More on guns...

Just in case any of you don’t know my stance on guns- I like them.  I like them a lot.  Sure, some may say it is an unhealthy obsession.  Mom thinks it is because I watched violent tv shows like CHiPs and Hunter as a very small child.  Perhaps it was the Christmas that I got a Red Ryder bb gun from Santa that set me on this path of firearm love.  Whatever the case may be, I do enjoy shooting guns.  Please don’t mistake this for some sort of apocalyptic  end of the world stance on life, where I stockpile guns and wait for zombies to rise so I can shoot them and live in a world with no electricity and no government and no…well, you get the picture.  I would call myself a gun enthusiast (not really, ‘cause then I would have to kick my own rear end) in the same vein as people are enthusiasts about cars, or golf, or musical instruments, or model planes, or chess.  Get the picture?  It’s a hobby that I find no weirder or strange than the aforementioned hobbies.

That being said, as far as gun control, I have heard all the arguments for it, and it has yet to change my mind.   There are some common arguments that I hear, and just so we do not repeat ourselves here, here are my responses to them.

Guns kill people.  So do knives, cars, baseball bats, tire irons, fists, feet, piano wire, rope, electricity, water, heat, cold, bungee jumping, mountain biking, horses, tigers, bears, dogs, viruses, hammers, nail guns, lakes, boats, airplanes, bricks, rocks, cliffs, trees, skydiving, scuba diving, sharks, repelling,, etc.  If you don’t get my point- lots of things kill people, but we do not outright ban them.

Guns kill people part 2.  No, they don’t.  I can set a loaded gun on a table and at no point will it kill someone.  It can’t.  it is not alive, it is not capable of manipulating itself, it is not capable of aiming itself.  It cannot kill.  A person could pick up the gun and use it to kill another human.  A person can pick up a baseball bat and use it to kill someone.  A person can pick up a knife and use it to kill another person, but there is no crusade bellowing “Knives kill people!”  In my scant 30 years of life, not once has a knife from the kitchen ever killed me or someone I know on its own.  It is the same with guns.  It is a tool, one that people use for a variety of purposes from sport to hunting to fighting wars.  Someone has to use it to kill.  Blame the person, not the tool.

Crazy, evil people use a myriad of things to kill or hurt other people.  I don’t think it is going to make much difference what they use, the point is if they want to kill or hurt someone, they will find a way.  Banning guns ain’t gonna stop them.

But, you say, guns are more dangerous and deadly than a lot of things you just listed.  I would agree.  But any of the things listed above, especially automobiles can be deadly in the hands of an irresponsible person.  We do not ban cars, and I know more people personally that have been killed or severely injured in a car accident than killed or injured with a gun. 

That is probably a long enough post for now.  I will post more arguments I have heard and my responses to them.

Peace- I’m out.

 

 

My silence is broken...

SCOTUS rejected Chicago’s handgun ban.  I know most of you will say “boy, Danny is probably ecstatic right now, that loveable, cuddly lump of right wing angst!”  But, you would be wrong.  Well, not too wrong, just a little.  Lemme ‘splain, before some think I have lost my mind.

First, I am very happy with this ruling.  I think bans like this are bred out of an illogical fear knee-jerk reactionism.  These types of bans do not address the root cause of crime, but rather symptoms of crime.  It is like going to a doctor with an infection, and instead of treating the infection, he prescribes Tylenol just to keep the fever, the symptom of an infection, away.  I could go on and on about what the underlying causes of crime are, but that is another post.  Anyway, I think this ruling does give back some of the freedom that we should have.

I am hesitant with this ruling for another reason.  My states rights/libertarianism is showing on this one.  I think states should largely be left alone from Federal intrusion.  If a state wants to ban guns, give out socialized medicine, have exorbitant taxes, dictate what kind of car you can drive, when you can run your A/C, then you can move to California and see how well you do.  Hey, maybe spend, spend, spend, tax, tax, tax will create a successful economy and a wonderful place to live, just like California.

If you want to live in a state with the opposite philosophy, then you can move to a place like Texas.  If you want to live someplace in between, then you can choose from  48 other states. 

My point is, I think if you let states run themselves with whatever philosophy they choose, it will be apparent what works and what doesn’t.  I know some will say that it can’t happen that way since states and their economies are tied in to each other, and it wouldn’t be practical, but hey, I can dream can’t I?

I know some, like Spencer will argue that states cannot trample on fundamental rights laid out in the constitution.  I would agree as well.  That is why I am very, very happy about this ruling, and only slightly, very slightly unhappy about it.

Now, everyone feel free to comment and express their own views, but let me say I may or may not respond, as my time is very limited on looking and updating the blog, and also because with gun control I am very stubborn and already have made my mind up.  There is little that anyone could say that will make me think any differently about my views.  So nah nanana booboo.

Peace- I’m out.

response to Spencer

I do not disagree with you. You are addressing the clean up phase of the spill. In that area Obama is failing horribly. I am referring to the actual leak and the many people who wonder why Obama hasn't stopped the leak yet. I am referring to the people who are screaming for Obama to kick BP out and take over the efforts to stop the leak.

I think what we have here is a large segment of the population that when disaster strikes, they are waiting for Uncle Sam to kiss the booboos and make everything better immediately. they did it with Bush and Katrina. They wondered why Bush didn't evacuate New Orleans. Now they are wondering why Obama didn't plug the leak. I am quite confident that the government would take 8 times as long to fix the leak than BP will take.
This is the point of my post. the cleanup efforts are a whole other discussion.
So there.

On a somewhat related note, the EPA brought together the best minds they could find to figure out how to stop the leak. One of the "experts" they called in was one James Cameron, the mega intellectual director extraordinaire. Given who this administration is running to for ideas, I think it is a good thing for humanity that they are letting BP fix the leak.

a brief foray back into the seedy world of politics...

Just a potpourri of thoughts…

 

I just have to ask all those that loathe George Bush- 20 years from now am I still gonna have to listen to everything being blamed on Bush?  How long is the Obama Administration going to keep blaming Bush for things?  At some point enough policies will be in place that the current administration will have to own it.  For now it sounds like a lot of people have loser’s elbow.  (to demonstrate what ‘loser’s elbow’ is, first point your index finger out, like you are pointing at somebody.  Take your other hand and cup it under your elbow.  Now jab your pointing finger hand towards something [may I suggest a picture of George W.] whilst repeating “it’s your fault, it’s your fault!”.  Do that enough and eventually you will have to see a doctor as you will have a condition similar to tennis elbow, but its called ‘Loser’s Elbow’)

 

The Oil Spill…

First I would just like to say that this is not Obama’s fault.  I would also mention that BP is not some evil, sinister corporation that is not fixing this because it hates the inbred shrimp fisherman of the Gulf and  the environment.

I think a little logical thought would help- first, this spill is going to cost BP an enormous amount of money and reputation.  This could likely put BP into a serious financial problem.  What evil, profit worshipping corporation is going to purposely endanger their profits like this?  In that same vein of thinking, with BP knowing what a huge disaster this is for their bottom-line, does it not stand to reason then that they are doing everything they can to stop the leak?  It was an accident.  Lets get the leak stopped first, then we can evaluate what went wrong and see if there is any culpability on anyone’s part.

 Further I would like to go on record as defending Obama a little (shocking, I know).  Really what can he do?  Don a scuba tank and a teleprompter and go down there and inspire the pipe to stop gushing oil?  Perhaps we could hook his enormous brain up to a computer and use it to come up with a solution to the leak?  Better yet, why don’t we just follow the solution he has already given to “Plug the damn hole!”.  He can do no more to stop the leak than Bush could to stop a hurricane.

I do however think the people who blamed Bush for Katrina should go ahead and blame Obama for this spill.  You guys wouldn’t want to be hypocrites, would you?  You see, I didn’t think there was a whole lot Bush could have done to get people out of New Orleans (state and local sovereignty issues), and I don’t think there is a whole lot Obama can do in the current situation.  So I am consistent.

Now just so you don’t think that I have suffered brain trauma, here are my criticisms of the administrations handling of this disaster- as I said before, lets concentrate on fixing the problem, rather than wasting time and effort trying to find someone to blame for this.  After all, did Obama not run on the promise to change the status quo of politics?  What is the status quo of politics when it comes to disasters?  Assigning blame early and often.  Instead of sending Holder down there to investigate criminal activities, focus on the problem.  As Sharel pointed out, it is a little like an ER doc trying to figure out who hit who before working on the car accident victim.  Beyond that, I think it helps little to start threatening everyone associated with this effort with criminal charges.  It is counterproductive. 

Peace- I’m Out.