I was raised with firearms. I bought my first rifle when I was 10 years old. To me, a firearm is a tool just as a knife is a tool. I have carried a knife in my pocket since I was in the 4th grade. If you are comfortable around firearms and know how to use and maintain them, then by all means carry one if you want. If you are not comfortable around firearms, or don't know how to use or maintain them, then do not carry a firearm until you learn how to use and maintain them and get comfortable around them. That is what is great about a constitutional right, you have a choice as to whether you want or don't want a firearm.
-
Happy First Use of Insulin to Treat Diabetes (1922)! ⚕️💉
Rethinking Firearms
- Thread starter Black_Fly
- Start date
- Status
My cousin lives just outside Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. One fall day he was out walking his dog near home. He got charged by a pissed off brown bear in hyperphagia. He shot the bear, which died at his feet. This kind of stuff happens often.
I live 6 miles south of Soldotna, Alaska (which is a 3 hour drive south of Anchorage). I live in a small 2 street neighborhood on 1 acre. I have had baby moose born in my backyard, black bear and brown bear in my yard, One night I had a wolf chase a moose through my yard and down the driveway. I have had a small herd of Caribou migrate through my yard. In Alaska, if you step off the road, you are already in wilderness.
Hi Dramey,
My uncle lived out by Sand Lake for years.
The Kenai has it all.
My uncle lived out by Sand Lake for years.
The Kenai has it all.
In our little town, in The Middle of Nowhere Ontario, petty crime has increased a lot, mostly due to the crystal meth. The locals call the meth "Jib". As in, "holy, that guy is right jibbed out". Or "I saw your cousin jibbing the other night". The jibbers come out late at night. They are mostly looking for unlocked vehicles or garages, and they will steal things and sell them. I have had jibbers on my property late at night, but everything is locked up, so they move on. I taught most of them, so feel bad that they are locked in this horrible drug addiction now. Some of my neighbours have said they want to shoot them, but that's reactionary, in my opinion. I can't see pointing a firearm at anyone unless there is an immediate threat of harm. So far, they are just harmless petty thieves.
We also have a parade of black bears through our town every spring and fall, although I suspect not so much this fall, as the blueberry crop is fantastic this year. Sometimes they get shot, but I find throwing a cat on their heads usually drives most of them off.
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- Mar 20, 2013
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Well I’ve been up in the Yukon for a bit over 23 years now and spent lots of time in the bush, actually our house is on the green belt and that green belt is maybe well over 1million square km I could start walking straight out from my back yard and not see anything for hundreds if not thousands of km, so we have it all right there on our back steps, blacks, griz, moose, deers, coyotes, wolfs, wolverines, name it we have it! We go on wilderness trips multiple times a year all year around in all seasons, +30c to -55c and everting in between, we hunt, fish, paddle, hike, ski...... we MTB bike a lot(Yukon was named a few years back by outside magazine a premium destination for single track mtb) I don’t carry a gun every time I go out, I grew up around guns, I shot thousands of rounds from 22 to 338 WM with some 44 mag single action handguns and 45 ACP 9mm 357 38sp, 12, 20 gauges, 410.... I hunt to feed my family!! Last week on the way back from a sheep hunt we stoped for a drink and 20 yards away a huge black bear was walking minding its own business we talked to him held at him whistle to him and he didn’t even look at us!
I have to say that during hunting season I always have my Ruder #1 in 30-06 with me and it make me feel good... but the rest of the time I have a bear spray and I’m happy too!! If a psychopath come at me, a bear spray will take care of it pretty good!! If it can take care of a 800lbs griz, it can take care of a nut case human!!
I have to say that during hunting season I always have my Ruder #1 in 30-06 with me and it make me feel good... but the rest of the time I have a bear spray and I’m happy too!! If a psychopath come at me, a bear spray will take care of it pretty good!! If it can take care of a 800lbs griz, it can take care of a nut case human!!
Always wanted a Ruger #1, but couldn't come up with the dough. I bought this econo-version for moose hunting this year. Henry single shot in .308. Think I will leave it un-scoped, it's such a light and sweet gun, perfect for canoe hunting.
Believe what you want, but don't say you don't want to debate crime statistics and trends in one breath and then continue arguing in the next breath that "many types of crime" are up where you "live and frequent." I don't know where you frequent, but as to where you live, here are the violent crime and property crime stats for Connecticut 2000-2018 (last full year available). Not only is the total crime index way down, every specific type of reported violent crime, with the regrettable exception of forcible rape, and every type of property crime is way down from where it was in 2000. The trend actually goes back much further. Same if we look at 2010 as the benchmark, where the only other crime with even a slight uptick (other than forcible rape) is vehicle theft. You may feel many types of crime are on the rise over the last decade, but it just isn't so at the national level or in the State of Connecticut. Yes, drug usage and drug dealing may well be up since those "victimless" crimes aren't covered by these stats; but if drugs were leading to an uptick in violent crimes or property crimes those drug-related violent crimes and property crimes would show up in these stats.
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/ctcrime.htm [TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Year[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Population[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Index[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Violent[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Property[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Murder[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Forcible Rape[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Robbery[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Aggracted assault[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Burglary[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Larceny-Theft[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Vehicle Theft[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2000[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,405,565[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]110,091[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]11,058[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]99,033[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]98[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]678[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,832[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,450[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]17,436[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]68,498[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]13,099[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2001[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,434,602[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]106,791[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]11,492[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]95,299[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]105[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]639[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,183[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,565[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]17,159[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]65,762[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]12,378[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2002[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,458,587[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]104,223[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,807[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]93,426[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]84[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]740[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,069[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]5,914[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]17,111[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]64,735[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]11,580[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2003[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,486,960[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]103,026[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]11,045[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]92,981[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]112[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]698[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,212[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,023[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]16,043[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]65,043[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]11,370[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2004[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,498,966[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]103,093[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,112[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]93,942[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]100[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]755[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,188[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]5,070[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]15,959[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]66,770[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]11,213[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2005[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,500,701[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]98,336[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]9,542[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]89,794[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]105[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]712[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,933[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,792[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]15,245[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]64,416[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,609[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2006[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,504,809[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]97,605[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]9,841[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]87,764[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]108[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]636[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,241[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,856[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]14,694[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]62,680[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,390[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2007[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,502,309[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]93,017[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]8,965[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]84,052[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]106[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]658[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,607[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,594[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]15,162[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]59,723[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]9,167[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2008[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,502,932[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]97,947[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,737[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]87,210[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]132[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]680[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,043[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]5,882[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]15,107[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]63,212[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]8,891[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2009[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,518,288[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]93,213[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,588[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]82,625[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]106[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]657[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,001[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]5,824[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]15,172[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]59,992[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]7,461[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]*Forcible[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Aggravated[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Larceny-[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Vehicle[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Year[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Population[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Index[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Violent[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Property[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Murder[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Rape*[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Robbery[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]assault[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Burglary[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Theft[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]Theft[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2010[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,575,498[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]88,342[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,083[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]78,259[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]133[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]595[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,553[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]5,802[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]15,145[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]56,413[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,701[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2011[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,586,717[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]87,094[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]9,889[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]77,205[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]129[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]689[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,689[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]5,382[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]15,468[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]55,067[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,670[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2012[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,591,765[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]87,352[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,183[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]77,169[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]117[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]933[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,709[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]5,424[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]14,787[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]55,904[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,478[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2013[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,599,341[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]80,713[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]9,439[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]71,274[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]91[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]647[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,551[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,906[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]12,934[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]52,099[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,241[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2014[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,594,762[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]77,901[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]8,575[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]69,326[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]89[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]579[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,172[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,520[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]12,017[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]51,195[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,114[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2015[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,584,730[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]73,548[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]7,938[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]65,610[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]116[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]585[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2,925[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,099[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,286[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]48,898[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]6,426[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2016[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,587,685[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]73,044[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]8,169[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]64,875[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]79[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]791[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2,711[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,588[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]10,107[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]47,642[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]7,126[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2017[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,573,880[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]71,836[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]8,190[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]63,646[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]105[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]850[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2,813[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,422[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]8,906[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]47,418[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]7,322[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2018[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]3,572,665[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]67,466[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]7,411[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]60,055[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]83[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]840[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]2,194[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]4,294[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]7,948[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]44,724[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #ffffff"]7,383[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
What makes them punks? Having taught thousands of students I often found the scariest looking kids were some of the coolest. You sure they didn't want to ask you why you put lining lines on a Magic?
Seems like an over reaction to flash your weapon just because your scared of some kids approaching you in a very public space. Use the tool in your head before you flash the tool on your belt. I don't carry unless hunting which is increasingly rare these days. I have a number of close friends who carry and some that are dealers and collectors all of which I have talked to extensively about guns. My fear is that a bunch of people with out training are getting their conceal carry permit. The dealers are worried because most of their new CPL customers have shot about ten rounds before CPL issuance. They have had to train customers how to load revolvers. That is down right scary to think these folks have a CPL.
G
Guest
Guest
dang, is the Heart of the Shawnee Nation on the outskirts of Aleppo?
I grew up with guns and still own guns. I keep a 12G in the truck when travelling and occasionally carry when tripping. In the course of 16 cross country trips, everywhere from Maine to the Everglades, the Mexican Border to the Olympic Peninsula, including an 18 month long trip when I lived in my truck, I have never felt so threatened that I needed to aim or even display a firearm.
I am not naive, but am hard pressed to believe that was simply a 45 year run of good luck.
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Always wanted a Ruger #1, but couldn't come up with the dough. I bought this econo-version for moose hunting this year. Henry single shot in .308. Think I will leave it un-scoped, it's such a light and sweet gun, perfect for canoe hunting.
That Henry look great!! I will have to look it up!! A friend of mine just got a Haenel in 308 and man that is a sweet gun and only 4.75lbs!!
I am young in my mid forties and think culture, technology and many other things are changing faster and faster each year. It is a little scary to me but it has little affect on my life. I assume that has happened to every proceeding generation yet at a slower pace. I have found many people older then 30 who say when I was a kid it was better. Kids had this or that and were what ever. It was always better back then and has only gotten worse. That happens generation after generation. This believe persists even though we have made steady progress in a positive direction on most measures generation after generation. There are aspects that are lost and others gained but our memories are selectively rosy. When I grew up in the 80s and 90s the world was safe according to my memories but crime was many times higher then this decades statistics. Change is inevitable and not nearly as bad as is often perceived. That conclusion on my part has taken some effort for me to realize because I think we have evolved to feel other wise.
G
Guest
Guest
I commend the posters here for the generally respectful tone used while discussing an inherently controversial subject.
I believe we've pretty well covered it now, and I suggest we stop posting on this thread while we are ahead.
I believe we've pretty well covered it now, and I suggest we stop posting on this thread while we are ahead.
I wonder how much our media environment hijacks our biological programing leading us to the believe of increased crime and loss of civility. The Facebook, twitter, Instagram etc. throw ads and info based on our clicks to similar media and intern sell advertising. We have evolved to watch our 6's and head the warnings so media picks out the inevitable crazy nuts and scary stuff to advertise to us. Many times we can't help but click the article that was tailored to illicit a emotional response. We are creeping up on 8 billion people on the planet. Canada is about 38 million the USA is pushing 330 million. I am sure it is not hard to find excellent examples of humanities dark side. The scary gets clicks and encourages one to watch till the end of the nightly news. All the good stuff doesn't get the clicks except maybe kittens.
I think a prime example is the Black Live Matter protesters in the USA and around the world. There have been thousands of protest and millions of protesters but the hundreds maybe even a thousand protesters looted and rioted. So for simplicity say 1000 looters divided by 1 million protesters works out to 0.1 percent. The many news sources spend a lot more time talking about the 0.1 percent versus the 99.9 percent. It gets clicks and sells advertising and makes money. It does not get clicks or illicit emotional responses to explain the reasons why and the complicated nuances of societal responses to complicated grey issues. Humans have a natural tendency to look for patterns that fit with our ethos. It often takes hard work on my part and often others to get me to understand my bias. Most media based on the system we have inevitably selects for what makes money not what enlighten minds. Three cheers to fear, sex and mayhem to distract us all from our real dangers.
Screw the glaciers save my coffee! This is the scariest news I have heard in a long time.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=6IN4ZcZAUbA&feature=emb_logo
I think a prime example is the Black Live Matter protesters in the USA and around the world. There have been thousands of protest and millions of protesters but the hundreds maybe even a thousand protesters looted and rioted. So for simplicity say 1000 looters divided by 1 million protesters works out to 0.1 percent. The many news sources spend a lot more time talking about the 0.1 percent versus the 99.9 percent. It gets clicks and sells advertising and makes money. It does not get clicks or illicit emotional responses to explain the reasons why and the complicated nuances of societal responses to complicated grey issues. Humans have a natural tendency to look for patterns that fit with our ethos. It often takes hard work on my part and often others to get me to understand my bias. Most media based on the system we have inevitably selects for what makes money not what enlighten minds. Three cheers to fear, sex and mayhem to distract us all from our real dangers.
Screw the glaciers save my coffee! This is the scariest news I have heard in a long time.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=6IN4ZcZAUbA&feature=emb_logo
Not sure why you're so statistically invested in a tangential comment I made, Al, but I've obviously been unclear. Please allow me to reframe my comment.
The topic was my personal purchase of my first gun in 2011. I noted that my wife was opposed to having a gun in our home and even threatened to leave me. I later commented that, about 10 years later, she now is in favor of having the gun in our home and even encourages me to get shells and practice with it.
The reason for my wife's change of heart over that time period is the increased probability of crime in our neighborhood -- not elsewhere in the U.S. or Connecticut. Home defense is about the locality of the HOME, nowhere else. We are also both professionally aware that drug and alcohol addiction has increased in our area. She just retired this week after more than 40 years as an psych-addiction nurse and I've been a volunteer in that field for 31 years. Thus, my reference to crime was solely in the context of explaining my wife's change of view about the reasonableness in having a shotgun for defense of possible crimes against OUR home or against us on OUR property. I did not intend to make claims about nation- or state-wide FBI crime statistics.
It's also true, in my opinion, that it's now more risky to park and sleep in my van in many of the public places that I used to on my way to and from canoe trips, many of which are now much more populated.
My references to the decline in civility, family, religious and social structures in America I believe are factually self-evident to anyone familiar with history, especially to anyone my age, but I choose not to elaborate further because I consider most of that to be off topic.
Back to guns on canoe trips: In the early 80's in California I used to canoe trip with a guy who ha some sort of handgun/rifle hybrid, maybe about 20 inches long. Maybe it was an illegal weapon. I always felt safe boating with him, especially after he blew away a rattlesnake near our tents. When I visited Alaska five years ago, my friend always carried a revolver in his car and on our canoe trips, and usually put it in the back pocket of his jeans while walking around. I noticed similar bulges on many folks in Alaska, and one shuttle guy I used had a handgun on his dashboard. Again, I felt very safe in Alaska when paddling among the pistol packing proletariat.
I'm very impressed with how this thread panned out. No heavy-handed "moderator"-action required. Thank you Robin and Doug for creating and maintaining this international treasure.
One may as well ask, why are you so invested in your unsupported (and almost certainly false) beliefs about rising crime and violence?
Of course, without knowing the specific locations involved and whether the data is granular to that level, I can't say with complete certainty that your perceptions of your risk are contradicted by the statistical evidence. But it seems highly improbable that not only your neighborhood but all those places you park your van are all simultaneously bucking a decades-long, steep, well-documented overall decrease in violent crime and property crime, both in Connecticut and across the entire United States.
With all due respect to your wife's decades-long professional work in psych addiction and your volunteer efforts in that field, those experiences do nothing to validate your opinions about increased violence and crime levels in your neighborhood or otherwise. Indeed, it is an example of a well-known logical fallacy known as "the appeal to authority." Many people, including well-educated professional people, are astonishingly bad at assessing the everyday risks they face. Hence statistics are useful. I assumed that, as a rational person, you would be very interested in learning that, statistically, violence and crime over the last decade is going in exactly the opposite direction from what you perceive and that having that knowledge might make you feel a little better or at least a little bit safer. It is obvious to me now that I was utterly and completely wrong in that assumption and that you will continue to believe what you will believe.
Revise your comments to your heart's content, Glenn. But I take issue with your attempt to gaslight me and say you didn't intend to comment on rising crime and violence on a nation-wide level. That demonstrably false attempt at face-saving is designed to make me look foolish for referencing crime statistics for the the U.S. in response to your post. Your original point was in no way limited to your neighborhood and was clear and unambiguous. It was directed, at least in part, to the supposedly rising level of violence and crime in the entire U.S over the last decade. "What has changed in the last 10 years is the continued decline of family, religious and social structure in America, increased violence and crime, and a general decline and fall of civility, if not of American civilization itself." And, at least with respect to the increased violence and crime piece, that's just bunk.
Well, all disputing aside, if they ever open the border again, I'm coming to the good ol US of A, cause I want to shoot some big handguns. Just kidd'n, I will come to see my internet pals, but if any of you took me to shoot big handguns I would be in, lol.
I like FoxyOtters post. The United States has maintained the status quo of racism and a caste system for 400 years. The current president has amplified all of the problems associated with the current system with reckless and divisive rhetoric. Dissent is how societies advance. I look forward to some healing and normalization with Uncle Joe at the helm.
The US is full of pissed off people right now and half of them have guns. I am going to stay armed. I like single shot rifles for hunting, but they are not the best for protection.
The US is full of pissed off people right now and half of them have guns. I am going to stay armed. I like single shot rifles for hunting, but they are not the best for protection.
- Status