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Community > Posts By > Drivinmenutz
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Gotta give Jessie credit for "sticking to his guns" It erks me a bit when people use the argument that someone carrying concealed in a crisis situation is likely to cause more casualties. Almost as if the assumption is that people who carry will just spin around in circles blind firing at anything that moves. This is just unrealistic. That being said, it is possible that the person carrying legally will not be able to take out the assailant. Under this circumstance the assailant would have diverted his/her attention from the random unarmed people and focused on the bigger threat, thereby giving the crowd a few extra seconds to escape. Either way, lives are still saved. I know it's a bit off topic, but the interviewer mentioning this slightly twisted piece of logic fueled my desire to clarify. |
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Topic:
America
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America used to be a free country. Sadly it's not anymore. We were on our way at one point... It almost seems as though people don't want it now. Not having to be responsible and enjoying a tranquil, routine lifestyle i guess takes priority. People forget history and become too complacent. Hence, why history repeats itself i suppose. history tends to repeat itself anyway - also there is nothing wrong with a peaceful routine lifestyle nice to live in a country where that is possible one thing this thread does is clearly evidence that many are not aware of our freedoms, what they are, & how they are protected for us sad bring back 4th grade civics and you HAVE to pass  It is nice to live in a peaceful routine lifestyle, i agree. I do wonder if such a lifestyle ends corrupts us in the long term... This lifestyle in question should definitely be a goal of ours, but it should not sought at the expense of liberty. You make a good point of going back to the basics. All too often people forget why we have certain rights. Sad, i agree. |
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Topic:
What about the culture?
Edited by
Drivinmenutz
on
Sat 12/29/12 07:12 PM
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This is one of the things of have been saying... It's not the tool, its the person wielding it. So many people are so quick to sacrifice freedom and responsibility in response to a tragedy without giving a thought to the cause... I do believe we have adopted a more savage culture. This is changed primarily through media. Furthermore a much bigger influence can be made by simply giving help to those who need it (mental help). Our mental healthcare is largely shortchanged and forgotten about. This could identify and treat the individual who would possibly go on a killing prior to an occurrence. And to expand upon identification, education could be provided to the masses on possible warning signs for such outbursts. These actions could actually have a beneficial impact. I wish more attention could be given to these issues instead of directing so much energy to the initial knee-jerk reaction of taking rights away from people who are already under control in an attempt to control those who aren't, and abolishing checks and balances in a system of government that was supposed to be designed around them. what checks and balances are being sacrificed - I guess I don't see that. I also think it is too easy to blame stuff on the media. Our culture has become an instant gratification culture but I do not see that as the fault of the media. Perhaps i misspoke, my intention was not to blame the media, merely bring some attention to the fact that it largely influences culture. The checks and balances comment derived from the haste at which rights are diminished "for our own good". For example; The patriot act overrides our right to due process (trial by jury and such) which falls under the 4th amendment i think, and the first is overridden by the "fairness doctrine" which was passed to "protect us" from a biased media, negates the first amendment. Gun control is always on the docket, this negates the second amendment. These rights serve as a line of defense in the checks and balances arena. We, the people, are meant to keep the government in check. Just like each branch of the government is meant to keep the others in check. |
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Topic:
America
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America used to be a free country. Sadly it's not anymore. We were on our way at one point... It almost seems as though people don't want it now. Not having to be responsible and enjoying a tranquil, routine lifestyle i guess takes priority. People forget history and become too complacent. Hence, why history repeats itself i suppose. |
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Topic:
What about the culture?
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This is one of the things of have been saying... It's not the tool, its the person wielding it. So many people are so quick to sacrifice freedom and responsibility in response to a tragedy without giving a thought to the cause... I do believe we have adopted a more savage culture. This is changed primarily through media. Furthermore a much bigger influence can be made by simply giving help to those who need it (mental help). Our mental healthcare is largely shortchanged and forgotten about. This could identify and treat the individual who would possibly go on a killing prior to an occurrence. And to expand upon identification, education could be provided to the masses on possible warning signs for such outbursts. These actions could actually have a beneficial impact. I wish more attention could be given to these issues instead of directed so much energy to the initial knee-jerk reaction of taking rights away from people who are already under control in an attempt to control those who aren't, and abolishing checks and balances in a system of government that was supposed to be designed around them. I also wish we had more compassion and care for people before they reached such desperation or illness,,,,that would go a long way in preventing tragedies too,.,, Indeed. Normally i am against huge amounts of government spending, however back in the 80's huge cuts were made to mental health care, putting many who were being treated out of the street. Now something like 1 in 7 people have a chronic mental illness and something like 1 in 3 are actually being treated (these numbers are based completely off my memory from classes i took a few months ago). Our system, which is based around insurance, creates a need to justify expenses which is often difficult to prove from a mental health standpoint. |
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Topic:
What about the culture?
Edited by
Drivinmenutz
on
Sat 12/29/12 06:35 PM
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This is one of the things of have been saying... It's not the tool, its the person wielding it. So many people are so quick to sacrifice freedom and responsibility in response to a tragedy without giving a thought to the cause... I do believe we have adopted a more savage culture. This is changed primarily through media.
Furthermore a much bigger influence can be made by simply giving help to those who need it (mental help). Our mental healthcare is largely shortchanged and forgotten about. This could identify and treat the individual who would possibly go on a killing prior to an occurrence. And to expand upon identification, education could be provided to the masses on possible warning signs for such outbursts. These actions could actually have a beneficial impact. I wish more attention could be given to these issues instead of directing so much energy to the initial knee-jerk reaction of taking rights away from people who are already under control in an attempt to control those who aren't, and abolishing checks and balances in a system of government that was supposed to be designed around them. |
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Topic:
One gun owners opinion,,,
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You bring up one very valid point in there. That is that yes, the Constitution is a living document that can change, but that isn't what is trying to be done here. No one is proposing a new amendment to remove my right to keep and bear arms. The reason is very simple, it actually requires not only a passage by a 3/4 vote of Congress, but also by 3/4 of the voting populace. What is being debated now in the halls of Congress, is actually in violation of the "Congress shall pass no laws" section of the amendment. Now, I know you don't like the idea of an armed populace, but your previous argument that the citizenry is not intelligent enough or trained enough to own these weapons is a moot point. Legally, we should have the right to pass guns out at the local insane asylum if we so choose, but we've allowed for regulations to say that we shouldn't. We've also allowed for regulations that say we shouldn't have fully automatic weapons - one used to be able to get a Thompson sub-machine gun out of the Sears catalog, they used to be advertised as great ways to rid your farms of coyotes. While I think it would be cool to be able to have one of those, they were inaccurate enough that I understand why we don't, and really, I don't need a fully auto weapon to defend my home from foreign or domestic threats. I do think that is sufficient though. According to the crime statistics to which you like to refer, you are five times more likely to get killed with a baseball bat than with a gun. You are using only crime statistics to base your argument, so I think its fair to say that guns aren't the problem in violent crime. Want another statistic? Here's one 45% of all weapons purchased in the United States have never been fired. They sit in nice safes or closets and will remain there. The problem here is that you are wanting to take away the rights of law abiding citizens because of the actions of only a few people acting outside of the law. What you have forgotten is that the rights of a free society are not given, but a price must be paid for them, and that price is always paid in blood. Sometimes it comes while defending it from an aggressor, sometimes it comes while defending it from a tyrant, and other times it comes when defending it from ourselves. That is the cost of a free society, the more freedoms one has, the less security. And when you are willing to trade freedom for security, you will end up with neither. I for one am tired of trading my rights for a police state, and it is becoming one that even Stalin or Hitler would be jealous. You mistakenly believe that everyone has the right to "feel" safe. Well, no you don't, and you shouldn't. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. That means you should be on your guard and worried that one day they'll take it from you. I must admit, this is well stated and deserves recognition 
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Also, using the logic of gun laws to prevent violent crimes, can one not say that outlawing forks will help with the epidemic of overeating? Overeating is killing far more people in this country than firearms are... So i wounder how this new law against forks would effect this issue...
Just a thought... "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -Benjamin Franklin |
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I feel necessary to bring attention to the fact that a gun, by itself, is useless without someone wielding it. Therefore it is the intent of the person using said firearm which brings about the violence that all of us would love to see go away. Perhaps thats what we should focus on... maybe? Many cutbacks were passed severely limiting the number of people who were treated with mental illness, forcing these facilities to put their patients out of the streets, untreated. I am thinking this should be addressed long before removing freedom from honest citizens.
Furthermore, other countries have very different moving parts than we do. And in order to determine the effectiveness of gun control in these countries one must take into account many other laws, freedoms, and each country's individual culture. If we are serious about preventing mass shootings, we have to look at the cause of the problem, which in no way can even be loosely translated into gun ownership. I think its time americans got off their butts and started looking for real solutions instead of just acting out of fear an settling for the path of least resistance. |
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Topic:
About Ron Paul
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I also find it a bit ironic how someone who believes in EQUAL rights is deemed a racist, or christian extremist, just because no one gets put on a pedestal.
Ron Paul may be getting old, but his ideas deserve investigation at the very least.
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Topic:
About Ron Paul
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This is exactly what I meant. Some of the elements that he has won over to his cause tend toward having irrational or misguided distrust of government. What's irrational about distrusting government? We have a very long history of distrusting government in this country. (and the government has a long history of being untrustworthy!) "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence — it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." -George Washington Such quotes can be found throughout American political literature. Aye my friend. My all time favorite is "Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question." Thomas Jefferson People forget that our country was founded on a system of checks and balances. These balances were put in place to prevent us from walking the same path as the Roman Empire (which our system of government was based on). This is why they are so important as power corrupts people, regardless of their position. This is why we are not a full democracy, nor a republic, but a combination of the two. Ron Paul is simply stating that power has shifted too far towards a government that has been growing increasingly corrupt. |
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Thomas Jefferson Believed that a revolution was needed every few decades to level the playing field. An inevitable course every generation to guarentee that our aristocracy is humbled and still works for the good of the country.
He was a well educated man, I wonder how right he was about this? Personally i view the spirit of resistance as a positive thing in Americans. |
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Wow, it says my home's worth $1M+....
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Wow, i'm in there alright.
Funny thing is my address is wrong, i don't really have kids, and it's trying to tell me i like to knit....lol Either way, kinda freaky. Thanks for the info. |
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Federal income tax is only a small portion of the tax money americans pay. If you do the math, i think you will find by adding up all the taxes everywhere a person making $60,000 a year, pays about $40,000 in taxes by the time it's all said and done.
Kinda makes you sick huh? Isn't taxes one of the reasons Americans started the revolution? Hmmm.... |
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Edited by
Drivinmenutz
on
Wed 04/07/10 09:36 PM
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Guys stick to your complaints of war itself, not the actions that take place during it. War is hell, and most people cannot even comprehend the actions that must be taken on a daily bases over there. This especially goes for people hating the thought of shooting first and asking questions later. The battlefield is no place for public opinion, or even witness. War itself should never be fought unless absolutely necessary. So preach to stop the war. It's unconstitutional in itself, merely a representation of the expansion of our empire. That is wrong. War is wrong. The actions people take during it are irrelevant, and for soldiers' eyes and ears only. To pick them apart and question them is to be hypocritical. War is not wrong, and it is not illegal. September 11th that was illegal, Saddam's crimes against humanity well that was illegal too. We did what we had to do plain and simple. Frankly our getting involved was illegal. It was never our business what Saddam ever did, and if we wanted to, Afganistan would have been over that first year. Something is fishy, we don't seem want to win any one of these wars we have fought. Korea, Vietnam, etc, were all totally winable. Don't get me wrong, the soldiers over there have done great things for these countries. They served well. But the fault does not lie with them. It is our aristocracy that needs to answer. They need to be humbled and shown they aren't in charge (As Thomas Jefferson would put it.) Back to the post, I think talking about what our soldiers are doing (wrong or not) is taking the attention away from those who are guilty. This is why it's illogical, and hypocritical to use actions our soldiers take as ammo when combating the war itself. Our getting involved wasn't. It wa for the protection of our country from a man that aided and provided training and financial support to terrorists not to mention committed major crimes against humanity. We don't want to win? That's just sick. We are fighting an enemy like we have never had to fight before. These are people who have been brainwahsed by a cult like religion and are promised if they die for the cause that they get lots of virgins and little boys. Our getting involved WAS when it came to Iraq. But that is besides our case. Once again, don't get me wrong, I don't sympathize with anyone trying to blow up civilians. But one thing it would be wise to consider is the fact that in most cases, niether side of a war is evil, and only those victorious get to write history. I have spent some time on the front lines in this war. There are a few religious extremists against us, but for the most part, even 9/11 was provoked by our foreign policy, not because we are prosperious or have a different religion, but because we are an empire, trying to run the world. Do i think those responsible for 9/11 deserve a bullet in their head? Absolutely. In fact they deserve a whole lot worse. But, Iraq had nothing to do with it. And i think, we as a country need to revisit what the role of our government should be. Should we police the world? Or should we take care of our own? Should we continue to build an empire? Or should we focus on the liberties that we were intented to have, and are so quickly diminishing? Bigger issues. Issues that the original post about a random act soldiers made, can't even hold a candle to. Also, if you check your history, (like Bestinshow said) Christianity has killed millions. So religious extremists are no new thing for anyone. Furthermore, YES we don't want to win. Well, no the ones in charge anyway. Example: Look at our rulse of engagement. Once again, i was frontlines in places like Mosul Sadre City and Baghdad. We actually weren't allowed to fire back at someone shooting at us from a Mosque. Didn't know our soldiers were putting up with orders like THAT did ya? And, you cannot win the type of "war" we are fighting. Iraq can screw itself, and we aren't making any progress in Afghanistan. I say, pull the plug, (that goes for all 130 countries U.S. forces are now occupying), sell the bases back to respective countries, build up our defenses (maybe even pay off some of this national debt). Next time someone brings the fight to us, we handle the job right from the start. No more hearts and minds, no more "picking" at our enemies. |
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Guys stick to your complaints of war itself, not the actions that take place during it. War is hell, and most people cannot even comprehend the actions that must be taken on a daily bases over there. This especially goes for people hating the thought of shooting first and asking questions later. The battlefield is no place for public opinion, or even witness. War itself should never be fought unless absolutely necessary. So preach to stop the war. It's unconstitutional in itself, merely a representation of the expansion of our empire. That is wrong. War is wrong. The actions people take during it are irrelevant, and for soldiers' eyes and ears only. To pick them apart and question them is to be hypocritical. War is not wrong, and it is not illegal. September 11th that was illegal, Saddam's crimes against humanity well that was illegal too. We did what we had to do plain and simple. Frankly our getting involved was illegal. It was never our business what Saddam ever did, and if we wanted to, Afganistan would have been over that first year. Something is fishy, we don't seem want to win any one of these wars we have fought. Korea, Vietnam, etc, were all totally winable. Don't get me wrong, the soldiers over there have done great things for these countries. They served well. But the fault does not lie with them. It is our aristocracy that needs to answer. They need to be humbled and shown they aren't in charge (As Thomas Jefferson would put it.) Back to the post, I think talking about what our soldiers are doing (wrong or not) is taking the attention away from those who are guilty. This is why it's illogical, and hypocritical to use actions our soldiers take as ammo when combating the war itself. |
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Guys stick to your complaints of war itself, not the actions that take place during it. War is hell, and most people cannot even comprehend the actions that must be taken on a daily bases over there. This especially goes for people hating the thought of shooting first and asking questions later. The battlefield is no place for public opinion, or even witness. War itself should never be fought unless absolutely necessary. So preach to stop the war. It's unconstitutional in itself, merely a representation of the expansion of our empire. That is wrong. War is wrong. The actions people take during it are irrelevant, and for soldiers' eyes and ears only. To pick them apart and question them is to be hypocritical. I Know it sounds drastic, but i don't think it's our business as civilians what happens on the battlefield. After a while of fighting, killing someone that's unarmed isn't much different than someone pulling the wings off a fly. It's harsh, but true. Perspectives get changed, good people do horrible things. Frankly Bush and Cheney weren't the only war criminals that needed to be presecuted. They really weren't any different than any leader we had since Korea. We have not actually faught a "war" since WW2. Leave our soldiers out of the debate. The aristocrats are to blame. |
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I actuall did a debate for class on this very topic.
The death penalty seems to have no effect on crime rate. Unfortunately it all costs several times more to kill them, then keep them alive for life too. Trust me, i have no quams about seeing an evil person be executed, but it just seems a little illogical. |
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Frankly i kinda like to see the spirit of resistance in citizens. The aristocracy needs to know that they don't have the power. They need to be humbled and humbled often.
Problem is, they resist and demonstrate, but don't seem to be doing much these days. Perhaps they could offer other solutions and peach them just as loud? Anyhow, gotta get back to work, later yall. |
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