Come Heller high water …
- This week, in the wake of the Texas massacre, the Michigan Senate approved a bill to allow concealed guns in gun-free zones like schools, day cares, stadiums, large concert halls, taverns, places of worship, hospitals, many college dorms or classrooms, and casinos. So much for it being “too soon” to politicize a horrific event. Shame on the governor if he signs the bill.
The idea here is that a good guy with a gun is inevitably going to save the day when the next nut with a military rifle and a million rounds of ammo comes barging in the door. But if we’ve reached the point in society where we need to hope that Bob remembered his pistol the day a psychopath show up, maybe we ought to just go whole hog and add machine gun nests to all public buildings and events. I’m serious. But Republicans won’t go for that because it would cost tax money, and gosh we can’t spend taxes on the public good, now can we? Better to hope that Random Bob brought his Glock and his glasses. Go, Bob!- Here’s a crazy notion: Maybe the reason we have so many massacres compared to the rest of the world is because Americans own a helluva lot more guns. As the New York Times pointed out this week, Americans own 42 percent of the world’s guns and commit 31 percent of the world’s mass shooting despite making up only 4 percent of the world’s population. That’s insane. A University of Alabama researcher studied guns in America and drew the following conclusion (excerpt from NYT story): “Worldwide, Mr. Lankford found, a country’s rate of gun ownership correlated with the odds it would experience a mass shooting. This relationship held even when he excluded the United States, indicating that it could not be explained by some other factor particular to his home country. And it held when he controlled for homicide rates, suggesting that mass shootings were better explained by a society’s access to guns than by its baseline level of violence.”
- Honestly, I don’t think the NRA is going to stop until everyone walks around armed to the teeth, all day every day. They have this sick fantasy in their head that the Wild West was really the Golden Age of America, when in reality the Wild West myth is just that, a myth. They weren’t nearly as gun-crazed or violent as we are today. Look it up sometime. There are studies.
- I have to move on to lighter topics before my head explodes.
- How about this: “Survivor” was already on thin ice with me for a bunch of reasons. They stuff it with pretty, young people. They always vote out minorities and anyone over 40. The challenge games are tired and hackneyed – seen one obstacle course or puzzle, seen ‘em all. The scripted lines and plots are more obvious than ever. And it’s pretty clear they manipulate who makes it to the final four. All of which is bad. This week’s episode, however, was the capper. At the tribal merge, Probst announced that a steakhouse chain (no, I’m not going to mention it) would be providing the merge feast. So the show is now a commercial surrounded by commercials. The next logical step is to have a pallet of Pepto Bismol choppered in in case the feast upsets their stomachs. Gag me. I’m out. “Naked & Afraid” is better anyway.
- For the first time in my life, I can’t think of a single sitcom that isn’t awful or trite beyond belief. Can you? Clearly, I need to stop watching TV and picking up a book.
- Rand Paul suffered six broken ribs after when his neighbor tackled him from behind, and nobody knows why for sure. All we know is it was a “landscape dispute.” That must be a heckuva dispute. My neighbor lets his dog poop on my lawn daily but I wouldn’t tackle him (the owner, not the dog) for it. Although the thought has crossed my mind.
- The governor is expected to sign a bill that makes “Michigander” the official term for state residents. Screw that. I’m sticking with Michiganian. Michigander sounds like a goose.
- Do teenagers know what a card catalogue is? Or the Dewey decimal system? Just wondering.
- Twitter expanded its character count to 280 this week, allowing people to be just as dull with twice as much space. Kind of a dumb move, I think. Twitter is killing its own gimmick. They should have gone the other way and reduced the character count to 50 or maybe gone with a word count of 10 words tops. It would have been much more interesting – sort of a haiku for the masses. If people need more space, drop the silly hashtags. No one follows those anyway.
- Have you noticed the empty seats at Pistons games? The team says ticket sales are high and that fans are there, they’re up in the concourse exploring the new stadium. Riiiiight. I wonder what the real reason is. I suspect ticket prices. And the experience. Basketball, like football, just isn’t as good in person as it is on TV. They’re both eerily quiet when you’re in the stadium unless there’s a barn-burner and crowd gets into it. Too bad, too. The Pistons are good this year.
- I loved comic books as a kid and I longed for the day when special effects evolved to the point that Hollywood could turn them into movies. And now that the day is here, I want them to stop. Too many, Hollywood. Too many.
- “I could do with a bit more excess. From now on I’m going to be immoderate–and volatile–I shall enjoy loud music and lurid poetry. I shall be rampant.” – Joanne Harris in “Chocolat.”
Image credit: Shadow Viking
Andy – We law abiding NRA members own hundreds of millions of firearms and have trillions of rounds of ammo. If we we’re actually the problem, you would know it.
Show me the number of NRA members that have carried out mass shootings and I will show you the number of times Hillary Clinton won the presidency.
The REAL problem with violence is liberal Democrats. You guys are the nutbags that write manifestos and go on shooting sprees in “gun free zones”.
I carry a firearm daily. I have done so for decades and will continue to do so. I hope this brightens your day! God bless the NRA and God bless America!
You are the problem and we do know it. No need to clarify it for us. You love guns so much because you are an empty little man. Don’t worry, you are not scaring anyone with your veiled threats, “I gotta gun. Howdya like that?”. You just sound more pathetic every time.
The best way to get rid of a pimple is to ignore it Fred. It will go away on its own. The more you mess with it the worse it gets!
Thank you Jims.
Didn’t you hear? The answer to our gun problem is more guns, wall to wall with guns. The next massacre attempt will turn into a cheesy old western sitcom….pew….pew….pew…
Do you have Netflix? Check out Ozark and Stranger Things, and if you can get into animations, F is for Family is really good.
The best TV shows are on AMC now.
Stranger Things is good. Haven’t seen the others. I like pew, pew, pew, too!
Andrew, I hate to disagree with you (That’s a lie. I don’t.), but “Michigander” is a far more flavorful description of our homeland than is the bland “Michiganian”. It is rich, chewy pumpernickel to your mush white bread. That’s only my opinion, but it should be yours.
Stranger Things is good. Haven’t seen the others. I like pew, pew, pew, too!
This video from Black Rifle Coffee Company PERFECTLY describes the insane, liberal logic behind “gun control”. Enjoy – It is super hillarious and also 100% accurate. Libs are insane.
https://youtu.be/BYVqmBaqgPU
What’s this? You are giving accurate information now? You have turned a new corner, Working Dad. Good for you!
I’m glad you like the video!
Thanks, Dad. That video does perfectly describe libs, everything was there except their heads exploding! And now, watch the comments about this!
Abortion is murder, but mass-killings really are just a expression of our vibrant, thriving American culture. As they say in New Hampshire, Live Free And Die!
Hey, once born, all bets are off. No need to feed, educate, help or none of that other Jesus stuff. (So why exactly are the biggest God chest-thumpers the ones who are most against helping those in need, again?)
Andrew, that is the most mean-spirited comment I’ve ever seen you make. You insinuated that Christians who are against abortion don’t help those in need is an outright lie. Where are the statistics to even come close to proving that? Christians are helping people at every local level in their surroundings, and just because many don’t believe that we need more and more government programs, which by the way for the last 50 years have not reduced poverty does not prove they are not helping.
Ann, when the republicans want to cut health care for kids and then scream about abortion what do you think common sense people think. I’m a Christian and I know there is no way we as community can meet the needs of the poor without gov. help.
I’m tired of certain so called Christians wearing their religion on their sleeves but not putting their talk into action or worse changing what Jesus said to fit their political beliefs. I’ll bet President Trump hardly ever went to church before his presidency, but now he’s going for show to make his base happy. Wearing his religion on his sleeve.
ann b: Thanks for having the guts to call Andrew out on that comment. I was also stunned to see that come from him.
God chest-thumpers?? Don’t help people in need? What??
Did Andrew really write that, or did someone use his name?
I am so disappointed……
By the way, Linda. It doesn’t take “guts” to disagree with me or take me to task. I don’t yell or scream at people who disagree with what I write. To the contrary, I “print” their views (like with Ann B.) The whole point of a column to me is debate and learning from it. Like everyone else, I think I’m right about things, but I’m also more than willing to re-examine my positions and step up when I think I’ve gone too far. I try to keep things civil and safe.
Relax. He is just pointing out the hypocrisy of the Right. Everything with them revolves around the bible, but when it comes time to live up to that commitment, they show us that it’s all just lip service from them as their Christain guidelines only apply to some groups of people.
I’ll give you an example of religious hypocrisy from the Right.
Yesterday in defense that Roy Moore sexually assaulted a 14 year old girl, another Alabama official said ; “Mary was teenager and Joseph was an adult when they became psrents of Jesus.”
There are so many things wrong with that statement, but what stand out to me the most is; Mary is supposed to be a virgin, Joseph supposedly never touched her, and you would think a god fearing, bible thumping, Christian, Republican politician out of Alabama would know that.
Fred, that Mary/Jesus line was beyond bizarre. Amazing what comes out of people’s mouths when they’re trying to defend the indefensible.
Ann and Linda – I am the person who started this idea. Do you two think of abortion as murder? Do you two also want to allow murders by letting too many Americans have too many guns and too much ammo? Please give this some rational compassionate thought. Americans may be able to agree that murder is bad. Then again, maybe not.
I don’t support the republican platform, I did not vote for Mr. Trump, I vote my conscience and sometimes that just falls on the side of the lesser of 2 evils.
Abortion as murder and mass killings as murder are far apart on the spectrum. If a driver under the influence crashes the car and all his passengers die, where does that go on the spectrum? Or if someone is texting and crosses the center line and people in the other car die, where does that one go? Hit and runs resulting in death? What about gang and drug related murders, where do they fit on the spectrum? If a woman or couple chooses abortion, there is not much I can do about that. It is just very sad when a woman suffers for the rest of her life or relationships are destroyed over their choice. Trust me, even if it’s the right choice for them, the experience from walking into the clinic to walking out is horrible.
Ann, I think you’re right – that was too callous and sweeping. And as always I always appreciate comments, whether they’re taking me to task or applauding. I do get frustrated with people who say one thing then do another when it comes to their religious beliefs. Trump is a good example – how people of faith can support a guy with his background is beyond me. Or Roy Moore. Or guns. Or deporting people for no good reason (see my FB page today). Or a million other things. I’m not saying Dems are better people or that Tea Partyiers are bad people. I think there’s good and bad everywhere. But in my view, the right has gone way overboard in not living its stated beliefs, religious or otherwise. (A non-religious example is the tax cuts, which by all measures except theirs will raise the deficit and save the rich tons. How does that square with traditional GOP fiscal beliefs. It doesn’t. Ask Republicans. Same for TrumpCare – it’ll raise rates more and mean less care for many. How does that square with their stated belief that they care about the poor or the health of people. It doesn’t. They just don’t want a single-payer system or the system created by, ick, Obama.)
Thanks Andy for your comments.
After living on this earth for 1 month short of 80 years, I can attest to the fact that there has not been lots of children and babies dying because of lack of health care. The proof that we don’t need MORE government programs is in the so-called Great Society measures that LBJ put into effect in the early 1960’s. Back in that day, unmarried people tried NOT to get pregnant. Since then we have more methods for birth control than ever were thought of then. And yet, we have created MORE welfare mothers than we ever had, because everyone knows the government will take care of them. That’s just not the kind of world I want for people. As soon as we want to create more individual responsibility, we are labeled hateful and uncaring. The problem is that we continue to have more and more people not PAYING FOR health care (even though the Dems like to think that Obamacare takes care of everybody).
You have some very good points there, but you forgot that the economy was also more stable and the cost of living was lower. More people could afford to buy a house and raise their family on a single income. Now in many cases, both adults must work 2 jobs just to make rent.
You said people tried to not get pregnant, but you forgot that the largest families were in the time you are talking about, with many couples having as many as 10 kids, and only one parent working on GM’s assembly line. That is unheard of today on both counts.
Corporate greed is out of control, and Republicans are trying to give corporations even more tax breaks. That is hurting us.
Ann, you’re just wrong on health care for kids. The U.S. is way down the list for infant mortality, often due to lack of health care for moms and kids.
https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-05-23/us-infant-mortality-a-case-study-in-health-care-disparities
And you just made the case FOR Obamacare … millions more were able to get health insurance, plus basic preventative services.
“Here’s a crazy notion: Maybe the reason we have so many massacres compared to the rest of the world. . . . “.
Yes ,that is crazy. The reason is that we have better local news coverage. The rest of the world has more massacres.
How do you know that for a fact?
Did you somehow miss the facts on gun ownership vs massacres in the column. I suspect you didn’t read it.
Andy,
For the better part of the past twenty five years or so, I have nearly always agreed with you 100%
However, today, I must disagree with you on a claim.
Goose or no goose……..
We are Michiganders forever, not Michiganians.
I ain’t no gander!
What if we have more extreme back round checks on those that purchase guns and a longer waiting period. We should also go back on those that purchased guns and check and make sure that they do not have a police record for domestic violence or whatever since purchasing their guns. If they do, guns will be forfeited. I’m sure with the computers we have we can come up with a cross checking system. That might help keep guns out of those that become mental after the purchase of a gun, even if it was years ago.
Sigh……good grief, I can’t believe the people who support the gun toting citizens of the USA! If it weren’t so tragic it would be laughable. I mean really?!! A license to carry guns into all the places where there have already been massacres! You know darn well, nut cases will find a way to avoid background checks, and murder masses so they can up the kill count. Such an honorable goal!! Speaking of crazy….who the heck blames Democrats? Or Republicans?
Just once I’d like to ask an NRA member if they would feel the same if it was one of their family members that was cut down with an assualt rifle. NO ONE NEEDS AN ASSUALT RIFLE unless he or she is in the service.
Do you know anybody who owns a rifle capable of select fire?
The one big flaw in our system that is different than some other countries is that they PUNISH people for crimes. I am referring to our plea deals. The judge and the attorney in the 2013 case of this mass murderer should have a penalty to pay. In that case, they accepted a guilty plea to striking, choking, kicking, and pulling hair of his wife on 2 occasions in exchange for withdrawing 5 other counts of domestic violence, including pointing a loaded gun at his wife. If you add this to his other problems with the military, he should never have been able to make that plea. I know that they make pleas to clear up the court dockets, and make it less time-consuming, etc. but this is a big problem when you have a repeat offender like this guy. This happens all the time in court cases in our town, when a guy is arrested for any numbers of crimes and then in a plea bargain, the charge of having a gun in possession as a felon (already) is dismissed, when it should be a mandatory sentence.
This is a major way the we differ from some other countries!
ann b: right on! Amen!
Mass murderers: They turn their guns on many people, destroy the same number of families, then turn the gun on themselves and don’t even live to get their 15 minutes of fame.
Cable is way too expensive for what we get. There’s 300 channels or more (forced on us in a bundle deal) and my husband just sits there and clicks through every channel almost all evening, and there is very little that I think is fun to watch. The new game shows are stupid.
I vote for Michiganians.
And finally, anyone who purchases or carries a gun needs to have a note from their doctor, or an evaluation before the get the permit.
Neither michiganians or michiganders. Why not go with yoopers and trolls??
Ha! Maybe caps: Yoopers and Trolls.
I’ll go with that. I’m both, I guess – a Yoopatroll.
Hey, Andrew!
We just bumped over the Daylight Time to Regular Time interface. In prior years, you have made great comments on this topic, and I have tried to give good counter-comments. Do you have anything to say about Daylight Time this year?
Only that it’s over and I’m finally not groggy.
I am with you Andrew yoopatroll. It covers both the upper and lower half of the state. Or even maybe(?) trollyoop. Just make fun of the situation.
As it is well said in the armed forces “there are no atheists in a foxhole”
Who becomes a conservative overnight? A liberal who was a victim of a crime last night.
Gee, if gun free signs worked, then if we erect enough signs the mass murders may go someplace else where they can do their evil deed.
The mass murder shooter at the theater in Colorado drove by a theater that had armed guards and went to a theater where it was a posted gun free zone.
The man who returned fire at the mass murderer in Texas owned an assault type weapon. He was a NRA weapons trainer. When he returned fire and shot the murderer and hit him, the murderer dropped his weapon and left the scene, then killed himself.
The days we change on and off of Daylight Saving are holidays, but we have no holiday carols for those days. Try this:
SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT
CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS
DO IT RIGHT
SLEEP IN TOMORROW
DON’T WAKE UP TOO SOON
HOLY SNOOZING
SLEEP IN TIL NOON
THEN CHANGE THE CLOCK IN YOUR CAA-AAR
THEN CHANGE THE CLOCK IN YOUR CAR
Andrew, when Working Dad and I ask you, fred teddy lubba, tom and other liberals the last time conservative republican leaning legal gun owning type of person went on a mass shooting spree?
The answer is that there is not such a thing on record. Most of the murderers are liberal leaning, who may or was using psychotropic drugs and other mood/behavior altering substances.
When sociopaths used a BOMB to murder 168 people and injure over 680 others in 1995, it was not a “BOMB PROBLEM’.
When sociopaths used AIRPLANES to murder 2977 people and injure over 6,000 others on 9/11,
it wasn’t an “AIRPLANE PROBLEM”.
When a sociopath used a TRUCK to murder 85 people and injure 458 others in 2016, it wasn’t
a “TRUCK PROBLEM”.
But when sociopaths use a GUN to murder over people, why do democrats label it
a “GUN PROBLEM”.
I have noticed the empty seats a the Piston games. I have stopped having any interest in the Pistons when Ilich stopped giving Or handing out tickets to various non-profits groups. He msut of though that they would keep on coming to the games and paying the full price for the tickets.
The non-profits groups that went to the games bought a lot of concession food.
The former photojournalist in me kicked in a few weeks ago as I spoke to a man cruising for cool stuff in a Salvation Army. He was wearing a Vietnam Veteran ballcap and a coiled rattlesnake NRA T-shirt that proclaimed “Don’t Tread on Me.” It appeared he had recently had a stroke and used only single word responses and gestures.
I told him I had for 15 years been the go-to guy for much of the ugly news (per Jack Gruber WHY they hired me) and had seen probably a blink of an eye compared to what he had seen and experienced during his service in Vietnam and thanked him for his service. He shook my hand.
I asked him what he thought as a Veteran and an NRA member of bump stocks in light of the Las Vegas shooting of a music festival by the nut high up in his hotel room who used bump stocks on his AR-15s to speed his firing rate. Specifically, I asked what he thought of non-military or non-law enforcement He shook his head “No,” gave a thumbs down gesture and sad “Bad.”
I suggested since I, a 1982 high school graduate had to watch gory films of car crashes as part of both health and driver’s ed before I was able to have a NY State driver’s license, what he thought of the idea of folks wishing to purchase firearms of ANY kind having to watch films NOT of just watermelons being shattered by bullets but REAL crime scene images of human heads. He said “Good,” while giving the idea a vigorous “thumbs up” gesture.
The problem with your idea is that the movie industry has been producing movies for years showing all sorts of violence depicting how a human body can be mutilated.
These images are close to real as possible without killing a human being.
All those hollywood movies showing people being killed by guns by actors who are now saying that guns need more regulations/laws. They are making all sorts of money showing violence while complaining that their is too much violence in the world.
Hey Working Dad, I just heard about a story/lie that ran on Wednesday 8 Nov 2017 USA Today.
The article claims that you can now buy a chainsaw bayonet for your scary weapon (scary weapon is any weapon that is black and other wise looks threatening to a liberal).
The chainsaw bayonet is supposed to be the ideal weapon to use against an zombie attack. I am not sure where you can buy it, but according to USA Today it is available somewhere on line.
Quick let us get are own and be the among the first ones to have in case of zombie attack.
I saw that. (pun intended) The liberal gun grabbers are literally too stupid to know the difference between real firearms and fake firearms from SciFi movies. There are also tons of hillarious memes making fun of the idiots with other add-ons. Search around and you will find them. I don’t know how to embed an image here.
To Fred & Andrew – You say that people could afford to buy a home in those days. That’s because they got what they could afford and didn’t expect more. Today people want and think they need to have more and put themselves in debt when they should not. I lived those times and we struggled to pay the bills, and waited for the things we wanted as we could afford.
Also Andy – re the infant mortality compared to other countries. Many of the children in this country are born to mothers who are either on drugs, or are unhealthy and too young to properly care for themselves. I know personally cases of mothers who DO NOT take their kids to the clinics available to them, either because of ignorance or laziness. I know of a case where the mother refused to take the child to a dentist when she had free dental care provided by Medicaid. The child constantly complained of her mouth hurting. When she was finally forcibly taken to the dentist, the child had 13 cavities and one tooth that so infected they had to treat it like an adult’s root canal. The whole thing was a very traumatic experience for the 4 year old child. There are just too many having babies who are unprepared to handle it. Again I’m speaking from up-close knowledge of the situations. Somehow we have to stop this kind of repeat problem.
Andrew, somewhere up there in the midst of this debate, I wrote that I was stunned and disappointed about a comment you made, and that Ann B had the guts to address it. I should have said, “Gee Ann, I was just thinking the same thing.” The word “Guts” is crude. You do, in fact, facilitate a fair and open column. I am one of the regulars and I think I am usually pretty tame. I enjoy the opportunity to debate. Thanks.