The Supreme Court seems to feel that anyone should be able to own any weapon and carry it without restriction except perhaps on an airplane. They realize that if guns are allowed on a commercial airliner, it would probably destroy air trave. I come from a different culture in which a person, other than law enforcement, carrying a weapon in public is alarming. That's the culture I carry in my head and the Court can't change it.
Hi Garrison, Some years ago, I think it was the winter of 2011, you broadcast a live show of PHC from the University of Minnesota, Morris Campus, way out there in west-central Minnesota. That show included an episode of Guy Noir in which he’d been called out to Morris to solve some mystery. During the skit someone asked “Where the heck is Morris, anyway?” and the answer came: “Between Cyrus and Alberta.”
I laughed so hard I nearly fell off my chair! You see, I grew up in Cyrus, and the only other time I ever heard it mentioned on the air was during a tornado warning. I felt very proud that those 2 little villages were used to locate that big metropolis of Morris, because everyone knows where Cyrus and Alberta are, right?
I’m writing this now because I just recently published my 2nd photo volume of Cyrus People. I’m sending you a link to it so that you can take a look at some Cyrus people up close and personal. You’ll see that the women look to be quite strong, and the men are fairly good looking!
I sadly doubt that politics will ever permit much gun control, so it has seemed to me that the best defense of schoolchildren would be to make the buildings as safe from guntoters as possible. It would cost a lot of money, but what are the lives of 3 or 9 or 30 children and teachers worth? Churches, shopping centers and the whole rest of us potential targets might want to follow suit.
I’m a Texan and I don’t blame you a bit for not wanting to come here. We have more guns than any state and our leaders are in the deep pockets of the gun lobby. Plus, they’re not interested in protecting its people. My son and daughter-in-law are college professors who have discussed the possibility of being shot at work. They have an 8 year old daughter who loves softball. My daughter teaches 6th grade and feels she’s a little safer but she’s a single mom who worries a lot about her 11 year old son’s safety. In spite of this, we try to have as much fun as we can. There is still beauty and joy in this world and you, dear Garrison, have enriched my life through your books, PHC, poetry and performances. My sister and I went to Denver to see you and we were not disappointed. It’s always a good day for a laugh and you delivered! I recall going to see you at the Tobin Center in San Antonio after a particularly draining day at work. I was tired and disheartened, but decided to go since I’m Lutheran and felt buying my ticket involved an unspoken commitment I didn’t want to break. You were amazing to me, just walking around on stage telling stories, making me laugh. I felt I’d been lifted up when I left the auditorium. You’re a blessing to me, GK. Pure dee blessing and I thank you.
Its sad that so many Americans are crazy about their guns. Its not the same country I lived in for many years. I'm happy to be in Canada where guns are closely limited. joe hudson Calgary
In reference to the AR15 not being able to kill many, quickly. Must be a fallacy not a fact. Thinking of the fact that parents needed to provide DNA to identify their dead children at Robb Elementary. That fact is very telling and the most disturbing. Everyone who defends those weapons should talk to those parents. It will take dead child relatives of current sitting Republican MOC's or SCOTUS to change anything for good.
Keep reminding us that the sooner we dump the badly conceived and vaguely written 2nd amendment, the safer all of us and especially our children will be. We have forgotten: They are all our children.
"I think the Second Amendment should be disposed of..." It's a problem, isn't it, dealing with a document that devised 250 years ago! One of the problems then was that they had recently suffered atrocities like the "Boston Massacre." They were creating a law to try and balance the firepower between the armed British Army and the unarmed public. Now, in some situations, such as gatherings in schools or crowded movie theaters. it's the public that's inordinately armed: folks can't tell where the danger may be coming from.
There are some thoughtful revisions that are under consideration. If the loss of those children who died in Buffalo and Uvalde can lead to curbing the firepower of errant individuals - it will be a meaningful response to a situation that those at the Boston massacre never could have imagined!
We need more "Constitutional flexibility!" And, even if we were to make massive changes today, we would be looking at present situations - scenes like Buffalo and Uvalde. It becomes very difficult to try and amend our laws in such a way that they will remain effective for centuries to come! Maybe someday we'll come up with a "Constitutional Update Amendment!" Something that would establish a committee/ staff? to "modernize" our National Laws at set intervals, or under the impetus of the advent of new technology!
I keep telling myself that political impossibilities can be overcome. Not long ago, Catholic Ireland guaranteed abortion rights by means of a constitutional amendment. We will get gun control when enough of us in enough states demand it. Each mass shooting will make more of us understand that it's just common sense, but how many more people will have to die or be injured in the meantime? If SCOTUS does rule this summer that gun rights are unlimited, then I think it will be time for sane states to start disregarding its rulings. "Republicans" are already disregarding all kinds of court rulings (along with congressional subpoenas and longstanding democratic traditions). Democrats may have no choice but to start doing so as well.
When it comes to gun violence and Texas/Texans, I can recall when the shoe was on the other foot. In the mid-1960's, I had the chance to attend a Presidential appearance at a local New York state university. Lyndon Johnson was the speaker. Inconspicuously, there was a piece of clear plastic maybe six inches high and two feet long in front of LBJ's podium. I 'm sure it was bulletproof glass. Seeing that reminder, I think many of us in the audience must have recalled John F. Kennedy's assassination. I have been to the "Grassy Knoll" in Dallas, Texas, and attended the memorial museum there.
When the Texans in your Friends group write things like "Don't be afraid of us Texans," it seems to me they need to consider their history. As a visitor, for example, I recall going by churches on Sundays. Outside, instead of "Welcome to our Church," some of the bulletin boards might read "Leave your firearms in your vehicles."
I'm sure it's not true of all Texans, but the "Guns = Power equation seems to be far more prevalent there than most of us from the "Other 49" feel comfortable with!
I don’t blame you at all for avoiding Texas. You are simply taking care and protecting yourself.
Good for you.
The Supreme Court seems to feel that anyone should be able to own any weapon and carry it without restriction except perhaps on an airplane. They realize that if guns are allowed on a commercial airliner, it would probably destroy air trave. I come from a different culture in which a person, other than law enforcement, carrying a weapon in public is alarming. That's the culture I carry in my head and the Court can't change it.
Hi Garrison, Some years ago, I think it was the winter of 2011, you broadcast a live show of PHC from the University of Minnesota, Morris Campus, way out there in west-central Minnesota. That show included an episode of Guy Noir in which he’d been called out to Morris to solve some mystery. During the skit someone asked “Where the heck is Morris, anyway?” and the answer came: “Between Cyrus and Alberta.”
I laughed so hard I nearly fell off my chair! You see, I grew up in Cyrus, and the only other time I ever heard it mentioned on the air was during a tornado warning. I felt very proud that those 2 little villages were used to locate that big metropolis of Morris, because everyone knows where Cyrus and Alberta are, right?
I’m writing this now because I just recently published my 2nd photo volume of Cyrus People. I’m sending you a link to it so that you can take a look at some Cyrus people up close and personal. You’ll see that the women look to be quite strong, and the men are fairly good looking!
Sincerely, Gib Ahlstrand
https://www.blurb.com/books/11174447-cyrus-people-vol-2
I sadly doubt that politics will ever permit much gun control, so it has seemed to me that the best defense of schoolchildren would be to make the buildings as safe from guntoters as possible. It would cost a lot of money, but what are the lives of 3 or 9 or 30 children and teachers worth? Churches, shopping centers and the whole rest of us potential targets might want to follow suit.
All we need for politics to permit gun control is for enough people to demand it.
I’m a Texan and I don’t blame you a bit for not wanting to come here. We have more guns than any state and our leaders are in the deep pockets of the gun lobby. Plus, they’re not interested in protecting its people. My son and daughter-in-law are college professors who have discussed the possibility of being shot at work. They have an 8 year old daughter who loves softball. My daughter teaches 6th grade and feels she’s a little safer but she’s a single mom who worries a lot about her 11 year old son’s safety. In spite of this, we try to have as much fun as we can. There is still beauty and joy in this world and you, dear Garrison, have enriched my life through your books, PHC, poetry and performances. My sister and I went to Denver to see you and we were not disappointed. It’s always a good day for a laugh and you delivered! I recall going to see you at the Tobin Center in San Antonio after a particularly draining day at work. I was tired and disheartened, but decided to go since I’m Lutheran and felt buying my ticket involved an unspoken commitment I didn’t want to break. You were amazing to me, just walking around on stage telling stories, making me laugh. I felt I’d been lifted up when I left the auditorium. You’re a blessing to me, GK. Pure dee blessing and I thank you.
My husband and I felt uplifted while we were driving home from seeing him in RI. There aren't many experiences that can do that to us.
East Greenwich, a great town.
Its sad that so many Americans are crazy about their guns. Its not the same country I lived in for many years. I'm happy to be in Canada where guns are closely limited. joe hudson Calgary
Praise Be God.
In reference to the AR15 not being able to kill many, quickly. Must be a fallacy not a fact. Thinking of the fact that parents needed to provide DNA to identify their dead children at Robb Elementary. That fact is very telling and the most disturbing. Everyone who defends those weapons should talk to those parents. It will take dead child relatives of current sitting Republican MOC's or SCOTUS to change anything for good.
Keep reminding us that the sooner we dump the badly conceived and vaguely written 2nd amendment, the safer all of us and especially our children will be. We have forgotten: They are all our children.
"I think the Second Amendment should be disposed of..." It's a problem, isn't it, dealing with a document that devised 250 years ago! One of the problems then was that they had recently suffered atrocities like the "Boston Massacre." They were creating a law to try and balance the firepower between the armed British Army and the unarmed public. Now, in some situations, such as gatherings in schools or crowded movie theaters. it's the public that's inordinately armed: folks can't tell where the danger may be coming from.
There are some thoughtful revisions that are under consideration. If the loss of those children who died in Buffalo and Uvalde can lead to curbing the firepower of errant individuals - it will be a meaningful response to a situation that those at the Boston massacre never could have imagined!
We need more "Constitutional flexibility!" And, even if we were to make massive changes today, we would be looking at present situations - scenes like Buffalo and Uvalde. It becomes very difficult to try and amend our laws in such a way that they will remain effective for centuries to come! Maybe someday we'll come up with a "Constitutional Update Amendment!" Something that would establish a committee/ staff? to "modernize" our National Laws at set intervals, or under the impetus of the advent of new technology!
I keep telling myself that political impossibilities can be overcome. Not long ago, Catholic Ireland guaranteed abortion rights by means of a constitutional amendment. We will get gun control when enough of us in enough states demand it. Each mass shooting will make more of us understand that it's just common sense, but how many more people will have to die or be injured in the meantime? If SCOTUS does rule this summer that gun rights are unlimited, then I think it will be time for sane states to start disregarding its rulings. "Republicans" are already disregarding all kinds of court rulings (along with congressional subpoenas and longstanding democratic traditions). Democrats may have no choice but to start doing so as well.
When it comes to gun violence and Texas/Texans, I can recall when the shoe was on the other foot. In the mid-1960's, I had the chance to attend a Presidential appearance at a local New York state university. Lyndon Johnson was the speaker. Inconspicuously, there was a piece of clear plastic maybe six inches high and two feet long in front of LBJ's podium. I 'm sure it was bulletproof glass. Seeing that reminder, I think many of us in the audience must have recalled John F. Kennedy's assassination. I have been to the "Grassy Knoll" in Dallas, Texas, and attended the memorial museum there.
When the Texans in your Friends group write things like "Don't be afraid of us Texans," it seems to me they need to consider their history. As a visitor, for example, I recall going by churches on Sundays. Outside, instead of "Welcome to our Church," some of the bulletin boards might read "Leave your firearms in your vehicles."
I'm sure it's not true of all Texans, but the "Guns = Power equation seems to be far more prevalent there than most of us from the "Other 49" feel comfortable with!