Having already ruined Thanksgiving dinner by arguing about gun control with their relatives, anti-gunners have now turned their attention to bah-humbugging Christmas . . . The gift of a gun
Here we are again, on the verge of the holiday season, and if you are like me you may already be looking at what you are going to give your children. In my little classroom, there is always at least one student who wants a gun, and usually there is at least one child who gets a gun.
I am not saying that their parents don’t keep it locked up, that they are left unsupervised with it, or that their parents don’t love and care about their children. What I am saying is that they are giving their children guns. These children are 6 or 7 years old.
The guns are, of course, for target practice and hunting. It is usually a family affair, and I am sure they are watched like a hawk (at least I hope so) when they are holding their loaded gun. But they are holding a loaded gun.
I don’t care if it is your family tradition, guns are meant to kill.
What happened when one lefty decided to buy a gun as “a project” . . . I Had Never Touched a Gun Before the Las Vegas Massacre. Then I Bought One.
Though I hadn’t admitted this to myself earlier, it was perhaps inevitable that the very first thing I did when I brought the gun home and was alone with it was to put it in my mouth.
Unloaded at first, then loaded (which may account for my difficulty loading the magazine). I danced around this ritual for a long time, several hours in fact, but I knew I had to get up close to it. This was the step beyond the drive-by, beyond the parking, beyond the browsing. This was brinkmanship with the part of myself that insists my existence has no value, that things will never improve.
Things weren’t especially bad at that moment, but they weren’t especially great either. They were life. I had no intention of pulling that trigger. I kept my index finger rigidly along the barrel, in the position taught to me at the West Coast Armory.
But from a strictly ergonomic perspective, a gun most definitely does want to be shot. Your finger wants to go there. The trigger is begging to be squeezed. I put my finger on the trigger, aware that 5.5 pounds of pressure was all it took to pull it, vowing absolutely that I would not pull it. But I held it there, for a while.
I’d love to tell you that it was the sound of my dog scratching at the door or a call from my mother or some other love intervention that slapped the sense into me, but it wasn’t.
No. Next question . . . Mitchell Rosen: Should we take a page from Canada on gun control?
Canada has a novel idea when it comes to those applying to own a firearm: The applicant must list all current and recent partners. Police would then interview and ask about the applicant’s history of violence, anger and fitness to own a firearm. It could be argued that this process could be an easy way for a former lover to get back at the person who left them. Maybe, it also could be a better way to screen for mental stability than only checking psychiatric admissions or domestic violence convictions.
Oh look…another good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun . . . Auto shop employee shoots armed stranger who killed, wounded 2 co-workers, police say
A man with a .45-caliber handgun and “multiple magazines” walked to a Rockledge auto shop and shot two employees, killing one, before another employee who was armed shot him, Police Chief Joseph LaSata said.
Robert Bailey, 28, of Cocoa, is accused of shooting the two employees around 4:30 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of Schlenker Automotive in Rockledge, police said.
Police said Bailey shot and killed Roger Smith after the 50-year-old employee of the shop went outside and saw that Bailey had shot one of his co-workers.
That 25-year-old co-worker is at Holmes Regional Medical Center after being paralyzed in the shooting, police said.
Upon hearing the commotion in the parking lot, police said, a manager went outside and confronted Bailey before running back into the shop, with Bailey following behind.
Another employee in the shop, who has a concealed weapons permit, shot Bailey once he came inside, police said.
Greedy Wizard, you have been warned! . . . Alien Gear ShapeShift Backpack Holster
The Backpack Holster clips onto the straps of your backpack, allowing you quick and easy access to your holstered firearm when hunting, hiking, camping, and more. This holster also works on a variety of straps such as duffle bags and range bags.
The tactical clamp wraps around the strap securely, anchoring the holster in place. This clamp is backed with a ribbed texture that provides grip and prevents any movement of the holster, so it stays right where you locked it on your strap. You can depend on the ShapeShift Backpack holster for the utmost security; several features make it a level II retention holster.
Adding to the list of prohibited persons . . . Illinois Could Prevent Animal Abusers From Owning Guns
When it comes to gun access, the evidence shows that some individuals cannot be trusted to own guns responsibly. And among that group should be animal abusers, argues Jerry Elsner, executive director of the Illinois State Crime Commission.
Elsner told St. Louis CBS Local that he believes the facts are clear: Animal abuse and the likelihood of gun violence are linked — and, therefore, a new law should prevent animal abusers from obtaining a gun license.
“People that have abused animals, every study has said they abuse women, they abuse children, they’re serial killers. … So what we’re saying is if you’re convicted of animal abuse, no guns for you the rest of your life,” Elsner explained.
The Chicago police seem to have a lot of “unconventional” cases . . . Cop acknowledges woman close by when he opened fire at bat-wielding teen, killing both
A Chicago police officer has acknowledged that he knew a 55-year-old woman was standing close to a bat-wielding teen in 2015 yet still opened fire, killing both, court records show.
In the latest twist in what has been an unconventional case, a stipulation signed by Officer Robert Rialmo’s attorney indicates that the officer knew Bettie Jones was in “close proximity” to 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier and that he opened fire “without regard” to that fact.
Lawyers for the Jones family have filed a motion arguing that Rialmo’s acknowledgment, along with other evidence and testimony, amounts to an admission of legal liability and that the case should proceed to trial to determine how much money should be awarded to Jones’ survivors.
Oh, well that’s OK then . . . Police: Florida teen who shot classmate says he only meant to pistol-whip him
According to an arrest report, Brown got into a dispute with the 14-year-old victim after they “mistakenly” bumped against each other on a school bus. Brown then asked the boy if he had a “problem.”
The argument continued after the boys stepped off the bus.
Brown then pulled a handgun from his waistband, pointed it at the boy and “cocked it,” the report said. Fearing for his life, the victim reached for the gun. During the struggle, the gun went off and the victim was shot in the right foot.
Brown told West Palm Beach police that he intended only to “scare” the boy by pistol-whipping him and that the gun “accidentally” went off. Brown demonstrated to police how he wanted to pistol-whip the boy but “his demonstration didn’t corroborate his said intentions,” the report said.
Can You Split a Shotgun Slug with a Flimsy Knife?