RapidCoffee wrote:I have tremendous respect for the Constitution and Bill of Rights. But no, a 70-something southern redneck carrying a firearm into Starbucks is not particularly reassuring to me. Neither are the gun-totin' yahoos who drive around in pickup trucks festooned with bumper stickers like the following:

* "An Armed Society is a Polite Society."
* "You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers."
* "My Wife Yes. My Dog Maybe. My Gun Never."
* "I just got a gun for my wife. It's the best trade I ever made."

At best, I would call this a nasty, misogynistic sort of humor. Polite? No way.

But all you card-carrying members of the NRA have nothing to worry about. I'm an obvious outlier.

You make a good point, and I too cringe at some of the things I see people say and do (gun related or not).

But there is another side of the coin with these guys as well. Just as you have the RIGHT (First Amendment - Freedom of speech) to openly state your dislike for these bumper stickers, they too have the right to proudly display there point of view, no matter how it is perceived by the general public.

I am glad you are willing to stand up and say what you believe. I would caution that all people take a step back get to know more about an individual before calling them a "redneck" or any other stereotype. I work in a retail environment where I encountered many people that at first glance struck me as "different" but when I take the time to get to know them, more often than not they are the nicest and most intelligent people I have ever encountered. Just because they dress differently than me or have a different way of expressing themselves does not give me the right to downgrade there status as a person or an American citizen.

No disrespect is intended, I just wanted to give my point of view or your statement.

Scott.

scottyb wrote:Here is a real life example of how legally carrying a firearm can save lives.

In an area of the country where it IS legal to carry openly (meaning in plan view) two men sat down for dinner at the local Waffle House. As they are eating a young man enters the establishment and walks nervously about the store, then quickly turns and walks out. Shortly after a police officer drives in and notices two cars suspiciously parked around the back of the Waffle house. When the officer goes to investigate he finds that both cars are full of would be burglars that are very well armed.

When asked why the were waiting outside they replayed that they were waiting for the two Legally armed citizens that were enjoying there meal to leave before they robbed the Waffle House (it should be noted that they thought they were cops). All of the suspects were taken into custody without incident and not a single shot was fired.

Scott.

That does it. I'm never going back to a Waffle House again.

ken

Ya'll can send me right back to the lever forum, but I happened to see this one.....

I live in North Idaho...strong gun culture. Our kids went to a tiny high school, 15 in the class....there were 15 before the 3 deaths from firearms and at graduation they actually gave diplomas to the dead kids...one homicide, one suicide, and one accidental discharge while playing with a loaded weapon.

I would recommend a view of any George Carlin video on you tube, particularly the one equating insecurity about penis size with gun obsession in the american male.

Gun nuts are just that, nuts. And Starbucks Corp is a wimp for not standing up to a bunch of knuckle dragging rednecks.

Guns don't kill people, people kill people, with guns. Need any more trite slogans?

Is this country ever going to solve the gun problem? Guns have become a hobby and a way of life for some people and I have zero problem with it if managed and controlled. Guns make the weak minded bigger and stronger but their actions are going to eventually ruin it for those that see guns as a sport and for home protection. The problem, in my opinion, are the lack of enforceable laws. I have a concealed carry permit but the only time I carry one with me is when I travel. If everyone had to comply with NC concealed weapon laws there would be a lot less problems than we have, in my opinion. Hours of classroom study, range instruction, tests on both, both medical and psychiatric ( anti-depressant medications are the fastest growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry) background investigation and over $200 in costs plus over two months before the permit was issued. Anyone taking psychiatric drugs would not be issued a permit. People that don't have concealed/carry permits can go into a gun shop, without knowledge of when, where and how they can use their guns and buy a firearm with very little background verifications. Why would anyone NEED, except our law enforcement, a gun in less than 3-4-5 days? One of these days all this is going to come to a halt when people get tired of criminals having bigger and better guns than law enforcement and their children continued to be killed at schools. When the very simple Brady bill passed George Bush's desk for approval he turned his head and swept it off...unsigned. This is what the right wing evangelicals and the NRA wanted and they got it. I can't connect in my brain guns and religion. When an idiot carries his gun openly all he is doing is intimidating people. He is not making them feel safer, he is scaring them. Is this a sign of mental stability and a strong person when they enjoy intimidating people? A great example for our kids! I don't go to Starbucks very often but I think the greater majority of customers of any business would feel better if they enforced a rule to prohibit guns. If the idiot concealed it there would not be an issue.

The last statistic that I saw stated that over 50,000 gun related incidents occurred in the U.S. each year. Most of these people enter the emergency room and the majority are not covered by private insurance. Who pays? The taxpayers. Multiply those numbers by $3000 a day (conservative)! Compared to England and Japan there were less than a hundred.

All this has gotten crazier and crazier and goofy people are eventually going to force a change in laws that they will truly not like.

Sorry, HB intentionally does not have an "off topics" forum. See point #3 of the Guidelines for productive online discussion for more details. Topic closed.