In2why
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Posts posted by In2why
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?? I read this as saying that I have an giant preexisting bias blocking an open mind. I do not. I'm sorry this conversation has come to personal attacks.
I am sorry you feel personally attacked. I am also flabbergasted. You used words like base, disgusting, inhumane and many more to describe how you felt about those of us giving a different point of view, and instead of being met with the same type of words and certainty that our position was the morally correct one, we explained not using inflammatory language yet you feel attacked by those explanations? That seems unfair.
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It's been awhile but in K, we did crafts or projects to celebrate the holidays. We went normal places like grocery stores, post office, library, and went to the fire department and sang Christmas carols at a nursing home. Basically that is social studies.
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My husband had over an hour commute each way and it was horrible. The only reason we stayed was because his elderly parents were 10 minutes away and we weren't comfortable being over an hour away from them.
I would not recommend it to anyone and marriages sometimes don't survive it. Because of the commute he had less time for everything.
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So. Schools are targeted because they are gun free. Times schools were attacked while the shooters knew there was likely to be armed resistance don't count !
Don't forget Gabby Giffords, Mt Hood shootings, that California sociopath from few weeks ago who just drive around shooting random people. ......oh and yes all the gang violence where everyone is presumed to be armed or the teeth. If we just had more guns we'd all be safer.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-rejects-nras-guns-in-schools-claim/
Israel has an interesting gun policy and armed paramilitary guards are at entrance of every school. They have been fighting terrorism and lived under Palestinian/Israel conflict for a very long time. But they also have strong restrictions on private gun ownership.
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I posted some statistics earlier because I thought they might be of interest. As I watch this conversation progress, I want to urge people to ignore statistics. They don't tell the whole story.
If somebody wants to suggest that DC would be safer if only more civilians had guns, I'd say they are off their rocker. OTOH, somebody in rural MN might be safer if they are trained to use a gun for self-defense. It is a difference in police response time, the type of training gun owners have, and the type of crime that is likely to happen. Statistics are never going to tell the full story, and they are not going to help us stop school shooters.
We get back to, what will help? You are allowed to have guns in America - that is not changing. I would like to see certain weapons banned, but the responses here show that is going to be difficult. I really like in2why's suggestion. So playing off that, I am going to email my representatives suggesting a law that all guns are accessible only to the owner. This would have to be done in good faith because home visits are something else that is not going to happen in the USA. If you do not properly store your gun(s), and an accident happens or a crime is committed with your weapon, you can be held criminally and civilly responsible. I see NO problem with this from a gun owner point of view. I would like to hear other thoughts. If anybody does see a flaw in this suggestion, could you let me know? PM is fine, if you don't want to post.
p.s. For those who think that contacting your representative is pointless, I don't think it is. I emailed my representatives over an issue last summer and received canned responses. But 3-4 months later, Al Franken sent an email back stating that he wanted me to know about the bill he was proposing to address my (and I'm sure I wasn't alone) issue. I think it can help because they listen to the loudest voices. You have to speak if you want to be heard.
p.p.s. Guess who is getting my vote this year? These people aren't as dumb as they seem sometimes. :tongue_smilie:
I think this is great Tracy and also would love to hear other suggestions for positive action. I hate that we are told or feel like we have to just accept it and hope that we as people become part of the solution. We have to keep talking with each other instead of too each other for a real change to happen. I am so fearful, because after Newtown I really thought we as a nation would try to find some common ground.
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Who said anything about saving his life? If the only options you see are trying to save his life & worrying about scratches on the God D### gun I don't really know what to say. How about putting the dangerous weapon INSIDE the bag so it couldn't be picked-up by anyone else & then actually caring about the person dying. Maybe a moment of silence with respect for the life lost to criminal behavior that is now permanently wasted. Maybe a moment of reflection on the fact that you JUST KILLED SOMEONE, justified or not. If you believe in prayer, how about a prayer for this human being's soul. Or is you aren't able to be so compassionate, how about a prayer for any past victims of this person, that they would find some comfort in his death. I mean, seriously, are we so far gone that the gun is more important than any of those things? IMO when you can't feel something about the loss of a human life, you have lost your own humanity.
I apologize, I thought when you wrote of bleeding out and respect of life that would mean trying to stop the bleeding.
None of us have a clue what we would do after being attacked and shooting someone and how people act under extreme stress isn't an indication of their humanity. Most people put on foot in front of the other and do the next right thing or fall apart completely. In no way is that an indication of how they will feel 30 minutes, an hour, a day, or weeks later.
When my father died (natural causes) his wife immediately went and did the dishes while waiting for the hospice nurse to come to the house. It didn't mean that she was inhumane. She was coping with the most extreme stress of her life by doing the next right thing. Prayers and emotions came later when she didn't feel like she would lose her mind.
You have already stated you hate guns, so I doubt you could understand and it makes complete sense the woman's actions seem inexplicable.
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Hogwash.
Any behavior can be excused with this reason. Doesn't make it right. Her disregard and disrespect for human life is just as disgusting as his.
And,ummm... Idolatry anyone? Her freaking gun was so precious to her? At first when I read through the story I was thinking she was being so careful about the gun to make sure everyone else was safe from, including when the police came, etc. Then I read that she didn't want it scratched? I can't say that i have no words because clearly I do but none of them seem adequate to convey my disgust.
I wouldn't try to save his life and don't have the slightest problem admitting it. I would probably have a hard time not kicking him in the head while waiting for the police to arrive. Try to save the life of the monster that attacked me? Nope. Adrenaline, shock, anger, fear are powerful emotions. I don't know what I would do afterwards, probably try to find my center and stop crying and shaking. But saving his life wouldn't even cross my mind.
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Writing Tales is a solid program and is independent. Of course with any writing program you will need to critique the actual finished product.
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I ordered the teachers manual and once I got it I realized I will never use it.
Wish I had been smart enough to start a thread like this one. :huh:
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Another vote for My side of the Mountain
Where the Red Fern Grows
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Until the adoption is final I don't think you can homeschool foster children, and adoption takes longer than you might think.
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The largest case your child can carry. My kiddos want to bring everything and then some, until they realize they have to carry their suitcase and sleeping bag from the bus to their cabins on their own.
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It's good you're not working in tourism!
Why does your history dictate the way you live now ? Countries and cultures change over time.
What I hear you saying is that a culture that glamorises guns and violence, at the same time as it disenfranchises whole classes of people, leads to the kind of rates of violence that make owning and using guns in self defence a good choice. Is that accurate or have I misread something ?
How does that connect with some of the statements I've heard in this thread and others that crime is decreasing ? Is that, in your opinion, a direct result of more law abiding citizens owning guns ?
Our history as a country isn't why we are gun owners. Our family history is more important. My husband and I both grew up in self reliant households. They hunted, gardened, and fixed stuff. We are proud to be the same and have raised and are raising our children the same way. Having a weapon for self defense is just an extension of already knowing guns are tools. We don't want that part of our culture to change.
A self defense weapon was a progression. I already understood and was familiar with guns. I am competitive and liked being a better shot than my brothers. When my husband began working nights I decided to look for a personal weapon. Because I travel, often with just the kids or by myself I decided to get a concealed carry permit. I also take classes in karate. Not because I ever expect to fight someone but because my younger kids took classes and I became interested in it for fitness. We began camping and sometimes in unfamiliar surroundings with unfamiliar people.
I do believe crime is decreasing, but statistics look at averages over large areas. I don't live in fear and overall feel safe even when I am not armed. I don't think crime statistics are a result of gun ownership. I think pockets of addiction and economic realities are better indicators. I am in my 40s and have watched Crack, Meth, oxycotin, and bath salts emerge in cycles. A new drug is introduced to an area, people become addicted and are desperate to feed their addiction. After a few years they die, are incarcerated or get treatment and the pocket eases. The same thing happens economically but not as quickly. People grow up, make choices, sometimes bad and if they live long enough they get tired, are incarcerated or die. When the economy is good and people make bad choices it is easier to recover. When the economy is bad good choices and a college degree might get you a job at McDonald's. Make a bad decision when the economy is bad and you have little hope at getting near the American dream.
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So do you think the US is particularly violent compared to countries without a gun culture OR school shootings ?
Yes. It is part of our history. Settling the wild west. Shootouts at OK corral. Armed resistance in the Revolutionary War. Militias and the 2nd amendment. Immigrants who were escaping prosecution.
Now our pop culture......movies glamourizing gun culture, the musicians who if they aren't from the "hood" pretending they are, our kids sports heroes escaping violent neighborhoods and then bringing that culture with them. Video games where the object is to form a team and engage in pretty realistic killing of enemies. People on both sides of the political spectrum hating and distrustful of the other side, egged on by talk radio and people using them to make a dollar. The drug culture and kids being born that aren't wanted and are not cared about. Generational poverty where crime is the only expectation. Mental illness that isn't treated or is stereotyped so people are afraid to admit they need help and when they do, can't afford treatment. Bullying to the point where death is preferable. The disappearing middle class.
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So many good things to think about on this thread. It is a very complicated topic.
I can't help but feel that the reason there are so many school shootings is that there is NO protection at the schools and everyone knows that. Just like the mugging in the court house parking lot. Everyone with an intent to do evil knows there are hundreds of sitting ducks with no one to protect them in locked up tight buildings all over the country. It's sick and it's wrong but it is also what it is. I would for sure feel safer if I had to send my kids to school if teachers were allowed to conceal carry(specific training required) and if there were armed guards in place.
I agree that the school situation is out of control. But with so many guns in circulation there is no way gun control measures will fix it. Criminals will/would always have guns.
Colombine the school where 15 kids were killed did have an armed police officer on campus and he even traded gunfire with one of the teens and missed him. Another officer was less than minutes away and he also shot at the suspect and was shot at and missed. That is the reason I do not believe in arming teachers or the janitors. Law enforcement officials that train and must qualify on the fire range miss the person they are shooting at over 40% of the time. Why would a civilian do any better? My worst nightmare scenario is being in a mall with a shooter and then having well intentioned civilians start a shootout. Law enforcement, and the other good guys wouldn't have a clue who the bad guy was and even more bystanders are likely to be killed.
I have thought about this in depth and seriously because school shootings enrage me, and I believe I am a responsible gun owner. I desperately want to find a solution. That is why I keep going back to increasing criminal penalties for gun owners that do not secure their weapons. Yet it isn't even discussed by the powers that be. Maybe any of us that think it is a good idea should contact our Representatives? I have but I never get more than a canned letter in response.
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I know some gun owners feel this way. Like I said, I don't see evidence to back it up. What I see is that more guns lead to more gun accidents and gun homicides and gun suicides.
This must be how anti vaxxers feel when anyone mentions 'herd immunity'. Please stop feeling like you're making me safer when you're really making us all live in a world where three school shootings on three weeks doesn't even seem surprising .
I am not responsible for your safety and I certainly do not believe that my owning a gun helps keep you safer. I know it makes me safer.
I am not in the camp of "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun" I will even go so far as to say that the open carry nutcases are making the public less safe because how can you tell the difference between a good and bad guy in a grocery store with an AR-15? I sorta hope that a car backfires and they all shoot each other before they reproduce. (As long as no one else gets caught in the cross fire) They are an extreme side of a very complicated problem. Based on your posts you may be the extreme on the other side? Guns are not going away. People uncomfortable or afraid of my owning a gun is not going to change the 2nd amendment. But that doesn't mean middle ground can't be found.
Gun regulations are possible even if in this political climate they aren't probable. Background checks and cooling off periods make sense. Closing loopholes between private owners isn't a stretch. Criminal and civil penalties for irresponsibility. Gun owners who do not support the NRA's positions need to speak out. Gun owners that are sickened by children dying need to be part of the solution.
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PP was talking about how important it is that thieves and rapists are deterred because they know whether potential victims are armed. If most guns are kept secret, why is deterrence used as a pro-gun argument?
I don't think owning a gun is a deterrent any more than I believe the death penalty is a deterrent. I don't think criminals think they are going to be caught much less what might happen when they do.
I don't use that "argument". I do believe that someone is less likely to complete an attack.
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Oh hun........How I hate the Mommywars at times like these. Try not to feel guilty, you haven't failed at anything and you and your baby will be wonderful.
I feel the same way about natural childbirth. Great if Mommy's want to go that direction, but I wouldn't even entertain the idea and do not for one second feel like a mother who chooses natural is a better/stronger/or more loving mother. Same with Breastfeeding. I enjoyed breastfeeding and it was easy for me. That doesn't make me a better mother than someone who chooses to use formula.
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:iagree:
Same here. My ds was born in 2000, too, and I recall having heard other moms complain about their peds asking lots of very nosy questions.
This is definitely not a new thing.
Another agreement here. I am surprised people are surprised by the questions. I remember in 1999 with a new pediatrician the same type of questions as well as a lecture on not smoking around the baby or in the car with the baby.
I think it is standard practice with new patients and pediatricians.
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I completely reject with the idea that one needs a gun for self defense.
I live in Boston. Some folks do own firearms. It's not all that common, and it's certainly not something people brag about. You are much more likely to hear someone cluck her tongue at lax gun laws than chat about going to the shooting range.
I have family in Louisiana where guns are a regular part of life, not a big deal at all.
What is the difference in crime levels? Does more gun ownership (and more open gun ownership) make it much safer to live in Louisiana? Is every woman in Boston much more likely to be targeted for rape because she is unlikely to have a handgun in her pocketbook?
Of course not. Guns may make you 'feel' safer, and they may be fun recreationally, but for most people, I don't think it goes further than that.
99% of the people I know do not have a clue we own guns. I am openly discussing them on this board because it is basically anonymous. I don't chat in real life about going to the shooting range and I certainly do not chat about weapons we own. I would assume it is the same for most people, even more so women.
Statistically people are more likely to be killed with their own guns or have a child in their home killed with their gun then have to use it to defend themselves. Statistically it is a horrible idea to own a gun. Domestic violence with a gun in the home, want to be Rambos with a loaded weapon in their sock drawer. Gang and young male violence. People who are careless and shoot themselves while cleaning their weapon without clearing it first and always assuming even after clearing it that it is still loaded. Beautiful wooden gun cases with pretty glass fronts so that a burglar can break the glass and take the guns and ammo. Yep statistically there are lots of idiots and lots of reasons to never own a gun.
That is why I am so supportive of increasing the criminal and civil penalties for irresponsibility. We as a society in America are not going to remove guns from the equation. Instead we glamourize them. Politically and historically that is off the table. There isn't a politician or a political party that will seriously touch the issue with a ten foot pole and we the people can't agree on it , so nothing is going to change. Even if we waved a magic wand and never made another gun available there are enough in circulation to continue to be a problem for generations. So we need to figure out what we can do instead of what we wish we could do.
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This is a workbook that they used with my son in public school and the only thing I liked enough to keep. They are a bit pricey but they work so to me it was worth it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1425802893/ref=oh_details_o03_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They have other grade levels and it really increased his.fluency and reading ability. Each of the exercises focuses on some aspect of fluency. Stopping at punctuation, reading and recognizing tone, that sort of thing.
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I just don't think that killing is the only option. I think that I could do lots of other things to defend my family--mace, disabling someone by less lethal means, etc. Perhaps in a dire circumstance I may find that I could kill. I can't imagine that, knowing what I know about myself. At the moment, however, I don't want to make that my emergency plan.
Thanks for the info about proper gun storage. I don't think gun owners are idiots, by the way. Idiots come in all kinds of flavors :001_smile:. I did think this might be a good place to ask some of the questions I've had and hear another perspective. Thanks for being gracious in your response.
I have read your posts and I think you bring up a very important point. People need to know themselves. I say this sincerely and without any snark. You should not own a gun. It is a tool that requires a commitment. Responsible gun owners know their weapon and its capabilities like they know their child. They also should know themselves. I have never pointed my weapon at a human being. I don't know how I would feel if I had to shoot someone. If I do ever point my weapon at a human being, I am going to shoot them and I am aiming for center mass to kill them. I practice shooting to the point I am comfortable I can hit a moving target and I have killed for food and even then it is sobering to take life and I would never kill a living creature for sport. We practice knowing our target and knowing what is beyond our target and practice gun safety at all times. If someone is coming up my interior stairs in the middle of the night, I will identify who they are not and I will shoot them. I will likely empty my clip and will deal with the consequences afterwards. But hopefully that will never happen. We also have a dog which is a deterrent and I believe that the average criminal when met with an armed homeowner will back down the stairs and not keep coming up.
The only time I would say we are playing, and even then with purpose, is when we are skeet shooting. It is fun and competitive. We still use gun safety rules but we are shooting flying Orange discs on a well marked range so we don't have to be as vigilant and the outcome is not serious.
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P.S. Sleeping in yoga pants and a tank top means that when you answer the door in your pajamas, it's not obvious. You can even pretend that you were either coming from or getting ready to go to the gym, depending on the state of your hair.
It's all about spin. :D
I think I am about to invest in some yoga pants and tanks.
S/O Define "frumpy."
in The Chat Board
Posted
To me Frumpy means an ill fitting bra. Where the person either has the appearance of 3 breasts, or breasts closer to their belly button. (Of course if a person is lucky enough to not need a bra that doesn't apply)