Messages

And backwards paddle

Two things:  $2250 a month?  How can that be with the Affordable Care Act in effect?

The Canadians I know aren't living large.  Median home price $1 million.  Gas, $6 a gallon.  Taxes, enormous.  Your assertions are vague and general and offer no basis in facts.  It's just an ideological justification on an informal forum.  If everyone would just believe ...

Once people learn that you actually have to pay for Medicare the shine will wear off. Most people pay $137.50 a month (each person) then pay whatever you select for Part C and Part D.  My wife and I pay about $675 a month for total Medicare.  A lot of people just want everything free.  As for those countries that have socialized health care, try downloading their tax forms and fill them out as if you live there.  You'll pay one way or the other.  I did that with our neighbors to the north and my taxes increased four fold.

mind reader, Seldom? nah, but i do read the papers

but maybe you should do a bit more reading? If not time consuming research, like, at least some reading beyond "periodically"--if you want to have a meaningful opinion....

and you really think there's an analogy between a medical first responder and some self-appointed untrained moron hero with a gun?

wow--not sure reading or research will fix that!

Well, how bout this yes or no scenario then.  A couple months ago, a 70 year old guy here in my town was walking on a well used trail here.  Unprovoked, and out of nowhere, a crazy guy stabbed him repeatedly in the chest several times, killing him.  One of my sons is a commissioned officer in the US Army.  (I know that scares you but bear with me.). He has a BS as well as a Masters Degree, and is a Special Operations Command combat vet. (more scary stuff for you).  Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, a few other places.  He has a good head on his shoulders and knows what to do and how to do it.  And he has a concealed carry permit.  Do you think the dead stabbed guy wishes my son, or someone like him, was present and armed when he was confronted then attacked?   Yes or no. 

As an aside, this same son was 10 when he was attacked by a pit bull on a similar trail.  (Sorry pit bull lovers).  I was off duty and armed and I put one in that's dogs brain.   But I cannot compared this to a civilian being armed because I was an LEO at the time. But my son was happy I was armed while off duty. 

I'm sure you'll come up with some idealogical mumbo jumbo to try to twist this a way to suit your beliefs, but it I'll be good entertainment. 

walking into a walmart with a shouldered AR, and a holstered sidearm, clad in body armor is completely legal in MO--there are no laws that forbid this act in the state of MO

Apparently there is a law, "making a terrorist threat in the second-degree". 

According to one report, "Police say panic ensued and shoppers went scurrying out of the building as Andreychenko allegedly walked around pushing a shopping cart and recording video on his phone."

BTW, I thought my sidewalk analogy was pretty good, sorry it didn't register for you.

People are panicking when they hear a motorcycle  back fire. The point I'm making is that the 2nd amendment arguments are inconsistent. Why is carrying  an assault rifle a terrorist act in one instance and not another?

Er, because he didn't shoot it?  In the case if this guy, carrying a rifle through a Walmart just after a highly publicized Walmart shooting, his absolute right to bear arms probably is tempered by the Shouting Fire in a Crowded Threatre concept.  It's a Supreme Court decision regarding the absolute right of free speech. 

your recent example is a truly rare example--the use of a legal firearm by a civilian to stop a criminal with an illegal firearm is mostly about macho fantasies that never happened

I don't have time to research how often it happens, but I do read about it periodically.  So you're a mind reader, too?  And a psychologist?  And like to generalize a stereotype that fits your political narrative?  Just keep on pretending that it never happens , if your desired narrative suits you.  Pretend that CPR trained people don't save lives once in a while, and that first aid trained people don't save lives once in a while, too.

Police state??? For heaven's sakes, you guys are exasperating! What next? Afraid of an invasion of little green men from Mars so you must have an AK47 down your pants at all times?

How often do you guys *actually* use a gun in self-defence?

Well, a recent example would be the off duty firefighter with a concealed firearm who captured the guy walking around Walmart with a rifle and body armor ....

As a former career Law Enforcement Officer, I think it would be wonderful if we could snap our fingers and make some or even all types of firearms go away.  No one has a firearm, no one needs to protect their self from people with firearms if there aren't any.  However, the genie has been out of the bottle for a long while.  How are you going to make someone who is a criminal turn in his firearms?  Anyone on here want to volunteer to be the guy to collect all the MS 13 weapons? 

When all these criminal people still have their firearms, do you expect other law abiding people not not be able to protect themselves against armed criminals?  Are you going to turn otherwise law abiding people into criminals if they balk at turning in their means of protection against armed criminals?  Anyone on here going to volunteer to go out to some of the rural counties in say, West Virginia, eastern Washington State, or Alabama and ask Bubba to hand over his AK?  The reason some of these guys own their semiautomatic rifles is because the government might some day come for those very rifles.

It's dream world versus reality.

I am having trouble locating the stat, but my guess is your experience will back it up.  In a substantial number of firearm homicides, maybe even a majority, the killer obtained the gun somewhat recently. It seems like it was one or two years. I will have to do more digging and see if I can find the source. The point is that while an immediate change is unrealistic for the reasons you describe, getting the trend going in the other direction is infinitely better than doing nothing.

That's why they used have a waiting period to purchase firearms.  To keep a hothead from picking up a gun on the way to his ex's house to off her in a fit of rage. That waiting period used to be for all, but now if you pass the National Instant Background System computer query you can pick up the same day.    So if you're not a felon and haven't been adjudicated as crazy you are good to go.  That's way different than actually being crazy, I might add. 

I don't know about recent shooters and when they got their firearms.  Seems like the Vegas shooter was well entrenched into his firearms collection for many years.  I think the El Paso shooter just recently got his rifle. 

Maybe.  But every time I see a gun free zone sign all I can think of is how law abiding people would leave the pistol at home, but the guy that's going in to kill his ex boss or ex wife will not be deterred by such a sign.  Might as well put up a sign, don't worry about being stopped by a legal carry citizen, we don't allow them here.   

If you could, though, ban "assault rifles" sales, over a period of many years/generations you would have a lot less of them out there, they sort of go the way of the musket, after a few generations.  Then you wouldn't have to hire single men with no family and a death wish to go try to collect them from those that wouldn't voluntarily surrender them.  I honestly think it would take the Army to get all that done, which would be illegal and would likely lead to major civil unrest anyway.  Defining assault rifles legally is also problematic, they are so similar to any semi auto rifle used for hunting or target shooting. 

Both of my sons own tactical rifles.  One is a career Army Officer, who wears a full beard when he is in combat theatre, if you know what I mean, the other is a federal agent who is an Army National Guard Commissioned Officer.  Many tactical rifle owners have similar backgrounds.  It's a shame a few idiots are causing all this trouble. 

Some of what you call gun culture folks are pretty committed.  I don't see them going vegan and driving Priuses any time soon!

Also, as for the red flag bills, as distasteful as it is, it's not a crime to be a hater.  And it's not a crime to be weird and mysterious. I doubt most red flag bills would pass muster of a court review.  That's one reason crazy people roam the streets everywhere.  They're not considered dangerous until they kill someone.  What would stop someone who is anti firearms to call the police on anyone he/she knows owns a firearm under the pretense if a red flag condition?  People do that now, when someone is carrying completely legally, some of these anti firearms people call 911 to report a man with a gun to try to intimidate people from carrying legally. 

As a former career Law Enforcement Officer, I think it would be wonderful if we could snap our fingers and make some or even all types of firearms go away.  No one has a firearm, no one needs to protect their self from people with firearms if there aren't any.  However, the genie has been out of the bottle for a long while.  How are you going to make someone who is a criminal turn in his firearms?  Anyone on here want to volunteer to be the guy to collect all the MS 13 weapons? 

When all these criminal people still have their firearms, do you expect other law abiding people not not be able to protect themselves against armed criminals?  Are you going to turn otherwise law abiding people into criminals if they balk at turning in their means of protection against armed criminals?  Anyone on here going to volunteer to go out to some of the rural counties in say, West Virginia, eastern Washington State, or Alabama and ask Bubba to hand over his AK?  The reason some of these guys own their semiautomatic rifles is because the government might some day come for those very rifles.

It's dream world versus reality. 

Right guy at the right place st the right time, good eye for you. I would urge everyone who hasn't taken a lifeguard course, not to take a course, but to go to you tube and watch a video of what someone drowning looks like.  It's actually very, very subtle and easy not to Notice. 

Sorry I can't seem to post the actual link on my tablet.  The story is on the local newspaper, IslandsSounder.com.  Maybe someone with a computer can post the actual link.  Guy was in his 30s. 

I hesitated to post the near drowning incident at my local lake because I like to be seldom seen (hence the screen name) and I was trying to figure out how to highlight the guy in the fishing boat and the woman's all too familiar mistakes.  Paddling up next to someone and giving assistance is a far cry from a big water rescue, Swift water rescue, or actually getting in the water for a lifesaving type rescue.

Media reports he was in Mountain Lake, which I am not familiar with.  Sad story, I have sons sons about his age ...

I know that most people on here know what they are doing, but I am more and more convinced that many people don't know the basics, whether it be how to swim or how to remount or how not to get drunk before boarding.

Two cases in point, just today Search and Rescue recovered the body of a 30 something guy from a lake over on Orcas Island, in the San Juan chain in far northwest Washington.  He was seen to fall off his paddle board yesterday.  No PFD, nothing about a leash but he was in a small (deep) lake. 

Sunday, I was going hit a few laps on my race board, at a small (two miles around) very popular local lake.  Just as I was getting ready to hop on, a teenage guy started screaming, "My mother is drowning!" As he ran into the water and started swimming out.  A few of the 40 or so people at the small swim beach started yelling, "She's drowning."  I looked out and saw a face bobbing up periodically next to an inflatable, in the classic drowning scenario.  Not making a sound, face barely breaking water, hand up in the air.  She indeed was near the end.

As I paddled by the swimming son, he swam back to shore, which was good because he was going to drown too.  She was about 150 feet out.  He just couldn't not try to save his mother.  After a few seconds I realize an overweight older guy, about 65, was fishing from a small boat about 15 feet from the woman. Hence all the people yelling, which I realized was directed at him.  I yelled to him, "you, you in the boat, three times, as I had to pass him to get to her.  The third time, I yelled "You in the fishing boat, you need to help her, she's drowning."  I couldn't figure out why he wasn't answering, because I was very confident he was hearing me.  As a retired law enforcement officer, I know how to give commands and have people hear me.  when he finally looked up he said, "I hear you, and I don't care." 

Anyway, I got to her and there she was, paddle in one hand and sunglasses in the other, not able to get hold of the board, or really use her arms for swimming.  In the moment, she couldn't process her predicament enough to ditch the paddle and shades and use her arms to save herself.  I got her stuff and had her put one arm over her board and one over mine, until she could calm down and catch her breath.  She held up a toy quality inflatable PFD, about half full of air, and told me she wanted to put it on.  Her Costco board was also about half inflated, which is probably how she fell to begin with.  I told her not to bother with the pfd, and I tried to help her get back on her board, but she was too weak and spent to remount.  As this was playing out, the wind blew us right by the SUP rental stand, I have no idea if they were aware of all this or not, but it seemed weird that I was the only one with her.  And, by the way, she was wearing a leash!

A guy in a river raft with his young son then paddled up, and he was able to tug her up into the raft and take care of her from then on.  But not before she asked for her sunglasses back.  First things first.

Anyway, the Coast Guard caters to the masses.  There's really no other way.  Maybe test all Paddlers and give you an expert badge exempting you from rules designed to the lowest common denominator?  I get the sense that most SUP drownings are occurring in what I call casual waters, where big box SUPs have replaced pool floats and cheap plastic kayaks. I see ten cheap inflatables for every serious boarder, when I am in the lake, usually for a swimming workout.  People think that being able to swim in a pool equates to suddenly finding yourself alone in a cold lake, with a leash around your leg, and waves hitting you in the face.  I guess at the risk of inconveniencing all the expert Paddlers, the Coast Guard is just trying to save these people from themselves. 

As for the fat fishing hillbilly, all I could do is paddle back by him and say, "Good job, buddy."  He just stared at me, not saying a word.  I don't know what his major malfunction is, whether he thinks people recreating in the lake messes with his fishing, or maybe that the woman was Asian.  Or maybe he's just a piece of s....   it's not a crime here to watch someone drown without trying to assist, even when you have the means.  In some places there's a Failure to Render Assistance crime, but here it's only Failure to Summon Assistance, meaning to call 911.  Later when I got back to shore, an NFL sized guy was pretty upset about the fisherman, he had heard and seen it all.  Don't know if they met later ...