“From any perspective of rationality, the thing to do with a robber is to cooperate politely.” So sayeth Franklin E. Zimring in The New York Times article Robbed at Gunpoint, Some Bronx Victims Resist. “You don’t have much money on you; it’s nuts for the victim to refuse. Here’s the second layer of nuts: You’ve got a rational robber. If the victim refuses, why doesn’t he just find somebody else?” Mr. Zimring is a criminologist at Berkeley Law School. Their motto: “Big Ideas, Bold Action.” And there’s your morning dose of unintentional irony. But wait! There’s more! . . .
While reporter J. David Goodman’s clearly amazed by citizens standing up to violent assault—never once mentioning the advantages of armed deterrence or defense—he dutifully reports that armed robberies are becoming increasingly violent:
With decade-long declines in crime, some scholars have noted a change in the nature of robberies. A 2009 study of national victim surveys taken since 1993 found that not only were robberies becoming less frequent over time, they were also becoming more violent, in part because of what the authors describe as “victim hardening.”
“Softer victims take precautions,” said Rajiv Sethi, a Barnard College economist and one of the study’s authors. In addition, he said, many people who may have become robbers in the past may instead have gotten jobs as urban economies improved, leaving the more-hardened criminals to encounter more-hardened victims on the streets of certain neighborhoods.
“You get more resistance in high-crime areas than low-crime areas,” he said. “People who would not resist have left the areas. Those who stay can’t afford to leave or to give up the little property that they have in their possession.”
Wow. That’s a whole lot of theorizing in a relatively small space, without a link to the study in question. Now how much would you surrender to an armed thug? Don’t answer!
The general perception of bad guys may have changed as well. Decades ago, many harbored an understandable fear that a gun-wielding assailant, fueled by drugs or desperation, would shoot at the smallest provocation. But a spreading sense of safety in many areas of the city, fostered by the falling murder rate, may lead some to doubt that a gunman these days will pull the trigger.
Does that mean victims are more stupider than they were back in the day or . . . no I guess that’s it. Which fits the theme of the article perfectly, right? You’ve got to be nuts to resist a bad guy with a gun. Did I mention that the article starts with three anecdotes of New Yorkers who did that and got shot for having a set?
That’s not to say that there isn’t a single person in the story who sticks up for what those who live in a moral universe call justice. There is. One.
Around the neighborhood, many offered theories for why four of their neighbors, when confronted with a gun, had decided to put up a fight.
“You figure he worked hard for his money and it’s rightfully his,” said Margaret, 60, who declined to give her last name because the site of the first shooting, on Light Street and Harper Avenue, is only steps from her home. “It’s not fair.”
Of course, the Times can’t end it that way. We all know why the Old Grey Lady published this story in the first place: they feel that resistance to an armed robber is meshuga. And that’s because they’re a bunch of unarmed wimps who couldn’t imagine standing up to a violent assault. So here’s the parting shot:
Others expressed shock that anyone would think to tangle with an armed robber in defense of a little bit of pocket lucre.
“You only live once,” said Omar Dailey, 35, while cutting the hair of a local tailor at a Bronxwood Avenue barbershop near the site of one of the shootings. “I’m giving up everything. What you want?”
Don’t get me wrong: armed or unarmed there are times where submission to a violent attacker is the best course of action. But treating people who stand up to an armed robber as “nuts” rather than “heroes” is nuts. And keeping the law-abiding populace disarmed? Well that’s insane.
Everything that politicians do now is a smoke screen to hide what is really happening to America through Regulations and EO’s that defey Congress and the US Constitution not to mention the Budget/Debt
Obama intends to finish Stalin’s Manufactured Famines and Purges. The only thing that stands in his way is an armed Citizenry, once the guns and ammo are gone money, fuel and food will disappear (health care was killed in his first term). A New Cultural Revolution backed by Obama’s private army will rise
Mao will be smiling at the result
To the last question in the article – what if he wants no witnesses?
Now we all have a clear vision of the world that the NYT wants us to live in. It’s world where crime victims cower and beg for their lives because that’s what makes them smart. In this upside-down Times universe, good is bad, strong is weak and courage is stupid.
Take a big whiff of the Times’ brave new world. Can you stand the stench? I can’t.
Why are anti-gunners so pro-criminal?
Because they know their constituency.
Bingo! That was a lawyer who said that, and a cop who agrees with him. What is this world coming to?
At least there’s some sanity on these pages. Let RF know how much he’s saving me on anger management therapy. Not really. Well, kinda.
Because they like the way criminals vote (once in office that is).
If you believe background checks is where the answer lies then break it down to its simplest form. set it up so that every holder of a Federal Firearms License has access to a data base that simply shows an approved or denied. A denied could easily be flagged by a State or Federal agency for inquiry or enforcement purpose. The FFL holder would be required to affix a hard copy of the approval with the paperwork normally kept on each firearm sale. This approval paperwork would be subject to inspection for the purpose of ensuring compliance ONLY. Not for State or Federal record keeping or tracking purposes. For any State or Federal agency to copy, record or take possession of any such records containing personal or purchasing information it must be in compliance with the 4th Amendment. There must also be provisions for The People to obtain a copy of their pass or fail status and an explanation of any reason for a fail status as well as a simple and timely appeal process. Also, allocated monies should be removed from the FBI or any other law enforcement body and allocated directly to the Information and Technology division/group/etc in order to ensure that funds are used solely for system upgrade purposes only.
Just a thought. . . . .
Toomey should have blamed everything on George Bush. Hey, it worked for Obama.
We will counter their John Paul Jones “not yet begun to fight” thing by following Captain James Lawrence’s dying order.
1. Drinking while playing with guns.
2. Introducing a novice to multiple guns at once.
3. Introducing a novice to guns with live ammunition in the magazine.
4. Introducing a novice to guns while intoxicated (which I assume is the reason she forgot the safety rules/he didn’t tell her)
5. All the safety rules (trigger off the finger, gun in safe direction, etc.)
How does someone who can mess all this up in one go make it far enough in life to get married, have kids, and have a safe with multiple firearms? An absolute tragedy, and a very important lesson for any enthusiast looking to Safely introduce friends and family to firearms.
(For the record, I have inert/dummy/training rounds for every weapon I own, and I don’t hand a loaded gun to anyone, even someone I’ve already trained. Including at the range.)
What everyone is missing, NICS is headquartered in WV. Mandatory background checks on every transfer means more staff needed which means more jobs to WV. This is all Manchin cares about. It’s money for his state.
I need the mathematicians to help me out with this one. When Manchin doubles down on stupid, is that 2xStupid or Stupid Squared?
Berkeley Law School? I’ve never heard it referred to that way. It official title is University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. It is commonly referred to as “Berkeley Law” or “Boalt” or “Boalt Hall.” (No, I didn’t go there.)
Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.
“THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.
RESOLVED…”
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
One further declaratory and restrictive clause in particular was in fact of history intentionally added in order to prevent misconstruction and abuse of the few and limited powers afforded to any and all persons within and acting on behalf of the federal government — certainly including but not in the least limited to ‘representatives’ of the Citizens of the numerous States to the Federal Congress — as follows:
Amendment II
“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.”
And what, if anything, might possibly be understood from this?
ALL YOUR GUNS ARE BELONG TO US
THAT is awesome!
She pulled the slide back with a good strong grip on the trigger and the slide slipped either returning the cartridge back into the chamber or racking a round from a still in place loaded mag and BANG! instant widow. When Mrs. Sammy and I examine any type of firearm in a non range situation, we do it in a room that has been cleared of self detonating cartridges.
I think the interesting points are that the shooter apparently didn’t get his gun legally and is suspected of having “psychiatric” issues? Sound familiar?
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_04_24/I-didn-t-shoot-at-the-kids-I-shot-at-the-Hell-Belgorod-attacker-504/
CALLED IT.
I’ll make a prediction too…how about a accelerometer and 4G connection. Every time a shot is fired, it sends a sensor report to the ATF. OMG did I just give them an idea?
As I note, “The real threat is not a Stalin or a Hitler. The real threat is that our fellow men and women will embrace the tyranny that those men represent. The real threat is that a democratic movement will devour your Rights.”
http://guardamerican.com/index.php/blog/35-politics/440-hitler-gun-control-godwin-s-law-and-america-today
The thing is remarkable to behold: Step 1, breed a compliant population; Step 2, Register their firearms; Step 3, farm the peasants; Step 4, Enjoy your oligarchy.
The thing is, leftists have absolutely no dignity, pride, or anything resembling a human spirit. They can’t understand that when you submit to a criminal like a cowardly dog, you lose more than your money, you lose your dignity. They have none to begin with, so they don’t see the problem in just being submissive dogs.
Every single living being on the planet has an inherent defense mechanism that they do not repress. It’s a cornerstone of nature. The only living being that doesn’t is the leftist. Which makes them unnatural, in more ways than one. And their unnatural worldview is an infection.
The greatest threat civilization as a whole has ever faced is the leftist.
You’ve made my day
Impressive shooting…nice job!!
$262 for a folding knife? No way. For $262 I can buy a practical durable folder and six Silver American Eagle coins.
I spent a decade as a blade grinder and put together some nice fixed blade knives w/exotic material handles I have spent time with some true artisian cutlers, men whose names are instantly recognized. The above knife might be worth owning, and touting, if there was a pay-off but on a normal day I would not even bother picking it up to look at.
The grind line and radiusing on the handle is very consumer grade, this is not even a $100 dollar knife
Wisconsin is a fairly gun friendly state if you remove the cesspools of Milwaukee and Madison. Lots of avid hunters, and I think Henry will fit right in near Rice Lake. Wisconsinites (again, outside the two disfunctional cities) are a pretty hardy breed rivaling other northern states, and people in that area have no problem getting to work on time with their snowmobiles if they have to. Tornadoes are rarely like the massive ones they have in Texas and Oklahoma. And blazing heat? In Wisconsin? Compared to where?
I would really like to own a Henry Big Boy some day, they are really sweet looking rifles.
Nothing like slicing off your trigger finger to curb this gun violence epidemic.
I carry a Sig 220 or a Glock 20 when walking to and from work in fall/winter.In the pocket of coat,no holster.I call it my gun coat,no snags.Lots of practice shooting from hip.DOA.Thats the way it will happen if need be.Summer,switch to smaller pocket pistol plus hip holster full size.