Your country is nuts!

[jdhowland]

I live in a gun-friendly society. I never hunt. Don't own a rifle. Not a gun nut. I'm required to use firearms as part of my job, an act of state-mandated coercion. I train with firearms regularly and have a proper fear of them. I see them as tools, not symbols of freedom or rugged individualism.

Many people own and carry guns for a sense of power and self-importance. It's that attitude that scares me more than the idea of proliferation of firearms. So four kids were shot and two of them died while trying to rob a store in Harlem. Sad situation for everyone involved. Those kids bought into the unfortunate idea that having guns gives you power over others. And we still glamorize the idea of men with guns doing important things. It's not a crime to make movies and video games for young people that encourage this attitude. But it hurts us all.

As a CO, I've had several convicted murderers tell me their stories. Every one who wanted to talk carried a ghost with him and regretted having a gun at a particular time. The ones who don't like to talk about it may have no regrets at all except for being in prison.

I live in a state that allows concealed carry without a permit. Is that crazy? Maybe a little, but we still have a frontier mentality here. My wife won't go camping with me or take the kids to our favorite local beach unless I bring a hefty pistol to ward off bears. Two weeks ago, near where I live, a man was walking his dogs and heard a twig snap. He turned in time to see a "grizzly" (we call them brown bears, here) in full charge. He tried to backpedal while drawing his pistol and fired with no thought of aiming. The bear went down and skidded past him as it died. That's an unusual outcome for that situation. He was prepared. Too bad for the bear; I like bears. It must have been starving. I'm glad that man is still alive. His pistol was a .454 Casull. A gun like that isn't made to be used against people.

Good gun control is proper training and respect. It doesn't come from lawmakers.

Enough.

jd

[Vash]

I live in a gun-friendly society. I never hunt. Don't own a rifle. Not a gun nut. I'm required to use firearms as part of my job, an act of state-mandated coercion. I train with firearms regularly and have a proper fear of them. I see them as tools, not symbols of freedom or rugged individualism.

Many people own and carry guns for a sense of power and self-importance. It's that attitude that scares me more than the idea of proliferation of firearms. So four kids were shot and two of them died while trying to rob a store in Harlem. Sad situation for everyone involved. Those kids bought into the unfortunate idea that having guns gives you power over others. And we still glamorize the idea of men with guns doing important things. It's not a crime to make movies and video games for young people that encourage this attitude. But it hurts us all.

As a CO, I've had several convicted murderers tell me their stories. Every one who wanted to talk carried a ghost with him and regretted having a gun at a particular time. The ones who don't like to talk about it may have no regrets at all except for being in prison.

I live in a state that allows concealed carry without a permit. Is that crazy? Maybe a little, but we still have a frontier mentality here. My wife won't go camping with me or take the kids to our favorite local beach unless I bring a hefty pistol to ward off bears. Two weeks ago, near where I live, a man was walking his dogs and heard a twig snap. He turned in time to see a "grizzly" (we call them brown bears, here) in full charge. He tried to backpedal while drawing his pistol and fired with no thought of aiming. The bear went down and skidded past him as it died. That's an unusual outcome for that situation. He was prepared. Too bad for the bear; I like bears. It must have been starving. I'm glad that man is still alive. His pistol was a .454 Casull. A gun like that isn't made to be used against people.

Good gun control is proper training and respect. It doesn't come from lawmakers.

Enough.

jd

[emphasis from Vash]

Perfect. Thanks for your obviously experienced and educated point of view!

[uki]

i grew up with guns around me when i was young... i started shooting when i was like 9 years old. my grandfather always made a point of gun safety... treat the gun as if it is always loaded and never point a gun at anyone unless you or your family is in direct danger. that was it. two simple points he drilled into my head... accidents don't happen, they're caused.

[dirtyrat]

i grew up with guns around me when i was young... i started shooting when i was like 9 years old. my grandfather always made a point of gun safety... treat the gun as if it is always loaded and never point a gun at anyone unless you or your family is in direct danger. that was it. two simple points he drilled into my head... accidents don't happen, they're caused.

That's just it, buddy. There's a lot more stupid people out there than there are intelligent and responsible people. Half of them or more actually think they are intelligent.

[uki]

Time for the periodical update on why the US is nuts thread... no vitriol, no slanging please, just good clean fun.

I'll start the ball rolling:With a Stormfront slogan!?

and here's black man with an assault rifle... does this invoke the black panthers? why gotta keep this thread balanced with the original poster.

(CNN) – At least two Arizona men brought assault rifles to President Obama’s speech Monday to the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.

CNN’s Ed Henry reported that one of the men was carrying an AR-15 assault rifle and shouted anti-Obama slogans. The men remained outside the convention center where the president was speaking. Henry said U.S. Secret Service and local police were "very much aware" of the situation and were paying close attention to the men.

However, Arizona is an open-carry state, meaning it's legal to carry firearms in public as long as they are visible.

here's the picture... http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

it seems to be nuts by design...