So,
the bank we use, located in the grocery store we shop in every week, was robbed
a week ago last Tuesday. Not, particularly big news for this area-- even the
stupid Burger King near my husband’s work was robbed at gunpoint. The whole ‘self
protection’ conversation gets brought up. It scares me that I know people who
carry handguns and who want to carry handguns and all of them have young
children. I don’t think that’s the answer---but I understand where they are
coming from. I also don’t think the answer is gun
control and gun laws---are the answer, though I understand where people are coming from. 3 years ago I posted about guns. I want to re-post
it,(in comment #1 and there's also a link to my very first blog post so it might be easier to read) and this time I have answers for some of the questions I raised.
Part One: We need to change laws regarding liquid stun guns, tazers, stun guns and pepper spray. Those non-lethal weapons need to be legal in all 50 States, easier to obtain, and they need to have better safety features on them. We need people to protect themselves with those instead of guns and we need to make sure more people in ‘gun free zones’---the places these massacres ALWAYS occur—are armed and trained with these non-lethal weapons. We also need to design more non-lethal weapons. No, I know, you want all guns off the street tomorrow instead. Yeah, me too, I also want a (edited) teleporter and a time machine. No, and I know, these non-lethal weapons are dangerous. Yes. Obviously. But, less dangerous than guns AND less dangerous than being in a situation with a homicidal maniac and no way to defend yourself. Part Two: I am posting later. Haha! I'm Nobody’s reading this far anways, but here’s the post from three years ago.
Part One: We need to change laws regarding liquid stun guns, tazers, stun guns and pepper spray. Those non-lethal weapons need to be legal in all 50 States, easier to obtain, and they need to have better safety features on them. We need people to protect themselves with those instead of guns and we need to make sure more people in ‘gun free zones’---the places these massacres ALWAYS occur—are armed and trained with these non-lethal weapons. We also need to design more non-lethal weapons. No, I know, you want all guns off the street tomorrow instead. Yeah, me too, I also want a (edited) teleporter and a time machine. No, and I know, these non-lethal weapons are dangerous. Yes. Obviously. But, less dangerous than guns AND less dangerous than being in a situation with a homicidal maniac and no way to defend yourself. Part Two: I am posting later. Haha! I'm Nobody’s reading this far anways, but here’s the post from three years ago.
I 100% respect all who have come to the conclusion
that disarming law abiding citizens and other forms of gun control will prevent
school shootings. We all want to prevent another Sandy Hook. I am not a member
of the NRA, I have 0 money in gun companies, I do not own a gun.
310 million is the estimated number of legally owned guns in this country. We’re not going to get them back, they don’t expire, and you don’t even want to know how much ammunition has already been legally sold. The question isn’t “Can we magically go back in time and create a gun free USA?" Or "should we institute a police state to recover all legally sold weaponry?” but “How can we protect ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbors, the next time something tragic happens? How can we prevent people from attempting such massacres?” Found out this guy ( a self-professed “Lib” came to the same conclusions as me:) http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/17/why-im-against-gun-control/
Also this dude: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/concealed-weapons-save-lives-article-1.1121161 I’ve read posts from preschool/kindergarten/ and high school teachers who say they will not arm themselves. I respect that. And I totally respect that line of work. But my concern is this: if you are, a dedicated, compassionate, hardworking, beloved by students, awesome teacher of adorable innocent children/teenagers how do you intend to stop a homicidal maniac with a gun? How do you expect someone at your school without guns, to respond? Wait for the police?! It shouldn’t have to be asked. But http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html I have read enough of teachers shielding their children with their bodies alone.
If I have a friend who daily does an amazing job of educating children with special needs (some of whom might potentially be mentally ill and/or violent. . .) and if she wants someone at her school to have a gun, for her children’s safety, I think it is unbelievably sad, but respectable that she wants that. Massacres don’t happen at shooting ranges, or at police stations. These people are crazy. Not stupid. Here are examples of armed citizens saving lives because they had a gun on them, or in their car: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_High_School_shooting and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7140409.stm and http://www.kens5.com/news/Shooter-stopped-Off-duty-officer-halts-gunman-in-theater-lobby-183769891.html and http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/conceal-and-carry-stabbing-salt-lake-city-smiths/NDNrL1gxeE2rsRhrWCM9dQ.cspx there are many more. . . I hope you will agree those are ‘neutral’ or ‘liberal’ sources. Here are some statistics from right wing sites that I still think are accurate: http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp and http://www.richardcyoung.com/politics/up-right/lawyers-guns-and-money/
The math on the site listed below says that out of an analysis of 32 shootings the average number of murder victims when a rampage is stopped by police is 14.467 ( 217 victims/15 incidents) Vs. 2.647 when stopped by armed citizen (45 victims/17 incidents) and I think that’s pretty powerful. I didn’t add up the victims, but I did my own division and my decimals were slightly different from the sites so maybe the adding was wrong, too. http://dailyanarchist.com/2012/07/31/auditing-shooting-rampage-statistics/ You can, and I would appreciate it if you would, if you care about this, get back to me if my numbers are wrong. I’d like to know. I don’t want to blindly be believing propaganda.
If we at least put signs up in our schools that our teachers are carrying it might do something to stop this . . . . . we can’t put metal detectors in parks! Good news in all this research: our murder rates are way down! Continuing to drop! And statistically both murder rates and violent crime rates, according to what I’ve read, have gone down even as the number of guns has gone up. Here’s an interesting article about a city where citizens are required to own guns. (Something I’m HIGHLY against, but the statistics are worth reading about:) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5c1b6a72-c5eb-11df-b53e-00144feab49a.html#slide0 Also, what continues to be the real killers in America are tobacco and obesity: not only are we lucky enough to be able to have some control over those things, we’re killing ourselves with stuff we love! We are on the whole, really spoiled! http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/12/sandy-hook-safe/
I don’t think what’s important in all of this is who is right, or wrong about any of these political issues. I think it’s just important that we discuss them and try and work out solutions, and I hope we can all listen to each other and respect each other
and how we might have come to our different perspectives. Peacefully, Sincerely, J
310 million is the estimated number of legally owned guns in this country. We’re not going to get them back, they don’t expire, and you don’t even want to know how much ammunition has already been legally sold. The question isn’t “Can we magically go back in time and create a gun free USA?" Or "should we institute a police state to recover all legally sold weaponry?” but “How can we protect ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbors, the next time something tragic happens? How can we prevent people from attempting such massacres?” Found out this guy ( a self-professed “Lib” came to the same conclusions as me:) http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/17/why-im-against-gun-control/
Also this dude: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/concealed-weapons-save-lives-article-1.1121161 I’ve read posts from preschool/kindergarten/ and high school teachers who say they will not arm themselves. I respect that. And I totally respect that line of work. But my concern is this: if you are, a dedicated, compassionate, hardworking, beloved by students, awesome teacher of adorable innocent children/teenagers how do you intend to stop a homicidal maniac with a gun? How do you expect someone at your school without guns, to respond? Wait for the police?! It shouldn’t have to be asked. But http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html I have read enough of teachers shielding their children with their bodies alone.
If I have a friend who daily does an amazing job of educating children with special needs (some of whom might potentially be mentally ill and/or violent. . .) and if she wants someone at her school to have a gun, for her children’s safety, I think it is unbelievably sad, but respectable that she wants that. Massacres don’t happen at shooting ranges, or at police stations. These people are crazy. Not stupid. Here are examples of armed citizens saving lives because they had a gun on them, or in their car: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_High_School_shooting and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7140409.stm and http://www.kens5.com/news/Shooter-stopped-Off-duty-officer-halts-gunman-in-theater-lobby-183769891.html and http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/conceal-and-carry-stabbing-salt-lake-city-smiths/NDNrL1gxeE2rsRhrWCM9dQ.cspx there are many more. . . I hope you will agree those are ‘neutral’ or ‘liberal’ sources. Here are some statistics from right wing sites that I still think are accurate: http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp and http://www.richardcyoung.com/politics/up-right/lawyers-guns-and-money/
The math on the site listed below says that out of an analysis of 32 shootings the average number of murder victims when a rampage is stopped by police is 14.467 ( 217 victims/15 incidents) Vs. 2.647 when stopped by armed citizen (45 victims/17 incidents) and I think that’s pretty powerful. I didn’t add up the victims, but I did my own division and my decimals were slightly different from the sites so maybe the adding was wrong, too. http://dailyanarchist.com/2012/07/31/auditing-shooting-rampage-statistics/ You can, and I would appreciate it if you would, if you care about this, get back to me if my numbers are wrong. I’d like to know. I don’t want to blindly be believing propaganda.
If we at least put signs up in our schools that our teachers are carrying it might do something to stop this . . . . . we can’t put metal detectors in parks! Good news in all this research: our murder rates are way down! Continuing to drop! And statistically both murder rates and violent crime rates, according to what I’ve read, have gone down even as the number of guns has gone up. Here’s an interesting article about a city where citizens are required to own guns. (Something I’m HIGHLY against, but the statistics are worth reading about:) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5c1b6a72-c5eb-11df-b53e-00144feab49a.html#slide0 Also, what continues to be the real killers in America are tobacco and obesity: not only are we lucky enough to be able to have some control over those things, we’re killing ourselves with stuff we love! We are on the whole, really spoiled! http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/12/sandy-hook-safe/
I don’t think what’s important in all of this is who is right, or wrong about any of these political issues. I think it’s just important that we discuss them and try and work out solutions, and I hope we can all listen to each other and respect each other
and how we might have come to our different perspectives. Peacefully, Sincerely, J
