OT This happened right in my subdivision

[MBXB]

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=31307

Gotta check that fence that backs up to the wetlands or I'll lose a dog, kid or wife.

[632 Regal]

wierd, says attacked but nothing about her current condition. I assume she isn't going to do that ever again.

[ryan roopnarine]

this is the gun-shine state....


i'm earnestly surprised that no one started extra-judicially shooting them when they get close to civilization because of the "spate" of attacks that have occured in the last month or so.

[onewhippedpuppy]

wierd, says attacked but nothing about her current condition. I assume she isn't going to do that ever again.

It's at the bottom.
"A spokesman for the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's office says the alligator played a role in Cooper's death."

[MBXB]

http://news.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBW7ZQW7NE.html

They found her arm in the gators stomach.

[Gayle]

Hubby tells me that gators can run faster than people even with those little stubby legs. But gators don't corner well so the only way to escape them is to make turns.

Whats the deal with gators lately? They have been picking adults off left and right. I understand that is not normal.

[KenB]

They're shooting bears here in New Jersey because of encroachment on Suburbia. Seems a State Trooper was real proud of removing the menace to society after emtying seven rounds from a shotgun into the offending pic-a-nic basket stealer.

Yogi: "HeeeYY BooBoo! I found us a nice pic-a-nic___"
Blam x7
BooBoo: "WTF Mr. Ranger??

[Gearhead]

Well, I'm down here in Orlando, and we're having the same issues. The bitch of it is that this state recently passed SB436/Castle Doctrine legislation http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/Read.aspx?ID=1392 which "Removes the 'duty to retreat' in the face of attack" when it comes to a dangerous assailant. However, it's a FELONY to kill a gator, punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Let's see..... Bad bart shows up and threatens me or my family with a reasonable "fear for my/their" life and I can put a .45 hollow point between his eyes. But if my 3 year-old is playing in our yard and a wild gator comes in and want's to eat her, I have to call animal control, because if I shoot him, I'm going to prison.

WTF!?! Anyone else see the fundamental issue at hand here?

[Alexlind123]

It's at the bottom.
"A spokesman for the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's office says the alligator played a role in Cooper's death."

Thats a stunning and insightful conclusion, given that the victims arms were found in the gator's body...

[onewhippedpuppy]

More animal rights activists than criminal advocates? In good old KS, you can put a hole in anything that poses a threat to your family. A while back two men with prior issues got into it, one of them came to the other's trailer and started threatening him. He was quickly shut up when he was shot with a shotgun through the front door. No charges filed.

[Bill R.]

gator came along and chomped on the remains... I think thats what they are trying to determine now as far as cause of death.




Thats a stunning and insightful conclusion, given that the victims arms were found in the gator's body...

[MBXB]

Gators can sprint up to 30 mph for quite a distance;
They also have a 5 ft vertical leap.

[MBXB]

I think the gator thing is a Federal issue cause the gator is on the endangered species list.
The Castle Doctrine was a State law.

Time to think of starting a handbag and briefcase business!!





Well, I'm down here in Orlando, and we're having the same issues. The bitch of it is that this state recently passed SB436/Castle Doctrine legislation http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/Read.aspx?ID=1392 which "Removes the 'duty to retreat' in the face of attack" when it comes to a dangerous assailant. However, it's a FELONY to kill a gator, punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Let's see..... Bad bart shows up and threatens me or my family with a reasonable "fear for my/their" life and I can put a .45 hollow point between his eyes. But if my 3 year-old is playing in our yard and a wild gator comes in and want's to eat her, I have to call animal control, because if I shoot him, I'm going to prison.

WTF!?! Anyone else see the fundamental issue at hand here?

[Zeuk in Oz]

Gayle, Gayle, Gayle !

How many times do we have to tell you !

Pick on Scots month was LAST month ! ;) (See jokes thread).

Please get with it ! :D

[Bleeding_Knuckles]

My wife has a purse lik that, amybe she wanted to make her own?

[632 Regal]

maybe someone pissed on their parade?

Hubby tells me that gators can run faster than people even with those little stubby legs. But gators don't corner well so the only way to escape them is to make turns.

Whats the deal with gators lately? They have been picking adults off left and right. I understand that is not normal.

[genphreak]

More animal rights activists than criminal advocates? In good old KS, you can put a hole in anything that poses a threat to your family. A while back two men with prior issues got into it, one of them came to the other's trailer and started threatening him. He was quickly shut up when he was shot with a shotgun through the front door. No charges filed.I'm glad I don't have to work there as a lawyer- trying to make sense of laws you guys have;
It's OK to kill if you can manufacture wars with lies about oil.
It's OK to kill (actively lead and participate in) the destruction of the planet itself- and create destractions in the form of 'new wars on (new) terrorists' and freeing countries (but only worthwhile ones like Kuwait...)
It's OK to let millions of people die all over the planet (such as theSudan, Rwanda, etc.).
It's OK to kill criminals and other people your government and civil servants choose to call terrorists without abiding by UN conventions on PoWs.
It's OK to kill people if a jury thinks they 'deserve it'
It's OK kill if in self defence (without a court hearing/deciding on the matter),
It's OK to kill Endangered species, criminals that attack, break into you house, etc, etc.The thing no-one gets is that ever since humans evolved on this planet they've been killed through misadventure, mistake & stupidity. There are a lot of stupid people out there. The biggest killer is transportation. Yet we think it is OK to kill an endangered species when the planet certainly needs them a whole lot more than it needs us.

"Investigators examined the stomach contents of the eight-and-a-half-foot alligator..." same thing happens here in Oz with shark attacks, all the gun-ho types come out to find the offending one whenever someone gets muched or eaten for being in the Shark's habitat (re which is either stupid or a calculated risk taken knowingly by the individual), so it is really just bad luck for the person involved. Bad luck happens, exactly as does ****.

Why can no-one get over that? Is it right to shoot the bears, the crocs, the urangutans, polar bears, etc. etc. whilst their habitat's are all the while destroyed by us?

Laws that allow killing people are stupid enough. If only we did have laws that allowed killing (at least) the stupid people that make them (in a humane fashion I can't imagine) as we really don't need them... (joking) no seriously if you don't know why people must not allow each other to be killed (in any situation) it is simple: It is because we can't be trusted not to do so. And the moment we say it is OK one way, it becomes OK in another. And then it becomes OK to hate. And take away freedoms for security purproses, and so on down the line until you end of with personalities progressively worse than Bush, Chaney and Rumsfeld in power with complete control. If this happens, they will become Hitler's without any enemy, other than those within 'their own peoples'.

The point is, why the hell kill any salient being, let alone an endangered species? They do what they do; it is no fault of theirs. We shouldn't be going near them, and if we do, its our tough luck what happens. Florida has very important wetlands, why is it beyond our intelligence to keep the hell out of them? And why don't we tell the media to quit telling us what we already know (that people are stupid and die every day) when we have much more pressing concerns to understand and address? :( Nick

ps an interesting fact concerning stupidity; 99% of all fatal snake bites in Australia are sustained by men. The reason is women don't try to kill snakes- only men are stupid enough to do this. Perhaps the sad thing is that the snakes rarely succeed in defending themselves or their families...

[Gayle]

Gayle, Gayle, Gayle !

How many times do we have to tell you !

Pick on Scots month was LAST month ! ;) (See jokes thread).

Please get with it ! :D


I don't get it and I don't usually read the jokes thread. You mean I have to read 42 jokes in this months thread to understand your post? Help me out. Give me the post #. I am afraid I will wade through all 42 only to find out the reference is in last months thread.

Edit: Oh I just realized you mean my sig pic. I was trying to relate your comment to alligators or short legs or something. I am not picking on Scots. My husband and I are both of Scottish ancestry. I am just trying to represent the female perspective here.

[Bleeding_Knuckles]

want everything given to you? participate and learn my good fellow

I don't get it and I don't usually read the jokes thread. You mean I have to read 42 jokes in this months thread to understand your post?

Help me out. Give me the post #. I am afraid I will wade through all 42 only to find out the reference is in last months thread.

Edit: Oh I just realized you mean my sig pic. I was trying to relate your comment to alligators or short legs or something. I am not picking on Scots. My husband and I are both of Scottish ancestry. I am just trying to represent the female perspective here.

[Alexlind123]

I'm glad I don't have to work there as a lawyer- trying to make sense of laws you guys have;[LIST]
It's OK to kill if you can manufacture wars with lies about oil.
It's OK to kill (actively lead and participate in) the destruction of the planet itself- and create destractions in the form of 'new wars on (new) terrorists' and freeing countries (but only worthwhile ones like Kuwait...)
It's OK to let millions of people die all over the planet (such as theSudan, Rwanda, etc.).

The war in iraq may have been based on faulty intel, but it has probably saved thousands of american civillian lives from terrorist attacks. How can you call the removal of an evil and corrupt government (known to aid and abett terrorists) from power "destruction"? We can only do so much good in the world, and it makes sense that we would do it in such a way as to be most advantageous to everyone - its a hell of a lot more than your country does, in any case.


It's OK kill if in self defence (without a court hearing/deciding on the matter), In a kill or be killed situation, what would you do?



It's OK to kill Endangered species, criminals that attack, break into you house, etc, etc. How do you find that illogical? Dont you think that the animals would do the same to us if we tried to snatch their baby crocs/cubs or trample their nests?



Why can no-one get over that? Is it right to shoot the bears, the crocs, the urangutans, polar bears, etc. etc. whilst their habitat's are all the while destroyed by us?
Please dont tell me that you think human life doesnt take precendence over animal life. In any case, thats what endagered species lists are for; to protect species from senseless slaughter like our buffalos faced at one time.


We shouldn't be going near them, and if we do, its our tough luck what happens.

Thats why everyone should carry a gun with them, to protect themselves from things like this. It is a proven fact that gun-weilding societies have a lower crime rate than those where guns are illegal (take a look at your own country). Besides, it was their own freaking neighborhood!!!

[632 Regal]

WoW
The war in iraq may have been based on faulty intel, but it has probably saved thousands of american civillian lives from terrorist attacks. How can you call the removal of an evil and corrupt government (known to aid and abett terrorists) from power "destruction"? We can only do so much good in the world, and it makes sense that we would do it in such a way as to be most advantageous to everyone - its a hell of a lot more than your country does, in any case.
In a kill or be killed situation, what would you do?

How do you find that illogical? Dont you think that the animals would do the same to us if we tried to snatch their baby crocs/cubs or trample their nests?


Please dont tell me that you think human life doesnt take precendence over animal life. In any case, thats what endagered species lists are for; to protect species from senseless slaughter like our buffalos faced at one time.

Thats why everyone should carry a gun with them, to protect themselves from things like this. It is a proven fact that gun-weilding societies have a lower crime rate than those where guns are illegal (take a look at your own country). Besides, it was their own freaking neighborhood!!!

[Alexlind123]

University of Chicago economist John Lott studied crime statistics in states that have "relaxed" laws about carrying guns. He found that the crime rates in "right to carry" states went down, sometimes way down, after passing legislation allowing responsible adults to carry guns. Murders fell an average of 8 percent, rapes 5 percent and aggravated assaults 7 percent, while at the same time in the U.S. as a whole murders went up 24 percent, rapes went up 71 percent, and assaults went up more than 100 percent. And in those states, the death rate in mass public shootings -- such as a crazed gunman opening fire in a crowded restaurant -- dropped 69 percent, while deaths from accidental shootings increased by only about one per year. Hardly a gun freak, Lott has never been a member of the National Rifle Association and didn't even own a gun when he started his study. But once he saw how clearly the statistics were turning out, he bought one. (Time) ..."An armed society is a polite society." --Robert A. Heinlein.

[Gayle]

want everything given to you? participate and learn my good fellow


Did you read my whole post? It is not my good fellow. It is my good lady.
And I do participate (1,733 posts) and learn here--just not from the joke thread.

[Bleeding_Knuckles]

either you are a good fellow or a really big good lady, picture in yout post tells something to me- no foffence intended
Did you read my whole post? It is not my good fellow. It is my good lady.

[632 Regal]

amen... the right to bear arms.
University of Chicago economist John Lott studied crime statistics in states that have "relaxed" laws about carrying guns. He found that the crime rates in "right to carry" states went down, sometimes way down, after passing legislation allowing responsible adults to carry guns. Murders fell an average of 8 percent, rapes 5 percent and aggravated assaults 7 percent, while at the same time in the U.S. as a whole murders went up 24 percent, rapes went up 71 percent, and assaults went up more than 100 percent. And in those states, the death rate in mass public shootings -- such as a crazed gunman opening fire in a crowded restaurant -- dropped 69 percent, while deaths from accidental shootings increased by only about one per year. Hardly a gun freak, Lott has never been a member of the National Rifle Association and didn't even own a gun when he started his study. But once he saw how clearly the statistics were turning out, he bought one. (Time) ..."An armed society is a polite society." --Robert A. Heinlein.

[ThoreauHD]

Alex is correct. The only thing government can do when your life is threatened is the autopsy. So carry a gun and defend yourself or prepare to have your genes removed from the gene pool.

[Bill R.]

tripe? John lott and his co author don't stand up to any scrutiny as to be expected. How convenient that he lost his data on the computer....
If you have done any research you'll see that most of his funding came from the Olin foundation, ring any bells? A little followup to some of the Lott fairlytales
(http://www.bradycampaign.org/press/release.php?release=449)
And I am a gunowner and a former NRA member

Also I'm a fan of Heinlein and have read everything he's ever printed. Here's a few more quotes of his (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_a_heinlein.html)
and keep in mind that all these "quotes" were quotes of characters of his in science fiction novels


University of Chicago economist John Lott studied crime statistics in states that have "relaxed" laws about carrying guns. He found that the crime rates in "right to carry" states went down, sometimes way down, after passing legislation allowing responsible adults to carry guns. Murders fell an average of 8 percent, rapes 5 percent and aggravated assaults 7 percent, while at the same time in the U.S. as a whole murders went up 24 percent, rapes went up 71 percent, and assaults went up more than 100 percent. And in those states, the death rate in mass public shootings -- such as a crazed gunman opening fire in a crowded restaurant -- dropped 69 percent, while deaths from accidental shootings increased by only about one per year. Hardly a gun freak, Lott has never been a member of the National Rifle Association and didn't even own a gun when he started his study. But once he saw how clearly the statistics were turning out, he bought one. (Time) ..."An armed society is a polite society." --Robert A. Heinlein.

[ryan roopnarine]

why the hell do i say the **** i do out loud.

i don't eat meat, yet im surprised that no one has been extra judicially shooting these things when they start walking into neighborhoods.

as somebody who has a terribly vested interest in seeing the florida concealed laws persisting in a similar manner as they are now.....the "no retreat in public part of the castle doctrine business has gotten off on a terrible start. the first recorded use of the "no retreat" law in florida was a tow truck drive who shot a man in the parking lot of a mall (who he was attempting to tow) whose story stinks to high hell. i live in florida, and i didn't even hear about it on the news, i had to have somebody on fark.com tell me. towtruck drivers are certainly shifty characters, yes, but i was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. until, that is, i heard the details of the story--which sound like they played out EXACTLY in the manner in which i've heard people "fantasize" about this law applying to them..mostly among 18-28 YO's that have been NRA members since they were born, and should know better. though i really dislike the NRA, i've been thinking that i should find a meeting and ask to speak to their membership for a minute or two about this, these (people) are their children. i'm honestly shocked after hearing people talk about the way that law applies to them.

[onewhippedpuppy]

genphreak, somehow I think the situation would be different if it were you. If an alligator came into your backyard and went after your child, would you simply throw up your hands and say, "Darwin was right"? I agree that often people are being stupid, and have it coming to them, but the removal of our right to legally defend ourselves is just idiotic. I also agree that much of the problems are due to our encroaching on animals' natural domain, a trend that needs to be arrested with better conservation efforts. As for the rest of your rant, I'll just leave that alone.

[ryan roopnarine]

ahhhh that's why

no, there's no federal law prohibiting the hunting of the things. you can't shoot them because there is a designated "gator season" for which you can purchase permits for.

http://www.floridaconservation.org/whatsnew/04/gatorhunting-st.html

but it starts in july. if they have permits for it, they might just bump the season back a month or so that it will start in june or so......
whoo boy, i can see a metric buttload of "discharging a firearm within city limits" charges popping up when people obtain permits and then go hunting in the city......"but, but, but...i have a permit"

hence me saying "extrajudicially" prior. nobody to charge if no one is around to fess up to it.

[Gayle]

either you are a good fellow or a really big good lady, picture in yout post tells something to me- no foffence intended


If you think that is me, you are seriously literal. You probably think that car in angry pancake's sig is really his car. And you think that penis in Winfred's sig pic is Winfred's penis.

If you want to know what I really look like, go to my profile. And FYI, when I change my sig pic next time, it is going to be a horse--and that is not me either.

[genphreak]

tripe? John lott and his co author don't stand up to any scrutiny as to be expected. How convenient that he lost his data on the computer....
If you have done any research you'll see that most of his funding came from the Olin foundation, ring any bells? A little followup to some of the Lott fairlytales
(http://www.bradycampaign.org/press/release.php?release=449)
And I am a gunowner and a former NRA member

Also I'm a fan of Heinlein and have read everything he's ever printed. Here's a few more quotes of his (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_a_heinlein.html)
and keep in mind that all these "quotes" were quotes of characters of his in science fiction novelsBill he is not being serious in anything he is writing. He is goading everybody on...

I was beginning to think he was actually serious about what he stated in reply to my earlier post mentioning the subject.

Of course crime will usually go down when law permits gun ownership. Though why one needs guns within any population not actually engaged in an organised conflict is beyond me...

The reason is simple. How long does it actually take for uptake of guns to permeate weapons out to all the people wanting to carry them? After all it is only once a significant number of people actually own one that the stats will be worth consideration; probably best to consider what happens once people have made their 3rd of 4th purchase, so that all the 'spare', outdated guns have been handed down to family members for use, (sorry I mean taking to) school and so on... perhaps then you start to see the stats the other states are describing... anyway, who would have paid for it if the NRA didn't (in some roundabout or politically motivated way)?

Of course I can tell you it is all ******** without being a prof or doing a study. Simple equations too: )

As a kid I once went to school in (what I thought to be at the time) a war zone. For a 12 year old it was. I feared for my life on occassion, (kids were killed there each year). Racial battles were waged every day and the police or an ambulance was called every lunch time. If those kids had guns (or could have got them), I know they would have used them the moment they got them... and I was scared (despite knowing guns were practically impossible to obtain). But if I could have got one, I would have taken one. I even thought about it. But I couldn't get one. Not a knife, but a gun yes- I could defeat anyone with a gun, I thought. I could take them all out if I had to. In the street, at school... I would have been invincible. Intoxicating stuff for a junior who wanted to be like his older brother and wanted to be noticed, perhaps even respected... (so I perished the thought fast enough, and bought a Bimmer as fast as possible instead (yeaaaaaaaaaaaa serious and instantaeous reshpekt bruddas!)

People, do you really feel safe knowing that every crazed freak that might ask you (or your children) for money or drugs in the street could easily be gripping a gun in their pocket with the latch off? And if you are the type to arm your kids, do you really feel good about their chances facing off with these types? A 12 year old against a 16 year old addict carrying a semi-automatic for example? What would be their chances of beating such characters? If you take them to school in a reinforced hummer to avoid the hordes, what will you do when these vagrants buy ort steal anti-tank devices, or bigger hummers or trucks suitable for ramming you? Is this an arms race you can win with such despos, with you, your wallet for a budget and your children as soldiers? How will the local PD manage this? Will they call the troops back from more important tasks overseas then?

And who will benefit? How will they continue to garner votes and stay in power? Am I wrong? Is there really not already a domestic arms-race going on?

[onewhippedpuppy]

People, do you really feel safe knowing that every crazed freak that might ask you (or your children) for money or drugs in the street could easily be gripping a gun in their pocket with the latch off?

That's the way it is already. I don't worry about the person that jumped through all the hoops, training courses, etc for a concealed carry permit. I worry about the guy that bought a .45 in a dark alley. Drugs are illegal, and yet, people still seem to acquire them. It's naive to think that stiffer controls on guns will keep them out of criminals' hands. And I seriously doubt if anyone is suggesting arming kids at school, that's just stupid.

[genphreak]

genphreak, somehow I think the situation would be different if it were you. If an alligator came into your backyard and went after your child, would you simply throw up your hands and say, "Darwin was right"? I agree that often people are being stupid, and have it coming to them, but the removal of our right to legally defend ourselves is just idiotic. I also agree that much of the problems are due to our encroaching on animals' natural domain, a trend that needs to be arrested with better conservation efforts. As for the rest of your rant, I'll just leave that alone.Sorry about the verbosity... yes you might be right about me if it was my yard- we all have built in instincts that ensure we conquer all comers. But I like to think I would find a better way to avoid it, rather than face it, at some point.

It just pisses me just like the idiot that moves in next to the pub and complains about the noise (near me they did that to every pub, the bands were stopped and now people don't go and some have closed down. Or the yuppies that bought into the new units behind my building and complain about our air conditioning systems making noise during the day. I mean, if they offered to soundproof it, or got their developer to do something about it that'd be fine, but no, they goto council and get an order making us pay. (It is not above any noise limits). The council is wary of a block of self-interested, voting yuppies of course.

But that's Democracy and the dollar, freedom to be above anything if you can find a way. For these people we need biopods and a Matrix to insert them into. They don't know how to be fair. I am glad I'm not a croc tho.

Yes I am also glad I didn't buy a house with crocs out the back. But it has redback spiders underneath and I don't kill them. Never seen one in th house, but if I did get one, I'd catch it and then work out how to discourage rather than destroy. Guess I don't kill much other than mossies. Roaches I catch and feed to the spiders for fun though, this helps me get over the urge of owning a weapon I guess...

[Gayle]

Ramon

I bet this was not what you expected when you posted this thread. You are probably thinking what happened to my innocent little thread about something close to me.

[genphreak]

That's the way it is already. I don't worry about the person that jumped through all the hoops, training courses, etc for a concealed carry permit. I worry about the guy that bought a .45 in a dark alley. Drugs are illegal, and yet, people still seem to acquire them. It's naive to think that stiffer controls on guns will keep them out of criminals' hands. And I seriously doubt if anyone is suggesting arming kids at school, that's just stupid.Guns are illegal here in Oz (more or less). Getting one illegally is not immensely hard; but industry (ie organised crime) does not market them to every demographic of freak (or school children), yet. As you know that is far more likley once shitty '45s have no value and a booming retail industry is constantly saturating the market at the upper end. Guns really up the ante domestically, why anyone wants to do that whilst facing increasing problems to do with societal ills and widening wealth/education/opportunity divides is beyond me.

In the rest of the world, these are major drivers of terrorism. (Religion is perhaps more a symptom encouraged by power struggles).

[ryan roopnarine]

ahhh


no documentation or links to support it, but there's a strong rumor that gator season was extended by 3 months in the last day or two by the florida legislature., perhaps retroactively to include "right now" (as a result of the number of attacks). hunting in city limits is ennumerated as being illegal, however.

[Elekta]

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=31307

Gotta check that fence that backs up to the wetlands or I'll lose a dog, kid or wife.

Aw c'mon, we know you're gonna get the wife out to the back 40 in the dark and be whisperin, "here gator gator gator"

lighten up evabody

[MBXB]

Not bad!! A small comment on pesky critters in my back yard leads to a feisty discussion on gun control, society, comparative democracies and winfred's penis!

Who needs the Learning Channel? LOL

Now back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs...



Ramon

I bet this was not what you expected when you posted this thread. You are probably thinking what happened to my innocent little thread about something close to me.

[Alexlind123]

Bill he is not being serious in anything he is writing. He is goading everybody on...

I was beginning to think he was actually serious about what he stated in reply to my earlier post mentioning the subject.

Of course crime will usually go down when law permits gun ownership. Though why one needs guns within any population not actually engaged in an organised conflict is beyond me...

The reason is simple. How long does it actually take for uptake of guns to permeate weapons out to all the people wanting to carry them? After all it is only once a significant number of people actually own one that the stats will be worth consideration; probably best to consider what happens once people have made their 3rd of 4th purchase, so that all the 'spare', outdated guns have been handed down to family members for use, (sorry I mean taking to) school and so on... perhaps then you start to see the stats the other states are describing... anyway, who would have paid for it if the NRA didn't (in some roundabout or politically motivated way)?

Of course I can tell you it is all ******** without being a prof or doing a study. Simple equations too: )

As a kid I once went to school in (what I thought to be at the time) a war zone. For a 12 year old it was. I feared for my life on occassion, (kids were killed there each year). Racial battles were waged every day and the police or an ambulance was called every lunch time. If those kids had guns (or could have got them), I know they would have used them the moment they got them... and I was scared (despite knowing guns were practically impossible to obtain). But if I could have got one, I would have taken one. I even thought about it. But I couldn't get one. Not a knife, but a gun yes- I could defeat anyone with a gun, I thought. I could take them all out if I had to. In the street, at school... I would have been invincible. Intoxicating stuff for a junior who wanted to be like his older brother and wanted to be noticed, perhaps even respected... (so I perished the thought fast enough, and bought a Bimmer as fast as possible instead (yeaaaaaaaaaaaa serious and instantaeous reshpekt bruddas!)

People, do you really feel safe knowing that every crazed freak that might ask you (or your children) for money or drugs in the street could easily be gripping a gun in their pocket with the latch off? And if you are the type to arm your kids, do you really feel good about their chances facing off with these types? A 12 year old against a 16 year old addict carrying a semi-automatic for example? What would be their chances of beating such characters? If you take them to school in a reinforced hummer to avoid the hordes, what will you do when these vagrants buy ort steal anti-tank devices, or bigger hummers or trucks suitable for ramming you? Is this an arms race you can win with such despos, with you, your wallet for a budget and your children as soldiers? How will the local PD manage this? Will they call the troops back from more important tasks overseas then?

And who will benefit? How will they continue to garner votes and stay in power? Am I wrong? Is there really not already a domestic arms-race going on?

In the US, rifles are only allowed to 18yr olds, and pistols at 21