloween. My first thought was the 870 Wingmaster, but I would have hit Bo, as well. A can of mace and a Louisville Slugger got the Pit Bull off of my pup after multiple shots to his back, after which he simply walked away as if nothing had happened. I swear that bastard was demon-possessed.
One of the sweetest and best behaved dogs I ever knew was a brindle Pit Bull named Cherry Bomb.
http://aikenpetsreunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Boo.jpg
The most vicious dog I ever met was an American Eskimo.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/American_Eskimo_Dog.jpg/1280px-American_Eskimo_Dog.jpg
Dog ownership comes with responsibility, just like gun ownership. A kalishnalov is no more deadly than a .22 pistol, if the owner acts responsibly. Blame the owner.
Guns don’t have a mind of their own. Pit Bulls do.
Both have owners, who can be held legally responsible.
Point well taken, Gator. But around here, most Pit Bull owners view them as a “tough-guy” status symbol among their peers.
Bingo! You have identified the enemy.
My 95 year old grandmother lived on Rockaway Beach for 70 years, until a week before Sandy hit. She is now in a nursing home in Southern NewJersey and am headed up to see her in a couple of weeks.
As Gator has shown me how to put images in, I’ll add a couple more to the pot:
http://my10online.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4480604.jpg
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/35500000/cute-dog-dogs-35538638-964-768.jpg
pit bull = assault dog
they should be restricted to only 10 teeth
7 teeth in New York. To think of it, it sounds like a labor union-backed job protection and retirement plan for old pit bulls. It also resembles rent-controlled apartments in NYC.
http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6982851/the-bizarre-truth-about-purebred-dogs-or-why-mutts-are-better
One of the comments is interesting . It links to UC davis (University of Californicate)
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10613&hc_location=ufi
The page has this interesting Tidbit:
So the University of Californicate has come out of the closet and divorced itself entirely from the USA and Americans.
That old ad is a good find!
Three days ago, Christie calls for Republicans to start showing “balance” on gun control: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/chris-christie-gun-rights-new-hampshire-second-amendment-nra-117000.html
“Balance” huh? In other words starting implementing the Democrat gun control measures in a “balanced” way, as Christie tried to do in 2013, and obviously favored earlier in his career. Christie is not in any way different than a Democrat on the guns issue. And he’s no different than a Democratic on amnesty, Obamacare (Medicaid expansion etc), gay marriage, or on his supposed coddling of Islamism, or… climate change:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPxDnb2-aVI
Super RINO
The issue with both guns and pit bulls can be summed up in one word — children.
While responsible gun owners and dog owners pose little safety risk, mixing children with either guns or fighting dogs leads to disaster. I believe everyone has the right to both and those rights should not be infringed, but with two young girls, I won’t allow either in my home. One mistake can lead to tragedy, and the perceived value in protection is far outweighed by the risks. Statistics are clear on this.
Two words.
Gun safe. I have the only keys to my safe, and they never leave my possession.
How do you figure that? And what statistics?
Excellent question. Indeed, what statistics, FTOP? Citations, please.
There are people who are not responsible enough for gun ownership. If FTOP believes he cannot control an inanimate object that is designed to be maipulated by a human being, why argue with him?
I’m curious if he knows something I don’t, and why he thinks he knows it, especially since I’m convinced it doesn’t exist. Why we think we know things has always been an interest of mine.
And yes, I never argue with people who tell me they shouldn’t keep guns. I don’t think it is FTOP’s case but I met some real nuts in the anti-gun crowd. They knew things about themselves that had to be respected.
I’m all for banning leftists from gun ownership, as they are mentally unstable, and history proves they cannot be trusted with firearms.
In 1863 a Democrat shot and killedAbraham Lincoln, President of the United States.
In 1881 a left wing radical Democrat shot James Garfield, President of the United States who, later died from the wound.
In 1963 a radical left wing socialist shot and killed John F. Kennedy, President of the United States.
In 1975 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at Gerald Ford, President of the United States.
In 1983 a registered Democrat shot and wounded President RonaldReagan.
In 1984 James Huberty, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 22 people in a McDonalds restaurant.
In 1986 Patrick Sherril, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 15 people in an Oklahoma post office.
In 1990 James Pough, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 10 people at a GMAC office.
In 1991 George Hennard, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 23 people in a Lubys cafeteria.
In 1995 James Daniel Simpson, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 5 coworkers in a Texas
laboratory.
In 1999 Larry Asbrook, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 8 people at a church service.
In 2001 a left-wing radical Democrat fired shots at the White House in a failed attempt to kill George W. Bush, President of the United States.
In 2003 Douglas Williams, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people at a Lockheed Martin plant.
In 2007 a registered Democrat named Seung – Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people in Virginia Tech.
In 2010 a mentally ill registered Democrat named Jared LeeLoughner shot Rep. GabrielleGiffords and killed 6 others.
In 2011 a registered Democrat named James Holmes went into a movie theater and shot and killed 12 people.
In 2012 Andrew Engeldinger, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people in Minneapolis.
In 2013 a registered Democrat named Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people in a school.
One could go on, but you get the point, even if the media does not. Clearly, there is a problem with leftists and guns. No NRA member, or Tea Party member, or Republican conservatives were involved.
Gator, your mention of the Luby’s massacre by a deranged democrat brought the following video to mind. As I recall, Dr. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp’s testimony before congress was posted here on Real Science by a commenter who I can’t remember, which was the first time I had seen it. Her testimony was heart-wrenching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgrIsuO5PLc
Her finest moment was the comment directed to the congressional panel led by Sen. Chuck Schumer of NY.
We had a shotgun in my home when I was four and brother was twelve.
The first thing Dad did was teach us gun safety and then have us fire the shotgun. Getting kicked in the shoulder and falling on your back with a major black and blue mark was a very good lesson for both of us. We never thought of handling that gun without permission.
I do not advocate ceding gun ownership or gun rights to the government. They can’t even manage their e-mail (Hillary). That said, owning a gun is both a right and a choice. As mentioned above, the statistics show that when guns are present in the home, women and children of the gun owner are victims far more often than an unknown intruder.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121018102726.htm
http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/Gun%20Fact%20Sheet_FINAL%2003%2003%2013.pdf
As Colorado says below, beyond sharing my logic, it is not an argument I choose to engage. Gun ownership is a choice and will remain one. For me, I rest well knowing my children and wife are statistically less likely to experience gun violence in my home. Others view the risk differently. Although they have the benefit of a gated community, alarm system, and manned security.
Just like the need for cheap power, I would not bar the less affluent who might live in higher risk zones their need for protection.
Although I do ask that no one cite the Cook study on successful use of a gun for home defense. It carries the same weight as the 97% study in climate science.
I hope everyone and their families stays safe in whatever choice they make.
Oops, meant Lott study, Cook of course is Mr. 97 ;-)!!
I agree with just about everything you say: no ceding of rights, a choice to own firearms, personal decision based on circumstances, special care with children, respect for people living in high risk areas, no need to engage in an argument, etc, etc,
The one thing, though, that completely blows my mind, is the two sources you linked, especially against the background of your other completely reasonable positions.
I looked through the “sources” and what a pile of hooey that is.
Again, I completely respect your position and I also believe that a man doesn’t need to justify his opinion with any studies or appeals to authority.
Your choice has standing on its own but those “documents” are crap. Since you provided the links, everyone can read them and judge for themselves.
Strong scientific evidence suggests that the presence of a gun in the home of an adolescent increases the risk of suicide
Not having a gun does not prevent, or stop suicide. A friends mother committed suicide with a gun, after she had already ingested a toxic amount of barbiturates. She wanted to die, and nothing would have stopped her short of a straight jacket.
Plus, the “presence of a gun in the home” does not mean it was property of the owner, or even there 5 minurtes before the shooting.
Firearm-related injuries and deaths can be prevented when guns are stored safely away from children and adolescents in a locked case.
What I said, exactly. Be an adult.
Now for the source of this myth…
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118×334436
A subsequent study, again by Kellermann, of fatal and non-fatal gunshot woundings, showed that only 14.2% of the shootings involving a gun whose origins were known, involved a gun kept in the home where the shooting occurred. (Kellermann, et. al. 1998. “Injuries and deaths due to firearms in the home.” Journal of Trauma 45:263-267) (“The authors reported that among those 438 assaultive gunshot woundings, 49 involved a gun ‘kept in the home where the shooting occurred,’ 295 involved a gun brought to the scene from elsewhere, and another 94 involved a gun whose origins were not noted by the police.”) (Kleck, Gary. “Can Owning a Gun Really Triple the Owner’s Chances of Being Murdered?” Homicide Studies 5 .)
That is only the tip of the non-existent iceberg.
And you call yourself a skeptic?
And don’t forget the “motor vehicle epidemic” we’re suffering through.
Cars are a major, unacknowledged “cause” of suicide.
Car control now!
“Suicide Car Accidents.
Drivers who commit suicide while driving are often difficult to detect as most of these “accidents” are believed to be single car accident scenarios with a single driver. These crashes often involve high speed, alcohol and may not easily be distinguished from sheer reckless conduct, or unconscious, self-destructive impulses. However academic studies have concluded that about 1.7% of all fatal crashes are suicides with nearly 2.7% of fatal single-car crashes believed to be drivers with suicidal intent, and about 1% of all nonfatal crashes may be suicide attempts. These studies have fueled speculation that a significant unknown proportion of vehicular deaths classified as accidents are in fact suicides, especially single-car, single-occupant fatal crashes. We first became aware of this issue from the two submissions below which involve multi-vehicle crashes where the suicidal driver chose to drive head on into a truck – where the intent is reasonably clear from witnesses who sent in their stories and pictures. Send us your Suicide Car Accident story: Submit your own pictures and story here >>”
http://www.car-accidents.com/suicide-car-accidents.html
And of course we must not forget ‘suicide by cop’.
Researchers studied data from 1987 through 1997 and found that 11 percent of officer-involved shootings were suicide by cop incidents.
http://www.suicide.org/suicide-by-cop.html
Gun grabbers like to include suicides, as well as justified killings of bad guys by police and innocents defending themselves with guns, in order to puff up their false narrative.
Appreciate the DU link, Gator. Good info.
“Not having a gun does not prevent, or stop suicide.”
Correct. Case in point: Japan. Practically no firearms in private hands, but a suicide rate several times that of the U.S.
“Plus, the “presence of a gun in the home” does not mean it was property of the owner, or even there 5 minurtes before the shooting.”
Indeed. Funny how many people overlook that.
Every time someone cites this “firearm in the home/higher risk of homicide” canard, we should say, “Why don’t we ask this individual why he has a gun in the house in the first place?”
In many cases, an honest reply would be, “I deal drugs and at least 50 people out there want me dead.” Or “My gang is in a turf war with two other gangs.”
And quite possibly, if these people DIDN’T have a gun in the house, they’d be even more likely to get killed. This “firearm in the home” myth is so easily refuted that I can hardly believe how it keeps popping up and being cited by people who know even less about statistics than I do.
I took an evening class at a community college many years ago, and there was a large proportion of inner city dwellers who ere my classmates. It was a very informal and comfortable atmosphere and we debated a number of topics. The professor once asked by a show of hands, how many of the class owned unregistered firearms, and nearly all of the city dwellers raised their hands.
They need guns more than anyone, but sadly do not get the training, as the purchases are done on the ‘downlow’.
I used to join with my fellow citizens every year in a pro-gun rally at our state capitol. We would have crowds of over 10,000 that marched from a meeting point, to the congressional halls, each carrying a signed petition that would be handed off one by one to our legislators.
Two things struck me the first time I went.
1- The number of wheelchair bound, and elderly
2- Not one news channel or newspaper covered it
10,000 plus law abiding citizens peacefully marching on the state capitol to petition their representatives, and crickets from the media. I guess we should have trashed the place and set police cars on fire.
Reminds me of the Betty Broderick case in San Diego. Husband Dan dumps Betty. Betty is pissed, and obsessed with this. Betty finally breaks in to Dans house while he and his girl friend/wife are sleeping. Betty empties the gun on them killing both. Betty tells the jury she doesn’t know what happened. There was noise, smoke, and flashes of light. See? There are times when guns go crazy, and kill innocent people. Were probably possessed by evil demons. The jury gave Betty a life sentence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SLifea3NHQ
Betty Broderick could just have easily have taken a large kitchen knife to Dan’s house with the same results.
I think you should be allowed to carry a gun in the US if you want to, don’t think i would like it here in the UK though, I probably couldn’t afford it for a start !
Philip Sherwell By Philip Sherwell, New York8:14PM BST 16 Apr 2015
The annual economic toll of the US gun violence epidemic is $229 billion (£154bn), or the equivalent of $700 for every American, according to a new investigation.
The price tag makes the economic impact of gun deaths and injuries more costly than obesity for the US (estimated at $224bn) and nearly as expensive as Medicaid, the $251bn federal health care programme for low-income Americans.
Guns are not the problem. Can you figure out what the problem is?
Is it muslim immigration ?
If you do not know, just say so Village Idiot. 😆
Chris, there is no “gun violence epidemic” here. Reciting from Mother Jones doesn’t do your credibility any good. If you don’t nip it in the bud, you’ll end up quoting Rolling Stone and Scientific American articles on global warming. Nobody here wants that to happen to you.
Or even worse, quoting Rolling Stone on collegiate rape culture.
Don’t you just love the breathless revelations, such as Mother Jones (as quoted on Vox) referring to “studies that show places with more guns tend to have more homicides.”
Well, yeah. There are neighborhoods in Chicago, for instance, which are absolutely teeming with guns, all illegally obtained by gang members and drug dealers who shoot each other and the occasional innocent bystander on a daily basis.
So, studies show that these places have more homicides. Thank you. Any more meaningless statistics?
There may be a gun epidemic in certain inner city neighborhoods that likely have severe gun restrictions that do nothing to stop the problem, as the problem is the perpetrators, and the “I am owed” culture that surrounds them.
If you remove inner city gang related crime from the US statistics, we are virtually the safest country on Earth. It is a problem of inner city culture and demographics.
Yes. I was contemplating and typing my response below—while doing some kitchen chores—when you posted yours.
David, you are right, of course, but I object to the very use of medical vocabulary to describe a political, social and cultural problem. Epidemic is the rapid spread of an infectious disease. The Progressives know exactly why they use this medical term to describe violent crime. It’s their typical language manipulation: disguise and rename a problem in a way that serves their purposes. You probably know it already but look up the crud that FTOP linked above. The Center for Disease Control is perennially running studies and issuing bulletins, the “epidemic” is discussed at medical conferences, papers get published in medical journals, family doctors are required to ask about firearms in households during annual physicals and on and on. Too many of us are so dumbed down by all of this that we accept it as something normal.
There is no gun epidemic. We have a big problem as a country, society and culture but no “epidemic”. Unlike with real infectious diseases, you can introduce a “pathogen host” into a “pathogen-free” population and nothing much happens. He’s dangerous but not infectious. He may kill or harm someone, he may get killed, harmed or incarcerated himself, but there will be no outbreak. Once he’s gone it stops.*)
There is only one purpose to call it epidemic and it is not to solve the problem of some inner city neighborhoods overrun by criminals. Even the people living there know it’s bunk. Especially they.
———-
*) There is a separate problem of cultural infection but I don’t want to blow the scope of this post.
“If you remove inner city gang related crime from the US statistics, we are virtually the safest country on Earth. It is a problem of inner city culture and demographics.”
Absolutely correct, Gator. I’ve seen maps of Chicago and NYC (and perhaps Philadelphia, too, I seem to recall) which prove that the vast majority of crime occurs in neighborhoods which geographically constitute just a small fraction of the city as a whole.
This is, of course, why it’s easy to make the USA look bad when compared to other countries. Take out big-city crime, though, and we compare quite well.
Also–and obviously, I hope–the misuse of illegal firearms in high-crime neighborhoods has nothing to do with the subject of trained, responsible citizens exercising their Constitutional right to carry a means of self-defense.
It’s actually not “big-city” crime.
Demographics is destiny.
Homicide Rates by Race, Sex, and Age
http://www.allcountries.org/uscensus/139_homicide_rates_by_race_sex_and.html
I did not want to say it directly, but you are absolutely right Kent. I once looked at twin cities on the Canadian border, because a Canuck was crowing about the difference in crime rates. The Canadian city had a homicide rate that was less than 20% of the American city, right across the border. I then looked up the demographics, and there was no comparison, the Canadian city had low single digit numbers of a demographic that was about a tenth of what the US city’s numbers were.
I saved old FBI stats that have been scrubbed (as far as I can tell) from the DOJ website, and numbers like those do not lie. I believe it is a cultural issue, the ‘gansta’ lifestyle, ‘snitches get stitches’ and anti-cop attitude of the ‘hood’ that is the real issue. Bill Cosby used to be a great voice in the widerness over this problem, but he has now been so discredited because of his alleged actions, that he can no longer be effective.
But there are still great men like Dr Ben Carson (whom I admire greatly, along with his mother), who stand up and tell the plain truth, and try to make a difference.
Now another prominent black American, Dr. Ben Carson, adds his voice to the calls for an honest discussion of race in America.
According to Breitbart, Carson says that for every black male killed by a police officer in 2013, there were 50 black males killed by other black males.
“That’s where we ought to be directing our attention,” he said. “We can’t afford to just throw those precious people away.”
http://conservativetribune.com/carson-solution-black-criminality/
Actually, the DOJ is quite open with their demographic analysis.
Although they do add an exculpatory explanation, providing their analysis of why the statistics seem so skewed, they also provide the demographic breakdown of murder victims and their killers (see tables 1 and 2):
http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hus11.pdf
Yes, I have continued to use their published info for references, but their methodology has changed, and therfore changed the numbers…
The methodology used for this report differs slightly from
the methodology used in past BJS reports on homicide.
Therefore, the data presented in this report should not be
considered comparable to prior BJS homicide publications
(see the Homicide Trends in the United States series). In
addition, due to concerns regarding the representativeness
of offender information contained in the SHR data,
information on homicide offending rates and homicide
offender characteristics have not been included in this
report. For more information, see “Missing information
on homicide offenders” on page 6.
Actually the “Missing information on homicide offenders”, is found on page 16, must have been a typo on their part, took me minute to find it. They infill “missing data” with a model. Sound familiar?
Much of the black on black crime goes unreported, “snitches get stitches”. I used to hear that all the time when I worked in the city, from professional peers, and it is a reality with which those unfortunate inner city dwellers deal every day.
Only about half of the violent crimes counted in the survey were reported to police.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/millions-of-crimes-go-unreported/
We all know Holder is a crook, liar, and a racist, so I trust the old data, and not this so much. And isn’t that odd, coming from the “Most transparent administration in history”? 😆
http://www.justice.gov/agencies
http://www.justice.gov/ag
I, too, didn’t want to say it directly, but Kent is correct. As Gator says, numbers like these do not lie.
Gator, I also agree that the cultural issues you mention are at the root. In other discussions like this one, when someone has posted figures showing how badly the U.S. compares to other countries, I have tactfully pointed out that those other countries have a much more homogeneous population than we do. Your Canadian example is well-chosen.
Demographics is destiny.
Or, as a 14 year-old living in Columbia says:
“Columbia Maryland isnt a bad place to live. It has its fair share of negatives though. But I’ll start with the positives first. Columbia offers alot as a child. When I first moved to Columbia in middle school I enjoyed playing at the basketball courts and playgrounds after school. It was fun being able to walk on the paths to the village centers. As I got older though, the facade of perfect paridise began to fade away.I am now 14 and see a very different side to Columbia. First I want to talk about the terms “safe” and “low crime” that are frequently associated with columbia. Columbia is only “safe” to some. The people that Columbia is “safe” for are the middle class adults who own cars and drive every where. The adults who live in the nice houses on cal de sacs with big yards and make 100,000+ a year. But for the people and teens who live in the section 8 portions of Columbia (yes there are ACTUALLY several small low income developments scatterd throughout western columbia), and for even me, as a teenage african american boy in Columbia it certainly isnt “safe”, as I have experienced time and time again. I know kids who have been robbed while walking the paths. There our fights and jumpings where again the victims (as well as the perpetrators) are the minority teens who walk every where. I live in Wilde Lake, and once saw a fight between fellow teens where one kid pulled out a knife. No one was hurt, but still. As far as “low crime” that isnt necessarily true either. Columbia isnt ghetto and the crime that does occur isnt seen by the public for the most part and isnt so blatant that it effects citizens quality of life… but there IS crime that occurs on a daily basis. The main crime that I witness is drugs. Im in highschool and honestly I could find weed and pills so easily here its not even funny. Alot of teens here smoke weed, and I know several people who sell it. I know kids who rob people. The kids that I know in my school are mixed. I know good and bad kids alike. One positive that I can say is that the schools are very good compared to others. So yeah, Im not saying Columbia is the hood or anything like that, but if you are a minority teen living here, you are more likely to be a victim of crime, and there is a fair amount of dirt that gets swept under the rug here. ”
http://www.bestplaces.net/backfence/viewcomment.aspx?id=D2EFE9EE-9804-43DA-AD86-599881ACFDF4&city=Columbia_MD&p=52419125
I don’t know about Columbia, but I do know my brother, who lives on a cul de sac in Waldorf. It is an upscale neghborhood, with beautiful trails and a lake. The trails are no longer safe for the residents to walk alone, or even in pairs anymore. It was not like that when my brother bought his home over 15 years ago, and it is not his peers that are the problem.
A good kid with his head screwed on straight. Examples like this are heartening, if only for the fact that there’s got to be more like him growing up in America.
Make Your Own Gun Free Zone – maybe the only good thing to come from the ill-conceived Half Hour News Hour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7pGt_O1uM8
I have a pit bull, she’s a sweetie. The only way she would kill someone is if she licked them to death. They are not a bad breed, but they attract a lot of bad owners. Any dog can be turned into a vicious dog if the owner raises it that way.
Of all my dogs, the only ones that ever bit anyone was my Golden Retriever, which everyone thinks of as a wonderful family dog, and my Westie. The Golden got spooked when a kid ran fast in his direction, and the Westie hated kids sticking their faces in hers. My pitty is the most empathetic dog I’ve ever owned. She knows when I’m feeling down and doesn’t stop licking me until I’m laughing. I hate that the media played them up as evil dogs.
Buster Brown shoes had a pit bull in the ads, the RCA Victor dog was a pit bull, and Petey on the little Rascals was a pit bull.
Please don’t buy into the media b.s. about pit bulls.
What?! The MSM lies?! How long has this been going on?
Next you will tell me that man made global warming is a myth! 😉
What the NY Times Doesn’t Get about the Second Amendment
By Ted Cruz
FR thread on that: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3280930/posts
~ ~~ ~~~
From American Thinker: Which Republican presidential candidates support amnesty? http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/03/which_republican_presidential_candidates_support_amnesty.html
And don’t forget the “motor vehicle epidemic” we’re suffering through.
Cars are a major, unacknowledged “cause” of suicide.
Car control now!
“Suicide Car Accidents.
Drivers who commit suicide while driving are often difficult to detect as most of these “accidents” are believed to be single car accident scenarios with a single driver. These crashes often involve high speed, alcohol and may not easily be distinguished from sheer reckless conduct, or unconscious, self-destructive impulses. However academic studies have concluded that about 1.7% of all fatal crashes are suicides with nearly 2.7% of fatal single-car crashes believed to be drivers with suicidal intent, and about 1% of all nonfatal crashes may be suicide attempts. These studies have fueled speculation that a significant unknown proportion of vehicular deaths classified as accidents are in fact suicides, especially single-car, single-occupant fatal crashes. We first became aware of this issue from the two submissions below which involve multi-vehicle crashes where the suicidal driver chose to drive head on into a truck – where the intent is reasonably clear from witnesses who sent in their stories and pictures. Send us your Suicide Car Accident story: Submit your own pictures and story here >>”
http://www.car-accidents.com/suicide-car-accidents.html
If you don’t like guns, don’t come to Florida. About 1 in 12 adults is legally carrying a concealed weapon on their person. (Mostly men but also a surprising number of women.) Walk around a Publix supermarket with a hundred adult customers and you can safely bet 6-7 are carrying. That may scare some people. As for me, I feel safer knowing that responsible adults are ready and able to protect themselves and me from the bad guys.
“About 1 in 12 adults is legally carrying a concealed weapon on their person.”
Interesting. That’s a higher ratio of people carrying than I’ve seen cited for other states. Or is the 1-in-12 number actually the number of people who have obtained carry permits?
My son, for example, took the required training in Florida and got his permit, but doesn’t carry. He told me that having a carry permit facilitates transportation of a firearm through certain areas which would otherwise be restricted in some way.
Fellow Columbianite! Not too much gunfire on the West side 🙂