Second Thoughts

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.

A More Betterer Idea

Please excuse the horrid grammar. Had a friend that really went wild when I used language so badly. Just is that sometimes it is needed to draw attention to the facts.

At any rate the better Idea is simple. I hope if you read this you pass it on.

How about instead of less police we have less criminals. If we are successful at getting the criminals off the street, we would not need so many police. Still, it’s a small price to pay for our safety. Let’s face it, they are willing to pay the much greater price so we don’t have to.

I kind of like that idea. Obviously, the dems don’t. If I were to post this on social media, it would never be read, other than by their socialist censors. It would seem they like crime. Police, not so much. You see, police decrease crime, which, as I have said, they like.

So. let’s do it right. Let’s have more police and less crime and, of course less censorship by the dems. We can do that. We should do that. It’s a more betterer idea, even if it is bad grammar.

A Word About Social Media

It is why I will never get on Ticktock or Facebook or anything similar. Perhaps I could be more well known if I did, but those folks have a serious problem. They publish lies without hesitation. The truth they disallow, while calling it a lie. That which aids and abets our enemy is welcome while that which encourages patriotism is verboten. They have permitted the rewriting of history, especially American history.

Well, let’s see what I mean. What about the virus. Much of what they would not permit from good ethical doctors could not be published. That damaging, which the dems wanted, was published and encouraged. Perhaps millions died because of that. It kept at least three effective meds from being used while allowing meds that had no effect. It caused two-year-olds to have to wear masks when they knew they had no effect. It obliterated the restaurant industry, especially in NY, NY and It just almost brought the American economy to an absolute halt. And then, as if that was not enough, they caused the US to go into a debt that we might never crawl out of, at least for another 100 years. Finally, they helped the dems outright steal an election right in front of our eyes. (Don’t tell me different. I saw what I saw. Others did too, but it is inconvenient for them to remember.)

People ask me why I won’t get on a social media. Now, you know why. I would appreciate it very much if you would let others know.

Incidentally, has anyone noticed the big increase in crime these last few years, especially shootings? Most of us don’t like it. The dems love it. It gives them a reason… well it just gives them reasons. That’s what they want.

I Wonder: Ignorance or Stupidity. Maybe Bias

This evening I heard a report over the local CBS station. The report was concerning an increase in shootings on the road, mostly interstates. Now, don’t get me wrong. Although it angers me when someone cuts in front of me, I never consider pulling out a gun and shooting at them. Moreover, I would never think of such a thing should someone use their horn on me. Frequently, I deserve it.

I just really don’t get the idea behind the woman’s statement, “….the shootings are increasing because of the easier availability of guns.”

Okay. I might not have gotten the quote perfect, but that is certainly the gist of it. I have news for the woman. Over the last hundred years or so, gun laws have been passed left and right, mostly by the left. If she actually went through the process of getting a permit to carry, or a gun, she would not have considered making such an inaccurate statement.

The fact is, about 20 or 25 years ago, if a person wanted a gun, he or she could just go buy one. Not so anymore. The process of legally carrying a weapon has become increasingly difficult since the day I was born in 1947.

To be sure, guns can be purchased illegally. However, you can pass laws all day long and you won’t stop that, try as you may. If people can’t buy them, they will build them. Same as in the bootlegging days. They couldn’t get the stuff legally so the made it. Today, there are people who can make guns in any well equipped machine shop. Perhaps there are people who do. I think they are called gunsmiths.

At any rate, the woman was flat wrong. It is no easier to get a weapon today than any time in the history of the country, though the left still likes spread the falsehood.

However, there is a real difference between yesteryear and now in morals. Back 40 years ago, people had real respect for life. They drove with more respect for the rules of the road and the other drivers. Finally, frankly, they drove more responsibly. If people wouldn’t drive so obnoxiously, horns would not be used so quickly. If people were just a little less anxious to blast their horn, there would be less shooting. However, most of all, LET’S LEARN TO HAVE MORE RESPECT ON THE ROAD, as well as off the road.

Generally, we don’t shoot someone we respect unless it is in self-defense. I just simply cannot imagine a gun being shot on the interstate in self-defense…more likely out of anger.

Oh, yes. By the way. If those criminals were in prison, instead of on the highways, the shootings would be in the decline. Only a criminals shoot at people without valid reason. Only people who are without conscience arbitrarily kill people. In this day and age, we have a bunch of folks running around without a conscience, it seems more every day. They kill without remorse. Our society has taught our citizens that life is just an accident. We are now reaping the effects of that concept.

Just thought of something else. How could I forget abuse of drugs. I wonder, just how many murders take place because of drugs? I don’t see any efforts by the dems to rid the would of them. On the contrary. The seem to encourage their shipments from China and across the border.

What is it, 70,000 killed by drugs last year. Far more than killed by guns. Far, far more than guns on highways.

Ain’t Such a Bad Idea

More than once I’ve heard it said that Trump is running for president to stay out of prison. If he don’t belong there, sound’s like it t’ain’t such a bad idea. It sounds pretty sound to me. If it works he can start putting some of the dems where they belong. He just might start by firing the better part of the Justice Department leadership. Also he can fix our borders and keep the drugs and cartels out. He can start driving the price of oil down, as it should be, which will stop the war in Ukraine instantly. If Putin has no money, he can’t fight his war. It might even encourage the Ruskies to find another leader.

Yeah. If that is President Trump’s strategy, I can live with that. Maybe a few more will live with it too. Not so much dying. Clearly, the dems don’t mind a few hundred thousand dying. It does not seem to have bothered Old Joe any at all. Haven’t heard him say two words about it. Haven’t heard the dems say anything about it. All they care about is stopping Trump, no matter what it takes.

It’s the Old Flim Flam

You ever think you’ve won one of those battles with the libs and found out you lost? Well, it looks like it’s happened again. And we had our eyes wide open. I suspect most don’t even realize it. On the other hand, others don’t care.

If the libs had suggested that we move our policing to be more centralized, it would not have happened. It is one of the strong points of our nation. In theory, the feds don’t get involved in most of the law enforcement. Indeed, even murder is considered a state law. On the other hand, the libs would like to make it against a federal law just to own a gun.

Then one day, their armies started shouting, “De-fund the police!” Now that’s dumb and most of us saw right through that, or at least we thought so.

At any rate, it did not take long to realize that didn’t work out so well. Overnight, the streets were filled with crime and the local police simply couldn’t keep up. Hence, they asked for help from the state and feds.

After a few weeks, it was clear this idea of less police was a big failure. So, the libs, supposedly, admitted their mistake and suggested that congress help fund the local police.

Now wait a minute. That was the idea of the libs in the first place. To put more control of policing in the hands of the feds. If the feds provide the funding, then they control it, all of it. It is not just the part they fund that they control but all of it. I am sure there are strings that come with that federal money. There always is.

Hence, we just moved one step closer to a totally central police. In other words, we just been flim flamed. I don’t think I like that but it would seem I am now doing all I can, not much. The best thing we can do is return the federal money and pay for the police locally. I don’t think that will happen. We will become dependent on the law enforcement money just as we have become dependent on federal education funding.

At 72, there is one thing I’ve learned. Cities, counties and states rarely give back funding, even if it means giving up some freedom.

The Odds

I’m not a big fan of math. It just is that when a person plans to go into a career as electronics, it is essential. I mean ohm’s law, the calculations of impedance and such all uses math. It even gets into calculus a little when dealing with vectors and such.

However, math is used in a wide range of other things. Certainly, it is used in physics and chemistry. When packing the aircraft during the Berlin air lift, they even came up with a new math, to make sure all aircraft were loaded to the max both weight and space.

One branch of math that is not talked about too much are the laws of probability. Some of this stuff can make an insane man normal. For instance, you toss a penny 100 times and the laws of probability tells us that it will likely land on tails and heads equally, or at least nearly equally. Of course, the more times you toss the penny, the more apt that the heads and tails will be equal.

Yet, those who specialize in studying odds tell us that, even should we end with tails 80 out of a hundred times, the chances of it coming up heads is still 50%. (either that or there’s something wrong with the penny)

Then there is a special branch of odds within math. These mathematicians try to know the odds are that you will live to a certain age. I’m not sure, but I think most of them work for the insurance company.

Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, I am not an expert in this field. However, I do have a broad idea about it all. For instance, the odds of me living past 72 are pretty small. Some die earlier. Some manage to beat the odds and live past a hundred.

Oddly, so far I have beat those odds. I spent one year in a war zone. I rode a motorcycle for over two years. Believe it or not, for a large part of my life, no one wore seat belts. The first couple of cars I owned didn’t even have them. Then, for quite a while after, we still didn’t wear them.

I don’t know how I made it through those years, but I did. On the other side of the coin, something could happen and I’d be gone tomorrow. When I was in the Marines, I saw a twenty year old marine die as he was walking along. The doc said he was dead before he hit the ground. Now, you talk about being against the odds. That shouldn’t have happened. I really wished it hadn’t

At any rate, things like that have a tendency to tip the mortality tables a little. On the other hand, something else that will tip the mortality tables is playing with guns. I saw that too. The guy was playing quick draw with a .38. For those unaware, it is a worse practice than going without seat belts.

I bought the new all electric car. All the mortality charts likely say I won’t live the seven years to pay the car off. If I do, I’ll be eighty and I might not be able to drive it. As a financially responsible, person, I need to make sure the car will be paid for should I die. I’m sort of in that boat now. On the other hand, maybe I ought to go back to work.

Actually, I would enjoy working three days a work. Unfortunately, I might not be able to. I don’t know if anyone will hire an old man to flip hamburgers or mop floors. It would be better if people would help me out by buying my books. (hint, hint)

This side of seventy, I’ve sort of been doing some thinking, as dangerous as that may sound. Those people who study the mortality really have their hands full. When a person is born, they calculate just what his chances are of reaching my age. Not only that, they try to determine the cause of death. Will it be disease, accident, murder, or maybe peanuts. No way of knowing but they still guess. Every year they release figures that tell you what what your chances are of dying of a shark attack. Then, of course we stop eating red meat or drinking things with artificial sweeteners. We stay of the ocean and we make sure to fasten the seat belts. Then of course, people start dying from obesity and lack of protein. We start going blind and losing limbs because of diabetes.

Fact is that we, none of us, can avoid death. We can avoid too much meat, we can avoid artificial sweeteners we can avoid smoking and smokers with extreme care. Moreover, some might wear helmets in their cars, or maybe not ride in cars at all. In order to avoid the cars we will use the safer plane, even if we just need to go ten miles.

Naturally, each form of death can be further broken down. For instance, illness takes in cancer, heart disease, neurological problems, and on and on. Then cancer can be broken down further into I have no idea how many. Two of my four brothers died of brain cancer. Every doctor I ever talked to has said that is very rare. I’ll just have to take their word for it as I don’t know. I did see them just before they died and I saw it was a horrible way to die.

Then, of course there are the overdoses of drugs. I just can’t figure that one out. Unlike cancer, it is totally preventable. I hear a few politicians say a few things here and there. The only one I saw that really did something was President Trump. Then of course, the dems did something about that. Now the problem is worse than before. I wonder what those people that study odds and mortality have to say about that. The government spent untold fortunes curing AIDS. Who is trying to solve the problem of drug abuse?

Then there are the murders. Most murders don’t have anything to do with guns. The dems are trying to get rid of the guns and they are letting the other murderers out on in the streets minutes after the murder. I don’t understand that. I wonder if those that study odds have something to say about it.

I’m still trying to figure out how the dems can cry out against the guns when they themselves are the authors of millions of deaths, in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iraq. Then too, what about the disaster we call the pandemic. Could have been totally avoided if China was not financed by the dems and specifically Fauci. How many deaths were caused in this country by guns? Look it up. How many have died from the China virus. I suspect that far more were killed by Fauci and his dem friends than all the guns.

Helping the Devil

I had the idea on this post, I guess about three days ago.  However, I am just now getting around to writing it.  Why?  I just don’t know how.  I wish I did.  I have prayed about it.  I prayed for help or even if I should write it.  I suspect that it will do little good.  Many will argue the existence of the devil in the first place.  Some will argue that they aren’t helping the devil when they are, while deep down in their heart they know better.

Let’s look at how the devil works.  It’s not new.  The Bible speaks of how he works, lies, deception, pride, the offering of short term gains.  By the way, those who help the devil use the same methods.  However, they also add bribes, terror, and, well, let’s just call it group think.  You fall outside the in crowd and your name is mud.  Your business goes bust.  Your cake decorating shop gets sued because you refuse to accept what the government calls marriage.  (God had the first say and He will have the last say on that subject.)

So.  Let’s give it just a little thought.  That time you told a lie about that politician.  You helped the devil.  That time you bribed that government official, you helped Satan in his deception.  That time you helped that dishonest person running for office, you helped evil to prosper.  When you go down and buy that lottery ticket, you helped Satan.

I guarantee every time a person goes into a gambling casino, the devil smiles.  Win or lose, the devil wins and society loses.

Of course, voting does not always occur at the polls.  When you encourage the defunding of the police, Satan is jumping for joy.  Every time a person goes through a store and takes all he can carry, guess what?  Satan wins, that is for the short term, and you are helping him.

It’s more than just repeating the lies of the devil.  It is also accepting them.  You say, “Of course Biden won the election.  Everyone knows it.”  Only you know it’s a deception from the dems and originated by the evil one himself, Satan.

I ask you.  Do you really believe that Old Joe is a better man for president than President Trump?  I mean, do you really down deep in your heart believe that lie, or do you just want to believe it?  On the other hand, there are those who don’t care.  All they want is the power, which is also, what Satan wants.

Ergo, you chose to believe the lie and as such, you are aiding and abetting the devil.  It’s not a matter of if you want to.  It is not a matter if you believe it.  It’s the simple fact that you are.

In the process, you helped to put hundreds, maybe thousands of innocent people in prison for January 6.  And you are helping those trying to put the one president that has done the most for this nation in over fifty years in prison.  Even more, he has done great things for God’s church, allowing them freedom of religion.  I don’t think Satan liked it when he fought for Christians to be exempt from paying for abortions.  I don’t think Satan liked those justices he put on the Supreme Court either.  Actually, the dems didn’t like any of that much either.

Actually, if you go down through the things that Satan is trying to do and what the dems are trying to do, there are many similarities.  Regardless of the motives, I am certain that Satan is very grateful for the help.

The lies, the bribes, and the threats, they all go toward his goals.  One day, Satan will answer.  I know.  I have read the last of the book.  Guess what.  He will not be alone.  His demons will be right there with him in that fire.  Also, those that have helped him will spend eternity paying for their lies and deceit.  Hell was not made for man but for the devil.  God does not want to send one man or woman there.  They will go of their own choice by rejecting the salvation provided by Jesus Christ.

Anger

First, to keep anyone from getting the wrong idea, this applies to both genders. When I use the masculine pronoun, it applies to both male and female, though not necessarily equally. In grammar, we are told to use he or him anytime we know not the gender. I don’t really agree with that, but the only way I know around it is to say him or her or use he/she. That gets clumsy after a while. So to remain grammatically correct, I will use he as well as him for both genders. Of course, no problem with plural. They and them are already clear enough.

At any rate, the reason I write this is that there is something I noticed about people and anger. People, in general hide behind masks. I am no exception. No one knows me better than my wife but there are things even she doesn’t know about me. I would guess it is common with everyone. None of us wants the world to know our deepest darkest secrets and desires. We all hide things, sometimes even from ourselves.

Anger, however does have a tendency to expose some of those things we wish to keep hidden. When we are angry, we lose control of ourselves and we tell others a little of that we would rather not be known. So. If you really want to know that other person, watch what they do when they are angry. That which you see everyday is only what he wants us to see.

We are all experts at pretending to be what we aren’t. Moreover, the more important that that one person is to us, the more we hide what we are from them. It’s just natural.

Here’s one that will likely get me in trouble. It is a common thought that one of the best places to meet the person of your dreams is in a church. After all, we should all be equally yoked. It’s biblical. However, it is also one of the worst places to meet a your future mate.

He is going to be at his best behavior in church. He will be hiding his real self from others more while in church than when he is in a bar with all his rowdy buddies. Just saying. Moreover, he will be even more careful not to lose his temper. I mean, we Christians just aren’t supposed to lose our tempers. It’s what we are taught even while we are still in diapers.

But we do. In spite of my best efforts, I lose my temper. I say things that I later wish I hadn’t said and I do things I wish I hadn’t done. Daily, I practice control from the time I wake until the time I sleep. However, it’s a good thing the TV doesn’t get its feelings hurt. My wife does ask me from time to time why I yell at the TV or radio. She said it won’t do any good. On the other side, it doesn’t hurt anyone either. Better I take out my anger at it. Well, maybe there are exceptions. I have managed to keep from losing it bad enough to put my foot through the thing, tempting as it is. I did hear on the news of a sheriff that put a bullet through one. I wonder if he went through any anger management courses.

I don’t know. I am not sure but I think anger is something that only humans have. Generally, when one animal attacks another, it is mostly for self-preservation or food, sort of the same. However, mankind can do some pretty horrid things while angry, especially while under the influence. Oddly, men have been known to kill their wives, the person he’d likely give his life to protect. Both men and women abuse their children while out of control. I simply don’t understand it. And, by the way, some of these people are highly respected members of churches.

I don’t understand it. I have seen it. I have heard of it. A leader of a church loses his temper and a very pleasant, amiable woman ends up in the hospital. Try as I might, I can’t figure it out. Well. I’m not alone. I suspect there are likely many in law enforcement that have seen it more than I have.

Oddly, for this reason, I make two important suggestions. If you are one of those, as me, who has a tendency to lose his temper… when you see you are losing it, walk away… before you do something you will be sorry for later, as I have. It’s why I take a walk when I feel myself hitting the boiling point.

Secondly, advice that is worth all your paying for it, don’t marry someone until you’ve seen him angry. If you have never seen him or her angry, then you don’t know him. I can assure you of it. Besides, it’s common sense. If that person is the type that will resort to physical violence, better to know before the “I dos.”.

One more little thing, a guarantee. If you do not know what he will do when angered before you get married, you will afterward. There are no backspace keys in life. Therefore, be careful before making those those lifelong decisions. Divorces are possible, but it will not erase that mistake that was made.

Tial by Jury

In recent events justice has added a new tool, cameras caried by the police. Personally, for the sake of the officers, I wish that it had been added much sooner. Just a personal opinion. I suspect that it would have likely cleared many officers of false accusations, and more quickly. Perhaps that riot in Saint Luis would have never happened if the officer had a photo of the perp reaching for his gun. Maybe not. Some people just like to riot. Any reason will do. I suspect, too that it would have helped keep the officers on their best behavior, good for police and suspects.

The thing is that it has added a quirk to our justice system. People who are ignorant of our jury system simply don’t understand the reasoning behind not releasing the videos right away. There are some real ones, you know. It is to the advantage of all parties involved.

If the officers are to be prosecuted, they deserve a fair trial with an unbiased jury. If the officers are to be cleared, the authorities making that decision should be able to completely examine the evidence, physical, eyewitnesses as well as the videos. Finally, let’s face it. The video idea is not perfect. Sometimes they provide little or no proof whatsoever.

In any case, if the videos are released to the public, it might make it impossible to grant the officer(s) an impartial jury, being as they might have seen the videos on TV and heard comments by news anchors that will bias a large part of the public. Indeed, it might not be possible at all. It actually might permit the officers to get off on a technicality, though everyone knows they are guilty. At the very least, it will complicate the trial. It might disallow the very videos that might convict them.

Sometimes I wonder. I’m just a high school grad. I never had any law school. But I know these things. I don’t understand why most people are not aware of them. Worst of all, why is it that the media push to see the videos so very much knowing that it might poison the jury pool. Why do they permit some to speak from a podium knowing the complications they introduce.

I just guess they don’t like the idea of impartial juries. Maybe they will one day come to their senses when they are the ones who are relaying on the impartiality of twelve people who, just might have pre-judged them as the result of some news story or stories. Indeed, the innocent reporter might be convicted be a the partial jury.