Alligators 'n Roadkill

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Friday, January 14, 2011

Isn’t it about time to bring the issue of gun ownership to the forefront?

The fascination of shooting as a sport depends almost wholly on whether you are at the right or wrong end of the gun. - P. G. Wodehouse




The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the so-called 'Right to Bear Arms' Amendment, was ratified on December 15, 1791. The exact wording of this amendment says: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Beginning late in the second half of the century just past, this Amendment became the center of a fierce and protracted argument between two factions. On the one hand are those who proclaim that this amendment guarantees us the right to own a gun. On the other hand, are those who say that not only have the times in which we live left this entire idea behind, but that those who claim that this amendment gives us the exclusive right to own firearms have misinterpreted the amendment.

The simple argument to counter those who believe that this amendment continues to give us the right to own guns is to point out that none of us are members of a militia, since our nation no longer (and, has not for many generations) requires the continued existence of a militia. Instead, we have a standing Army which exists to provide us with that security the Constitution also guarantees to us. Yes, I tend to agree with this second interpretation, because I do not see how we can accept part of this statement without accepting all of the statement. No militia, no arms. It is as simple as that.

Maybe if we were under threat of an imminent attack by an enemy force it would make sense to maintain a militia. But, first of all, consider this: how long has it been since any army attacked us on our shores? Secondly, what good would a standing militia have done against the idiots who hit us on September 11? The answer to the first question is nearly two hundred years, when we were attacked by the British, during the course of the War of 1812. To answer the second question, just consider how much good it did us to have the FBI, the CIA, all the Armed Forces of the United States, all the local law enforcement of an entire nation, not to mention an active U. S. Customs Service and the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service all in place and active up to and including that infamous day.

Beyond the lack of a militia, there are more compelling reasons for us to no longer cling to this antiquated idea. It may have made sense when we each had to put our own meat on the table, but think about it. If you have a choice between going to the supermarket, or a good meat market, where you can buy any cut of meat you want, or go out and either freeze your butt off, or sweat it off, then get filthy dirty in the process of finding an animal to kill, then you have to dress it. Have you ever dressed a fresh kill? I didn't think so. Would you really want to? Do you have any idea how much it might cost you if you add up all the costs of outfitting yourself properly, transportation to and from the site of your kill, storage of your fresh meat, and so on? Now, logically, doesn't it really make more sense to go pay six bucks for a pound of decent beef, and all you have to do is decide how to prepare it?

Those who favor gun ownership also make the claim that legitimate farmers or ranchers need firearms, maybe if one of their animals needs to be 'put down,' or also to protect the land and livestock of the farmers or ranchers from natural predators. This is not only a lame argument to present, but it is simply not true. When an animal has to be put down (cow or horse with a broken leg, for instance) one can either slit a major artery with a knife, or call a vet, or bash the animal on the skull with a hammer. As for predators, how many are left, after how many generations of being hunted and killed on sight? Or, think about this: before firearms were available to the common man, what did farmers use for these purposes?

Next, and think very hard about this, now: if no one was allowed to own any sort of firearm, against whom would any of us need protection? And, while you're at it, think about this: how many murders, per capita, occur each year in Great Britain, where not even the cops carry firearms? "Britain has a long tradition of unarmed police officers walking the beat with only a truncheon for protection." - - (source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/1156341.stm). And, in case you're wondering about per capita murder rates, here is the most recent data I can find: The U. S. ranked 24th, and the United Kingdom ranked 46th, according to Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems, covering the period 1998 - 2000 (Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention). This translated to these rates: for the U. S. - - 0.042802 murders per 1,000 people, and for the United Kindgom - - 0.0140633.

I know. I know. You are going to say that any competent statistician (or incompetent one, too, for that matter) can make any set of numbers say anything he wants them to say (at least that is pretty close to what my old professor of Statistics used to say). I agree with that, but I also know that if I hadn't included some numbers, some smart ass somewhere would for sure ask me to cite some numbers, so there you go.

My contention here remains that if guns – all guns – were truly outlawed, and if all guns were thus eventually turned in, collected, confiscated, purchased, whatever; and, if there was no such thing as a gun dealer or a weapons sales business or a purveyor of same or a seller of same or a black market dealer in weapons, then not even the criminals would have access to guns. Yes, this means that weapons manufacturers who wanted to stay in business would need to find another product to manufacture. And, would that be so bad? And, yes, I know that this doesn't mean that someone with a knife would be stopped, but it seems to me that there are a hell of a lot less mass murders being committed with a knife than with any kind of gun, now aren't there? And, doesn't that sort of suggest that a future without guns might well continue the same pattern? And, wouldn't that be a good thing?
 We really don't need more pictures like this in the world.

8 comments:

  1. Handguns don't need clips that hold 33 bullets. Assault rifles don't need to be in the hands of citizens.

    Citizens should have the right to bear "reasonable" arms. Reasonable being weapons used for personal protection or sport shooting. I'm an old man who doesn't own a gun. But if faced with a young brute with a baseball bat that intended to do harm, I would prefer to have a gun. I don't hunt, but I know that an assault rifle is not used to bring down a pheasant, deer, elk or moose. These weapons should be banned.

    The founding fathers surely didn't anticipate the advancement of weaponry.

    But until politicians are willing to stand up to the NRA there will be NO change. NONE. And NO politician has the guts to take on the NRA.

    Your seizure of all guns is so unreasonable as to be other-wordly. Pollyanna-ish. Nice try.

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  2. I know that my proposal to give up all guns is outlandish, but I figure we need to go one way or the other. Either shake up those chickenshit politicians with this drastic move, or give every damn body a gun, make 'em wear them in public, and see if we can't at least develop a super-polite society (a la Robert Heinlein). Thanks for reading...........

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  3. Your idea of no one having a gun is silly talk. If I move there, Arenal... I will want one hidden so I can shoot the bastard that I am sure will eventually confront me in the middle of the day, night, whatever as there seems to be police force. Costa Rica is a dangerous lawless place for the most part. Love it there, but crime pays in CR and if you have anything of value you are a target.

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  4. You may belittle my thinking if you wish. That is certainly your prerogative. However, you have to think it through. If no one, and I mean absolutely, positively no ONE had a gun, the incidence of violent crime would have to go down, and the very idea of a mass murder (like Tucson, or Columbine) would become just a footnote in the pages of our history. And, I have no idea of where you are, or how much you really know about our little town, but I can assure you that the real incidence of crime in general is not as high as many would have you believe. Your statement that CR "is a dangerous lawless place for the most part," is simply not true, not even for a small part. I know. I live here.

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  5. John, I appreciate your ideas that the world would be a better place. I live in western Colorado full time and built a house in Arenal. I am there 12 % of the year and have seen a lot of things happen there that never happen where i live in Colorado. Just the fact... I do not own a weapon now of any kind and prefer not have to own one to preserve my life. You know as well as anyone that criminals do as they please, knowing full well there is no prosecution, let alone to be detained when caught with stolen items. The legal system is a joke. If the weather was cold and wet all the time I would not give CR a thought. We all over look the bad in order to enjoy the good anywhere we are. I walk along the lake road and have cars drive by with thugs hanging out the window looking at me like I am a target to be screwed with. Fortunately they have not stopped to beat me up! Lucy me!! After the Rodeo robbery, I never feel completely safe at the bars roadside. Gringo spots like the Gingerbread are totally vulnerable to a large scale holdup. Hope that never happens but I bet it will someday... That is why I will have a gun near me when I move there... and a very large German Shepard!

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  6. You said, "I walk along the lake road and have cars drive by with thugs hanging out the window looking at me like I am a target to be screwed with. Fortunately they have not stopped to beat me up! Lucy me!! After the Rodeo robbery, I never feel completely safe at the bars roadside."
    Gotta tell ya......I've never experienced any such thing as people driving by and glaring at me, so I really can't relate to the first part of your statement. As a matter of fact, the whole idea just strikes me as not at all likely, given what I know about my friends and neighbors. As for the second, the Rodeo is located about 200 meters from me, and most of the folks I've talked to don't believe that this reported strong man hold up every really happened. I have talked to Idania (the owner of the Rodeo) and to Alba (her friend, who is there a lot, and who was there the night of the 'incident'), and their story just does not add up for me, either. As for gringo hangouts being targets, that is the whole point right there. Why would a group of thieves target a non-gringo place for a hold up, especially one that is never busy (and was not on the night in question)? Personally, I don't spend time in any gringo hang out, or any other bar, so this is not really anything with which I am concerned.

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  7. Glad you have had no troubles John. I hope I do not also. I just think people have a right to hear my little version of life there. I am not making up stuff. Did they not take an orange car??? Whos car was that??? Anyway, all the best as I do not want to argue about this stuff. I do enjoy reading these silly blogs (not just yours) about the place I really do care about is all.

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  8. lol....we're not arguing; we're just discussing. the orange car in question belongs to Alba's husband, Jim, and, as I said the story did not hang together for me (I used to be an investigator).....the car was recovered, with a small amount of damage.

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