*snicker* Gun-rights activist Adam Kokesh arrested in Herndon

[BrotherIvan]

72. Let me first say

As a Californian, I am totally ashamed of the despicable DiFi and I apologize for her profusely. She should be tarred and feathered and run out on a rail. Can't stand her since she was the atrocious mayor of San Francisco who sold off that amazing skyline to the highest bidder. She makes me physically ill.

But your list of restrictions does not go nearly far enough I fear. It is my understanding that felons aren't allowed to own or purchase guns currently. I favor things such as mandatory safes and insurance for a home defense pistol and lockup for larger guns, or rather the arsenals that some people own. I believe in the most restrictive safety measures possible, because like I said, guns have the power to kill or injure a person. They're not crafts or fishing or kayaking: those are hobbies.

I live in the second largest city in this country with very high crime; I taught continuation high school in the murder capital of the US (at one time) for all its gang activity--there were bullet holes in the windows. I have lived in NYC on the edge of Alphabet City before it was gentrified: a landlord told me as I was checking out an apartment there that it was a "bat flat." When I asked what that meant, he said, keep a bat by the door and carry it whenever you go out and you'll be ok (I didn't get that one). I have never felt that a gun would make me safer than taking common sense precautions. I live in these places and don't live in constant fear of being mugged or robbed, so I find it hard to believe that people feel the same anywhere else beyond serious paranoia.

When I moved to Vancouver, I was in the same position, maybe it's because I like warehouse lofts I always pick neighborhoods that are on the fringes of yuppies with lattes and scary shit. The corner down the street was the drug dealer central and I saw more than a few knife fights with what looked like deer knives. Right in the middle of the intersection! But when people asked if I was afraid to live there, I smiled and said nope, because in Canada they've got knives not guns and I can at least outrun the bastard.

I've told this story on DU before, but in Canada, we were working on an indie film and somebody brought a prop gun. It looked so real, all the Canadian guys had to play with it because they'd never seen a handgun before. They were messing around and doing some Dirty Harry moves with it. Apparently, someone saw them through the window and called the cops. The cops were there in less than five minutes and had the whole block shut down. Because there was a gun. Let me tell you, I felt pretty damn safe.

So I guess this long-winded post is that a non-gun person such as me sees the proliferation of guns to fight the bad guys as a red sea of guns inundating this country. All band aids, such as CCW and stand your ground, for people afraid that somebody else might have a gun just means there are more guns all over. Guns for children to play with. Guns for someone to break in and steal to use on someone else. Guns for some idiot to accidentally drop and kill an innocent bystander. Too many damn guns. Addressing that is the only thing that makes any sense.