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Most of us have seen the televised scenes of people lined up around around the block near gun shows and shops.
According to the newscasts, the people are waiting for their opportunity to buy a weapon, be it a rifle, a pistol or shotgun.
I have a news flash regarding these Americans clinging to their guns and religion:
They are not “in love” with guns; they are not buying guns because they are flush with cash.
These citizens are buying weapons because they don’t trust their government.
They understand far better than the administration and the talking heads why the founders included the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
Perhaps it’s time for the previous Chicago adjunct instructor of law to really study the United States Constitution.
Michael J. MacDonald
Whispering Pines
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Comments
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Get that? SECURITY.
The founders weren't contemplating a way to facilitate treason against the government they were constructing. They were trying to preserve it.
You people cling to some really disturbing fantasies about killing cops and soldiers because you don't like who won the election.
kzowens 4 months ago
“These citizens are buying weapons because they don’t trust their government.” I understand your comment to mean that “Since the other side won, the losers must have weapons to defend themselves.” What country do you think you live in?
If you think you need a weapon to defend your political views, you are the reason there is so much gun violence in America.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AMERICA IS A DEMOCRACY. Yes, the majority rules, but the minority has political rights that are defended by the constitution---not by weapons.
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
Have you ever noticed that when some snotty right-winger tells you you need to "read the Constitution," they almost always immediately go on to prove that they know nothing about it?
skylinefirepest 4 months ago
Dusty you apparently are no expert on the origins of the Second Amendment and it's meaning. Yes, it is time for you, Mr. gun owning lawyer, to fess up to your ignorance and do a little simple reading. I suggest you start with the Federalist Papers. And Kz, America is NOT a democracy. Perhaps you need to get up with Dusty so you can study it together.
kzowens 4 months ago
Mr. Skylinefirepest: You must read Dusty Rhoades column today!!!!!!
You are one of the SWORS victims who has lost the ability to understand what has really happened. The executive orders have nothing to do with what you think they do. They say nothing about confiscation or banning of any guns.
AFCHIEF 4 months ago
DR that didn't take long snotty nose right winger
JimRussell44 4 months ago
The pro gun advocates like to read the last half of the wording of the 2nd amendment and ignore the first part. If the founding fathers intended for all citizens to have the unencumbered right to keep and bear whatever arms their little hearts desired, why didn't they say that in the 2nd amendment? Why doesn't the amendment read: " The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Why do you suppose they prefaced that statement with "A well regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state"? Let's just all read it and make it mean whatever the hell we want it to say to fit our agenda. This past weekend, the pro gun "patriots" held rallies across the nation to condemn the president for trying to reduce violence in this country. They want everyone to believe that theirs are the views that most Americans hold. I will point out that one of the largest rallies attracted about 2000 people in New York. The population of New York is about 19,500,000 people. 2000 supporters equates to .0001% of the population. So we could conclude that 99.9999% of the population of New York are in favor of the administration taking action to reduce violence in this country. In the One Star State (that's what I like to call Texas), where your manhood is determined by how big your gun is, about 800 "patriots" showed up out of a possible 26,000,000 Texans.. I'll let you do the math on that one.
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
Wingnuts hate math, Jim. It has a liberal bias.
getreal 4 months ago
......."They understand far better than the administration and the talking heads why the founders included the Second Amendment to the Constitution."..........
To paraphrase, they understand NOTHING. They twist the words of the 2nd. amendment to fit their agenda and have no idea what it actually stands for. They fail to realize no one is going to take their guns away. The result? Look at the gun rally this past Saturday. I thought the officials attending were going to explain the 2nd. amendment to those who attended, to calm their misplaced anxieties, to remove the paranoia and fear they base their outrage on. Too bad that was not the case, instead they chose to join the far right media and the NRA and continue to whip the weak minded into even more of a fearful frenzy. How embarrassing for those pictured with their knee jerk outrage and misinformation on display for all to see. What did they accomplish? They made the gun shop owners richer, the gun manufacturers richer and emptied their pockets of thousands of dollars for expensive weapons they don't need. They gave all law abiding, sensible gun owners a black eye. Just who do these people fear? Who are the "they" that are always brought up? Are "they" the nice young man with his lovely wife and newborn daughter who serves at Fort Bragg and just moved in down the street? Are "they" the polite gentleman who also just moved in with his 4 little boys who also serves at Fort Bragg, who helps his older neighbors with their yard work? Do these people actually believe that the black helicopters will come and the government will storm their homes and confiscate their weapons, then enslave them? What incredible nonsense! People who actually believe these kind of conspiracy theories really shouldn't own weapons, they are not rational or responsible. A gun owner's rights are NOT being taken away, but their sanity and reasoning are being negatively impacted by false propaganda. What a slap in the face at the tragedy in Connecticut! I can only hope that the increase of gun sales does not result in an increase in gun deaths by accident. We lost enough innocent lives at Sandy Hook.
JimHeim 4 months ago
skyline - I suggest you look at the minutes of the Virgina constitutional convention. On June 16, 1788 this issue was roundly debated. It's clear from the remarks that the delegates were afraid of a standing army and wanted state-based citizen militias to repel invaders, put down revolts and, above all, keep slaves from escaping or staging rebellions. There was no talk of personal defense or giving the citizenry the means to destroy the government they were creating.
Congress promptly passed laws requiring white men to purchase a rifle and ammunition and required them to publicly register their weapons and frequently muster to have the rifles inspected. That's the meaning of a 'well-regulated' militia.
Now tell me where you got the idea that the founders intended for any yahoo to have an assault rifle without regulations.
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
Who are the "they" that are always brought up? Are "they" the nice young man with his lovely wife and newborn daughter who serves at Fort Bragg and just moved in down the street? Are "they" the polite gentleman who also just moved in with his 4 little boys who also serves at Fort Bragg, who helps his older neighbors with their yard work?
These are the people the gun worshipers need their assault weapons to kill. Unless they think Barack Obama is going to come to their house to take their guns so they can kill him personally.
JimHeim 4 months ago
Dusty, I'm pretty sure our Republican Assembly is going to have schools quit referring to 'math' and call it 'evil sorcery' instead.
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
If they can spell it. They're not real fond of that subject either.
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
(CNN) -- A youth is charged with murder after five people were killed in New Mexico, authorities said Sunday.
Investigators believe the assailant used multiple weapons, including "an assault-type rifle," the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department said. Deputies responded to an address in southwest Albquerque on Saturday night to find the five victims -- a man, a woman, a boy and two girls, according to a statement from the department.
"All the victims appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds," the statement said. Several weapons were found inside the residence.
"One male juvenile is in custody and is being charged with two counts of murder, and three counts of child abuse resulting in death," the department said. Neither the identities and ages of the victims nor of the suspect were immediately released.
OldPilot 4 months ago
All this plus two "gun shows" at which 4 people shot: three shared a load of bridshot from a shotgun someone brought in to sell which "went off" when he was removing it from it's carrying case, one who managed to shoot himself when reloading a sidearm after exiting the show. At least in these two incdents by sheer luck no one was killed. PS: after the American Revolution to the extent the founding fathers were concerned about any governmental threat they were concerned with the Brits, not the fledging American government.
skylinefirepest 4 months ago
Jim Heim...dude you don't know any more about the second amendment than you do deficit spending. I've done my homework as regards the founding father's intentions and I suggest that you do yours before making more ignorant comments about the 2nd A.
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
Pest, you've already demonstrated your ignorance on these blogs, you don't have to keep belaboring the point.
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
Pest appears to have abandoned the other thread where he falsely claimed President Obama, who he calls "obumma", banned previously legal assault weapons "with the stroke of a pen," a claim that was immediately disproved. But, coward that he is, he won't come back and admit he was talking out of his ass again. And now we're supposed to believe he's some kind of constitutional expert because...well, because he says so. What a tool.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Hey Reggie, l was looking for you to ask you: Which branch of the military did you serve in?
Thatcher 4 months ago
Yukon! This is the only known video of Reggie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9nE2s.... Cheers!
JimHeim 4 months ago
Pest - I assume you're too lazy to actually look up the debate by the very people who voted to enact the Constitution. How do you expect to understand the concept? How am I ignorant for studying the words of the Founders?
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Good one Thatcher!!
I have been re-reading the Federalist papers. In Alexander Hamilton's first letter he wrote the following:
For in politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution.
We should all take heart and learn from this. We are all way too intolerant of the other view. That said, there really are lines in the sand that cannot be crossed, even if it is our own govt.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
And Thatcher, l never knew if Reggie got kissed he turned into a frog!!! LMAO
Thatcher 4 months ago
Yukon, it's science! Be well my friend! Cheers!
AFCHIEF 4 months ago
Reggie was never in the military he just insults those that have. Not sure why must have been some reason he likes to insult those that have served.
fugitiveguy 4 months ago
"These citizens are buying weapons because they don’t trust their government."
More than ever there is good reason to not trust the government. I truly feel that for most politicians of either stripe their first priority is to remain in power. The ones in power with integrity and true desire to serve (someone other than themselves) are few and far between IMO.
fugitiveguy 4 months ago
If it weren't for the "gun nuts" we wouldn't have much of a military IMO. Of course we would have plenty of administrative types but I am talking about shooters. Those hard core bad axxes that we like to drop in where the lead is flying. Many of these guys have been around guns since their pre teen years.
JimRussell44 4 months ago
Yukonjohn, why does it matter if someone was in the service or not? Does being in the service make you infalable? Should we all just automatically assume that whatever is said or done by a member or former member of the military is accurate and correct? Many of my friends have served in the military. Guess what, they are no smarter or dumber than anyone else. They are people who elected to make their living in a uniform, collecting a paycheck from the government they now seem to hate. I respect anyone who accepts a job and does their best to perform the duties required. Service to your country includes a whole lot more than wearing a uniform and following orders.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
JimRussell44, we totally agree. The only reason l asked Reggie about his service was due to his rant about the Chief and his service. Where we disagree a bit is that going into the military, one is not just going to a job every day and collecting a paycheck. They can, and often are, required to go into harms way in defense of our nation. Many have not come back from such service. That, to me, seperates them for the huddled masses. If it means something else to you...so be it.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Yeah, Jim, l guess l mispoke again. We do not totally agree about that, but l do agree with some of your points. Also, l was just thinking, while l would never "require" military membership to run for any office, it does make a difference in who l might vote for....especially in a national election.
Toda 4 months ago
So where is "A well regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state"?
One must admit, unfettered cash flowing to gun manufactures sure looks good for POTUS'O's economic snapshot for the New Year and his Presidency.
Toda 4 months ago
dustyrhoades ~ and to see the by-products of educational system at its finest. To know these people have reproduced, further contaminating the gene pool is bewildering; he hears voices you know!
citizen 4 months ago
@jJR44
Your 0.0001 percent figure in your comment is off by a magnitude of 100, not that I expect it to change your opinion of the import of that particular demonstration. I also find it rather incredulous to suppose that the demonstration you cited was the only one held or attended in the state. Even more of a leap is that you extrapolate from your flawed math example, that the non-attending citizens are apathetic about the issue or are in favor of gun control
skylinefirepest 4 months ago
Good comment, citizen, the gun haters don't give a hoot about anything but keeping guns out of the hands of "we the people". They apparently have skins of steel because they will defend their wives and children with their bare hands, but only until the police arrive. They make up their own definitions and when corrected, get very irritated and swear by their own made up definitions. Some of the posters here are absolutely anti-military, though they have never served in any capacity. And then they make stupid comments about those who have served by saying they "got a paycheck from the government they hate." It is somewhat of a hoot to tell them the truth because then they get their panties in a wad and start frothing at the mouth. Rabid gun haters are pitiful but fun to watch!!
kzowens 4 months ago
Mr. Skylinepest, I'm not at all caught up in the 'gun' issue, but I haven't noticed any "Rabid Gun Haters" in these threads or in the Pilot. So, what are you really laughing at? I do see a lot of people very concerned about assault weapons and high-capacity clips WHICH ARE VIRTUALLY THE SAME AS THE MACHINE GUNS. Of course machine guns were banned—just like assault weapons and high-capacity clips should be banned. I don't think anyone believes that we ought to bring machine guns back and have them available for American citizens to protect themselves, and I don’t think that assault weapons and high-capacity clips should be available to the public. Anyone who thinks they need such weapons is a potential problem. Personally, I'm concerned about the people who have been worked into frenzy and have become so delusional that they think any weapon manufactured for the military and law enforcement should be available to anyone who think the government is coming after them. Those are precisely the kind of people who should not be permitted to own any kind of weapon.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
I saw a very good analogy the other day on Facebook. It said: "I need my AR-15 just like Rosa Parks needed to sit at the front of the bus". It is the same difference, it is our right to own guns, not a priviledge. I can own one of these weapons, or 100 of them, just because l am an American. Somehow the anti-gun crowd does not get this. Guns are a part of our society, our American society.
kzowens 4 months ago
"I need my AR-15 just like Rosa Parks needed to sit at the front of the bus".
Thank you for demonstrating my position so quickly and so clearly. It is obvious that you do not understand the essence of the United States of America. It is not what you pretend it is.
JimRussell44 4 months ago
Yukonjohn, Comparing Rosa Parks right to her human dignity and your right to own whatever gun you desire is disturbing on a lot of levels. If this is, indeed, the mindset of the typical gun owner, then we are a lot further done the road to oblivion that I originally believed. If you honestly believe that you should be able to own whatever weapon you want, then I encourage you to start being a vocal proponent of removing all restrictions on all weapons. Instead of being AGAINST a ban on semi-automatic weapons with large capacity ammunition magazines, be FOR the removal of restrictions that currently forbid private ownership of weapons like machine guns or any of the weapons currently available to the military. We don't currently have a ban on semi-automatics, but we DO have a ban on all these military grade weapons. Why are you not furious about that. After all, you are an American. I will be most anxious to hear your reply.
JimRussell44 4 months ago
Citizen, where I went to school, 2000 was .0001% of 19,500,000 (actually it's 1950, so I rounded to 2000). But thanks for playing. I posted what I did to highlight the fact that the pro gun faction in this country is not a majority position. There is no question that a majority of citizens are in favor of the 2nd amendment, but the 2nd amendment is not the issue. None of us want to ban the 2nd amendment. We want to ban a certain class of weapons, just like is currently being done with weapons like machine guns. Nobody wants to prevent honest, law abiding people from owning guns for hunting, target shooting or protection. We want to eliminate weapons that can fire large quantities of ammunition in a short period of time, the type of weapons used almost exclusively by the deranged mass killers we are seeing more and more frequently.
JimRussell44 4 months ago
skylinefirepest, see you are still posting so I guess your boss has not caught up to you yet. I'm doing some research and it will be only a matter of time before I uncover your real identity and, of course, the first person I'm going to reveal it to is going to be...wait for it....your boss. Wow, that must be very scary. Better pick up a few more AR-15's. Now, on to your claim that I am a "gun hater". Please dig up the quote where I said I hated guns. I choose not to own a gun. I chose not to drive Fords, that doesn't mean I hate Fords, it means I like something else better. You equate guns with strength, I equate self confidence with strength. You live in constant fear that someone is waiting around the corner to get you. I look forward to seeing what is around the next corner.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Jim, You and KZ appear to not read our founding documents as myself and the courts have. A "right" that are mentioned in the Bill of Rights are granted by our Creator, and as such, cannot be taken by man nor govt. They cannot be sold or transferred. Yes, Rosa Parks had the right to sit where she chose to on that bus, and thankfully she prevailed. I honestly believe that the founders felt that we should be armed to protect our fragile union and ourselves. This included from our own govt. if they got out of hand. Thomas Jefferson was clear in his writings. He even went as far as to say that we needed a new revolution every generation!! George Washington said “Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth”. Now if ya'll want to go against what our founding fathers wanted for our nation, fine, you have that right. In doing so, don't trample on our rights we have been granted. Get the Constitution changed!!!
skylinefirepest 4 months ago
KZ and JR...you have said exactly why I have been posting towards you for the past few weeks...an AR 15 is NOT by any description a machine gun or "gasp" an assault rifle and they are not used by the military. The police do use some but they also have the availability of full auto M16's. Therefore, Kz, why would you want to ban semi-auto rifles?? They fire NO FASTER than any other hunting rifle. Do you want to ban all semi-auto firearms?? What Yukon is saying is that as free Americans we are not supposed to have to fight the government over the legal ownership of semi-auto firearms. Why a law abiding citizen would like to have one has been outlined in these blogs for several weeks so I won't go over it again. Easy to find out why. Now JR...sorry to bust your bubble but I don't have a BOSS other than the one I've been married to for forty six years. I have a "Chief" where I have volunteered for twenty one years and he knows who I am and how I feel about guns, liberals, muslims, America haters, military haters, etc. I've offered you the chance to go to the range with me and find out that these rifles are not nearly as magically deadly as you seem determined to think and you don't want to be shown...you have chosen to remain firearms illiterate and that is why I have called you out on the subject. I am sure if you talk to the right person at the Pilot that they'll tell you who I am...I would expect you to be honorable enough to abide by my wishes for the reaons that I have stated.
skylinefirepest 4 months ago
Incidentally, JimR, I'm glad that you're self confident in your ability to protect yourself and your family without firearms. I personally think your attitude is a little unrealistic but it is your RIGHT to do so. As I told someone a couple of weeks ago I'm sure from my old ambulance driving days that I can take you into a couple of neighborhoods in Charlotte and drop you out about midnight and see if you can make it back on your own unscathed. You can always avoid those places but you can't stop the denizens of those places from coming to your home. Hope it never happens to you but your head is in the sand if you don't think it's possible. I don't live in fear but I have worked in a few jobs in a few places where a policeman treads lightly. My life experience has been apparently much different than yours but the nursing home in Carthage simply proves that stuff can happen where you absolutely wouldn't expect it.
Thatcher 4 months ago
JimRussell44-- After you do your research and discover skyline's "real identity," why not, instead of calling his "boss," you just call skyline? And talk about things like reasonable people? He can take you to the range and show you the differences between assault rifles and semi-auto. You could then have a reasonable conversation with him as to why you feel certain regulations are necessary. I bet you could have this conversation over a couple of beers, and even if you both failed to agree in the end, you'd both have a better understanding of the other's position. Seems to me that this course is always better than threats. Hopefully, you'll give this some thought. Cheers!
skylinefirepest 4 months ago
Thatcher...I've thought for a while that JimR was a new reasonable voice and therefore made my offer to him. I could set up some gallon jugs of water and let him see just how fast and accurately he might hit them from twenty feet away. It is his choice to continue to call these semi-auto rifles assault weapons and that's why I've stayed after him. Kz thinking these were the same things as machine guns shows the problem. People don't know what they are talking about and won't take five minutes to find out. Join the bandwagon and ban a line of firearms for no other reason than they look bad. And they call them "military quality" like it's a bad thing. I want as much quality in my firearms as I do my truck. ( That's why I drive a Toyota. )
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Hi Thatcher and Skylinefirepest, Hope ya'll are enjoying that beautiful sunny weather you have. I hear it is going to get pretty cold there, it would be normal for the way weather pattern goes, we are really warm right now!!
I thought JimRussell44 was a voice of moderation as well, but after today, l have changed my mind. Even with the spirited debate that the Pilot so graciously let's us participate in, there is never any reason for one of us to threaten another. Personally, l take threats very seriously, and not in a good light. I would hope that he could find it within himself to apologize to you skyline, and not continue to throw threats out on these threads.
Best wishes to you all on this very important holiday, and may God Bless America.
kzowens 4 months ago
Mr. Skylinefirepest & Mr. Yukonjohn; I don't see any sense in continuing since you both have been diagnosed with SWORS--which Dusty Rhodes explains as a disease of the central nervous system particularly prevalent among members of the American right wing. SWORS sufferers experience a significant degradation in upper level brain function, leading to a near-total loss of any sense of proportion. They become prone to manic outbursts of indignation and rage over trivial or even imaginary events.
I hope you recover, but I expect it is a terminal disease.
Thatcher 4 months ago
Yukon! Not so fast about JimRussell44. As I've said several times, this is an emotional issue. Regardless of his last few posts, he has shown himself to be an intelligent and reasonable man, and I believe he will return to form with thoughtful posts devoid of threats. Stay warm up there you beast! Cheers!
citizen 4 months ago
@JR44 I recognize that you're using numbers to bolster your argument, but to me you lose credibility when you cite statistics and your arithmetic is flawed. And I do realize that a math discussion is perhaps tangental to this gun discussion. You seem somewhat appalled that I have the audacity to correct your computations, and DustyRhoades and JimHeim chortle heartily suggesting that liberals have the market cornered on mathematical thinking.
2000 is indeed 1/10000 of 20 million ( or 0.0001 if you're more of a decimal guy), but it is incorrect by a magnitude of 100x to say 0.0001 percent as percent means per hundred. Anyway, as you say, "thanks for playing."
AFCHIEF 4 months ago
Kzowens, sounds like you have a severe case of DRHUOBA
Toda 4 months ago
AF Chump ~ If I had made ludicrous statements any 21 year old would have know regarding the purchase of shotguns and rifles, I would stay off the blogs for a good long while. You have a sever case of diarrhea of the mouth.
fugitiveguy 4 months ago
Toda, just curious, when you were having your personal difficulties a while back did you ever wish that your identity on here was unknown. It seems to me your problems at the time illustrated clearly why anonymity is the wise thing on here.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
KZ, I might be guilty of having SWORS, but from appearances, you have a reading comprehension problem. Another part of our Bill of Rights that often gets ommitted is the Preamble to it. It states in there that the BoR was needed to make sure the govt. did not overstep its bounds. (like it is currently doing) I find it amazing that all kinds and manner of founding documents have been linked or quoted on here, but not once by those on the gun control side. You have no "leg to stand on". I say again, get the Constitution changed if you dislike it so badly!!!
Thatcher, as far as l'm concerned, JR44 made threats to another poster. Him, you, me, DR or any of us should refrain from ever doing that. I hope you and yours have had a stellar day!!
Thatcher 4 months ago
Yukon! You are correct that he made a threat, but I think he was simply emotional about the issue and now wishes he had approached it differently. While you and I don't make threats here, others seem to make a living out of making threats. JR44 is not, in my view, one of those guys. I'm buying you a solar-powered space heater for Christmas...perfect for Alaska! HA! Be well my friend! Cheers!
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Thanks for the thought Thatcher!! We are sweltering up here today (ten above) but supposed to cool back off to more seasonal by mid-week (15-30 below)!! I really hope that is the case with Jim. I know this is an emotional issue, but one where we are going to have to walk softly so as not to trample the rights of law abiding Americans. Best Wishes
AFCHIEF 4 months ago
Toda you keep proving my point why the sheriff should confiscate your weapons, you are a loose cannon
packwilleat 4 months ago
Ah the love, care, and overall warm heartedness of the left. Anyone else note that all the matters of threats, violence, crudeness, vile, and over all wanting their opposition "to die in order to save the gene poll" is only orchestrated by those on the left?? And they praise themselves as humanitarians. Ha!
dustyrhoades 4 months ago
Looks like Chief only wants gun rights for people who agree with him.
JimRussell44 4 months ago
I did, indeed step over the line, and for that, I'm sorry. This is, for me, an extremely emotional issue and I handled it badly. I am just extremely frustrated that gun owners are unwilling to accept the fact that guns do play a role in the violence and carnage plaguing our country. I am extremely frustrated that there is a segment of our population that is so delusional that they actually believe that the President of the United States of America is trying to destroy this country. I'm disappointed that we cannot work together to solve our problems. I'm baffled by the fact that there are still people on these boards that can't grasp the fact that no one is trying to repeal the 2nd amendment, no one wants to take all their guns away. I'm confounded by the fact that these semi-automatic weapons with high capacity ammunition magazines are the weapon of choice in most mass killings, yet we have gun enthusiasts here tell us that these weapons are, as one guy said, "the modern day flintlock", a gun like any other gun. I can't understand why we would want to completly discount the role guns play in the commission of crime. As I said to Yukonjohn on another thread, if you are opposed to banning weapons, then start being vocal about the weapons already banned. Come out in favor of repealing the ban on machine guns, automatic weapons and all the other military grade weapons you are not currently allowed to possess.
bubbasmith 4 months ago
The hypocrisy of the left that wails about the twenty children that were killed in an elementary school yet could care less about the 1000's of babies that are killed every year in an abortion clinic is just astounding.
You should be just as upset about one as the other
JimHeim 4 months ago
bubba, those aren't babies, they're fetuses. There's a difference. If you don't approve of abortion, don't have one.
And Happy 40th Roe V Wade Day everyone. And here's to forty more!
saturn5 4 months ago
In reading these comments I find it interesting the way people can have such varying opinions. I am not a democrat or a republican, I am independent. I am not a gun nut although I own several including some which are being categorized as assault weapons, and I am not for gun control. I feel a gun is absolutely safe without a person’s hand, so I do feel stringent background checks are in order and I even support a waiting period, as I feel certain people should not have guns. I like to think I have a little knowledge on the subject as I have proudly served our wonderful country and continue to serve today in a career that involves guns (and no I don’t hate the government). I do find it interesting that although the recent tragedy in Connecticut is a horrible waste of lives and it involved guns that we are not talking about other more dangerous items such as baseball bats and cars. Without stepping on the toes of the first amendment I think the media has to do with this. Just think about it, a 15 year old kills his family in NM and its international news, a man near Aberdeen killed his wife with a baseball bat and it didn’t make statewide news (July 26, 2006). I think a lot is sensationalism by the media. Just look at the FBI statistics, many more people are killed with blunt objects such as hammers and baseballs bats than by guns yet were not telling stores to stop selling Louisville Sluggers. You are much more likely to be killed in an auto accident than by a gun yet nobody has said to ban cars. Many people think school shootings is a new phenomenon, yet if you do the research it has gone on since there were schools. The difference is you didn’t hear about it as quickly, if at all. I guess what I am trying to say is the media has a lot of pull and they can spin things how they want to and people will believe it. They don’t have to have their facts checked before they publish their stories as in the current topic. I feel the media should report the facts as they are not as they see them, not just on this topic, on all topics.
JimHeim 4 months ago
saturn - your use of irrelevancies is remarkable. The fact is that in the US, firearms are the number one tool for homicide. Full stop.
Forty-three family members are shot by their household gun for every incident where the gun saved them. Those are lousy odds.
You want guns? Fine, but there's no excuse for assault weapons or high-capacity clips. And there's no reason each and every gun to be registered, just like our cars and planes. Gun registration was the law in 1792 and there's no reason not to pass those laws again.
And the NRA should focus more on gun safety and less on ensuring the supply of weapons to al Qaeda and the Mexican drug cartels.
And there's no reason for guys to parade around town with Glocks on their hips to compensate for deficiencies elsewhere. Act out your Paul Kersey/Red Dawn delusions in the privacy of your own homes.
saturn5 4 months ago
Jim I didnt put you down in my post nor will I now. I dont have any kersey/red dawn delusions and I feel safe in my home and in my community. I dont feel the statements I made are irrelevant. I never said anything about people being saved by their guns in my post and I wont try and disrepute you as I havent done the research on that topic. I do agree with you that there is no reason to register each and every gun as I feel that would be an impossible task as there are almost 2 firearms to every person in the U.S. I also agree gun safety should be a key focus. I dont agree with you on putting people down "there's no reason for guys to parade around town with Glocks on their hips to compensate for deficiencies elsewhere" as that tells me you are insecure with your own opinion so you prefer to belittle others that do not agree with you, I hope this is not the case.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Saturn5, What a great comment, and subsequent comment. On these message boards, one cannot really know what might come from some of the posters. Myself included! With Jim, as you may have seen, his comments run far to the left. From what l gather, he is the Democratic chairperson for Moore County. If you are from any other party, that should give you a lift.
AFCHIEF 4 months ago
•It turns out the problem is so Simple...... DON'T LET DEMOCRATS HAVE GUNS !!!
REMIND ME AGAIN WHY THE TEA PARTY IS SO EVIL ?????
JimRussell44 4 months ago
AFCHIEF, there are two similarities in your comments: The first, your contention that all were Democrats, which needs verification. The second, all were SHOOTERS, which requires no verification.
JimRussell44 4 months ago
Saturn5, I hate to ruin a good story, but I just googled the top five weapons used to commit murder in the USA and firearms was #1, blunt objects were #5. While I share your thoughts on how the media handles news stories, I do believe that having multiple deaths committed by and individual, all at the same time, is a more newsworthy story nationally than when one person whacks the brains out of another person with a baseball bat. The ball bat murder is a local news story, in most cases. The other fact you miss is that the primary purpose of a baseball bat or a car is not to murder someone with. The primary purpose of a semi-automatic weapon with a high capacity ammunition magazine IS to kill something, so when it is used to murder people, it is performing it's normal function. Yes, I agree it COULD be used for shooting cans, but that is not the primary purpose it was designed for.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
If it were not such a serious situation with such dire consequences, this would be funny. If it turns out that this is the case, maybe there is something to what AF Chief says. I do know, for the most part, tea party gun owners are completely law abiding, and have never been associated to any acts like these.
Noluv4thugs 4 months ago
Jim Heim: I Googled #1 used weapon in murder. This is what I found. Funny how you missed or left out this article. (Fisrt thing to pop up on Google when I searched)
http://www.top10stop.com/lifestyle/top-10-most-common-murder-weapons
Nearly 75% of the cases involving firearms are actually gang related and another fraction of it are justifiable cases in self-defense. As stated in the opening paragraph, many lives are actually saved by those have them and use them for protection; hundreds of thousands of women use guns in the US to protect themselves against rapists and criminals. It is historically and socially proven that the more right to arms are taken away from the regular citizenry the more crime brews thereafter and more innocent lives are lost. Not only that, total freedom means freedom to protect one’s self without complete reliance on government, which in a majority of cases does not respond in time and is itself a threat when corrupted; the founding fathers understood this common sense.
Moreover, the states with the most strict gun control laws like Illinois and New York have the worst gun crimes simply because criminals can easily do what they want, whereas southern states like Texas with the least gun control have some of the lowest gun crimes since individuals can protect themselves against criminals. Ask this intellectual questions… WHY?
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Noluv4thugs, I think the same thing. I also wonder (and feel sorry for them) about the folks, some on here, that will not possess a firearm. I worry for their safety in a situation where only a firearm will get you out of a bad situation. They will be defenseless and "sitting ducks" for the criminals that are heartless to start with and care less about their victims. God Bless ya'll and keep ya'll safe. We know that the police cannot do that.
Thatcher 4 months ago
JimRussell44 (16 hours, 4 min. ago)-- You are an honorable man. Your decision to post this comment proves that. Congrats to you, and I look forward to many civil discussions with you on these threads. Cheers!
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Thatcher, I agree. Hope your day is going well.
JimHeim 4 months ago
saturn - I mistyped. I want all guns registered. I do not care what it costs or how long it takes. Perhaps a tax on guns could pay for the process.
There is no reason for secret firearms and the 2nd amendment does not address the issue. Guns were required to be registered in 1792. It's even more important now.
JimRussell44 4 months ago
Thank you, Thatcher.
Yukonjohn, please don't feel sorry for me because I choose not to own a gun. I am anything but "defenseless". Using your logic, the 20 children should have been armed. If this country ever comes to that point, I will be on the next plane out of here.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
There is no reason for secret firearms and the 2nd amendment does not address the issue.
Jim, you are most certainly wrong on this. The last line of the 2nd Amendment absolutely addresses it: SHALL NOT be infringed!! Registration does that.
packwilleat 4 months ago
Registration is the first step towards confiscation. If you think our own government is not guilty of disarming Americans, have a watch....................
NRA: The Untold Story of Gun Confiscation After Katrina by NRAVideos
Thatcher 4 months ago
"Guns were required to be registered in 1792. It's even more important now." You may want to reread the Militia Act of 1792: http://www.constitution.org/mil/mil_act_1792.htm. Cheers!
Toda 4 months ago
fugitiveguy => To address your comment regarding anonymity:
I associate ignorance to health issues and how supposedly professionals are trained or not trained to handle situations. The Sheriff's Department actions were no less than juveniles at a rave concert. Disgusting and dissappointing to know Lane Carter iterates how well trained his men and women are ... he wasn't there. He has never asked me about what happened that night ~ he really doesn't care to know how unprofessional his people were in an emergency condition.
I am a diabetic taking 2000 mg of Metformin a day. Any diabetic can explain what happens metabolically when a diabetic doesn't eat all day. Idiots who have no medical knowledge use events to belittle those who they cannot rebuke intellectual comments.
To answer your question (finally) I think anyone who posts on boards should provide their name and an avatar likeness. On other boards like CNN on Facebook, those posting know who is responding. Some really good friendships have resulted. Just my opinion.
Toda 4 months ago
"AFCHIEF 22 hours, 5 minutes ago Toda you keep proving my point why the sheriff should confiscate your weapons, you are a loose cannon"
Toda 4 months ago
fugitiveguy => One interesting point I would like to make with respect to my run for State Senator: After John Nagy shared his new found bravado at the Pilot with friends in Greensboro and Randolph County, I spent less than $275.00 on my entire campaign. Jerry Tillman spent thousands and John Marcum spent several thousand as well.
Yukonjohn 4 months ago
Pack, isn't that something, taking a person's protection, at the moment that they need it the most? What has this country come to?
That said, I was on Katrina with our ICS (Incident command system) team. We were the last national team to start using security on big incidents. We had found, especially in Alaska, there were no need for them. For one, we did not need to bring outside "gun toters" to just antogonize citizens that were already under a great deal of stress. Most times it works. If there is trouble, get local law enforcement to handle the problem. Many times especially in the west, they know the people anyway and can defuse a tense situation quickly and with the least amount of resistance.
AFCHIEF 4 months ago
Toda a lot of physical threats from you towards me. Trust me I'm not in any type of roller chair and YOU don't scare me, so please quit with the threats. And to bad Sheriff Carter didn't confiscate your guns, maybe a phone call will prompt some action on your illegal handguns
samosamo 4 months ago
Hmmmmm............
Toda 4 months ago
AFCHIEF => "And to bad Sheriff Carter didn't confiscate your guns, maybe a phone call will prompt some action on your illegal handguns"
Toda 4 months ago
Perhaps some may be interested in a letter sent to the County Board of Commissioners regarding the unprofessional behavior of the Deputy in charge last April, his DWI infractions, and reported spousal abuse. All went unreported and the tapes mystically erased according to insiders.
packwilleat 4 months ago
Toda ~ power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If you want to see an honest and moral man turn on himself and others, give him the power of law. Heck, Carter is just a story out of podunk USA. Just imagine how it multiplies the farther up the ladder one goes.
Toda 4 months ago
packwilleat 2 hours, 43 minutes ago
I hope to see the day when no one will carry a gun and wear a badge that hasn't graduated from a university. As it stands now way too many use the devices of off shore diploma mills to falsely represent their pseudo accomplishments. I think you know what I'm referring to ....