Arkansas Blog

Talk about apples and oranges. Your next step would be to find stories of concealed carry permit holders doing that. Finding stories about people who are probably gang members and would never qualify for a concealed carry permit is hardly a correlation.

Charlie must be doing a break dance in his grave after hearing 'bout that...sides Max, you have forgotten the old nra dictum, guns dont kill people, people kill people or some such rot.

The supremes recent revelation that its OK to legally kill folks and this little beaut of a law that allows more shootem ups which will no doubt fuel the rise in prison populations and/or increase the number of legalized killings, both by the state & the individual...sort of a devil's delicious irony...only in this case the devil is not a supreme spirit of evil, morelike human I'd say.

From the Anonymous Desk:

"Finding stories about people who are probably gang members and would never qualify for a concealed carry permit is hardly a correlation."

From the article:

"Initially, 10 deputies - either off-duty or school deputies - kept an eye on the many small groups of students wandering around the Civic Center and the amphitheater area."

and

"Two bank employees reportedly saw the student throw a blue object into the bushes. Deputies found a blue hooded shirt that contained a loaded Smith and Wesson .357-caliber handgun, Myers said."

So Just for Jesus Rallies are gang magnets. That IS news. But you've got a point. Everyone knows that *small groups of students* + *blue hooded shirt* = gang members.

Wow, those were thoughtful comments. You sure showed me. Thanks for addressing the facts. I loved how quickly y'all produced articles showing what violent criminals the average concealed carry permit holder are. Oh, wait...

You got me. I'm sure there are a lot of non-gang member teenagers are carrying handguns. It's a pretty reasonable solution.

In seriousness, though, what does a story of thug teenagers, gang members or not, have to do with a story about adults who voluntarily submit themselves to an FBI background check? Or, are you insinuating that the teenagers were concealed permit holders?

It is amazing to me that all through this "gun control" issue how we only hear of the murders and roberies involving firearms. What about the people who are stabbed to death? Or beaten to death whether it be with a weapon or by hand? Now we hear of girls wanting to make it big on the internet by shooting videos of them ganging up on unsuspecting "friends." And this is preferrable to being able to defend ones self? In my opinion the american people as whole have forgotten that guns are nothing more than an inanimate object incapable of doing either good or bad on their own. For a bullet to kill; the weapon must first be held in the hands of a person willing to pull the trigger. "Gun Control" means trigger control; and that means common sense and a respect of the lives of others. I wonder if we as adults are to busy in our day to day living and working too teach this to our "kids?"

I do not know why the Mod. posted this under Anonymous: this was my comment.

It is amazing to me that all throughthis "gun control" issue how we only hear of the murders and roberies involving firearms. What about the people who are stabbed to death? Or beaten to death whether it be with a weapon or by hand? Now we hear of girls wanting to make it big on the internet by shooting videos of them ganging up on unsuspecting "friends." And this is preferrable to being able to defend ones self? In my opinion the american people as whole have forgotten that guns are nothing more than an inanimate object incapable of doing either good or bad on their own. For a bullet to kill; the weapon must first be held in the hands of a person willing to pull the trigger. "Gun Control" means trigger control; and that means common sense and a respect of the lives of others. I wonder if we as adults are to busy in our day to day living and working too teach this to our "kids?"

wes the only way to stop violence is do what other countries have done and pass tough laws and enforce them. hunting is fine but as for the rest there is no use for anything that fires more than one bullet at a time. you only have to look at crime rates and shooting crimes world wide to see that there is something wrong with the american psyche when our first idea for defense or solving problems is to shoot somebody. yes, i am a super liberal but i have to hope that someday most of america will get past the caveman stage. i also am a duck hunter when i was able to before my health went south. i have no problem with sport shooting. many friends are champion skeet shooters and i have enjoyed watching them. they are also safe shooters and don't get drunk and carry large pistols to impress girls cause their manners and intelligence aren't capable of doing so. sitting on a back porch drinking beer and shooting pistols at empties is not a pastime, it is a hobby for dumb rednecks. well i hope i have pissed off enough for the morning but then not many drunk beer can shooters read this blog anyway i imagine.

wes the only way to stop violence is do what other countries have done and pass tough laws and enforce them. hunting is fine but as for the rest there is no use for anything that fires more than one bullet at a time. you only have to look at crime rates and shooting crimes world wide to see that there is something wrong with the american psyche when our first idea for defense or solving problems is to shoot somebody. yes, i am a super liberal but i have to hope that someday most of america will get past the caveman stage. i also am a duck hunter when i was able to before my health went south. i have no problem with sport shooting. many friends are champion skeet shooters and i have enjoyed watching them. they are also safe shooters and don't get drunk and carry large pistols to impress girls cause their manners and intelligence aren't capable of doing so. sitting on a back porch drinking beer and shooting pistols at empties is not a pastime, it is a hobby for dumb rednecks. well i hope i have pissed off enough for the morning but then not many drunk beer can shooters read this blog anyway i imagine.

Sorry Zonker (?) but I disagree with you. First off even in Canada where gun control is very strict, there are still people murdered via firearms. If you are speaking of some thing that is considered as an automatic weapon then there is already a law that states you must be registered and licensed to even own such a weapon. If you own such a weapon outside these restrictions then you are already an outlaw. And no I do not find anything wrong with using force with or without a firearm to deter a crime against my self our my family. Being a liberal is not an issue here: being safe is. I find no need to impress any one. I know what I can do with and without a firearm. You are trying to lump those of us willing to defend ourselves responsibly into the outlaw category. Skeet shooting is fine for practice and for fun, please do not get me wrong; but firearms are nothing more than tools. I dare say that I can kill as many people with a hammer or a screwdriver as with a fire arm. You said you were a duck hunter at one time, could you have done so with out weapon? I dare say that you may not have "Killed" as many ducks with out a weapon as you did with one. And besides this; were these ducks you killed for a trophy to mount in a den to show off to or to impress visitors to your home? Or did you (as I would hope) use these ducks as a food source?

wes, first why the question markafter my name? there are firearm deaths in all countries as far as i know. the difference is the slaughter we have here compared to the rates of gun deaths elsewhere. i mostly used a shotgun for my duck hunting except for the real mans sports of snaring and knife fighting with the duck. it is an old arkansas tradition of laying 2 knives on the ground and giving the duck first choice of weapons. then you back off 10 paces and jump for each other. the winner skins and eats the loser. as slow as i am i never lost although a couple of woodies were very quick and almost got me. as for eating, i always feasted on the days game as arkansas duck is one of the worlds finest foods when cooked right.

sales of automatic weapon kits and instructions at gun shows are readily available at any gun and knife show anywhere in the us. fine people like timothy mcveigh spend many hours teaching teaching our youth how to hate and shoot to defend themselves. remember that the worst mass murder in the us was 9/11 but the 2nd worst was by our own home grown redneck mcveigh and there are many more of his ilk backing the lets all have guns and defend ourselves. the big problem is a lot of them think the government is their enemy. you may just want to protect yourself from a burglar but you are probably in the minority in a lot of places. i can't imagine the thought of a college campus where students walk around with holsters and loaded guns. after making a bad grade some idiot will pop off a few at the blackboard in frustration, i guarantee it will happen within minutes of the passage of such a law.

FYI, zonker, the murder rate in the U.S. has been dropping for decades and sky rocketing in countries like Great Britain which have VERY strict gun control.

It would be simple enough for you to show me statistics that show concealed carry permit holders are violent offenders if it was true.

As for nobody needing a firearm which fires more than 1 round, how do you propose a 110 lb. woman defend herself against a 220 lb. man? If your answer is call the police, you might as well call a historian because that's what they'll be by the time they arrive.

"they are also safe shooters and don't get drunk and carry large pistols to impress girls cause their manners and intelligence aren't capable of doing so."

That's illustrative of your ignorance. Estimates say that there are at least 80 million privately owned firearms in the U.S. By your assumption, the crime rate ought to be a lot higher than it is. The fact remains that the vast majority of firearms are NEVER used in an unsafe manner.

"sales of automatic weapon kits and instructions at gun shows are readily available at any gun and knife show anywhere in the us"

As for that glittering gem, you are COMPLETELY incorrect. Possessing an automatic weapon requires a federal license which is neither cheap or easy to obtain.

"i can't imagine the thought of a college campus where students walk around with holsters and loaded guns. after making a bad grade some idiot will pop off a few at the blackboard in frustration, i guarantee it will happen within minutes of the passage of such a law."

Once again, you illustrate your ignorance. The Louisiana law would allow permit holders, only, to carry on college campuses. Those are the crazy rednecks who have voluntarily submitted to an FBI background check to have that privilege. I don't know if you're aware of this but the crazies who have carried weapons on campuses and killed people didn't go to the trouble of getting a background check by the FBI or observe the supposed gun-free zones.

I don't know about the Louisiana licensing process, but the Arkansas process is a joke. Hubby has repeatedly tried to teach a family member how to load and unload her gun -- all after she got a concealed weapon permit. If my options are to have her protect me with her trusty automatic pea shooter or jump out a three-story window, I'll take the window.

anonymous i am glad you are able to point out the ignorance in my arguments. i agree that not many permit holders commit crimes. how many non permit holders have guns? the more guns the more crime period. yes, kits for conversion to automatic weapons are available behind counters at most gun shows according to atf. they are impossible to stop as they are simple to make and too numerous for the cult like groups to obtain. you law abiding people are wonderful americans. the murder rate by gun has dropped but it has picked up among youth at alarming rates. what do you do about, teach gun safety so they will know what they are doing? i understand exactly what you are saying but the answer to gun violence is not to have everybody have guns with liscenses and be able to shoot at each other legally. what does that accomplish? would you want your kid going to a school where the students legally carried guns to class?

"the more guns the more crime period."

Demonstrate that statistically. Try going to Washington, D.C., which has the highest violent crime and murder rate in the country and had the most draconian gun control laws in the country. Cross the river into Virginia, which does not have strong gun control laws and the violent crime and murder rates plummet.

Explain that. It's a demonstrable fact. Places with more gun control are almost universally more prone to violent crime than places without.

"yes, kits for conversion to automatic weapons are available behind counters at most gun shows according to atf. "

Feel free to show me some documentation of that. I've been to at least one gun show every year for nearly 15 years and I've never seen that. First of all, most weapons cannot be converted to fully automatic. Second, possessing an automatic weapon is very difficult because of cost and the licensing process.

"the murder rate by gun has dropped but it has picked up among youth at alarming rates."

It's already illegal for teenagers to carry guns to school and some do it anyway. In the same way, it's illegal to carry firearms into banks, but for some reason bank robbers don't seem to care. Of course, it's also illegal to rob banks... The rate of youth crime is alarmingly high, but it isn't rising as quickly as you insinuate and it isn't caused by people who own firearms legally. In fact, the rate is lower than it would be precisely because of people who own firearms legally. i don't want to shoot someone and have avoided doing it, but I've also averted several dangerous altercations by the deterrent of having a firearm. That is very common.

"would you want your kid going to a school where the students legally carried guns to class?"

In college? Sure. If I had had a kid at VA Tech, I would have been glad if some law abiding "redneck" had a firearm and had stopped that mad man. Shooting him before he killed anyone else would have been a very good outcome.

There's a reason you don't hear about Palestinians gunning people down in Israel. It's because average Israelis carry concealed weapons. It's a heck of a deterrent.

I am sorry if you think I'm being rude. I appreciate your attempt to communicate politely. You are somewhat misinformed, however.

>>2nd worst was by our own home grown redneck mcveigh<<

Special note. McVeigh was a registered Republican.

Yes, it's likely a wonderful idea to equip dope-smoking, heavy drinking youngsters with fire arms. Think of the student loans that could be cancelled. If you think drunken driving is bad just wait till drunken shooting takes hold. And an week end study cram with uppers is going be real touchy.

"This is my rifle and this is my gun,
This is for shooting and this is for fun."
.

It's great that these adults voluntarily submit themselves to the rigors of an FBI background check, fill out the application, get fingerprinted, and get a note from the circuit judge or sheriff.

If all concealed carry permit holders could only somehow pass a "good judgment" test. I don't doubt that a lot--even a majority--would use sound judgment and good discretion in a tense situation absent real-live (trained) police officers. But the fact is you don't have to go through that kind of training and testing to pack a heater.

There are some 21-year olds out there who might exercise good judgment--others who wouldn't. I know that when I was that age and even several years older, had I had a CCP it might have been a little less about protecting myself and innocent others and more about how cool I appeared. If there was a bell curve that measured emotional maturity I would have been in the fat part of it.

Good judgment might have prevailed in a tense situation, but it hadn't yet been tested. That's precisely what we don't need out there.

I'm not against people owning guns--I do. I grew up hunting and shooting. Even scored highest in a University marksmanship tournament. Whether YOU believe it or not, I don't believe that we would have a better result in gun violence statistics if more people were toting. There's something about Americans' passion (zeal might be the better word) for guns and our level of violent crime that seem out of kilter.

I'm sorry to hear that you weren't very responsible when you were young. I knew and know lots of people who were and are. Among those with ccps who are young you oughta be able to show me some proof that they aren't responsible.

You've got your funny reading glasses on again, Nony. I didn't say I was not responsible. I said I was typical of twenty-somethings, and that the coolness factor would have been predominant.

And I think your young friends oughta be able to show me some proof that they are responsible under duress before they tote a gun around me and my family in public.

Hugh, if you think carrying a gun is or would have been about coolness for you when you were young, then you weren't responsible. Perhaps in other ways you were.

As for your other comment, you owe a lot of young men younger than 21 a lot for their responsible behavior in with firearms in combat. They have more than earned the right for the rest of us, over and over, and it's not your place to decide when the United States Constitution applies. Again, feel free to show me some evidence of young ccp holders being irresponsible. I bet you can't find very many, if any. That being said, it's remarkable how quick you are to ignore statistical facts in favor of your personal preferences.

Haben sie eine gute nacht und schlafen sie gut, mein freund. Jüngere männer behalten sie und ihre familie safe.

Well, Nony, let me first say that I appreciate the sacrifice our fine young troops have made and continue to make in the mistake of an occupation that is Iraq. They, their families and communities, and all Americans have paid a high price for this debacle. I grow sicker by the day of their sacrifices.

But, (and talk about your apples and oranges) combat-trained 20-something or younger soldiers in a theater of war--almost always acting under the supervision or at least direct orders of someone else--are a completely different animal from 20-something year old private citizens who have been: (a) maybe trained, or (b) poorly trained. The former do not conceal their weapons and in fact are poised to use them at a moment's notice.

I didn't include a choice (c) properly trained, proven, and responsible shooters. I'm not talking about them. I have no problem with them. (I still don't want them packing in places where they violate the law by doing so.)

You can tell me most of your young CCP holder acquaintances are of that stripe all you want, but that doesn't make it so. Trot out some of those statistics for me if you can find them, but your sources had better be credible.

Anyone who feels the need to carry a concealed weapon outside of their job responsibilities is dangerous. Period. And I say that as someone who owns a dozen or so firearms.

I don't care if that person is the pope. The paranoia, the fear, and the need to dominate coupled with a firearm add up to a tragedy waiting to happen.

And let's not even pretend it's about self-defense. What are the odds of needing a concealed weapon for that? Less than one in a million, probably. The odds of dying in a car wreck caused by a cell phone are a hell of a lot higher, and where's the outrage over that?

People who want to carry concealed weapons need therapy. I don't want to be around them. I don't want my family around them.

I am in far more danger from some citizen thinking he's John Wayne than I am from a criminal. Don't tell me you're an exception. You aren't. If you feel the need to carry a gun, you are a danger to society. Period.

If I saw someone with a concealed weapon in a public place, I'd verbally make their life hell until they left, short dick in hand.

Well put.

levee very well done. i am thinking very slow these days and that is exactly the argument. as my wife puts it, gun nuts have the short dick syndrome. they make up for shortcomings by talking big somewhere else. they also find a need to talk about it a lot. all this argument over permits are just a way to bring the crazy rednecks together and form a club. like you say, i also know a lot of people in love with guns and all they talk about is self preservation and to me they are the most dangerous people around. thanks for the elegant defense.

"wes, first why the question markafter my name? there are firearm deaths in all countries as far as i know. the difference is the slaughter we have here compared to the rates of gun deaths elsewhere. i mostly used a shotgun for my duck hunting except for the real mans sports of snaring and knife fighting with the duck. it is an old arkansas tradition of laying 2 knives on the ground and giving the duck first choice of weapons. then you back off 10 paces and jump for each other. the winner skins and eats the loser. as slow as i am i never lost although a couple of woodies were very quick and almost got me. as for eating, i always feasted on the days game as arkansas duck is one of the worlds finest foods when cooked right.

sales of automatic weapon kits and instructions at gun shows are readily available at any gun and knife show anywhere in the us. fine people like timothy mcveigh spend many hours teaching teaching our youth how to hate and shoot to defend themselves. remember that the worst mass murder in the us was 9/11 but the 2nd worst was by our own home grown redneck mcveigh and there are many more of his ilk backing the lets all have guns and defend ourselves. the big problem is a lot of them think the government is their enemy. you may just want to protect yourself from a burglar but you are probably in the minority in a lot of places. i can't imagine the thought of a college campus where students walk around with holsters and loaded guns. after making a bad grade some idiot will pop off a few at the blackboard in frustration, i guarantee it will happen within minutes of the passage of such a law."

Sarcasm doth become you sir. Must I remind you that it was you who brought the idea that firearms were only for sport. The issue in the articles referenced in the Original Post was "Self Defense." And yet as I have said before you continue to lump anyone who carries a fire arm (whether they are confident,educated and responsible people in any community, or some ignorant thug) into the same category. Outlaws.

And as for your gaurantee; I will not say some incident like this that you describe will not happen. But let me ask you some thing; would the two boys attending West Side school here in Jonesboro have been so eagor to kill their fellow students and the teacher (who's only crime was to want to them receive an education) if there were a possibility of some one returnin fire on their position?

Now I will make you a guarentee: If the populace of U.S. citizens are disarmed the thugs will be in control.

"If I saw someone with a concealed weapon in a public place, I'd verbally make their life hell until they left, short dick in hand."

Now with this picture in mind: Tell me pray tell whom the law will suport when the police are called to quel a public disorder?

Excuse me let qualify that with: If the person carrying has a concealed carry permit.

"If I saw some one with a concealed weapon" forgive me for being slow I work nights: But if you see some one with a concealed weapon then either that person is a bragert of a punk and is looking for attention and in this case give that person all the attnetion he/she desrves. Or this person has forgotten or did not pay attention to the cardinal rule of conceal carry class. No one needs to know you have a weapon unless all other avenues of self-defense (including trying to talk your way out of the situation) have been exausted. If this is the case then (may-be) this person needs to be reminded.

"But let me ask you some thing; would the two boys attending West Side school here in Jonesboro have been so eagor to kill their fellow students and the teacher (who's only crime was to want to them receive an education) if there were a possibility of some one returnin fire on their position?"

Posted by: Wes

I'm not sure if Wes ever had it to start with, but if he did, he's clearly lost it now.

"I'm not sure if Wes ever had it to start with, but if he did, he's clearly lost it now."

Ah well; sorry to disappoint you; I have lost nothing. "as my wife puts it, gun nuts have the short dick syndrome." If the size of your sex tool is the issue in your marital life there are medications to help with your problem. I am sure there are forums that deal with this.
"they make up for shortcomings by talking big somewhere else." As I have said before I know what I am capable of with or without a weapon. I do not feel the need to impress any one. Let's see; Out of the heart the mouth speaketh, if I understand what you are trying to say obviously we do not all feel the same.
"all this argument over permits are just a way to bring the crazy rednecks together and form a club." Hmmm; I guess this club would include people like George Washington; Paul Revere and people who's only desire is a safe environment for their families.
"i also know a lot of people in love with guns and all they talk about is self preservation and to me they are the most dangerous people around." These people may be acquaintances of yours, but I find it hard to believe that actually know the real them. Have you told these people how dangerous you think "THEY" are? Or maybe you are just hiding your fears from them?

If we lived in a perfect world then I would gladly surrender the tools I use for the defense of my family and others. Does any one remember the article of the Miss. Universe who in her eighties was forced to defend her home? But maybe she was a "redneck" and we need to be careful of her.
Now I must get ready for work. But I will be available tomorrow or the next day.

Seems to me that those that are so attached to carrying guns around all the time live in a different world than I do. I have never carried a gun, and in my 55 years on this earth never needed one to defend myself. Who have they angered so much that they have to always live in fear for their lives? Or, where are they going that is so dangerous, and why are they going there?

Sounds to me like they need to get better friends and learn where they are safe.

Wes, I'm not interested in your sex tool or your ideas on American patriotism. Where you seem to have "lost it" is your opinion that the West Side middle school shooters had the reasoning capacity to call off their rampage based on the notion that someone else would return fire. What's that all about? Are you suggesting that teachers wear sidearms or concealed pistols? Other sixth-graders? Let's put sharpshooters on top of every school, why don't we?

wes what are you so scared of? you should probably move or stop watching faux news. the boogey man is not everywhere. if things are that bad then build a hidy hole and arm yourself and get in it for it is too dangerous for you to remain in the public. i agree with my friends above, do you really want teachers and students in a middle school carrying guns? have you seen a movie called little murders? eventually the whole world lives behind bulletproof doors and goes as crazy as evidently you and your group of militiamen have. go salute each other and play army games on the weekend but please don't pollute the minds of decent children. you can quote statistics from the nra all day about how criminals have all the guns and because of that they are going to take over. i am a statistican and i do know you can say anything you want with statistics.

"You can tell me most of your young CCP holder acquaintances are of that stripe all you want, but that doesn't make it so. Trot out some of those statistics for me if you can find them, but your sources had better be credible."

Hugh, it's up to you to prove that young ccp holders are not safe. You made that assertion based on assumptions, not facts, or, I'm sure, you'd have shared them with me, by now. I understand that there is a difference between members of the military and average citizens. My point is that there are sober and responsible young people, whether you know them or not.

Again, though, all of this is moot. 21 is a a reasonable age. Most people that young who wish to carry a firearm and are irresponsible probably aren't going to go to the trouble of getting a permit.

"And let's not even pretend it's about self-defense. What are the odds of needing a concealed weapon for that? Less than one in a million, probably. The odds of dying in a car wreck caused by a cell phone are a hell of a lot higher, and where's the outrage over that?"

Great statistics. One difference between self defense and dying in a car wreck is that car wrecks are accidents. As for the need for self defense, you obviously lead a sheltered life. There aren't a million people in Little Rock, more like 150,000, but there are thousands of violent crimes every year, making it more like 1 in 50 that you might be in a situation where you would need to protect yourself.

http://littlerock.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm

Check those statistics. In 2006, there were 3,324 violent crimes in Little Rock. 2,216 were aggravated assault, which means the victim was assaulted with a deadly weapon. But, hey, maybe you wanna believe it's 1 in a million, instead of 1 in 50.

As for talking big, most people I know who carry firearms never mention it.

"i also know a lot of people in love with guns and all they talk about is self preservation and to me they are the most dangerous people around. thanks for the elegant defense."

Talk about elegant. Still waiting for statistics that show people with ccps or are members of the NRA are more likely to commit violent crimes. The opposite is the case. How many of those people have murdered or robbed someone? You're not living in reality.

"Who have they angered so much that they have to always live in fear for their lives?"

Is it a woman's fault if she's raped? Who did she anger or entice?

Zonker, if you're a statistician, it's remarkable to me that you thought the need for self-defense was 1 in a million. It didn't take very long to dispute that. It was just a few months ago that a number of your friends were terrified because of the alarming spate of break ins in the Heights and Hillcrest. Again, you offer NO statistics to prove that NRA members or ccp holders are the dangers to society you claim. Prove it.

Still waiting on our resident statistician to explain why he thought 1 in a million was a brilliant statistic to describe the need for self-defense, especially considering that the number is more like one in 50, if you live in Little Rock.

Wes, I'm not interested in your sex tool or your ideas on American patriotism. Where you seem to have "lost it" is your opinion that the West Side middle school shooters had the reasoning capacity to call off their rampage based on the notion that someone else would return fire. What's that all about? Are you suggesting that teachers wear sidearms or concealed pistols? Other sixth-graders? Let's put sharpshooters on top of every school, why don't we?

"Wes, I'm not interested in your sex tool "; I was lead to believe by your previous statement that you (hugh man) wanted people to know that your wife feels that the size of your sex tool matters.

"your ideas on American patriotism" thank GOD for american patriots without them or their weapons we would be enjoying the privaledges we all hold so dear.

"Where you seem to have "lost it" is your opinion that the West Side middle school shooters had the reasoning capacity to call off their rampage based on the notion that someone else would return fire." Let me see they had the mental capacity to pick a place out of veiw from. They picked a place that was out of range for small arms (just in case the police did show). And they chose weapons to fit the range. Oh they had the "mental capacity."

"Are you suggesting that teachers wear sidearms or concealed pistols?" Is so far fetched to arm only those whom we feel reponsible and intelligent enough to be worthy of our trust to keep our children under their care safe?

"wes what are you so scared of? you should probably move or stop watching faux news. the boogey man is not everywhere. if things are that bad then build a hidy hole and arm yourself and get in it for it is too dangerous for you to remain in the public. i agree with my friends above, do you really want teachers and students in a middle school carrying guns? have you seen a movie called little murders? eventually the whole world lives behind bulletproof doors and goes as crazy as evidently you and your group of militiamen have. go salute each other and play army games on the weekend but please don't pollute the minds of decent children. you can quote statistics from the nra all day about how criminals have all the guns and because of that they are going to take over. i am a statistican and i do know you can say anything you want with statistics."

"wes what are you so scared of?" Fear sir? My wife can walk around this town at night if she so chooses and is treated with the utmost respect by our neighbors. And some of them do not know how to speak english. Last night While I was at church My wife had to return to the church for some thing and she did not have her keys. She asked the spanish lady next door if she would watch the house (which was unlocked by the way) until she returned. Fear? No sir! As I have previously stated a safe environment for my family.
"you should probably move or stop watching faux news." "have you seen a movie called little murders?" I like this. I am given he impression that you sir are confused and I believe that confusion like fear only comes from ignorance.
"go salute each other and play army games on the weekend but please don't pollute the minds of decent children." Sir you don't even know me or my friends. And as for polluting the minds of decent children, I do not need political propaganda to explain my answers to the kids around me.
"you can quote statistics from the nra" I am not and never have been a member of the NRA. While I do respect their opinions in most matters the knowledge that I have, gleaned by my own studies and these are not guided by anyone. MY opinions are not influenced by Fox news nor are they influenced by a politically correct Hollywood. As you seem to feel.
"about how criminals have all the guns" Now please show me where in any of my previous statements that I have said this. If anything it is you and your friends who (it appears to me) with out the understanding needed seem to want to lump responsible and intelligent people with those driven by fear and ignorance.
"i am a statistican and i do know you can say anything you want with statistics." Your own words sir; You can make statistics say any thing you want. Oh by the way; "statistican" is spelled "statistician". Remind me please to go to someone else for my statistics.

I guess our resident statistician isn't going to address the 1 in a million claim he/she thought was so brilliant. Talk about statistics being made to say anything. I'd say that little gem says that it's farcically false. There are fewer than 3 million people in Arkansas, which would mean that we would have to have fewer than 3 violent crimes per year in the state for that brilliant stat to be true.

Feel free to answer at any time.

"Seems to me that those that are so attached to carrying guns around all the time live in a different world than I do. I have never carried a gun, and in my 55 years on this earth never needed one to defend myself. Who have they angered so much that they have to always live in fear for their lives? Or, where are they going that is so dangerous, and why are they going there?

Sounds to me like they need to get better friends and learn where they are safe."

55 now, cool that would made you 18 in 1971. Have you ever served in the military sir?