Category Archives: Gary

Shifting focus to the human side of the gun debate – The Washington Post

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“Watts had begun a lesson in gun safety with an appeal to “a society that regards itself as moral and ethical.” But she became preoccupied with the NRA, calling for a “conversation” about gun safety and then concluding in the same sentence that “it’s also a conversation in which the gun lobby refuses to participate.”

 

I’m a gun owner. I can’t speak for the other estimated 70 million gun owners, but my gun lobby is me. And I’m not refusing to participate in a conversation…” – Courtland Milloy via Shifting focus to the human side of the gun debate – The Washington Post.

Courland Milloy doesn’t come off as unapologetically pro gun but, it’s a great deal better than I might have expected from most in his profession.  I will say that I don’t think it’s an issue of not being willing to have a conversation. It’s that we’re not willing to have Watts, Bloomberg, or even Obama dictate terms rather than have an actual discussion. None of us cheer tragedy. But it’s a little hard to have a conversation when the other side always starts it, “It’s your fault and you shouldn’t have those rights.”

-GM

After begging 911 for help, homeowner shoots intruder in northwest Harris County | abc13.com

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“I got my gun and walked out of the room. Then I saw the door was open, and he was in my house,” Wood explained.

via After begging 911 for help, homeowner shoots intruder in northwest Harris County | abc13.com.

As the saying goes, “When second count, the police are just minutes away.” Now cue some idiot saying he shouldn’t have had a gun and just waited for the police to get there. THIS is why we own guns and there shouldn’t be a restriction on what we get to own. You don’t know who’s try to enter your home or what it will take to shut them down.

-GM

Shannon Watts: American Moms Aren’t Buying What the NRA Is Selling

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And we are on the right side of American opinion. A poll from July 2014 found almost all (93 percent) women voters, including Republican and independents women voters, support background checks for all gun sales, and by a 3-to-1 margin, women will favor a candidate who supports this common-sense policy.

via American Moms Aren’t Buying What the NRA Is Selling | Shannon Watts.

Shannon Watts has penned a new article over at Huffington Post that claims women, “American Moms” in particular, “…aren’t buying what the NRA is selling.” I guess you can lie to yourself enough to believe it. Watts’ butt hurt over the NRA’s recent portrayal of her as a paper doll is palpable.

I guess Ms. Watts has never heard of the likes of NRA Moms like Kay Clark, Julie Golob, or mom to be, Michelle Viscusi. No, Ms Watts and her ilk don’t think they exist. Nor does Ms. Watts recognize the existence or rights of millions of other women who are just as committed as Ms. Watts to the safety of themselves, their children, and their families as Ms. Watts, Moms Demand Action, and Everytown for Gun Safety. The difference is, female gun owners don’t believe that safety will come with giving up their right to bear arms and it’s a stretch to say women aren’t buying into self-reliance and the ability to defend themselves.

A simple Internet search for women gun owners reveals articles from every major news and financial publication with headlines that all state, in varying ways, that gun ownership among women is on the rise. The NRA embraces this and yes, encourages it…As well we should. But the NRA doesn’t have to sell the idea of the right to self-defense to moms. That idea sells itself. Ask any mom what she’s willing to do to defend her child. When you find one willing to stand by and do nothing while someone does harm to their child, you’ll probably find a picture of Shannon Watts.

-GM

Stun guns: so much fun, a photographer made a video about them…

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No, seriously. Patrick Hall of “fstoppers” did a photo shoot capturing the moment each participant was given a dry stun by a friend, significant other, or family member using a common stun gun. They keep using the term Taser but, it’s not a Taser. This video is a montage of the process. There’s a lesson to be learned here. If people are willing to play games like this with a stun gun…How effective can it really be?

-GM

Suspected burglar shot, killed by neighbors watching home | abc13.com

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“Both of the homeowners had their conceal and carry license, armed themselves, went next door to the house and check to see if there were any burglars in the house,” said Sgt. Ben Beall of the Harris County Sheriffs Department.

via Suspected burglar shot, killed by neighbors watching home | abc13.com.

This could easily turn into a legal nightmare. You hear an alarm next door. You don’t just go figure where the alarm is coming from,  you enter the home of a 3rd party, find a burglar, and you end up shooting said burglar. This is one of those times I’m not quite ready to glad hand the shooters for a job well done.

Seriously, how ill advised is it to go into a 3rd party’s home when there is an active alarm? Most alarms are monitored these days. A few people choose not to do it but, most folks recognize that an alarm is nearly useless if it isn’t monitored and police aren’t rolling when you’re not around. But even if it isn’t monitored, there’s a strong possibility another neighbor has heard the same thing you do called the police. So now we have the potential for the police to show up and find you in the house. If the cops are pre-occupied with trying to figure out who you are, you’re all in danger because none of you are able to deal with the bad guy.

It can be difficult to argue that you are defending yourself when you have gone into the aforementioned 3rd party’s home looking for the suspect. This is not the purpose of a concealed handgun license and it goes against the grain of stand your ground law such that you may not be able to claim that defense. After all, you’re in a 3rd party’s home where you don’t necessarily have a legal right or reason to be there in the eyes of the court or a jury of your peers. This is going down hill, VERY quickly.

Now that you’ve entered the home of a 3rd party, you’ve found exactly what you were looking for (the burglar), now you have the makings of a potentially ugly situation. Let’s, as happens in the case mentioned above, the bad guy charges you. Are you justified? God, forbid, it happens in Travis County but, it seems sketchy in even in Harris County. Remember Joe Horn? Horn never left his own property. The guys he shot were in his front yard. And though Horn “walked” away without trial, make no mistake, it ruined him financially and it really could have turned out far differently if the burglars were so motivated. Is it worth the risk?

-GM