Finish the Thought
Saturday, we asked readers to complete the sentence: “America’s mass shootings will end when ...”
“... there is a change in the gun culture and the violence culture in the society and the members of the NRA force a change in the philosophy and the leadership of the institution and the society tackle the complex problem of mental health.
“This is another way to say it will take us a long time to come to this point or it never will. So there will be repeated performances of this tragedy.”
BOON T. LEE
“… we get past our pride and agree to change. You know, there are places where this kind of thing is much less frequent. It makes sense to look and see what the people there are doing and at least try their formulas. Why in the world would we not do that?”
JANE FREEMONT GIBSON
“… there are no more people to be killed. Since the shooter does not have to suffer the consequences for his/her action because he/she is either killed by the police, commits suicide or is placed in a mental hospital for the rest of his/her life with the tab being picked up by the taxpayers, the shooter sees no reason for this type of behavior to stop.”
MONA POTTS
“… politicians stand up to the NRA and pass stringent gun-control laws like every other civilized nation.”
RUDY DIAMOND
“... there are stronger gun controls, and when the entertainment industry limits the gross amount of intensely graphic violence in films, on TV, in music lyrics and videos.
“There used to be limits on how much violence the general public (especially the young) was exposed to. Now there are no holds barred. Violence is disgustingly more graphic, with excesses of cruelty, sadism, gore and blood and body parts flying everywhere. The amount of violence in reel life has the result of hardening the senses to it, which ultimately results in more violence in real life.
“When will it end? When we, the people, get sick and tired of seeing such depravity and stop buying it.”
LINDA DIORIO
“… we give up some of our freedom.
“But we won't do that. Americans love their freedom. Americans love their firearms. And if there is an occasional school shooting and 20 kindergarteners must die to keep our freedom and guns, so be it. That's just the price we have to pay for our freedom and guns, right?
“Problem is, those who possess the freedom and the guns aren't the ones paying the price. On Friday we, that's right we, as a nation, failed to protect the most precious, innocent gift God has given us, and for what? The stupid right to have a gun? Are you kidding me? Shame on us! To hell with the Second Amendment (sorry, the Founding Fathers were wrong on this one) and those who have created this situation from which we cannot extract ourselves or even dare to contemplate the obvious solution.
“Those children paid the price for the freedom we think we must have. Enjoy your guns! Cherish your guns! The freedom to have one has been purchased for you at a very high price.”
KAM BENFIELD
“… this nation has a spiritual heart transplant. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,” etc. (Matthew 15:19)
“Because our nation no longer wants the Bible taught in our schools, organized prayer is no longer allowed, the Ten Commandments torn off the walls of our schools; we are reaping the benefits of our awful spiritual decay.
“Have we become a nation that has forgotten God? “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalms 9:17)
“The wisest thing anyone could do is to seek Almighty God and ask forgiveness through his son Jesus Christ.”
REID JOYCE
“…there are no more masses to shoot.”
DON MANN
“Never. Our continued misuse of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution will guarantee that.”
KENNETH B. SCALF
“… we consider the lives and safety of our youngest, most vulnerable innocents at least as important as the gun-toting rights of U.S. citizens who believe they need automatic rifles and assault weapons to hunt a rabbit.”
THE REV. MICHAEL WEAVER
“… population zero is obtained. Sanity and morality cannot be legislated, only defined and abhorred after the fact.”
ED GAYLOR
“… human life is valued more than gun-industry profits.”
CHARLES E. WILSON
“There is no way to overstate the tragedy and horror of this mass shooting. However, every time something like this happens, the hand-wringing, we ‘must do something’ emerges. I understand the frustration and anger, but there is nothing we can do to stop this, unless we outlaw humans from our country.
“No humans means no mass killings, drunk-driving murders, drive-by shootings, gang wars, child abuse, mental-health problems — need I go on?
“These tragedies have nothing to do with laws nor their enforcement. It has to do with angry and/or sick people.
“The real solution to this is simple: everyone must take responsibility for themselves and for those closest to them. I am sure the killer’s mom knew he was in trouble, what did she do to avoid this? We will never know as she was one of his first victims.”
KEN HOGLUND
Sturm Ruger 11/30/2012 60.06 60.11 57.5 58.59 940,961
ReplyDelete12/19/2012 41.36 44.33 41.36 43.63 2,019,624
Wow, in less than 3 weeks they have lost over 30% in stock price from their all time high of 60.11 and shares are being dumped at historical rates, 2 million yesterday, 3 million on the 18, 1.9 on the 17th, while historically shares have been traded in the hundreds of thousands range. From NASDAQ.com but I'll admit, Bucky, President Obama has been great for the stock Market, best 4 years since Ike's first term.
31.19% loss in less than 3 weeks. Those owning Sturm Ruger won't even be able to afford a Chick-fil-a sandwich at this rate.
DeleteIt is amusing to watch stocks fly up and down...all about emotion.
DeleteWe occasionally take a flyer on a low priced stock...just before Obama's inauguratiion we noticed that Ruger was at rock bottom, so bought some at around $5-6/share, figuring that the gun nuts would go wild...of course they did and we made out like bandits...
Recently sold at $42 going up, because we knew that Ruger has weak management and would eventually take a plunge, which is now happening.
Thanks gun nuts for a nice little five figure windfall profit...we love you even though you're crazy as you kniow what...
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DeleteI was over at Gander Mountain (Gun World) last night. It's over beside of a Chick fil-A in case anybody's interested. Anyway, the ARs A/K/A assault weapons (woooooo!) were almost gone, and the 5.56/223 ammo was flying off the shelves.
DeleteEverybody I talked to had a few choice words for Obama and his loony Democratic friends. I don't think they'll be able to ram a gun law through as easily as they think. Sounded if everybody was gearing up for a political fight.
If you don't believe me, go over and check out Gander for yourselves. You can pick up a Chick fil-A sandwich, munch it down, and head over there. It'll be a great night out.
Geez, if I was going to live a fantasy life, I think it might be a little more exciting than hanging out at Chicken-little-faux-A and Birds of a Feather Mountain, but then consider the source.
DeleteProfile of the average American gun owner:
DeleteSex: None lately
Age: Indeterminate
Education: 8 years (includes three in sixth grade)
Teeth: 3 1/2
Profile of an Average liberal Democrat:
DeleteSex: Indeterminate
Age: 2 mentally, regardless of chronological age
Education: None. Common sense can't be taught
Teeth: Stained from too much oral sex
Monkey see, monkey do...
DeleteOne of the problems of having nothing but a fantasy life...the reason Buckboy's is so dull is that, like most other monkeys and parrots, he lacks imagination and originality.
Get back in your mole-hole Rush. You have no credibility in here.
DeleteApparently, I am an above average gun owner.
DeleteYou mean you've got more than 3 1/2 teeth?
DeleteA full head of teeth or porcelain proxies (crowns), minus a couple of excised wisdom teeth. And a college degree and a healthy personal life. The guns need dusting.
DeleteAnd no, I don't live in my mom's basement with cages of snakes. I do like beer, though.
Do you have one of those helmets that hold a can of beer on each side with tubes to your mouth? I believe they are required for hard core gun owners.
DeleteOh, and a T-shirt that says "SHIT HAPPENS"?
My ideal night out in Winston would involve a flick at Aperture and a few drinks at Tate's. It's too bad Margaret sold the Zevely House to Freddie. I really loved that place...it isn't the same now.
DeleteChick-Fil-A and a gun shop just sounds depressing. Cultural difference I guess.
Haha. No, OT. I do have 2 motorcycle helmets, but the state of NC frowns on the aforementioned accessories. Besides, I'm unsure how to integrate Stella glasses with that apparatus.
DeleteNo on the T-shirt. I do have a Ronni's Wings T-shirt but Susan will not let me wear it to church. I have never worn a tank top, either.
Arthur, not familiar with Tate's, but a dinner and drinks at River Birch or Diamondback is more my speed. Haven't been in a gun store in years. I bought some ammunition at a gun show some months back (9mm and .38 Super), much cheaper there. Going to a gun show is culture shock, to be sure. A friend once remarked, as he surveyed the bearded, potbellied, camouflage-wearing shoppers, "You know, going to gun shows makes you want to buy lots of guns to protect yourself from people who go to gun shows."
The mass shootings will end when guns are as well regulated as vaginas are in this country.
ReplyDeleteBest quote yet. That goes on the Journal page.
DeleteYep...as someone likes to say around here, Wordly just hit one out of the park.
DeleteKudos!!!
Definitely, the post of the year!
DeleteI have seen a few that weren't that well regulated/managed or maintained.
DeleteShouldn't be surprised at that when you are forced to use hookers and rent-boys.
DeleteI'll bet you miss your old Navy days when you used to play who's going to be bunk-boy on the ship, don't you?
DeleteMonkey see, monkey do...
DeletePoor thing just can't help copying whatever his betters do...
I will have to say, lack of self-regulation of genitalia does seen to be widespread, if not prevalent, judging from STD's, unplanned pregnancies, divorces, and sex crimes.
DeleteI've said it before, but I'm not holding my breath on any state requiring a mandatory rectal prostate exam for any man who wants a vasectomy.
DeleteGood afternoon folks
ReplyDeleteFinish the thought: Can't even begin to touch Wordly's post. Sometimes I do wonder if there will ever come a time when the nation as a whole (aside from those who see gun ownership as equivalent to right to live) says enough is enough. If it wasn't Columbine, you'd think it would have been Va Tech. Now, elementary schools are being shot up? I have never understood the need to own an arsenal or carry a gun everywhere I go for protection. I understand why the founders included the 2nd Amendment and it made sense for the late 18th century as well as into the 19th as Americans moved westward and ran into some hostile natives. Today, the 2nd is antiquated as we no longer need to defend against marauding invaders, and would be no match against govt forces although a few will swear their Bushmaster can hold off an attack from a Tomahawk, drone or BlackHawk. For a developed superpower and the supposed leader of the free world, the US is a really barbaric country that for unfathomable reasons views mass murder as an acceptable consequence for insisting that everyone has the right to own whatever type of gun and all the ammo they wish.
Dotnet, we are not free of marauders. Bad things still happen in the best neighborhoods. I live in the same area as Wordly, in western WS, and break-ins occur here. Some years back, a punk broke into my parents' house while they slept upstairs. Didn't work out too well for the guy, as Dad heard the disturbance and confronted him with an old but massive Colt .44-40 revolver. No blood was shed, though, and the police took the intruder away.
DeleteI have displayed firearms several times to ward off troublemakers. My life is not so adventurous now, and my new quarters are in a pretty secure area, but I still prefer to have the means of defense available. I don't need a so-called assault rifle for that, though.
Most don't 'need' assault weapons to defend themselves. Just like you don't need a .45 over a .38 to do the same. But you and others should have the right to choose. The government shouldn't be in the position of telling you what you 'need'. The government isn't clairvoyant. It can't anticipate your every 'need'.
DeleteA property owner on the southern AZ border might well need a bit more firepower on the gun rack, yes, but a Mini-14 with a few 10-round mags should be sufficient.
DeleteThe .38 with Glaser ammunition, to prevent over penetration, is probably a better bet than the .45, which tends to make shooters flinch and is deafening, especially in enclosed spaces. Actually, the best home defense weapon is a 12-gauge pump, loaded with birdshot shells, which also prevent over-penetration. If the intruder hears the user crank a round into the chamber, that may encourage him to scram without further engagement.
Saw an interesting idea that would make a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteThe average cost when someone is killed with a gun is $33,000. If they are only wounded, the average cost becomes $330,000. Who pays for these costs? You already know the answer...we all do, thus subsidizing the gun owners to the tune of about $23 billion per year.
The solution: gun owners be required to maintain liablity insurance...in fact, no one can purchase a gun unless they have liablity insurance...simple...and a great idea.
I would add to that...since most crimes are committed using stolen guns, and most stolen guns are stolen from careless owners who fail to keep their guns locked up, and it is usually easy to trace a stolen gun to its original owner...hold the original owner responsible for the cost of the crime.
I realize that this would be unpopular with gun nuts, because they do not want to be held responsible for any of the consequences of gun ownership, nor, for that matter, any of the consequences of anything else in their pathetic lives.
Can we also hold the liberal judges that let criminals out of jail early or fail to find them guilty of crimes they've clearly committed responsible? Cost to the taxpayer for the egregious conduct of these liberal judges, millions upon millions.
DeleteYou never miss a chance to make a fool out of yourself, do you Rush?
The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.
DeleteChanakya
Always interesting to note that contemporary christians think that they have the only answer to "moral living", when people such as Chanakya, who lived long before Christ, were already offering the same, or better answers.
DeleteAdd Chanakya's very wise list to the "golden rule", which he also promoted, and you have a pretty good blueprint for living a good life.
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ReplyDeleteRALEIGH, N.C. —The U.S. Justice Department has filed a civil rights complaint against the Alamance County sheriff over what it says is his systematic racial profiling of Latinos
ReplyDelete______________
Who just happens to be a Republican sheriff.
Hee Hee...AG Holder doesn't even attempt to hide his obvious political agenda.
As always, the forum fool is way behind the times…typical for those who live a fantasy life in the past. The sheriff was given 90 days to clean up his operation or face legal action. The sheriff has made no effort to respond. The 90 day deadline was reached this week, so DOJ has filed suit. Since the sheriff also broke criminal laws, charges may be coming in criminal court as well.
ReplyDelete'RALEIGH, N.C. – A two-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice has found that a North Carolina sheriff and his deputies routinely discriminated against Latinos by making unwarranted arrests with the intent of maximizing deportations.
In an 11-page report issued Tuesday, the federal agency said Alamance County Sheriff Terry S. Johnson and his deputies violated the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens and legal residents by illegally targeting, stopping, detaining and arresting Latinos without probable cause.
The agency also said that Johnson obstructed the federal investigation launched in 2010 by withholding requested documents and falsifying records. Federal investigators say members of the department also feared retaliation if they cooperated.
The report recommends a list of steps to end discrimination by the department, including remedial training, new internal procedures for recognizing and investigating civil rights violations and community outreach. If the county fails to reach a negotiated settlement, the Justice Department could take the county to federal court.
According to the report, Johnson referred to Latinos as "taco eaters" prone to drinking, drug dealing and other crimes. He ordered special roadblocks in neighborhoods were Latinos live, during which those with brown skin were stopped while whites were waved through.
Johnson also ordered his deputies to arrest motorists who appeared Latino — even for minor traffic infractions — while letting other drivers off with warnings, according to the report. His deputies, in turn, were as much as 10 times more likely to stop Latino drivers than non-Latinos, according the federal review of the department's traffic stop records. Hispanics make up only 11 percent of the county's population.
"If you stop a Mexican, don't write a citation, arrest him," the sheriff is quoted as telling supervisors within his department, according to the report.'
___Fox News, September 18, 2012
Maybe some day local law enforcement will start profiling stupid people and our resident fool will find out what it is like to be targeted.
I don't get targeted because I'm not out speeding in Walnut Cove at 3am.
DeleteWhy don't you tell your buddies to do the same.
You can tell a liberal to use logic, but it just flies over their head.