I don't recall doing this. In fact, I thought I explained my questions at the end if my first post.
I do not pretend understand the culture and mindset in the US regarding this, hence my asking about it.
20 People Shot Dead on Virginia Tech Campus
- Thread starter Katana
- Start date
I don't recall doing this. In fact, I thought I explained my questions at the end if my first post.
I do not pretend understand the culture and mindset in the US regarding this, hence my asking about it.
Lonewulf
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No, you didn't. I got carried up in a rant that had nothing to do with you. I don't even know why now; I suppose if I went back and read it through, I would realize why.
I found your post polite enough and inquisitive enough.
I understand, I was expressing my anger. I wasn't meaning you when I made the rant.
My apologies for being so vague.
Anyways, I just want to reiterate a point (with insane rantings aside!):
I don't necessary want people to have the right to concealed carry and the right to firearms (for sport, target shooting, and for self defense) because I think that a violent situation is "just around the corner", and just wanting people to have the right to a concealed carry does not, within itself, assume a life of paranoia.
However, allow me to throw up a logical standpoint, and you can probably come to see why I reach my conclusion. You may get a viewpoint into the American mindset, but you have to keep in mind that I've only been in America for a minority of my life. Most of it was spent in Korea (which had heavy heavy projectile laws; can't even get a bow), or in Germany (which I barely remember, since I was so young).
Point one (Majority Overcoming Minority, Minority Suffers): A law tends to affect everyone, irrespective of where they live. However, some individuals live in more dangerous areas, or are in more dangerous situations, more often than others. Sure, I personally may be safe; but that doesn't mean that that woman that lives in the Projects next to a gang will be safe. And if the police refuse to go into her neighborhood, or if the police themselves are actually corrupt? Then what about retired police officers, who may have made a few enemies? I could probably name other individuals with their own life stories. Either way, I cannot speak for all people; and if I cannot speak for all people, then I do not think that I should be making decisions that puts any of these people's lives in harm's way. Relying on the police isn't always going to work; first, you have to dial; then, you have to wait for the police units to get on the scene. In the space of that time, many things can happen. Personally, I don't believe that you should force everyone to have to take that chance.
Point two (No Practicality): Even if you accept that heavy gun control is a "good thing", it has no practical value in the United States. We're a gun-saturated culture, and even if we work to destroy every illegal firearm we come across, there's going to be millions upon millions of legal firearms; and no one really wants to give them up. Gun collections tend to be big. I have a friend in Illinois, and his gun collection involves a civilian-issue FN FAL, many many pistols, etc. I can ask him for details later if anyone's really curious. Ironically, I'd trust him with a firearm faster than I'd trust the nextdoor neighbor with a spatula (depending on which one you're talking about...)
Point Three (Hunting/Sports Culture): Guns have their own culture here, often referred to as our "gun culture". And yes, it is a culture. From the frontier ideal (which is rather archaic now) to the hunting scene to the sports scene. But the Hunting/Sports Culture has little to do with concealed carry, it's just a point I bring up.
In another Gun Control thread, I talked with someone that stated that if you live in an urban environment and not a "frontier lifestyle", you need extremely strong government intervention, heavy laws and restrictions, yadda yadda. While he had a point up to a point, as a pseudo-American (again, knowing my background, though I've mainly hung around Americans more than anything else), the idea of incredibly strong government telling you what to do every step of the way, even to the point of stating that you cannot defend yourself... that sends a repulsive shiver down my spine. I don't want to be a puppet of a government.
Then there's the fact that I'm still all for safety courses being a required part of owning a firearm. Buying a firearm requires a certain amount of responsibility, and one of those responsibilities is to know how to use it if you ever do. I think that there should be basic courses required: The first one being safety, the second one being to know how to shoot it (and encouragement on the shooter's part to go to shooting ranges to build up their accuracy), and the third one being some self-defense basics; how to retain their firearm if someone intends to take it away, etc.
Anyways, there are other points I can make, but none are really coming to mind, and I feel like getting in some more gaming before I get to work on school. I hope this gives you some insight, however.
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[slight derail]That sounds juicy. Can you elaborate a bit more about the "recent past event"? Did you slap the cuffs on him?
[/slight derail]ThinBlueLine
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[slight derail]That sounds juicy. Can you elaborate a bit more about the "recent past event"? Did you slap the cuffs on him?
Don't you mean "slap the bracelets on him?"
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/32146
Speaking of lingo, here's one from an old-timer in Academy discussing use of force when subject moves from resister to active assailant status: "At this point you got a lot more options. Now you can stick your nightstick up his a^% and drag him to the station like an effin candy apple!" This was before the NYPD/plunger event, obviously.
Details? Not really juicy. Made a nice pinch and once in a while it's nice to have your friends/relatives see you on t.v. but he dumped all my footage and let the talking heads of the dept. hog the spotlight. They always do but some reporters will at least throw a bone to the guy covered in the offender's and victims' blood who actually did the work. In addition, he is just very tool-like in person. Wish I had good dirt on him to share like some of our other local t.v. personalities.
ThinBlueLine said:
Jerk. Seems like the least he could do.
ThinBlueLine said:
Care to share? By the way, is Walter Jacobson still around?
ThinBlueLine
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By the way, is Walter Jacobson still around?
Sneak. I don't think you mean "by the way", you mean "speaking of" news personalities with skeletons in their closets. I think he's retired and if you chose to name him cuz you had heard about his drinking and driving habit, he finally went down for it a while back. Got DUIed when he got mouthy with the officer making the stop. He was given a play many times (encouraged to get a friend to drive him or take a cab). Can't remember the name of the weather or sportscaster we stopped a few times for soliciting prostitutes on Broadway (preference: male cross-dressers/transgendered). What other gossip? I didn't witness it but it is commonly known among many of us that Sammy Sosa was a wife-beater (swept under the rug multiple times) and the mayor's current chief of staff has had the police to his house a few times due to domestic disputes between him and his secret, same-sex lover (no paperwork generated, no press mention). That's off the top of my head. Believe it or not, I don't really sniff out much of the juicy stuff so just imagine what the gossipy coppers could tell you!
ThinBlueLine
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Oh, I am SOOO psyched to have you here.
That's great stuff, TBL.
Keep it coming!
Just doing my job, mam. (With a tip of uniform hat) You drive safe now.
Lonewulf
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ThinBlueLine
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Us post-apocalyptic pseudo-anarchists never get the babes.
She is a Siren and I hope she enjoys seeing us compete for her attention. I am happy to play along.
This, I admit...
Oh, I am SOOO psyched to have you here.
Got my tail wagging.
Lonewulf
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ThinBlueLine
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Do you miss Pizza and Italian Beefs more than anything? I catch the news sporadically so don't know if "Bulldog" Drummond is around. I see Bruce Wolf's face some mornings but have the sound off on the tv and don't pay much attention. He is a funny guy. He is on the radio doing sports on Jonathan Brandmeir's show and on Friday does sports in his "Chet Chit Chat" character.
ThinBlueLine
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Wow, that's a beautiful weapon. I was actually quite a fencer in my youth! When I was 14 I used to take the El and two buses to fence with the Oak Park Fencers club headed by Marvin Nelson. Everyone said I was destined for the Olympics but a few days before my first official tournament my instructor, (can I say his name?) brought me to his house in Bellwood to lend me fencers pants 'cuz I had no money and he groped me repeatedly during the "fitting." I told him I had to use the bathroom, walked up his basement stairs and out his door thinking he was going to grab me and kill me each step I took! I cut off all contact with the fencing club and only took it up again briefly at U of IL for a semester.
So, being so out of practice, how about Sig Sauers at dawn? Better yet, let's just enjoy the hound dogging of Katana as long as we can. Mr. Katana is going to step in eventually and whup all our asses.
Can I say "ass"? We shall see.
ThinBlueLine
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I just fence in the SCA...
Nah, I'll go with schlager rapiers. I never stated we should kill each other.
Quite so. I forgot to put in the part about "Simunition" rounds.
SCA. Pretty cool. I began fencing because of a less historically accurate source: Sword & sorcery books. Ages 12-16 I thought I WAS the Grey Mouser!
Lonewulf
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Haha. I admit, I've read through many of the AD&D manuals while a kid, but I never really gamed that seriously until much much later, with people in the SCA actually.
TBL & Lonewulf, you flatter me.
And, yes, I miss both of those tremendously - stuffed pizza and Italian beef with hot peppers, of course.
Oh, yeah, and the parmesan-encrusted New York strip at Wildfire and suicide wings & cheddar chips at Buffalo Joe's, too.
Ugh! Probably better for my weight that I don't live in Chicago.
Steverino, I forgot about John Drummond. That takes me back. Do you remember when Bill Curtis was on Channel 2?
Lonewulf
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TBL & Lonewulf, you flatter me.
Haha, I was just hoping for another fencing partner, really.
ETA: Egads. We're doing all of this in a thread devoted to people that were shot dead in the VT campus?
Yeesh... I suddenly feel like I've been dancing on a grave.
Haha, I was just hoping for another fencing partner, really.
Lonewulf said:
Nah, just injecting a bit of levity in a thread that basically ran its course. I hear what you're saying, though.