Comments on: Safety First http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:50:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: The Mahablog » A Message From the Gun Guys http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201437 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:25:26 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201437 [...] I noted in the “Safety First” post that some people (Michelle Malkin among them) have determined that black people cause crime. I hadn’t heard significant numbers of black people were moving to Milwaukee. Oh, wait … The decline of the manufacturing economy is a common factor linking many of these communities. Most of the breweries that defined Milwaukee are gone, as are the automobile parts factories, and that has dealt an economic body blow to tens of thousands of unskilled workers in the city. [...] […] I noted in the “Safety First” post that some people (Michelle Malkin among them) have determined that black people cause crime. I hadn’t heard significant numbers of black people were moving to Milwaukee. Oh, wait … The decline of the manufacturing economy is a common factor linking many of these communities. Most of the breweries that defined Milwaukee are gone, as are the automobile parts factories, and that has dealt an economic body blow to tens of thousands of unskilled workers in the city. […]

]]> by: CMc http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201436 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:22:39 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201436 After a couple of hours watching CNN and MSNBC this morning, I decided to tune into a conservative radio talk-show to see how the righties were reacting. Caught the beginning of Neal Boortz today (Tues). He began by apologizing for his initial reaction yesterday as the news was breaking. By his own admission, his reaction was to ask a question: "Where's Marcus Vick?" Vick, for those who don't know, is a black athlete. His brother, Michael, starred at Tech and now plays quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Marcus, also a gifted athlete, followed his brother to Virginia Tech and had some troubles. Boortz blamed a listener for the suggestion, and apologized for his "joke." After a couple of hours watching CNN and MSNBC this morning, I decided to tune into a conservative radio talk-show to see how the righties were reacting. Caught the beginning of Neal Boortz today (Tues). He began by apologizing for his initial reaction yesterday as the news was breaking. By his own admission, his reaction was to ask a question: “Where’s Marcus Vick?”

Vick, for those who don’t know, is a black athlete. His brother, Michael, starred at Tech and now plays quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Marcus, also a gifted athlete, followed his brother to Virginia Tech and had some troubles.

Boortz blamed a listener for the suggestion, and apologized for his “joke.”

]]> by: Bill H http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201423 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:51:06 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201423 Can't cite the source right now, but it was authoritative: vast majority of people owning handguns for their own protection either shoot themselves, shoot someone innocent by accident, or have the gun taken from them and get shot with it. Unless you are quite well trained, a process that takes many hours, a weapon is mostly dangerous to the person who carries it. Can’t cite the source right now, but it was authoritative: vast majority of people owning handguns for their own protection either shoot themselves, shoot someone innocent by accident, or have the gun taken from them and get shot with it. Unless you are quite well trained, a process that takes many hours, a weapon is mostly dangerous to the person who carries it.

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201422 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:44:09 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201422 Canadian Reader -- every now and then a state puts a concealed carry referendum on the ballot. Nearly always these initiatives are approved in rural areas and fail in urban areas. Having lived in both sorts of places I understand the difference, which is <a href="http://www.mahablog.com/oldsite/2004.09.26_arch.html#1096458884896" rel="nofollow">something I wrote about awhile back</a>. In short, people in sparsely populated areas want to protect themselves from scary strangers. People in densely populated areas are accustomed to seeking safety in crowds (including crowds of strangers) and are more likely to be afraid of stray bullets fired by some whackjob. Canadian Reader — every now and then a state puts a concealed carry referendum on the ballot. Nearly always these initiatives are approved in rural areas and fail in urban areas. Having lived in both sorts of places I understand the difference, which is something I wrote about awhile back. In short, people in sparsely populated areas want to protect themselves from scary strangers. People in densely populated areas are accustomed to seeking safety in crowds (including crowds of strangers) and are more likely to be afraid of stray bullets fired by some whackjob.

]]> by: paulywood http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201421 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:37:49 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201421 Locked and loaded college republicans getting into a hunkered down gun battle in the middle of a university campus at the drop of a hat.... what a bizarre vision of civilization even for Malkin.... Locked and loaded college republicans getting into a hunkered down gun battle in the middle of a university campus at the drop of a hat…. what a bizarre vision of civilization even for Malkin….

]]> by: A Canadian Reader http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201413 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:46:37 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201413 It's easy to see the superficial logic in allowing individuals who have been suitably vetted (though that in itself is a problem) to carry a concealed weapon, but I think that this policy is wrong-headed in the long term. While one brave person with a gun may well have brought down the shooter at Virginia Tech, I shudder to think what life would be like, day in and day out, with everyone being allowed to carry a gun. Even the supposedly most level-headed amongst us have our bad days. Loving mothers who would never raise a hand to their kids sometimes lose it and give their kids a smack on the head. A mild mannered colleague who has just lost a close relative might go into a screaming fit at work, etc. etc. I suspect that the number of murders would trendly significantly upward if people carried around a firearm on a regular basis. People just lose it sometimes and I'd rather not be around such people if they are carrying a weapon. It’s easy to see the superficial logic in allowing individuals who have been suitably vetted (though that in itself is a problem) to carry a concealed weapon, but I think that this policy is wrong-headed in the long term.

While one brave person with a gun may well have brought down the shooter at Virginia Tech, I shudder to think what life would be like, day in and day out, with everyone being allowed to carry a gun. Even the supposedly most level-headed amongst us have our bad days. Loving mothers who would never raise a hand to their kids sometimes lose it and give their kids a smack on the head. A mild mannered colleague who has just lost a close relative might go into a screaming fit at work, etc. etc. I suspect that the number of murders would trendly significantly upward if people carried around a firearm on a regular basis. People just lose it sometimes and I’d rather not be around such people if they are carrying a weapon.

]]> by: Marshall http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201412 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:45:54 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201412 To me, the best argument against universal gun possession is to look at what happens when it is tried. Look, for example, at Lebanon in the 1980s. Everyone was armed. No one was afraid to use their weapons. And yet, somehow, domestic peace and tranquility was lacking. Even in Iraq, everyone had and has an AK-47, and it stopped neither massacres nor dictatorship. So, to me this seems like another fallacy of the last move. Arming all of the students would solve nothing, except maybe to change details of the next outrage. To me, the best argument against universal gun possession is to look at what happens when it is tried. Look, for example, at Lebanon in the 1980s. Everyone was armed. No one was afraid to use their weapons. And yet, somehow, domestic peace and tranquility was lacking.

Even in Iraq, everyone had and has an AK-47, and it stopped neither massacres nor dictatorship.

So, to me this seems like another fallacy of the last move. Arming all of the students would solve nothing, except maybe to change details of the next outrage.

]]> by: Chief http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201375 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:18:43 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201375 Maha, Thanks. I didn't know about NOLA and had heard of but forgotten Tulsa. Maha,

Thanks. I didn’t know about NOLA and had heard of but forgotten Tulsa.

]]> by: c u n d gulag http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201365 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:12:01 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201365 America as "Deadwood" nation. Where every boy can be John Wayne; and every girl Annie Oakley. I can hardly wait. A potential "show-down" any day on any street. The slightest provocation can lead to justifiable homicide. The facts are that guns do kill people. And people kill people. And stupidity kills people. As does anger. And rage. And hatred. And bigotry. The list goes on and on... Just think about some angry, drunken idiot you know. And we all know someone who fits that description. Now think about that person carrying a gun 24/7/365. With a licence to kill.... "Deadwood" nation, here we come... America as “Deadwood” nation.
Where every boy can be John Wayne; and every girl Annie Oakley.
I can hardly wait. A potential “show-down” any day on any street. The slightest provocation can lead to justifiable homicide.
The facts are that guns do kill people. And people kill people. And stupidity kills people. As does anger. And rage. And hatred. And bigotry. The list goes on and on…
Just think about some angry, drunken idiot you know. And we all know someone who fits that description. Now think about that person carrying a gun 24/7/365. With a licence to kill….
“Deadwood” nation, here we come…

]]> by: marijam http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201362 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:41:18 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/04/16/safety-first/#comment-201362 Doug Hughes, I agree with you totally. Is there anything at all that will stop people with an agenda from using any and every tragic event to attempt to further that agenda? Can't people just react and be human? Just as Bush et al didn't stop to think out all of the possible ramifications of all war all the time, I don't think any rightie has even tried to think through the ramifications of "a gun in every person's hands." Doug Hughes, I agree with you totally.

Is there anything at all that will stop people with an agenda from using any and every tragic event to attempt to further that agenda? Can’t people just react and be human?

Just as Bush et al didn’t stop to think out all of the possible ramifications of all war all the time, I don’t think any rightie has even tried to think through the ramifications of “a gun in every person’s hands.”

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