Category Archives: Gun Safety

Gun Violence

Posted in Drug Abuse, Drug Culture, FOC, gun control, Gun Safety, Immigration, Uncategorized by

WHBQ-TV Channel 13 had a lengthy segment tonight on gun violence. It is one time I wish I had a DVR. I would like to review what was said. I did hear the number 40,000 used in the segment. I hate to say or imply anything without knowing the specifics.

Therefore, I went to the internet. I found that Statista reports an average of 50,000 deaths from firearms per year. The numbers are close, though I don’t know how much one has to do with the other.

According to DEA reports, over 107,000 deaths were attributed to fentanyl in 2024. This is a staggering number that does not involve any gunshots or bullets, which is far higher than the number of deaths caused by shootings.

Let’s add a little unknown factor. How many of those shootings involve drug-related activities? My wild guess, at least a quarter.

So, let’s look at the cold, hard facts. If people stop shooting people, it would save 50,000 lives. Wonderful! Great! If we stop the drugs, over twice that many lives would be saved.

Yet the conversations about guns on TV and radio are very common. On the other hand, drug abuse rarely gets a mention.

Do you think that is by accident? I am sure it is intended.

And so it is. Every year we lose more people than in all the long years of Vietnam. Is this your idea of proper priorities?

The Tragedy

Posted in Christian values, Crime, Gun Safety, Immigration, Important things, Lawyers and Representation, News media, Our Legal Systems, Uncategorized by

There will be many that will disagree with me. Then again, as I have said before. I try to be honest in my posts in the way I think and feel. I do believe, frequently, I do have proper and or logical reasons for what I write.

There has been a recent news story about a 13 year-old shot by police in Utica. To be sure, I cannot claim I know everything about the situation other than it was a tragedy and that should never have happened. Yet, it happens all the time. As I said in one of my first posts, sometimes decisions are made that cannot be undone. I did so by saying that life does not have “undo” functions. There are no backspace keys. I used the case of an old woman shooting her own son thinking that he was a burglar. Certainly that woman would have done anything to reverse the last ten minutes. But, sometimes, it is just impossible to change the past.

Sometimes, while driving, I take a wrong turn. It can have consequences, but generally, I think little of it. On the other hand, I have made mistakes, big ones that I will never be able to change. It does happen. I am sure most others have too.

Going back to the shooting and what I know and what I suspect. I would think right now, the officer that shot that boy would do just about anything if he could hit that backspace key. When he left for work that day, I am pretty sure he did not say to himself, You know, I think I will just shoot a 13 year-old-boy today. It was not part of his plan. It was likely the farthest thing from his mind.

In one of my books, a detective told a woman that his greatest fear was to look down the barrel of gun being held by some 14-year-old. The book is fiction. However, I am sure many policemen do live in that fear for real.

As near as I can tell, he saw the pellet gun and thought it was real. So I ask, one and all. If you were a policeman and some thirteen-year-old was pointing a gun at you, would you shoot him or would you let him shoot you and others.

As I said, it was and is tragic. It should have never happened. As with most tragedies, there were likely many things that led to the time the officer pulled the trigger. Now, I am going to guess at some of it. They said he was an alien. I would suspect he and his parents were here illegally.

Does that make it alright to shoot him. Of course not. However it is part of what led to what happened. He ran from the policeman. Why? Maybe because he was illegal and didn’t want to be caught. No one will really know the reason he ran.

The instant the policeman confronted him, he should have told the officer he had a pellet gun and then followed the instructions. Regardless, run or not, he should have never pulled the gun out. He had to know the policeman would have thought it was real.

Running was a mistake. Pulling the gun was a mistake. Then again, 13-year-olds do make mistakes. I certainly did. It just so happens, the mistakes he made became fatal.

And now, the shooting will have repercussions. It will change the life of the officer who shot him. It will likely change the city and the police department. I guess it can be said that there are and will have repercussions throughout the country.

There will be those who will say the officer should not have shot. There will be those who will rush to the officer’s defense. I suspect that few will consider that which led up to the tragedy.

In the end, as bad as it is, we the public will have to face it. It was a horrible accident. However, it was an accident. It was one that did result in a death, which I hate and I’m sure most others dislike it too.

Now, let’s get realistic. As the official observer of Memphis, I notice that there are shootings about everyday in the city. It seems there is an average of a murder a day and most go unsolved. There are just so many they don’t have the manpower.

Where is the concern for those lives. And I might mention, many of those people killed are not running from the police. Sometimes we are talking of children lying in their bed at the time the bullet hits them. Where is the concern for them? Where is the outrage? Why are we releasing people guilty of crimes involving guns without bond?

Sorry. I don’t understand the outrage of a policeman doing his job and the lack of outrage at real murders and murderers.

Also, let’s take another look at the media. Why do they like to make the officer the villain before the investigation is started, while making the criminal just an unfortunate man down on his luck. To me, that in itself is a tragedy.

To the Rescue, Not

Posted in Abuse of Power, Border wall, Christian values, Crazy Nuts, Crime, Elections, gun control, Gun Safety, Immigration, Important things, law enforcement, Liberals, Our Legal Systems, Politcal Opinion, responsibility & irresponsibility by

If you are one of those willing to risk life and limb to save someone from murder, rape or theft, you really should think about it.

If that neighbor woman in that nearby apartment should be assaulted, if you go to the rescue, it might be more than you physical well being at risk. If you should hurt or kill the man threatening that helpless woman, the district attorney might decide you are the dangerous one. He could actually charge and and convict you. You could go to prison.

Even if he doesn’t get a conviction, you will still lose your fortune and you will be penniless and on the street for legal bills. And if you didn’t kill the real assailant, he will be roaming the streets free, looking for another victim.

Am I wrong? It happens and it will, possibly to you.

You need to be careful as to who you vote in as district attorney. You need to be careful of who you elect to be sheriff. Certainly you need to know the candidates for mayor and city council. These people are not running for federal office, but no one can ruin you life any faster.

Not only can they come after you for protecting yourself but for coming to the rescue of others too. If you can’t get someone in office who believes in proper and responsible defense, you just might want to leave the area. If you can’t do that, bar your doors and windows. Fortify your home and maybe your business. Then, of course, you might not want to go out for that walk on that nice day. You should just resort to the treadmill.

And if that young woman is crying out for help, turn away and plug your ears.

It’s Inconceivable

Posted in gun control, Gun Safety by

It is inconceivable that a person without a gun is going to stop a person with a gun. The person with the gun has the advantage. Those who are without arms are without defense and they are totally at the mercy of the one who is armed.

The armed person is free to shoot all he wants until he is confronted by another person who is armed. The sooner that happens, the fewer who will be hurt or killed. If they wait until police arrive, that likely will mean a few more injured, maybe another death or two.

Sounds like a logical reason to arm well trained teachers. Then again, dems don’t care about logic or lives. All they care about is power, to them guns represent a threat to their power.

Consider, a gun in the hands of a teacher or two is better than in the hand of a murderer.

Solutions for Shooting Deaths

Posted in Communism, Deceit, gun control, Gun Safety by

The Tennessee Dems think they have a solution to decrease the deaths by shooting in the state. Oddly it is primarily the one county in which they just almost totally rule where most of the killings occur. [Avg about 1 per day]

That does not speak well for their ideas. Maybe those in Memphis should pay more attention to the areas where the killing is not so prominent.

Then, of course they can’t do that no matter how many die. They would have to admit they have been wrong all these years and they are are going to make sure to dig their heels in good to prevent that.

Guns Are Dangerous

Posted in Gun Safety, Lawyers and Representation, Uncategorized by

Just heard another news story of a little girl rushed off to the hospital, shot by a gun. Well, it is somewhat redundant. If she was shot, it was pretty obvious it was by a gun. However, let’s get real. Guns do not have minds of their own. Someone at some time did something that caused that gun to be discharged. In some cases, it is intentional. In other cases it is by accident. The gun and the bullet are just following the laws of physics. Once that gunpowder in that bullet is ignited, the projectile will leave that barrel and go somewhere.

If it is aimed, there is a good probability it will hurt or kill someone. On the other hand, if it is by accident, then it is simply a matter of chance. Nonetheless, it does seems odd that the accidental discharges will find those who are the most innocent, as in this case, a little girl.

I don’t know if this gun was discharged intentionally or not. Moreover, if it was intentional, it likely was not aimed at the girl. Whoever shot the girl probably feels bad about it, at least I hope so. He should.

Perhaps the most common bullet today for a handgun is the 9mm. What many do not realize is that, unless that bullet hits something to stop it, it may go for a couple of miles. It is not lethal for the entire distance, but it can cause injury or death for most of that distance. It is why when a person goes through training, we are taught to make sure of what is behind the target, as well as the target itself. You miss the target, you just might hit an innocent person standing behind, possibly a little 8 or 9 year old.

People have gotten far too careless with guns. Only a few decades ago, people took guns very seriously. Nowadays, they pay little attention at the pain they can cause, not only to those they kill, but those loved ones as well. To be sure, there are financial problems as well. Doctors, nurses, police, lawyers and courts all get involved with a shooting, even if it is accidental.

A gun, in the hands of trained man, can be dangerous. A gun in the hands of a man who is not trained, is asking for disaster. A gun in the hands of a person who does not know the danger of a gun, is a ticking time bomb, figuratively. Eventually, something will happen. It is simply a matter of time.

When I think back over all the shootings I have heard of, I have come to a very solid idea. People, all people should be taught about the hazards of guns. Certainly, a class or two should be required of high school students but I think it should start in the first grade.

I don’t mean they should be taught how to shoot them. I mean they should be taught the hazards of them. Above all, they should be taught to leave them alone. Above all, they should be taught that they can and will kill, even by accident. They should be made aware that guns are not toys.

At various points along the way, the training should be repeated, but in more detail. By the time a person graduates high school, they should know, they should realize the dangers of a gun. Hopefully, then, we will not have so many killed accidentally. As a side effect, we just might not have as many killed intentionally.

Really, when you come right down to it, it’s not so much gun control we need as gun safety. It should not matter that a person is or isn’t going to buy or use a gun. In as much as possible, all people should learn gun safety. That way, even those who buy guns illegally, know the hazards of a gun. And, by the way, if they know the hazards, they just might decide against buying that gun.

If it happens to put a few doctors out of a job, if it causes a few policemen to look for another line of work, I don’t think they’ll mind. If we were to take a secret ballot vote from them, I think you’d find it almost unanimous.

The expense of such training would almost be negligible. However, it would be very much worth it at ten times the price.

As a quick aside, it seems guns and drug abuse seem to be close cousins. If we can do away with illicit drugs, maybe we can decrease gun deaths too.

Practice Makes Perfect

Posted in Food, Gun Safety, Safety by

From my early youth, I have heard the expression. Yet, today I can attest to one and all that it is not completely true. How many times do you suppose an infielder, since his days in Little League practiced the throw to first base. Then, even in the pros, he throws one so high the first base man can’t reach it. Maybe practice makes a person good at something, but even then, only if it is practiced properly. Invariably, one thing many have trouble with is to unlearn the bad habits, both in baseball and in life, which they learn in their youth. And, by the way, the bad habits are well practiced.

One of the things we learned in the Marines on the rifle range was to practice, practice, practice. However, every second, they had a PMI standing over me correcting me the instant I started to practice something wrong.

I used the rifle range example for two reasons. A bad practice can mean missing the target, but a bad safety habit can lead to wounds or even death. It might seem a simple thing, but the first thing I was taught was to keep my rifle pointed downrange. That way, even if I should make the mistake of not following some other safety rule, no one will get hurt.

It is a practice that I hold to this day over all these years, even though it was years since I left the Marines. If I never point a weapon where it might hurt someone, then it won’t hurt anyone should it go off. Well, it mostly works. I can tell of examples where it didn’t. That is why they have other safety rules, like don’t play fast draw with a gun, loaded or not.

Actually, I have gotten way off of my intended subject. It was a subject that was brought to mind today as I saw a woman, likely a little older than me, coughing like crazy. I watched to make sure she recovered. In a while she was okay and back to normal.

However, it did remind me. The woman had likely swallowed and choked. We all do it. I do, and I have had an awful lot of practice. I have been swallowing for 73 years and it seems I get it wrong more frequently now than when I was 40.

It is something we don’t think about much, but we all swallow no telling how many times a day. Certainly we swallow our food. However, from time to time we swallow just because we feel a need to. We have all practiced it so much that we do it without thinking. Then, when we mess up and do it wrong, we are reminded that we need to do it right. Maybe, from time to time, we need to remind ourselves to, not only practice, but practice it right, especially while eating.

Now that I am done with this, I need to go out and practice some more… the battle with the weeds.

The Problem With Crime

Posted in Abuse of Power, Biden, Fear, gun control, Gun Safety by

It’s getting worse. The evidence is all over. The dems have decided not to put the criminals in prison. So now they roam our streets, frequently with guns. Might I remind one and all that the criminals don’t care if the guns are legal or not.

The illegal aliens are streaming across the border. Not by the tens or the hundreds but by the thousands. All of them share one common thing. They have broken the law, to get into the country if nothing else. Many of these people are criminals or will soon become criminals. Some will wonder our streets with knives or guns. They will be looking for drugs or money or both.

Some will break into businesses, homes, or perform their crimes out in the open. Thanks to Old Joe and his friends, the nation, the states and the major cities have become dangerous. I live near a major city…with crime, which spills over into my neighborhood.

For this reason, I have made a decision I was hoping I’d never have to make. I now have a carry permit and I also have a gun. Because of my Marine training, I do know how to use it. I shot at targets 15 and 25 yards with a sidearm.
I don’t like the idea of ever having to use it, but if it is for my defense or the defense of my wife, I will.

Thank you President Joe Biden for putting me in this position. By the way, I am sure that many others have made the same decision for the same reason. It would seem he has done more for the encouragement of arming the populace than anything or anyone else.

It is not just bad. It is far worse.

Second Thoughts

Posted in Abuse of Power, Deceit, FOC, gun control, Gun Safety, law enforcement, Lawyers and Representation by

A few years ago, I posted a true story about a man who came in my house with a handgun. I called to my wife to call the police. Fortunately, the man ran off without firing a shot.

Since the occurrence, I have mauled it over in my mind a few times. Well, actually many times. At any rate, today, the idea came to mind that what I should have called out to my wife was, “Bring out the 12 gauge and make sure it’s loaded.” I told my wife the idea and she laughed. That means it is funny because, these days, she hardly ever laughs unless it is at me.

At any rate, I said all that to introduce my main thought. My guess is that most people who use a gun in the commission of a crime use it simply to scare the victim. Usually it works. In my case, I did throw the man a little bit of a curve. First, I told my wife to call the police and second, I soon had two sixty + pound dogs next to me. The police arrived in less than 3 minutes and they couldn’t find the guy. He pulled a disappearing act. He didn’t want to stick around and play twenty questions with the officers. Oh, and by the way, he was fortunate, I didn’t have a 12 gauge shotgun. At that range, they can do a lot of damage to a person.

So, (as with my previous post) I have come up with a really good idea on how to reduce the use of guns. Make sure that any time a person uses a gun in the commission of a crime, he gets 5 years tacked on in the federal pen, whether he means to us it or not, whether the gun is loaded or not, whether the gun is real or not…something that looks like one will do, even if it is carved out of soap and and doused with shoe polish. The extra five years will make a person think more about using the gun. Conceivably, it just might make the person think a second time about the robbery. On the other hand, he just might use a rubber knife. Those things can be scary too.

To be sure, there is another way to decrease gun violence. Decrease drug abuse. Oddly, it would seem they don’t want to do that. I mean, drug abuse is a non-violent crime. The druggy is not hurting anyone but himself, right. Well, that is until he runs out of drugs, until he runs out of money to buy drugs. Then guess what. He will resort to burglary, robbery, and even murder to get that ten spot you carry around with you. I suggest that close to half of all crime is drug related. I have talked to many in law enforcement that agree with me. It’s not just a number I pulled out of my hat.

Then again, I guess there is one more way to deal with that hoodlum with the gun. When he breaks into our house, we can use the 12 gauge on him. He won’t be causing anyone any problems. The hitch there is that when we use the 12 gauge on him, the district attorney just might come around asking questions. He might even decide to put you in prison. I mean, “Did you really need to use a shotgun on him.”, “You should have called the police.” I suspect he has two or three other suggestions.

The truth of the matter is, as long as the bad guys can use guns and get away with it, they will, regardless of the law. Bottom line, let’s just get the criminals off the street. That is the only sure way to stop gun crime.

Then again, that is not the goal of the dems. Their real goal is to disarm the populace. It is always the way the person who wants to rule the world thinks. In the old days they would not let the surfs have swords or such. That way, they don’t need to imprison the criminal element. They will have us all imprisoned. They will have us all under their control.

His Mistake… Maybe

Posted in Abuse of Power, Being woke, Gun Safety by

A couple of years ago, a man near St. Louis stood in front of his house and defended it. Odd, but for some reason, the district attorney thought that it was a horrible unpardonable crime, this in spite of the fact that members in the crowd were armed. Of course, they were all trespassing on private property.

Never could understand that whole thing. He never fired a shot and a year of his life was ruined. If he hadn’t had a pretty good bank account, he might still be in jail serving a term for defending his castle against armed marauders.

At any rate, I have thought about the whole thing many times and over and over. Wait a minute. I think that’s redundant. Well you get my point.

I think I have figured out his mistake. Instead of using an AR-15, he should have used a golf club. He could have lined up a dozen golf balls and started swinging. Have you ever seen a crowd scatter?

I think by the time he hit the third ball, he’d have them on the run.

The beautiful part about the idea is simple. There is no way the woke will ever try to outlaw golf clubs or golf balls. You talk about insurrection if they should they try it. I mean, I honestly I do believe there are more golf clubs in this country than guns. Moreover, there is no requirement to have serial numbers on them, even if it would do any good.

Moreover, after a little practice, a person could do more damage with a club than a gun, and with less noise. I understand a good golfer can hit a ball over three hundred yards. And, of course, no one ever wants to be hit by one a second time.