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Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@Garban One other thing... my somewhat crude jokes etc aside, not sure where you are in Florida but hope you are staying safe from Hurricane Ian. That sounds real bad.
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@Garban One other thing... my somewhat crude jokes etc aside, not sure where you are in Florida but hope you are staying safe from Hurricane Ian. That sounds real bad.
Love this one:
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@Garban Here's a quick fun song to lighten the mood a bit, sing along if you know the words...
(Singing) Crazy people walkin' around with blood in their eyes, and all the progressives want to do is dance, dance.
Wild-eyed pistol wavers who ain't afraid to die, and all the progressives want to do is dance.
They can't feel the heat comin' off the street...
The progressives are in a trance,
as there is no real chance,
their sham gun control jouissance,
on a wide scale will ever truly advance.
Well... the Government bugged the men's room at the local disco lounge,
and all the progressives want to do is dance, dance.
To keep the boys from sellin' all the weapons they could scrounge,
and all the progressives want to do is dance.
But that don't keep the boys from makin' a buck or two...
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@Garban Here's a quick fun song to lighten the mood a bit, sing along if you know the words...
(Singing) Crazy people walkin' around with blood in their eyes, and all the progressives want to do is dance, dance.
Wild-eyed pistol wavers who ain't afraid to die, and all the progressives want to do is dance.
They can't feel the heat comin' off the street...
The progressives are in a trance,
as there is no real chance,
their sham gun control jouissance,
on a wide scale will ever truly advance.
Well... the Government bugged the men's room at the local disco lounge,
and all the progressives want to do is dance, dance.
To keep the boys from sellin' all the weapons they could scrounge,
and all the progressives want to do is dance.
But that don't keep the boys from makin' a buck or two...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@273kelvin Sorry for delay in getting back to you here, with what little spare time I've had recently to be active on this site it was mostly spent on debating one individual.
What source were you going by in determining how many mass shooting incidents so far in the US this year? There are special interest groups like the Gun Violence Archive and Everytown that have specific criteria they go by in labeling mass shootings, and then there's the US Government (FBI in particular) standard in identifying such criminal acts, and the criteria each of them use is different. While the Government does not have a formal definition on what would constitute a mass shooting, they do define a mass murder incident as being one of which at least four or more individuals were murdered in the same span of time, and by extension that same criteria would be applied to a shooting spree that saw that number of deaths. The other sources like Gun Violence Archive, which do not go by the Government standard and thus should not really be used due to potential biased reporting, identify a mass shooting as any incident in which four or more people were merely injured and not necessarily killed, and in some instances they have reported mass shootings in which only one or two people were just injured.
With those sources explained now aside for a moment, let's look at the actual statistics regarding these mass shooting incidents as defined by the Government (FBI) and not some special interest advocacy group. According to the site Statista, whom are a known centrist and least biased source of data (see their reliability rating here- https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/statista/ rated high), as of July 17th there have been only eight mass shootings, and in the time since think there were three or so more, which is a far cry from the figure you supplied above. If you look at previous years, you'd see that 2018 was the worst year at twelve mass shooting incidents.- https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/
Simply put, these mass shooting and even just school shooting incidents are not as common as some believe they are, and the chances here of getting struck and killed by a vehicle are far greater than getting struck and killed by a bullet. Again, the statistics settled on would depend on what source(s) you are going by, and for that sort of thing it's probably best to go with the Government definition of such. I understood your point fully, and all I'm saying for the most part here in the US that sort of thing isn't that big of a worry either regardless of what you may have heard otherwise, and where one lives of course would play a factor in potential danger level. I live in one of the biggest cities in Pennsylvania, and while living here can be a...
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@273kelvin Sorry for delay in getting back to you here, with what little spare time I've had recently to be active on this site it was mostly spent on debating one individual.
What source were you going by in determining how many mass shooting incidents so far in the US this year? There are special interest groups like the Gun Violence Archive and Everytown that have specific criteria they go by in labeling mass shootings, and then there's the US Government (FBI in particular) standard in identifying such criminal acts, and the criteria each of them use is different. While the Government does not have a formal definition on what would constitute a mass shooting, they do define a mass murder incident as being one of which at least four or more individuals were murdered in the same span of time, and by extension that same criteria would be applied to a shooting spree that saw that number of deaths. The other sources like Gun Violence Archive, which do not go by the Government standard and thus should not really be used due to potential biased reporting, identify a mass shooting as any incident in which four or more people were merely injured and not necessarily killed, and in some instances they have reported mass shootings in which only one or two people were just injured.
With those sources explained now aside for a moment, let's look at the actual statistics regarding these mass shooting incidents as defined by the Government (FBI) and not some special interest advocacy group. According to the site Statista, whom are a known centrist and least biased source of data (see their reliability rating here- https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/statista/ rated high), as of July 17th there have been only eight mass shootings, and in the time since think there were three or so more, which is a far cry from the figure you supplied above. If you look at previous years, you'd see that 2018 was the worst year at twelve mass shooting incidents.- https://www.statista.com/statistics/811487/number-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us/
Simply put, these mass shooting and even just school shooting incidents are not as common as some believe they are, and the chances here of getting struck and killed by a vehicle are far greater than getting struck and killed by a bullet. Again, the statistics settled on would depend on what source(s) you are going by, and for that sort of thing it's probably best to go with the Government definition of such. I understood your point fully, and all I'm saying for the most part here in the US that sort of thing isn't that big of a worry either regardless of what you may have heard otherwise, and where one lives of course would play a factor in potential danger level. I live in one of the biggest cities in Pennsylvania, and while living here can be a...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay A mass shooting incident in which there are multiple casualties pretty much means mass murders have occured...
Injuries of any sort, including bullets, are terrible, but death(s) is even worse because once done it cannot be healed or taken back. Fair enough, but need I remind you that when it comes to classifying mass shooting incidents the Government standard goes by a certain number of casualties, and for a good reason at that. How most mainstream media sources these days present mass shootings would give an impression that many more people are getting killed in such then there really are, because often times they don't separate actual deaths and just the injured, which I take issue with.
You said- "They gave an accepted definition, shots or deaths. Then gave statistics about shots or death. This is not misleading just because you don't want to factor in shots, only deaths." Not denying that, it's just predictable they would mention those of incidents in which a good portion of the public is already well aware of, but how's about some of the lesser known incidents, like ones in which (thankfully) there were no deaths? That would be presenting a more balanced take on the subject.
You- "Only a problem of perspective, insomuch as I view mass gun injuries as problematic as mass gun deaths." No, as I am going by the Government standard in identifying a mass shooting/how mass shooting incidents are defined, and if a minimal number of casualties is not met then the shooting could not be classified as such. For example, a shooting in which three people were shot but thankfully not killed, versus a shooting in which at least four people were shot and killed, the latter would constitute a mass shooting while the former would not, again according to the Government standard. To report otherwise would be misleading, as the Government definition is the one we should go by. That aside, I can certainly agree that just injuries from incidents like that are problematic, but they should be classified accordingly if we are to approach the issue with fairness in mind.
When it comes to background checks, to my understanding every state has that, along with at least a one day waiting period. Grant it, some states may have longer waiting periods and take longer on the background checks, but that still doesn't remove the fact that gun ownership is indeed regulated, neverminding the fact that fully automatic weapon switches and bump stocks are illegal across the board. You are picking and choosing what of my words you wish to take into deeper consideration. In my home state of Pennsylvania, I sure had to go through a criminal background check and a three day waiting, and a permit license was required first before I was legally able to conceal carry, so how...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay A mass shooting incident in which there are multiple casualties pretty much means mass murders have occured...
Injuries of any sort, including bullets, are terrible, but death(s) is even worse because once done it cannot be healed or taken back. Fair enough, but need I remind you that when it comes to classifying mass shooting incidents the Government standard goes by a certain number of casualties, and for a good reason at that. How most mainstream media sources these days present mass shootings would give an impression that many more people are getting killed in such then there really are, because often times they don't separate actual deaths and just the injured, which I take issue with.
You said- "They gave an accepted definition, shots or deaths. Then gave statistics about shots or death. This is not misleading just because you don't want to factor in shots, only deaths." Not denying that, it's just predictable they would mention those of incidents in which a good portion of the public is already well aware of, but how's about some of the lesser known incidents, like ones in which (thankfully) there were no deaths? That would be presenting a more balanced take on the subject.
You- "Only a problem of perspective, insomuch as I view mass gun injuries as problematic as mass gun deaths." No, as I am going by the Government standard in identifying a mass shooting/how mass shooting incidents are defined, and if a minimal number of casualties is not met then the shooting could not be classified as such. For example, a shooting in which three people were shot but thankfully not killed, versus a shooting in which at least four people were shot and killed, the latter would constitute a mass shooting while the former would not, again according to the Government standard. To report otherwise would be misleading, as the Government definition is the one we should go by. That aside, I can certainly agree that just injuries from incidents like that are problematic, but they should be classified accordingly if we are to approach the issue with fairness in mind.
When it comes to background checks, to my understanding every state has that, along with at least a one day waiting period. Grant it, some states may have longer waiting periods and take longer on the background checks, but that still doesn't remove the fact that gun ownership is indeed regulated, neverminding the fact that fully automatic weapon switches and bump stocks are illegal across the board. You are picking and choosing what of my words you wish to take into deeper consideration. In my home state of Pennsylvania, I sure had to go through a criminal background check and a three day waiting, and a permit license was required first before I was legally able to conceal carry, so how...
I keep getting alerts about posts to a group ( Progressives, Socialists, and Black Lives Matter ) ...
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 27, 2022:
Oh yeah, hid that group long ago. Not sure if you're able to do that though if you've been banned first.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@Krish55 Right back atcha Krishna dude, you people do the same thing maintaining your safe spaces, so can't say I feel too horrid being accused of such.
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 27, 2022:
Oh yeah, hid that group long ago. Not sure if you're able to do that though if you've been banned first.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 28, 2022:
@Krish55 Right back atcha Krishna dude, you people do the same thing maintaining your safe spaces, so can't say I feel too horrid being accused of such.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> "what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities"
If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay On a random side note... Before he had blocked me he used to comment on some of my posts in the gun rights group I host. On the one post he left a one word reply, "bollocks", in which I responded in saying Nevermind the bollocks here's the sex pistols, and shortly afterward I done got blocked, lol. I know you aren't bothered by his Senate post, but thought you might be humored by that story though. Some folks are truly over-sensitive.
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> "what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities"
If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay On a random side note... Before he had blocked me he used to comment on some of my posts in the gun rights group I host. On the one post he left a one word reply, "bollocks", in which I responded in saying Nevermind the bollocks here's the sex pistols, and shortly afterward I done got blocked, lol. I know you aren't bothered by his Senate post, but thought you might be humored by that story though. Some folks are truly over-sensitive.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> "what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities"
If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay I didn't specifically say at a school, but rather in general like say a shopping mall. If I saw someone at a school holding a gun and they didn't have some sort of uniform on or a visible badge, I would inform the authorities too, but that's not the example I was referring to. So I don't disagree, and was referring to other examples beside a school setting.
I don't know about that, think some research efforts are easier than others. Speaking of proper research, to be fully open about this, I do not nor ever will pay any regards to "research" or statistics from an organization that clearly has a personal agenda and that whom do not go by Government definitions when classifying crimes, for the same reason I refuse to use statistics from the NRA. I agree, but both sides have to adhere to that if the research is to be fair and accurate.
For sure, and after awhile I get fed up with the partisan politics, the extremes from both sides are revolting. "You and I, us "moderates", our views get lost in the wash much to the detriment of our society IMO." That's no understatement, the independent voices all too often get drowned out, and not only ignored but mocked and ridiculed as well. That tribalist mentality. That ugly reality aside, it's good to know that I'm not alone on that and that there are others out there who like me have often pondered the same. I don't particularly fit in with any political party/organization/faction etc, and never have. Always good conversing with you regardless of whether or not we always agree on talking points, and things actually get more interesting when there's disagreements. You're a credit to your species MiddleWay, and I can't extend that compliment to many that I know (in person or online). As you once mentioned, it's not always easy to traverse the middle path, but in the long run it is far more gratifying. This renegade libertarian has a way of stirring up controversy wherever he travels, upsetting both the leftwing progressives and rightwing conservatives, and wouldn't want it any other way lol. This natural-born American is sure glad you decided to immigrate here, bringing your own unique contributions to the table.
Okay think I've complimented you enough there, wouldn't want you to get cocky now lol, afterall you are a very "disgusting" man according to some.
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> "what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities"
If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay I didn't specifically say at a school, but rather in general like say a shopping mall. If I saw someone at a school holding a gun and they didn't have some sort of uniform on or a visible badge, I would inform the authorities too, but that's not the example I was referring to. So I don't disagree, and was referring to other examples beside a school setting.
I don't know about that, think some research efforts are easier than others. Speaking of proper research, to be fully open about this, I do not nor ever will pay any regards to "research" or statistics from an organization that clearly has a personal agenda and that whom do not go by Government definitions when classifying crimes, for the same reason I refuse to use statistics from the NRA. I agree, but both sides have to adhere to that if the research is to be fair and accurate.
For sure, and after awhile I get fed up with the partisan politics, the extremes from both sides are revolting. "You and I, us "moderates", our views get lost in the wash much to the detriment of our society IMO." That's no understatement, the independent voices all too often get drowned out, and not only ignored but mocked and ridiculed as well. That tribalist mentality. That ugly reality aside, it's good to know that I'm not alone on that and that there are others out there who like me have often pondered the same. I don't particularly fit in with any political party/organization/faction etc, and never have. Always good conversing with you regardless of whether or not we always agree on talking points, and things actually get more interesting when there's disagreements. You're a credit to your species MiddleWay, and I can't extend that compliment to many that I know (in person or online). As you once mentioned, it's not always easy to traverse the middle path, but in the long run it is far more gratifying. This renegade libertarian has a way of stirring up controversy wherever he travels, upsetting both the leftwing progressives and rightwing conservatives, and wouldn't want it any other way lol. This natural-born American is sure glad you decided to immigrate here, bringing your own unique contributions to the table.
Okay think I've complimented you enough there, wouldn't want you to get cocky now lol, afterall you are a very "disgusting" man according to some.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Drug addictions can and have interfered with the lives of others, and my point was to emphasize the greater loss of life from drug addictions than these mass shootings which are relatively rare. And yes, I have even personal reasons for saying so... over the years I've known many people and aside from one individual no one else I know was ever killed by a bullet and to my understanding none of them knew anyone who died via bullet, but I do know multiple people who died from drug overdoses and whom impacted the lives of others around them.
You said- "Further, opiods, one of the major causes of both, are STRONGLY regulated and STRONGLY background checked. Not every citizen can have access to them legally. Guns on the other hand are the opposite." You're just joking right? Because there's no way you actually believe what you just stated above, as it doesn't reflect reality in the least.
So let's see...
We got background checks for guns in virtually every state.
We have waiting periods in virtually every state, with some wait periods as long as one to four weeks.
Firearm types are regulated in alot of the states, and fully automatic guns have been banned since 1986.
Bump stocks on guns are now banned thanks to Trump with encouragement from the NRA.
Most states require a special permit to conceal carry, which can be rather expensive.
Higher-capacity magazines are regulated in some states.
Some states now require some sort of proof that your firearms are safely stored.
Some states now require gun owners to purchase an extra insurance.
Full auto switches are illegal.
And that's not including how these red flag laws could potentially be abused to limit one's rights...
So remind me again how guns aren't regulated? All in all there is roughly three-hundred different regulations across the board regarding guns, that's no small number in my opinion. Also not to mention how many of these regulations and laws have and continue to fail, just like the regulations against opioids and other drugs have failed.
I brought that up as a comparison where actual deaths are concerned, and wouldn't you agree that death is the ultimate needless sacrifice? I take issue with the gun control crowd crying over all those deaths due to mass shootings, while seemingly turning a blind eye to all the other deaths around us from supposedly preventable incidents like the mass shootings. Obviously they aren't that concerned about the total number of deaths if it doesn't include a gun. As in my previous reply the number of deaths is what I'm focused on and not shootings that included and or only saw injuries. It's about regard for the number of deaths and putting that in context. My point was that while you and others are focusing mostly on these mass shooting ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Drug addictions can and have interfered with the lives of others, and my point was to emphasize the greater loss of life from drug addictions than these mass shootings which are relatively rare. And yes, I have even personal reasons for saying so... over the years I've known many people and aside from one individual no one else I know was ever killed by a bullet and to my understanding none of them knew anyone who died via bullet, but I do know multiple people who died from drug overdoses and whom impacted the lives of others around them.
You said- "Further, opiods, one of the major causes of both, are STRONGLY regulated and STRONGLY background checked. Not every citizen can have access to them legally. Guns on the other hand are the opposite." You're just joking right? Because there's no way you actually believe what you just stated above, as it doesn't reflect reality in the least.
So let's see...
We got background checks for guns in virtually every state.
We have waiting periods in virtually every state, with some wait periods as long as one to four weeks.
Firearm types are regulated in alot of the states, and fully automatic guns have been banned since 1986.
Bump stocks on guns are now banned thanks to Trump with encouragement from the NRA.
Most states require a special permit to conceal carry, which can be rather expensive.
Higher-capacity magazines are regulated in some states.
Some states now require some sort of proof that your firearms are safely stored.
Some states now require gun owners to purchase an extra insurance.
Full auto switches are illegal.
And that's not including how these red flag laws could potentially be abused to limit one's rights...
So remind me again how guns aren't regulated? All in all there is roughly three-hundred different regulations across the board regarding guns, that's no small number in my opinion. Also not to mention how many of these regulations and laws have and continue to fail, just like the regulations against opioids and other drugs have failed.
I brought that up as a comparison where actual deaths are concerned, and wouldn't you agree that death is the ultimate needless sacrifice? I take issue with the gun control crowd crying over all those deaths due to mass shootings, while seemingly turning a blind eye to all the other deaths around us from supposedly preventable incidents like the mass shootings. Obviously they aren't that concerned about the total number of deaths if it doesn't include a gun. As in my previous reply the number of deaths is what I'm focused on and not shootings that included and or only saw injuries. It's about regard for the number of deaths and putting that in context. My point was that while you and others are focusing mostly on these mass shooting ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay First of all, technically there's no one consensus on the definition of a mass shooting. The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group, defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter. In contrast, the Federal Bureau of Investigation doesn't have a mass shooting definition. Instead, the FBI defines "mass murder" as an incident where four or more people are killed, which can include gun violence. Did you notice the difference there? The former is literally going by everyone who got shot, while the latter is focusing strictly on the number of fatalities. See, this is why there's been a lack of communication at times between us on this post, you appear to be focusing on any event in which there may have only been injuries and no actual casualties, whereas my concern is the number of those who were actually killed during these mass shooting incidents because death is the ultimate serious issue there. Do you have any idea how many people are simply injured in distracted driving accidents or drug overdoses in which the individual somehow survives the ordeal? Thousands per year, which is a serious problem, yet more focus seems to be put on mass shooting incidents, which is selective choosing in my opinion. Also, some of these supposed mass shootings were actually gang-related, which is a different scenario as opposed to a mass killing spree, yet all too often said crimes just get lumped into one category.
The ABC article you linked to even starts off misleading its readers, by specifically mentioning examples that were indeed genuine mass shootings by definition. From ABC- "Every week, there are more tragedies. Over 200 days into 2022, there has been an average of 13 mass shootings a week, according to an NBC analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive. The GVA defines a mass shooting as an event where a minimum of four victims are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter." The GVA are no more honest or accurate in their statistics than the NRA is, and the GVA are going by their own definition of the crime while totally disregarding how the Federal Government would classify such a crime. When you take that difference into consideration, those mass shooting statistics are quite different, in particular far fewer of them by definition than organizations like the GVA would have us believe. I'm sure you are aware of the fact that a number of GVA's mass shooting statistics pertained to only injuries and not fatalities, as not all of said shootings saw deaths, but you knew that though right?
From ABC- "Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns and more than 200 are wounded, averaging over 40,000 deaths per year." Could that statement be any ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 27, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay First of all, technically there's no one consensus on the definition of a mass shooting. The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group, defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter. In contrast, the Federal Bureau of Investigation doesn't have a mass shooting definition. Instead, the FBI defines "mass murder" as an incident where four or more people are killed, which can include gun violence. Did you notice the difference there? The former is literally going by everyone who got shot, while the latter is focusing strictly on the number of fatalities. See, this is why there's been a lack of communication at times between us on this post, you appear to be focusing on any event in which there may have only been injuries and no actual casualties, whereas my concern is the number of those who were actually killed during these mass shooting incidents because death is the ultimate serious issue there. Do you have any idea how many people are simply injured in distracted driving accidents or drug overdoses in which the individual somehow survives the ordeal? Thousands per year, which is a serious problem, yet more focus seems to be put on mass shooting incidents, which is selective choosing in my opinion. Also, some of these supposed mass shootings were actually gang-related, which is a different scenario as opposed to a mass killing spree, yet all too often said crimes just get lumped into one category.
The ABC article you linked to even starts off misleading its readers, by specifically mentioning examples that were indeed genuine mass shootings by definition. From ABC- "Every week, there are more tragedies. Over 200 days into 2022, there has been an average of 13 mass shootings a week, according to an NBC analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive. The GVA defines a mass shooting as an event where a minimum of four victims are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter." The GVA are no more honest or accurate in their statistics than the NRA is, and the GVA are going by their own definition of the crime while totally disregarding how the Federal Government would classify such a crime. When you take that difference into consideration, those mass shooting statistics are quite different, in particular far fewer of them by definition than organizations like the GVA would have us believe. I'm sure you are aware of the fact that a number of GVA's mass shooting statistics pertained to only injuries and not fatalities, as not all of said shootings saw deaths, but you knew that though right?
From ABC- "Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns and more than 200 are wounded, averaging over 40,000 deaths per year." Could that statement be any ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 26, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Thank you, much appreciated, and recently have been having some mild issues related to the diabetes. Also appreciate all of your responses, just wish that I would have had the time to get back to you sooner on those.
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 26, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Thank you, much appreciated, and recently have been having some mild issues related to the diabetes. Also appreciate all of your responses, just wish that I would have had the time to get back to you sooner on those.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 26, 2022:
The personal therapy suggestion was not meant to be a joke or ribbing, but suggesting that as a friend who is concerned about some of those who claim to be walking around in a state of constant fear and or paranoia. On my first job out of high school I had worked with some of those who suffered from various mental ailments, and I know some of the telltale signs to look for in determining if someone may be struggling from such. Fear and paranoia that could potentially be considered excessive, might mean an underlying mental illness. That comment was not meant to insult, just a suggestion to someone who I consider to be one of my online friends, if said fears are starting to dominate your daily life that is. If I read into your previous comment on that incorrectly, then you could simply ignore it, I understand.
You said- "Thing is, we can both make the case for each others fears to be irrational. Given the 200+ mass shootings, I don't think it irrational to be scared if someone walks into a bank or a school with open arms. By the same token, it's not irrational that you would want to own a gun to counter a person walking into a bank or a school with a gun. There is evidence supporting both our views but as per my conclusions, not enough "actual" data to show which of our views is the more rational." You misunderstand... the measures I have taken and continue to take are not because of fear, but rather simply as a precaution against scenarios that are certainly plausible nowadays. As I've mentioned before, twice now diabetes nearly claimed my life, not to mention a few other close calls I've had in the past with the grim reaper, and I'm getting too old to be walking around in a constant state of fear, in particular fear of the unknown. I will continue to take precautions to help prepare for unforeseen disasters etc, but fear itself could piss off as far as I'm concerned. While in the hospital back in 2019 being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, experienced enough fears and dread (fear of the unknown mostly) to last a lifetime and then some. Keep in mind I was looking at that from an independent perspective as one who has now been on both sides of the gun debate, and considering how I was back then as a rabid gun control advocate compared to now as a gun rights proponent, I see how irrational my arguing points once were.
Two-hundred plus mass deaths you say? Where did you get those statistics? While this was dated up to July Fourth and since that time there have been a few more mass shooting incidents, according to Statista who are a known centrist data source who is going by the Government definition of a mass shooting and NOT by how potentially biased sources like the Gun Violence Archive whom skew the statistics to favor their own agenda, there have ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
(posting these separeately so we can have distinct chains to these points)
I'll put aside the "personal therapy" dig for now.
> My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 26, 2022:
The personal therapy suggestion was not meant to be a joke or ribbing, but suggesting that as a friend who is concerned about some of those who claim to be walking around in a state of constant fear and or paranoia. On my first job out of high school I had worked with some of those who suffered from various mental ailments, and I know some of the telltale signs to look for in determining if someone may be struggling from such. Fear and paranoia that could potentially be considered excessive, might mean an underlying mental illness. That comment was not meant to insult, just a suggestion to someone who I consider to be one of my online friends, if said fears are starting to dominate your daily life that is. If I read into your previous comment on that incorrectly, then you could simply ignore it, I understand.
You said- "Thing is, we can both make the case for each others fears to be irrational. Given the 200+ mass shootings, I don't think it irrational to be scared if someone walks into a bank or a school with open arms. By the same token, it's not irrational that you would want to own a gun to counter a person walking into a bank or a school with a gun. There is evidence supporting both our views but as per my conclusions, not enough "actual" data to show which of our views is the more rational." You misunderstand... the measures I have taken and continue to take are not because of fear, but rather simply as a precaution against scenarios that are certainly plausible nowadays. As I've mentioned before, twice now diabetes nearly claimed my life, not to mention a few other close calls I've had in the past with the grim reaper, and I'm getting too old to be walking around in a constant state of fear, in particular fear of the unknown. I will continue to take precautions to help prepare for unforeseen disasters etc, but fear itself could piss off as far as I'm concerned. While in the hospital back in 2019 being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, experienced enough fears and dread (fear of the unknown mostly) to last a lifetime and then some. Keep in mind I was looking at that from an independent perspective as one who has now been on both sides of the gun debate, and considering how I was back then as a rabid gun control advocate compared to now as a gun rights proponent, I see how irrational my arguing points once were.
Two-hundred plus mass deaths you say? Where did you get those statistics? While this was dated up to July Fourth and since that time there have been a few more mass shooting incidents, according to Statista who are a known centrist data source who is going by the Government definition of a mass shooting and NOT by how potentially biased sources like the Gun Violence Archive whom skew the statistics to favor their own agenda, there have ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> "what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities"
If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 26, 2022:
You said- "If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This isn't fear based, this is evidence based insomuch as we know that there are lots of gun ownders that are not responsible and not mentally sound." You're right, that's not fear based, but it is an assumption though, and let me put it this way... if you insist on going about it that way and distrust anyone whom you know is armed and that that individual should be reported to the authorities to be on the "safe side", you best be right about your conclusion because to do something like that to another if you happen to be wrong is no joking matter, especially knowing how serious such a situation could potentially be when it involves the police acting on such a matter. I could delve more into possible lethal scenarios involving the police over such, but that's a whole other issue altogether. As for the driver's license comparison, you cannot compare something like driving which is ruled a privilege with arming oneself which is considered a right in this country, as a privilege and a constitutional right are two different things. If you want the privilege of being able to operate motor vehicles, then the law determined you must first pass a test in order to do so. Likewise, no one should have to ask permission in order to exercise what is considered to be a right. Not a good comparison on your part there, but I think you already knew that though.
I'm all in favor of such research too. Easier said than done though, as the gun debate is among one of the most emotionally-charged issues in our society, which means one would be hard-pressed in finding enough genuinely independent researchers for both sides of the debate who would not allow themselves to be dictated to by their emotions. Not to mention how each side would probably be quick to cry foul if and when the opposing side presents some sort of evidence that would contradict what they wish or thought to be true.
That sounds fair and reasonable, and I would suggest such not strictly for gun ownership but rather across the board in general as a part of one's overall yearly health regimens. If we get at least one physical a year, probably a good idea to get mentally checked out as well. Yeah... if someone is guilty of that and it's determined to be true, they would lose their rights... as what happens with anyone who either gets sentenced to jail or committed to a mental institution.
You may be surprised to hear this from me, but when it comes to laws proposed by Democrats that require one to fully secure (lock up) all of the guns in your household, I am not opposed to that either. My only reservation there is that how on Earth would such a law be enforceable on a wide scale? I don't think it ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> "what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities"
If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 26, 2022:
You said- "If I didn't know you, I wouldn't know if you are a responsible, mentally sound individual or not. This isn't fear based, this is evidence based insomuch as we know that there are lots of gun ownders that are not responsible and not mentally sound." You're right, that's not fear based, but it is an assumption though, and let me put it this way... if you insist on going about it that way and distrust anyone whom you know is armed and that that individual should be reported to the authorities to be on the "safe side", you best be right about your conclusion because to do something like that to another if you happen to be wrong is no joking matter, especially knowing how serious such a situation could potentially be when it involves the police acting on such a matter. I could delve more into possible lethal scenarios involving the police over such, but that's a whole other issue altogether. As for the driver's license comparison, you cannot compare something like driving which is ruled a privilege with arming oneself which is considered a right in this country, as a privilege and a constitutional right are two different things. If you want the privilege of being able to operate motor vehicles, then the law determined you must first pass a test in order to do so. Likewise, no one should have to ask permission in order to exercise what is considered to be a right. Not a good comparison on your part there, but I think you already knew that though.
I'm all in favor of such research too. Easier said than done though, as the gun debate is among one of the most emotionally-charged issues in our society, which means one would be hard-pressed in finding enough genuinely independent researchers for both sides of the debate who would not allow themselves to be dictated to by their emotions. Not to mention how each side would probably be quick to cry foul if and when the opposing side presents some sort of evidence that would contradict what they wish or thought to be true.
That sounds fair and reasonable, and I would suggest such not strictly for gun ownership but rather across the board in general as a part of one's overall yearly health regimens. If we get at least one physical a year, probably a good idea to get mentally checked out as well. Yeah... if someone is guilty of that and it's determined to be true, they would lose their rights... as what happens with anyone who either gets sentenced to jail or committed to a mental institution.
You may be surprised to hear this from me, but when it comes to laws proposed by Democrats that require one to fully secure (lock up) all of the guns in your household, I am not opposed to that either. My only reservation there is that how on Earth would such a law be enforceable on a wide scale? I don't think it ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> How is that a false impression that no one is using a gun in public, knowing full well that people do indeed conceal carry across the country?
Why conceal something unless you don't want people to know you have it? That is what I meant there. The fact that you don't open carry ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
I do just open carry at times when I enter a business that I know would not be bothered over such. That could be a mixture of those two, some of it being for legal reasons and others being more personal. How would one know my intentions you ask? That's not fairly difficult to differentiate there... if my demeanor is normal (based on what society as a whole would consider such) and I am not making any nervous or aggressive gestures, and don't even have my weapon drawn, think it safe to say that I'm not an immediate threat to anyone, and that's really not that hard to figure out.
Don't you think that would depend upon their own personal choices, and maybe such individuals made the choice to not arm themselves. If they would find themselves at the mercy of an armed thug, don't you think any consequences at that point could be largely attributed to their personal decisions, I sure do. As for the school scenario, wouldn't apply to me, not only do I not ever have a reason to visit a school even if I did I would not carry a weapon on the grounds (maybe, or maybe not so reluctantly). As for you responding to such, please see my previous reply on responding to those who while maybe armed are obviously no immediate threat to anyone. Also, if someone were carrying a gun around in a school and it wasn't concealed, common sense should dictate that it's rather improbable that they have any violent motives, as even most violent thugs aren't stupid enough to openly broadcast their intentions immediately to everyone else in the vicinity by open carrying a gun. Such questions are fine to ask, and I think most of them have a reasonable answer/solution too.
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> How is that a false impression that no one is using a gun in public, knowing full well that people do indeed conceal carry across the country?
Why conceal something unless you don't want people to know you have it? That is what I meant there. The fact that you don't open carry ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
I do just open carry at times when I enter a business that I know would not be bothered over such. That could be a mixture of those two, some of it being for legal reasons and others being more personal. How would one know my intentions you ask? That's not fairly difficult to differentiate there... if my demeanor is normal (based on what society as a whole would consider such) and I am not making any nervous or aggressive gestures, and don't even have my weapon drawn, think it safe to say that I'm not an immediate threat to anyone, and that's really not that hard to figure out.
Don't you think that would depend upon their own personal choices, and maybe such individuals made the choice to not arm themselves. If they would find themselves at the mercy of an armed thug, don't you think any consequences at that point could be largely attributed to their personal decisions, I sure do. As for the school scenario, wouldn't apply to me, not only do I not ever have a reason to visit a school even if I did I would not carry a weapon on the grounds (maybe, or maybe not so reluctantly). As for you responding to such, please see my previous reply on responding to those who while maybe armed are obviously no immediate threat to anyone. Also, if someone were carrying a gun around in a school and it wasn't concealed, common sense should dictate that it's rather improbable that they have any violent motives, as even most violent thugs aren't stupid enough to openly broadcast their intentions immediately to everyone else in the vicinity by open carrying a gun. Such questions are fine to ask, and I think most of them have a reasonable answer/solution too.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> Do you perhaps maybe now understand where I am coming from and why I feel as I do on the matter, being I live in one of the largest cities in all of Pennsylvania and a city that sees almost daily violent crimes involving weapons?
I 100% do. I'm not surrounded by violence daily and...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
It's not so much a matter of feeling constantly unsafe as it is simply preparing ahead of time for unforeseen circumstances, in particular disasters (natural or human-caused like murder sprees), and over the years I've adapted fairly well living where I do despite the chaos going on around me at times.
You said- "To fight fire(arms) with fire(arms). I don't know that that is the right solutions... after all in the scenarios you describe being armed, or not, didn't change events one bit from your telling... and could have potentially made it worse as teh police may have targeted you as well. I don't know if that is the right course of action. Even if it is, there are limits. A handgun makes you feel safer but what about a AR-15? How about a shotgun? How about a rocket launcer? Armor piercing bullets? Etc. Under the moniker of "feeling safe", I think, we allow WAY too much lee way and that lee way leads to us feeling more unsafe." At one point in my life I pretty much thought as you do now on that much, but in the years since I'm fairly convinced now that sometimes it might be necessary to "fight fire with fire", play them and beat them at their game so to speak. Take the Walmart shooting I had witnessed for example... what if I was just four or so minutes later getting out to my car, I would have found myself right in the middle of that shooting and the circumstances would certainly have been different. At least I was armed and would have at worst gone down fighting rather than be a helpless victim at the hands of the gunman, and at best I may have taken him down before he could have harmed anyone else. That's my point, I'm not willing to put myself in a situation where I have to go on my knees begging for the thugs to spare my life, and at that point I'd rather go down fighting the aggressors. Was recently reading a story where a convenience store cashier was robbed at gun point, he was unarmed and fully cooperated with the gunman, yet he got murdered anyway, can you imagine how horrible that is, and many other similar stories take place almost daily around the country. As for the weapon of choice and ammo used, that's coming from someone who apparently does not have much experience in shooting guns (namely self-defense shooting), and not one time have I ever heard from a fellow gun rights supporter suggesting our concealed carry sidearm be something like a shotgun or AR-15, and even most types of lower caliber pistols are sufficient enough a carry sidearm to protect yourself. As for the unsafe part, possibly, but that wouldn't include everyone though. That said, I'm sure in the past there were some who carried a rifle around as some sort of protest of their rights etc, but generally speaking I don't see them suggesting that one should always carry ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> Do you perhaps maybe now understand where I am coming from and why I feel as I do on the matter, being I live in one of the largest cities in all of Pennsylvania and a city that sees almost daily violent crimes involving weapons?
I 100% do. I'm not surrounded by violence daily and...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
It's not so much a matter of feeling constantly unsafe as it is simply preparing ahead of time for unforeseen circumstances, in particular disasters (natural or human-caused like murder sprees), and over the years I've adapted fairly well living where I do despite the chaos going on around me at times.
You said- "To fight fire(arms) with fire(arms). I don't know that that is the right solutions... after all in the scenarios you describe being armed, or not, didn't change events one bit from your telling... and could have potentially made it worse as teh police may have targeted you as well. I don't know if that is the right course of action. Even if it is, there are limits. A handgun makes you feel safer but what about a AR-15? How about a shotgun? How about a rocket launcer? Armor piercing bullets? Etc. Under the moniker of "feeling safe", I think, we allow WAY too much lee way and that lee way leads to us feeling more unsafe." At one point in my life I pretty much thought as you do now on that much, but in the years since I'm fairly convinced now that sometimes it might be necessary to "fight fire with fire", play them and beat them at their game so to speak. Take the Walmart shooting I had witnessed for example... what if I was just four or so minutes later getting out to my car, I would have found myself right in the middle of that shooting and the circumstances would certainly have been different. At least I was armed and would have at worst gone down fighting rather than be a helpless victim at the hands of the gunman, and at best I may have taken him down before he could have harmed anyone else. That's my point, I'm not willing to put myself in a situation where I have to go on my knees begging for the thugs to spare my life, and at that point I'd rather go down fighting the aggressors. Was recently reading a story where a convenience store cashier was robbed at gun point, he was unarmed and fully cooperated with the gunman, yet he got murdered anyway, can you imagine how horrible that is, and many other similar stories take place almost daily around the country. As for the weapon of choice and ammo used, that's coming from someone who apparently does not have much experience in shooting guns (namely self-defense shooting), and not one time have I ever heard from a fellow gun rights supporter suggesting our concealed carry sidearm be something like a shotgun or AR-15, and even most types of lower caliber pistols are sufficient enough a carry sidearm to protect yourself. As for the unsafe part, possibly, but that wouldn't include everyone though. That said, I'm sure in the past there were some who carried a rifle around as some sort of protest of their rights etc, but generally speaking I don't see them suggesting that one should always carry ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> Again, if you are the one making a claim that you don't feel safe around someone like me then the burden of proof is on you to prove that I am indeed unfit to carry as I do, and anything less than that at that point I nor anyone else have a logical or reasonable obligation to take ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
Of course you're allowed that, and you pretty much did just that above, lol. I'm not going to stop you from feeling that way, but if I'm asked my opinion on that particular point then I will give an honest answer, and that's that I think such fear(s) given the circumstances is rather irrational. I get what you're saying about the Constitution's age, but the thing that concerns me is that if they are ever successful at repealing the Second Amendment, all we need at that point is the wrong type of politicians to get elected into office and dream up some cockamamie ideas to make illegal certain other rights that you do believe in, and that would be really bad for the rest of us. Imagine for a moment that in retaliation for doing away with the 2A the Republicans get a majority again in the House and Senate with a Repub in the White House too, and they dream up an idea to make illegal gay marriage/rights at the Federal level, or do something to undermine the rights of minorities? At that point, such a scenario could be possible if all the other circumstances were to fall into place, and that's something we should be concerned about. In other words, beware of that domino effect.
When it comes to researching gun violence, keep in mind that while it may be true that organizations like the NRA try to actively slant the odds in their favor, the same could be said about the opposing side of the argument as well. How do we know for sure these Government-funded research groups will be fair in their presentations? So the real question there is, what method do we go about that would produce fair and accurate research, as so far we have not really been able to remedy that problem. No simplistic solution there.
How so? How are you not allowed to do so?? I dunno man... that sounds kinda like an excuse there, an excuse for when you know that you couldn't provide such evidence because the perceived dilemma/problem/issue doesn't really exist in the first place. As for my record on gun safety... never once had any sort of mishap, I follow basic firearm safety protocol (alot of which my father had taught me as a youth), with the exception of my sidearm/go to pistol I lock-up all other weapons (that includes most other types of weapons that I own) and don't leave weapons laying around loaded. Not sure what else to say, that would be enough to convince you otherwise and put your mind at ease? Fair enough then on the rational part, but in turn I could make a case that it's equally irrational to be fearful of law-abiding gun owners as well. Unless you're a violent-prone thug, a terrorist, or a zombie, you really shouldn't be fearful of people like me. So if none of those categories above would apply to you, I mean you no harm. Again, not sure what else to say that could ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
@SpikeTalon
> Again, if you are the one making a claim that you don't feel safe around someone like me then the burden of proof is on you to prove that I am indeed unfit to carry as I do, and anything less than that at that point I nor anyone else have a logical or reasonable obligation to take ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
Of course you're allowed that, and you pretty much did just that above, lol. I'm not going to stop you from feeling that way, but if I'm asked my opinion on that particular point then I will give an honest answer, and that's that I think such fear(s) given the circumstances is rather irrational. I get what you're saying about the Constitution's age, but the thing that concerns me is that if they are ever successful at repealing the Second Amendment, all we need at that point is the wrong type of politicians to get elected into office and dream up some cockamamie ideas to make illegal certain other rights that you do believe in, and that would be really bad for the rest of us. Imagine for a moment that in retaliation for doing away with the 2A the Republicans get a majority again in the House and Senate with a Repub in the White House too, and they dream up an idea to make illegal gay marriage/rights at the Federal level, or do something to undermine the rights of minorities? At that point, such a scenario could be possible if all the other circumstances were to fall into place, and that's something we should be concerned about. In other words, beware of that domino effect.
When it comes to researching gun violence, keep in mind that while it may be true that organizations like the NRA try to actively slant the odds in their favor, the same could be said about the opposing side of the argument as well. How do we know for sure these Government-funded research groups will be fair in their presentations? So the real question there is, what method do we go about that would produce fair and accurate research, as so far we have not really been able to remedy that problem. No simplistic solution there.
How so? How are you not allowed to do so?? I dunno man... that sounds kinda like an excuse there, an excuse for when you know that you couldn't provide such evidence because the perceived dilemma/problem/issue doesn't really exist in the first place. As for my record on gun safety... never once had any sort of mishap, I follow basic firearm safety protocol (alot of which my father had taught me as a youth), with the exception of my sidearm/go to pistol I lock-up all other weapons (that includes most other types of weapons that I own) and don't leave weapons laying around loaded. Not sure what else to say, that would be enough to convince you otherwise and put your mind at ease? Fair enough then on the rational part, but in turn I could make a case that it's equally irrational to be fearful of law-abiding gun owners as well. Unless you're a violent-prone thug, a terrorist, or a zombie, you really shouldn't be fearful of people like me. So if none of those categories above would apply to you, I mean you no harm. Again, not sure what else to say that could ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
AtheistInNC comments on Sep 19, 2022:
So ... you are a closet psycho who fears everything in everyday life, and you think carrying a gun will help.
How often do you practice? (Not just the "quick draw" like on TV. And remember to sneer when you say, "you talkin' to ME?")
Do you always hit the bulls eye, or are most of your shots ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
@AtheistInNC If you want to be technical, that's no more real than claiming you're a vet, and if you want to question some of my claims I'll return the favor.
You're right, I didn't join the service, I'm not just another bitch for a crooked Government to use and abuse. Some of us got to where we did in life without any help from the Government.
I'm sure you don't even know the definition of the word illiterate. Speak for yourself.
Take your own advice regarding joining the Uvalde Police Force. Also while you're at it, get a job, from the looks of it you've got too much spare time on your hands. If you're retired, find some more hobbies to indulge in.
I'll wager anything I'm in better physical condition than you are. Everything you accuse me of you're guilty of yourself, and having served in the Armed Forces doesn't automatically make one a wonderful or intelligent individual. Sounds like you hate the very country you had supposedly served. I'm not a "badass" either, never claimed to be, you're the one making shit up there convincing yourself I'm trying to become some sort of legend, lol.
AtheistInNC comments on Sep 19, 2022:
So ... you are a closet psycho who fears everything in everyday life, and you think carrying a gun will help.
How often do you practice? (Not just the "quick draw" like on TV. And remember to sneer when you say, "you talkin' to ME?")
Do you always hit the bulls eye, or are most of your shots ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 25, 2022:
@AtheistInNC If you want to be technical, that's no more real than claiming you're a vet, and if you want to question some of my claims I'll return the favor.
You're right, I didn't join the service, I'm not just another bitch for a crooked Government to use and abuse. Some of us got to where we did in life without any help from the Government.
I'm sure you don't even know the definition of the word illiterate. Speak for yourself.
Take your own advice regarding joining the Uvalde Police Force. Also while you're at it, get a job, from the looks of it you've got too much spare time on your hands. If you're retired, find some more hobbies to indulge in.
I'll wager anything I'm in better physical condition than you are. Everything you accuse me of you're guilty of yourself, and having served in the Armed Forces doesn't automatically make one a wonderful or intelligent individual. Sounds like you hate the very country you had supposedly served. I'm not a "badass" either, never claimed to be, you're the one making shit up there convincing yourself I'm trying to become some sort of legend, lol.
Russian Bear vs Ukrainian Wolverine
[m.youtube.com]
Actually American black bear and wolverine
p-nullifidian comments on Mar 7, 2022:
I prefer this example of Wolverines going after the Russian bear! 😉
https://youtu.be/a1Bx9nyw35w
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 24, 2022:
Sweet, a little boomstick action there to break up the monotony on here, I likey.
p-nullifidian comments on Mar 7, 2022:
I prefer this example of Wolverines going after the Russian bear! 😉
https://youtu.be/a1Bx9nyw35w
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 24, 2022:
Sweet, a little boomstick action there to break up the monotony on here, I likey.
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
tiredofthis1 comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Hopefully this is something temporary. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 24, 2022:
Thank you, and such episodes usually don't last hours like that one did.
tiredofthis1 comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Hopefully this is something temporary. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 24, 2022:
Thank you, and such episodes usually don't last hours like that one did.
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
godlessguy comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Diabetes can be tough to deal with at times . Don’t give up .Take it easy buddy.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 24, 2022:
Thank you, and good hearing from you.
godlessguy comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Diabetes can be tough to deal with at times . Don’t give up .Take it easy buddy.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 24, 2022:
Thank you, and good hearing from you.
Never have I ever..
Garban comments on Aug 31, 2022:
I have never been good at coming up with clever answers for questions like this. 😉
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 23, 2022:
@Garban No, that was meant to be a joke alluding to your time in the Armed Forces, and also based on some of what you yourself had told me in the past. If I really wanted to talk about guns that much I would have done so in my original comment on this post, but didn't though. I deleted my previous reply as I'm not here to deliberately offend anyone, and next time I'll know not to crack jokes around you, like ever. Don't exaggerate in saying everyone, not everyone on here gets upset over that, and some of the private messages I've received from some members would probably surprise you. People act like they're outraged about something, but in private they're like a whole different person.
Garban comments on Aug 31, 2022:
I have never been good at coming up with clever answers for questions like this. 😉
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 23, 2022:
@Garban No, that was meant to be a joke alluding to your time in the Armed Forces, and also based on some of what you yourself had told me in the past. If I really wanted to talk about guns that much I would have done so in my original comment on this post, but didn't though. I deleted my previous reply as I'm not here to deliberately offend anyone, and next time I'll know not to crack jokes around you, like ever. Don't exaggerate in saying everyone, not everyone on here gets upset over that, and some of the private messages I've received from some members would probably surprise you. People act like they're outraged about something, but in private they're like a whole different person.
Never have I ever..
KKGator comments on Sep 1, 2022:
Never have I ever punched an elected public official.
I have a list of ones I'd dearly love to tag though.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
If you by chance happen to cross paths with Lindsey Graham, and sock him one, I won't say anything. For someone like him to claim that state rights come first only to turn around and suggest to ban abortion on a Federal level, is such an asinine contradiction that I really don't have the words to describe just how stupid that is...
KKGator comments on Sep 1, 2022:
Never have I ever punched an elected public official.
I have a list of ones I'd dearly love to tag though.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
If you by chance happen to cross paths with Lindsey Graham, and sock him one, I won't say anything. For someone like him to claim that state rights come first only to turn around and suggest to ban abortion on a Federal level, is such an asinine contradiction that I really don't have the words to describe just how stupid that is...
Never have I ever..
p-nullifidian comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Well I’ve never been to Spain… 😉
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Me neither, but I hear the ladies are insane there...
p-nullifidian comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Well I’ve never been to Spain… 😉
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Me neither, but I hear the ladies are insane there...
Here's a question for you, what tastes better a fresh pussy or a freshly filled pussy?
Emanuele comments on Sep 3, 2022:
Another thought provoking intellectual question to ponder from an illustrious member.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
No shortage of such folks on this site, eh?
Emanuele comments on Sep 3, 2022:
Another thought provoking intellectual question to ponder from an illustrious member.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
No shortage of such folks on this site, eh?
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
HarrySlick comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Sorry to hear this .Keep up a positive attitude . Wishing you the best.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Thank you Harry.
HarrySlick comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Sorry to hear this .Keep up a positive attitude . Wishing you the best.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Thank you Harry.
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@richiegtt Thank you Rich, and with some of the crap I have to put up with at times I need some humor to lighten the mood a bit.
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@richiegtt Thank you Rich, and with some of the crap I have to put up with at times I need some humor to lighten the mood a bit.
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@Pralina1 I started out on Toujeo, but the insurance kept changing around what insulins they cover, so eventually settled on Lantus. The Toujeo was better in my opinion.
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@Pralina1 I started out on Toujeo, but the insurance kept changing around what insulins they cover, so eventually settled on Lantus. The Toujeo was better in my opinion.
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@Pralina1 Lantus for basal, and Humalog for the other. Awhile back the endocrinologist had drastically cut back on the number of units of Lantus, and for me that's produced fewer low glucose episodes.
I suspect stress is a big factor in bringing on that sudden low episode, and the consequent extreme high that followed hours afterward. It's not what I'm eating, couldn't be, and where weight is concerned I'm at 179 pounds and the diabetes aside I'm probably the healthiest I've ever been regarding diet and exercise. Funny thing is, that low episode came less than a day after a visit with my endocrinologist. Okay, sounds good.
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@Pralina1 Lantus for basal, and Humalog for the other. Awhile back the endocrinologist had drastically cut back on the number of units of Lantus, and for me that's produced fewer low glucose episodes.
I suspect stress is a big factor in bringing on that sudden low episode, and the consequent extreme high that followed hours afterward. It's not what I'm eating, couldn't be, and where weight is concerned I'm at 179 pounds and the diabetes aside I'm probably the healthiest I've ever been regarding diet and exercise. Funny thing is, that low episode came less than a day after a visit with my endocrinologist. Okay, sounds good.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Believe it or not, yes, that was rushed. I'll still get around to your other replies as time allows me to, had unexpected problems with the diabetes yesterday which consumed alot of my spare time.
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Believe it or not, yes, that was rushed. I'll still get around to your other replies as time allows me to, had unexpected problems with the diabetes yesterday which consumed alot of my spare time.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay You can make all the laws you want... and a good portion of them have and shall continue to fail, especially given the times and the current state of our economy. I'm not saying we shouldn't have any laws, but I do ask what good are they if only some follow them while others can conveniently ignore it, and that doesn't sound fair to me. Repeating the same mistakes over and over again repeatedly while believing or expecting different results is by definition the meaning of insanity. For example... these designated "gun free" zones like shopping malls and public schools are frequent targets of criminal gunmen, and designating them as such has not kept such places any safer. What's it going to take for me to get you to realize laws/ordinances like that aren't doing enough and or have been total failures for too many, and that more of the same will not help any.
Gun-related injuries is vague, which means that particular statistic is skewed, and in this case skewed in your favor. Now... how many from that 45,222 were a result of suicide? Many, not sure exact numbers there, but I do know that on a yearly basis roughly sixty-percent of those annual figures are attributed to suicide. Suicide is a personal matter, and factoring them in with actual gun-related crimes is wrong and misleading, as the focus should be on actual crimes committed with guns. The Government has no business getting involved in that part, and the political left as a whole would pretty much agree with me that deciding to end one's own life is strictly a personal choice, and who in the actual fuck care about how someone else decides to commit suicide? I can see recording such for statistical reasons only, but when you want to conflate those statistics with crime statistics that's misleading and skews the numbers in your favor.
Well... what would you expect when we live in a country where both major political parties are constantly at each other's throats dehumanizing each other? That's bound to be a recipe for disaster, and certainly a big reason why we are seeing so much political division nowadays. Fear does indeed sell quite well, and no shortage of those who are all too eager to make a purchase, and please note my restraint on talking about how the mainstream medias from both sides play to the people's fears and help promote chaos in society.
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay You can make all the laws you want... and a good portion of them have and shall continue to fail, especially given the times and the current state of our economy. I'm not saying we shouldn't have any laws, but I do ask what good are they if only some follow them while others can conveniently ignore it, and that doesn't sound fair to me. Repeating the same mistakes over and over again repeatedly while believing or expecting different results is by definition the meaning of insanity. For example... these designated "gun free" zones like shopping malls and public schools are frequent targets of criminal gunmen, and designating them as such has not kept such places any safer. What's it going to take for me to get you to realize laws/ordinances like that aren't doing enough and or have been total failures for too many, and that more of the same will not help any.
Gun-related injuries is vague, which means that particular statistic is skewed, and in this case skewed in your favor. Now... how many from that 45,222 were a result of suicide? Many, not sure exact numbers there, but I do know that on a yearly basis roughly sixty-percent of those annual figures are attributed to suicide. Suicide is a personal matter, and factoring them in with actual gun-related crimes is wrong and misleading, as the focus should be on actual crimes committed with guns. The Government has no business getting involved in that part, and the political left as a whole would pretty much agree with me that deciding to end one's own life is strictly a personal choice, and who in the actual fuck care about how someone else decides to commit suicide? I can see recording such for statistical reasons only, but when you want to conflate those statistics with crime statistics that's misleading and skews the numbers in your favor.
Well... what would you expect when we live in a country where both major political parties are constantly at each other's throats dehumanizing each other? That's bound to be a recipe for disaster, and certainly a big reason why we are seeing so much political division nowadays. Fear does indeed sell quite well, and no shortage of those who are all too eager to make a purchase, and please note my restraint on talking about how the mainstream medias from both sides play to the people's fears and help promote chaos in society.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@Ryo1 You cannot compare the US to other countries on that, other factors to consider, from population size to unique crime rates from country to country. The population in the UK is currently around 68,675,000, compared to the USA at around 331,900,000, which is a considerable difference when determining violent crime statistics per capita. In other words, in one country what may appear to be frequent mass violent crimes (think mass shootings for example) may be misleading in the sense that such statistics may strictly be only going by certain locations.
I'm from Pennsylvania, and a small town like Emmaus PA does not see the level of violent crime that say a city like Philadelphia does. Point is, most of our media outlets in the US have a tendency to mostly focus on the trouble areas and not taking into consideration all areas, in which to get a better understanding regarding crime stats. Speaking of Philadelphia, that city has among some of the toughest gun control laws on the books in the state of Pennsylvania, yet that city continues to be riddled with violent crimes, and their Mayor and PD seem helpless to really do anything about it. In other words, their laws have largely failed them, and too many people continue to die because of failed laws.
When any non-American comments on the US' perceived problem with gun violence and state to an extent that it must suck to live in such a country where one supposedly has to worry about violent crimes on a daily basis, they are missing the bigger picture, as there are many towns and cities across the US which see a considerably lower level of crime compared to others, thus only taking into consideration the gun related crimes they make a big deal of in the medias is only a small part to a bigger picture. While was born in Allentown, I grew up in neighboring Emmaus, and the two cannot be reasonably compared when it comes to crime and how safe the citizens feel.
Again, considering certain factors, no two countries can be fully compared when it comes specifically to gun related crimes. Take Iran for instance, a country in which only allows those who register with the state to own firearms, and yet in an average year it's not uncommon for them to witness hundreds of gun related fatalities, and it's my understanding of such that a good portion of said incidents involved unregistered individuals. If the laws truly worked as they intended, then one would conclude such incidents should not occur, but they do though. That's also not considering the countries out there that have banned private gun ownership and whom consistently oppress their citizens, like North Korea, but I digress as that's a whole other issue.
So in talking about how safe Americans feel, often times in such discussions we only get part of ...
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@Ryo1 You cannot compare the US to other countries on that, other factors to consider, from population size to unique crime rates from country to country. The population in the UK is currently around 68,675,000, compared to the USA at around 331,900,000, which is a considerable difference when determining violent crime statistics per capita. In other words, in one country what may appear to be frequent mass violent crimes (think mass shootings for example) may be misleading in the sense that such statistics may strictly be only going by certain locations.
I'm from Pennsylvania, and a small town like Emmaus PA does not see the level of violent crime that say a city like Philadelphia does. Point is, most of our media outlets in the US have a tendency to mostly focus on the trouble areas and not taking into consideration all areas, in which to get a better understanding regarding crime stats. Speaking of Philadelphia, that city has among some of the toughest gun control laws on the books in the state of Pennsylvania, yet that city continues to be riddled with violent crimes, and their Mayor and PD seem helpless to really do anything about it. In other words, their laws have largely failed them, and too many people continue to die because of failed laws.
When any non-American comments on the US' perceived problem with gun violence and state to an extent that it must suck to live in such a country where one supposedly has to worry about violent crimes on a daily basis, they are missing the bigger picture, as there are many towns and cities across the US which see a considerably lower level of crime compared to others, thus only taking into consideration the gun related crimes they make a big deal of in the medias is only a small part to a bigger picture. While was born in Allentown, I grew up in neighboring Emmaus, and the two cannot be reasonably compared when it comes to crime and how safe the citizens feel.
Again, considering certain factors, no two countries can be fully compared when it comes specifically to gun related crimes. Take Iran for instance, a country in which only allows those who register with the state to own firearms, and yet in an average year it's not uncommon for them to witness hundreds of gun related fatalities, and it's my understanding of such that a good portion of said incidents involved unregistered individuals. If the laws truly worked as they intended, then one would conclude such incidents should not occur, but they do though. That's also not considering the countries out there that have banned private gun ownership and whom consistently oppress their citizens, like North Korea, but I digress as that's a whole other issue.
So in talking about how safe Americans feel, often times in such discussions we only get part of ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
AtheistInNC comments on Sep 19, 2022:
So ... you are a closet psycho who fears everything in everyday life, and you think carrying a gun will help.
How often do you practice? (Not just the "quick draw" like on TV. And remember to sneer when you say, "you talkin' to ME?")
Do you always hit the bulls eye, or are most of your shots ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@AtheistInNC Don't mention it... I got alot of laughs out of your initial reply as well. Same goes for you as well, and I respond in kind to assholes who go around assuming things about me. If my reply bothered you, then I suggest you finally grow up and act like a man instead of a child hurling baseless insults. Haha, speak for yourself dude, and what I said was far more creative than anything you provided, guess my choice of words was too much for you to handle. You only get what you give, and you started it with the dick joke.
Saying you're a veteran doesn't mean that you really are one, see how that works? If you're going to go there with me, then I'm not inclined to believe any of your claims either.
What questions? Most of your initial reply was an angry and incoherent mishmash of ignorance, and some of your pointless questions didn't apply to me. At least I always made my living in the private sector, and never at the taxpayer expense. I don't own a truck, or even a .357 for that matter.
Aw isn't that precious, the degenerate is jealous of my profile name on here, which is why he had to make a special point to down it, lol. At least my profile name couldn't be mistaken for female, unlike yours, as if AtheistInNC is anything creative.
AtheistInNC comments on Sep 19, 2022:
So ... you are a closet psycho who fears everything in everyday life, and you think carrying a gun will help.
How often do you practice? (Not just the "quick draw" like on TV. And remember to sneer when you say, "you talkin' to ME?")
Do you always hit the bulls eye, or are most of your shots ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
@AtheistInNC Don't mention it... I got alot of laughs out of your initial reply as well. Same goes for you as well, and I respond in kind to assholes who go around assuming things about me. If my reply bothered you, then I suggest you finally grow up and act like a man instead of a child hurling baseless insults. Haha, speak for yourself dude, and what I said was far more creative than anything you provided, guess my choice of words was too much for you to handle. You only get what you give, and you started it with the dick joke.
Saying you're a veteran doesn't mean that you really are one, see how that works? If you're going to go there with me, then I'm not inclined to believe any of your claims either.
What questions? Most of your initial reply was an angry and incoherent mishmash of ignorance, and some of your pointless questions didn't apply to me. At least I always made my living in the private sector, and never at the taxpayer expense. I don't own a truck, or even a .357 for that matter.
Aw isn't that precious, the degenerate is jealous of my profile name on here, which is why he had to make a special point to down it, lol. At least my profile name couldn't be mistaken for female, unlike yours, as if AtheistInNC is anything creative.
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
MichelleGar1 comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Hope you feel better!
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Thank you, much appreciated.
MichelleGar1 comments on Sep 22, 2022:
Hope you feel better!
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Thank you, much appreciated.
Meh, one of those days where the diabetes just won't cooperate no matter what I do...
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Started off early in the morning at around 5:30 got a low glucose alert from my Dexcom, and for the next five or so hours remained consistently low and just couldn't get it to a level in which I could function okay without feeling sick or impaired in any way no matter how much sugar I consumed. Finally got fed up and took Baqsimi, in which afterwards it made me sick to my stomach and had to go to the hospital (think it's suggested anyways by doctor to go to the hospital after using any kind of Glucagon), which means I was forced to miss work which doesn't make me happy. After getting home from the hospital, not long afterwards my blood glucose started to skyrocket and no matter how much insulin I take it isn't doing much to lower the glucose levels. It's so high that my meter is just reading a severe high alert instead of a number, which means it must be at least in the upper 400s or maybe even in the 500s by now.
Haven't had trouble like that in a long time, it just hit me out of the blue, and sure didn't do anything different or out of the norm. Haven't even been dealing with alot of minor low blood sugars recently. Just one of those days, and the above meme made me laugh, and I could use a good laugh right about now...
Pralina1 comments on Sep 21, 2022:
What’s wrong
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 22, 2022:
Started off early in the morning at around 5:30 got a low glucose alert from my Dexcom, and for the next five or so hours remained consistently low and just couldn't get it to a level in which I could function okay without feeling sick or impaired in any way no matter how much sugar I consumed. Finally got fed up and took Baqsimi, in which afterwards it made me sick to my stomach and had to go to the hospital (think it's suggested anyways by doctor to go to the hospital after using any kind of Glucagon), which means I was forced to miss work which doesn't make me happy. After getting home from the hospital, not long afterwards my blood glucose started to skyrocket and no matter how much insulin I take it isn't doing much to lower the glucose levels. It's so high that my meter is just reading a severe high alert instead of a number, which means it must be at least in the upper 400s or maybe even in the 500s by now.
Haven't had trouble like that in a long time, it just hit me out of the blue, and sure didn't do anything different or out of the norm. Haven't even been dealing with alot of minor low blood sugars recently. Just one of those days, and the above meme made me laugh, and I could use a good laugh right about now...
Substitute the word liberals for progressives, and that would describe me as well.
FvckY0u comments on Sep 20, 2022:
I could use a lot of labels to describe myself and every single label would have parts that don't apply. It's why I try to stay away from labeling myself. I'll stick to labeling others. LOL
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 21, 2022:
Not a bad way to go, and most of the time I just stick to the term independent. That aside, think his point was that both extremes of the political spectrum annoy him.
FvckY0u comments on Sep 20, 2022:
I could use a lot of labels to describe myself and every single label would have parts that don't apply. It's why I try to stay away from labeling myself. I'll stick to labeling others. LOL
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 21, 2022:
Not a bad way to go, and most of the time I just stick to the term independent. That aside, think his point was that both extremes of the political spectrum annoy him.
Let's make America great again...
If only...
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 18, 2022:
Nothing silly random or fun about harboring dark fantasies of pushing people off of a cliff no matter how detestable they may be, and certainly does no honor to secular humanism. Challenge someone like Trump to a debate, give a chance to argue out his points, and if he doesn't agree to such it's ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 20, 2022:
@snytiger6 Okay, sounds reasonable, and regarding the drama part can't say I'd disagree on that much. Just saying though, on some sites one could get in trouble for posting such, and I've witnessed that happen before.
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 18, 2022:
Nothing silly random or fun about harboring dark fantasies of pushing people off of a cliff no matter how detestable they may be, and certainly does no honor to secular humanism. Challenge someone like Trump to a debate, give a chance to argue out his points, and if he doesn't agree to such it's ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 20, 2022:
@snytiger6 Okay, sounds reasonable, and regarding the drama part can't say I'd disagree on that much. Just saying though, on some sites one could get in trouble for posting such, and I've witnessed that happen before.
We have atheists and agnostics and theist but none really fit the Klingon theology.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 10, 2022:
I dunno... a freedom theocracy perhaps?
Klingon theology?? I thought our theological beliefs in this country was the Force, lol.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 20, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Are you aware that your name was brought up in the Senate group, and not in a good way? I didn't view the post in question as that guy has me blocked so I'm not in a hurry to check it out. Looks like you upset him, lol.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 10, 2022:
I dunno... a freedom theocracy perhaps?
Klingon theology?? I thought our theological beliefs in this country was the Force, lol.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 20, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay Are you aware that your name was brought up in the Senate group, and not in a good way? I didn't view the post in question as that guy has me blocked so I'm not in a hurry to check it out. Looks like you upset him, lol.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
AtheistInNC comments on Sep 19, 2022:
So ... you are a closet psycho who fears everything in everyday life, and you think carrying a gun will help.
How often do you practice? (Not just the "quick draw" like on TV. And remember to sneer when you say, "you talkin' to ME?")
Do you always hit the bulls eye, or are most of your shots ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 20, 2022:
So... you're a closet douchebag who makes crude assumptions about others, and you think your comment above makes you look intelligent and in the know?
I don't walk around in a constant state of fear, but I do like to be prepared for life's little challenges that get thrown my way every now and then. Do you want to know what real fear looks like, Ace? The truly fearful psychos out there were the ones at home pissing in their fucking pants while watching the news on television the day after January 6th 2021 over a bunch of retards in desperate need of attention who were running around in the Capitol building because some asshole suggested they do so. As if those retards were really scary, oh please, and yet there was no shortage of folks who were fearful and some of whom claimed to suffer a mental breakdown afterwards. Give me a fucking break...
I grew up with guns in my household, my father started me on Co2-powered airguns and as I got older he taught me how to use regular guns and gun safety protocol. That was over three decades ago, and yes I do practice, so I'd say I possess an adequate understanding of gun safety and practice. I used to work in armed security, and as a condition for continued employment I was subjected at random to drug/mental/physical tests and evaluations, all of which I passed.
You asked- How do you judge who is the "bad guy" and who is "the other good guy with a gun"? That's just a joke question right? Or are you really that stupid? When someone waltzes into the local shopping mall and pulls out a gun and starts shooting anyone in his line of sight, it's not too damn hard to realize who the bad guy is, and if you really couldn't figure that one out on your own without me having to tell you, you just might be a moron. And yes, I do check what's behind my intended target always, and consider possible ricochet scenarios.
"Is your manhood so small that you have to carry a .357 Magnum, .45, and use hollow point or armor piercing shells?" Hey tin soldier boy, just curious since you brought the topic up, is your cock so small your Army rifle had to always have an M203 attached to it, or was it just a bayonet? So... does that mean you're challenging me to a penis duel, lol? There's a group on here called Hot Hunks, and I'm sure the ladies in that group would be delighted to host such. Having once entertained at multiple hen party side gigs in my twenties, let me give you a hint since you sound like a clueless chump... the women didn't exactly like me just for my face, and I'll let you figure out the rest. So how's about it since obviously you're fixated on other guy's manhood, wanna have a penis duel in that group. Of course, by now I'm sure you're a decrepit mummy who can no longer even get it up anymore, assuming that is you ...
AtheistInNC comments on Sep 19, 2022:
So ... you are a closet psycho who fears everything in everyday life, and you think carrying a gun will help.
How often do you practice? (Not just the "quick draw" like on TV. And remember to sneer when you say, "you talkin' to ME?")
Do you always hit the bulls eye, or are most of your shots ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 20, 2022:
So... you're a closet douchebag who makes crude assumptions about others, and you think your comment above makes you look intelligent and in the know?
I don't walk around in a constant state of fear, but I do like to be prepared for life's little challenges that get thrown my way every now and then. Do you want to know what real fear looks like, Ace? The truly fearful psychos out there were the ones at home pissing in their fucking pants while watching the news on television the day after January 6th 2021 over a bunch of retards in desperate need of attention who were running around in the Capitol building because some asshole suggested they do so. As if those retards were really scary, oh please, and yet there was no shortage of folks who were fearful and some of whom claimed to suffer a mental breakdown afterwards. Give me a fucking break...
I grew up with guns in my household, my father started me on Co2-powered airguns and as I got older he taught me how to use regular guns and gun safety protocol. That was over three decades ago, and yes I do practice, so I'd say I possess an adequate understanding of gun safety and practice. I used to work in armed security, and as a condition for continued employment I was subjected at random to drug/mental/physical tests and evaluations, all of which I passed.
You asked- How do you judge who is the "bad guy" and who is "the other good guy with a gun"? That's just a joke question right? Or are you really that stupid? When someone waltzes into the local shopping mall and pulls out a gun and starts shooting anyone in his line of sight, it's not too damn hard to realize who the bad guy is, and if you really couldn't figure that one out on your own without me having to tell you, you just might be a moron. And yes, I do check what's behind my intended target always, and consider possible ricochet scenarios.
"Is your manhood so small that you have to carry a .357 Magnum, .45, and use hollow point or armor piercing shells?" Hey tin soldier boy, just curious since you brought the topic up, is your cock so small your Army rifle had to always have an M203 attached to it, or was it just a bayonet? So... does that mean you're challenging me to a penis duel, lol? There's a group on here called Hot Hunks, and I'm sure the ladies in that group would be delighted to host such. Having once entertained at multiple hen party side gigs in my twenties, let me give you a hint since you sound like a clueless chump... the women didn't exactly like me just for my face, and I'll let you figure out the rest. So how's about it since obviously you're fixated on other guy's manhood, wanna have a penis duel in that group. Of course, by now I'm sure you're a decrepit mummy who can no longer even get it up anymore, assuming that is you ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
> The other part of your logic there that's faulty is that said gun control laws have yet to prove beyond any doubts that they actually always work as intended to be, and so far have and continue to fail society. A good majority of these mass shootings occured at supposedly "gun free" zones like ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
It may not be your logic directly, but you do go along with that though for the most part. You are still overlooking a critical point there, and legal definitions aside it cannot be denied that many of those who support gun control legislation honestly believe that such signs make a sigificant difference, which they do not, as criminals do not care about signs. To ignore that or get technical saying there's no legal definition is to ignore reality. I'm more concerned about local ordinances, and in my area all schools have an all out ban on any and all weapons on the premises with no exceptions.
I never said all democratic cities. False equivalence there. While it's true plenty of Republican cities see a similar level of violence, given their relative lax laws regarding guns one could reasonably expect such crimes. In contrast, alot of the democratic cities whom have some serious gun control laws on the books in which one would then think that would minimize such crimes, but that's not the case and Philadelphia is an excellent example of that. There is no cherry picking there, that's reality, and if I didn't explain that in better detail before I surely did now, and I think you can understand the difference there.
I know prohibition and restriction are two different things, but based on past history in the US regarding such I contend neither approach truly works as intended. On the AR-15 part, that be your choice and I can respect that, but I question who exactly gets the authority to tell me what I can and cannot own simply based upon their own perceptions. Previously, you had complained about being on the losing end of the carry scenario claiming that's not fair, yet based on some of your other comments it appears you have no regards yourself if the opposing side loses, which doesn't sound any fairer to me. I could give you at least one good reason why I'd want to own an AR-15 (even though I don't own one), for those who enjoy competition shooting and the challenge of using a variety of guns, because no two guns function totally the same (think recoil, base accuracy etc). I could give you all the reasons in the world for such, but I'm sure none of that would change your mind as you are already locked-into the mindset that no one for no reason needs that type of firearm, and I will always be on the losing end of that argument because said argument is rigged in your favor, and all you have to do every time I offer up a reason to own such is to simply dismiss it as unnecessary or frivolous, which ironically enough are also mere opinions. Now... you may be able to fool yourself on that part, but it doesn't fool me, and over the years I had debated others on that specific issue so I'm familiar with how such arguments work, and I can tell you with ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 19, 2022:
> The other part of your logic there that's faulty is that said gun control laws have yet to prove beyond any doubts that they actually always work as intended to be, and so far have and continue to fail society. A good majority of these mass shootings occured at supposedly "gun free" zones like ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
It may not be your logic directly, but you do go along with that though for the most part. You are still overlooking a critical point there, and legal definitions aside it cannot be denied that many of those who support gun control legislation honestly believe that such signs make a sigificant difference, which they do not, as criminals do not care about signs. To ignore that or get technical saying there's no legal definition is to ignore reality. I'm more concerned about local ordinances, and in my area all schools have an all out ban on any and all weapons on the premises with no exceptions.
I never said all democratic cities. False equivalence there. While it's true plenty of Republican cities see a similar level of violence, given their relative lax laws regarding guns one could reasonably expect such crimes. In contrast, alot of the democratic cities whom have some serious gun control laws on the books in which one would then think that would minimize such crimes, but that's not the case and Philadelphia is an excellent example of that. There is no cherry picking there, that's reality, and if I didn't explain that in better detail before I surely did now, and I think you can understand the difference there.
I know prohibition and restriction are two different things, but based on past history in the US regarding such I contend neither approach truly works as intended. On the AR-15 part, that be your choice and I can respect that, but I question who exactly gets the authority to tell me what I can and cannot own simply based upon their own perceptions. Previously, you had complained about being on the losing end of the carry scenario claiming that's not fair, yet based on some of your other comments it appears you have no regards yourself if the opposing side loses, which doesn't sound any fairer to me. I could give you at least one good reason why I'd want to own an AR-15 (even though I don't own one), for those who enjoy competition shooting and the challenge of using a variety of guns, because no two guns function totally the same (think recoil, base accuracy etc). I could give you all the reasons in the world for such, but I'm sure none of that would change your mind as you are already locked-into the mindset that no one for no reason needs that type of firearm, and I will always be on the losing end of that argument because said argument is rigged in your favor, and all you have to do every time I offer up a reason to own such is to simply dismiss it as unnecessary or frivolous, which ironically enough are also mere opinions. Now... you may be able to fool yourself on that part, but it doesn't fool me, and over the years I had debated others on that specific issue so I'm familiar with how such arguments work, and I can tell you with ...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@273kelvin I see you modified your previous reply, just so you know my previous reply was based on what you had mentioned before you edited it. I don't recall referring to you as a "liberal snowflake", and truth be told I'm rather liberal myself (in the classic sense), so you confused me with someone else there. As for the fear part goes, that's not as simplistic as you think it is, but at the moment I do not have the spare time to dedicate to getting deeper on that point.
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@273kelvin I see you modified your previous reply, just so you know my previous reply was based on what you had mentioned before you edited it. I don't recall referring to you as a "liberal snowflake", and truth be told I'm rather liberal myself (in the classic sense), so you confused me with someone else there. As for the fear part goes, that's not as simplistic as you think it is, but at the moment I do not have the spare time to dedicate to getting deeper on that point.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@273kelvin All good, I understand. I also understand the point you made in the reply above. I cannot speak for other Americans, only for myself, and for the most part I do not walk around in a constant state of fear that I am going to get shot dead on the street, as the actions I take as depicted in the post above are simply precautions against what could be and not because of fear, and I take precautions in other areas in life as well. Like always wearing a seatbelt for example, and even though my driving record is spotless and I'm not likely to crash my car anytime soon, still an accident could occur at anytime. Mass shooting incidents in America, as classified by the Federal Government, are not as common as some believe them to be, but I digress as that's another topic altogether for perhaps another post another time.
These days, I don't think hardly anywhere in the world is totally safe all of the time. I heard recently in Canada there was a mass stabbing in which ten people were killed and at least another ten were seriously injured, and despite Canada's rather strict laws when it comes to private weapon ownership that wasn't enough to stop such a violent incident. All in all, despite some potential dangers out there, I do feel free because I'm able/allowed to own the tools to defend myself should the need arise and have a variety to choose from, and as the saying goes if you want something done you got to do it yourself. No better a person out there to defend me than myself.
Likewise, when you say you feel free living where you do under the circumstances you had described, I'll take you on your word on that. That said, I hope you aren't underestimating things, as maybe you might not come up against a gun-wielding thug anytime soon, but you could possibly come up against someone armed with a knife though, and getting stabbed to death is no more pleasant than getting shot. I'm sure those Canadians thought they had little to worry about too, until something horrible finally occured. As for me, I more or less adapted to my surroundings. Would it be ideal to live in a world in which I wouldn't need to take such precautions? Surely, that it would, but not exactly realistic though as each society out there will see their share of the criminal element, some more so than others. Hope that answers your query, thank you for taking the time to comment even though it was late at night your timezone.
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@273kelvin All good, I understand. I also understand the point you made in the reply above. I cannot speak for other Americans, only for myself, and for the most part I do not walk around in a constant state of fear that I am going to get shot dead on the street, as the actions I take as depicted in the post above are simply precautions against what could be and not because of fear, and I take precautions in other areas in life as well. Like always wearing a seatbelt for example, and even though my driving record is spotless and I'm not likely to crash my car anytime soon, still an accident could occur at anytime. Mass shooting incidents in America, as classified by the Federal Government, are not as common as some believe them to be, but I digress as that's another topic altogether for perhaps another post another time.
These days, I don't think hardly anywhere in the world is totally safe all of the time. I heard recently in Canada there was a mass stabbing in which ten people were killed and at least another ten were seriously injured, and despite Canada's rather strict laws when it comes to private weapon ownership that wasn't enough to stop such a violent incident. All in all, despite some potential dangers out there, I do feel free because I'm able/allowed to own the tools to defend myself should the need arise and have a variety to choose from, and as the saying goes if you want something done you got to do it yourself. No better a person out there to defend me than myself.
Likewise, when you say you feel free living where you do under the circumstances you had described, I'll take you on your word on that. That said, I hope you aren't underestimating things, as maybe you might not come up against a gun-wielding thug anytime soon, but you could possibly come up against someone armed with a knife though, and getting stabbed to death is no more pleasant than getting shot. I'm sure those Canadians thought they had little to worry about too, until something horrible finally occured. As for me, I more or less adapted to my surroundings. Would it be ideal to live in a world in which I wouldn't need to take such precautions? Surely, that it would, but not exactly realistic though as each society out there will see their share of the criminal element, some more so than others. Hope that answers your query, thank you for taking the time to comment even though it was late at night your timezone.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
Pralina1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I don’t mind if someone who is mental stable has a gun for whatever reason he wants to .
That’s not my problem .
I am too clumsy to have one . The word is stupid , but I try to be nice to self here . Also I have a temper that is legendary . A gun on my hands won’t be a good idea . At all ....
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
That is certainly fine and understandable, and I certainly would never push you to get a gun for whatever reason if you would be uncomfortable in any way doing so. That be strictly your choice, and I respect that.
Yeah... with help from black markets most people can easily get their hands on a gun these days, and the laws are pretty much powerless to control that. Just ask the major cities like Chicago or Philadelphia, whom have out of control daily violent crime sprees, and whose laws don't seem to be making much of a difference.
I'm not opposed to stopping mentally ill people from getting their hands on weapons, it's just that the current screening process/system is messed up beyond belief. Yearly mental health exams sound like a good idea across the board and not only for gun ownership. Unfortunately, mental illness is still too often stigmatized, and because of that many people who are suffering from such continue to do so in silence minus any kind of help from others, until one day they just crack under the pressure and do something unspeakable. So I agree on the mental health part. Another thing we should do is make sure every kid gets a quality education and is not allowed to drop out of school. So many kids these days are allowed to fall through the cracks, and in turn these kids start to feel helpless and that there's no hope for their future, and those are the kids who turn to gangs and a life of crime, in which black market guns will surely eventually enter the equation.
As for the temper part, that's understandable too, and I used to be rather hotheaded myself as a kid, but over the years mellowed out quite a bit. Now, sometimes think I'm a bit too reasonable and understanding with people, to a point where some had taken advantage of my kindness. It's in my nature to want to help out though, which is what spurred me to do this post.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a rational and reasonable response, which is more than I could say for some others who had commented, much appreciated. Hope you've been doing okay, I know your profession can be taxing on the nerves at times.
Pralina1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I don’t mind if someone who is mental stable has a gun for whatever reason he wants to .
That’s not my problem .
I am too clumsy to have one . The word is stupid , but I try to be nice to self here . Also I have a temper that is legendary . A gun on my hands won’t be a good idea . At all ....
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
That is certainly fine and understandable, and I certainly would never push you to get a gun for whatever reason if you would be uncomfortable in any way doing so. That be strictly your choice, and I respect that.
Yeah... with help from black markets most people can easily get their hands on a gun these days, and the laws are pretty much powerless to control that. Just ask the major cities like Chicago or Philadelphia, whom have out of control daily violent crime sprees, and whose laws don't seem to be making much of a difference.
I'm not opposed to stopping mentally ill people from getting their hands on weapons, it's just that the current screening process/system is messed up beyond belief. Yearly mental health exams sound like a good idea across the board and not only for gun ownership. Unfortunately, mental illness is still too often stigmatized, and because of that many people who are suffering from such continue to do so in silence minus any kind of help from others, until one day they just crack under the pressure and do something unspeakable. So I agree on the mental health part. Another thing we should do is make sure every kid gets a quality education and is not allowed to drop out of school. So many kids these days are allowed to fall through the cracks, and in turn these kids start to feel helpless and that there's no hope for their future, and those are the kids who turn to gangs and a life of crime, in which black market guns will surely eventually enter the equation.
As for the temper part, that's understandable too, and I used to be rather hotheaded myself as a kid, but over the years mellowed out quite a bit. Now, sometimes think I'm a bit too reasonable and understanding with people, to a point where some had taken advantage of my kindness. It's in my nature to want to help out though, which is what spurred me to do this post.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a rational and reasonable response, which is more than I could say for some others who had commented, much appreciated. Hope you've been doing okay, I know your profession can be taxing on the nerves at times.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
Admittedly my previous reply on this thread was rushed somewhat due to me not having alot of spare time at the moment, but did want to talk about another issue, one that you brought up about having fear. I have a take on that that you might be interested in hearing, and maybe I'll get the time to share sometime tomorrow.
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
Admittedly my previous reply on this thread was rushed somewhat due to me not having alot of spare time at the moment, but did want to talk about another issue, one that you brought up about having fear. I have a take on that that you might be interested in hearing, and maybe I'll get the time to share sometime tomorrow.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay That's hardly redundant, it's reality. Of course, there's a dedicated number of people in our society who insist on conflating your average gun owner with violent criminals simply based on the tool used in the crime. Not to be outdone, I've often found the "I'm fearful of people carrying guns out in public" to be rather redundant, an excuse to give when there's no other viable alternative to negate the pro-carry side of the debate. Especially knowing when the world is filled with things that are truly dangerous in which holding a measure of fear could be justified, like Covid or HIV/AIDS. While I am not directly afraid of those, my chances of contracting a horrid disease/STD of the like is far greater than me ever getting struck by a bullet.
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@TheMiddleWay That's hardly redundant, it's reality. Of course, there's a dedicated number of people in our society who insist on conflating your average gun owner with violent criminals simply based on the tool used in the crime. Not to be outdone, I've often found the "I'm fearful of people carrying guns out in public" to be rather redundant, an excuse to give when there's no other viable alternative to negate the pro-carry side of the debate. Especially knowing when the world is filled with things that are truly dangerous in which holding a measure of fear could be justified, like Covid or HIV/AIDS. While I am not directly afraid of those, my chances of contracting a horrid disease/STD of the like is far greater than me ever getting struck by a bullet.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@Ryo1 Regulations won't be enough for anywhere once 3D printing technology starts to become more mainstream. I can't speak for other countries, but here in the US gun control regulations have largely failed the people, not to mention there are folks out there who have the know all to craft their own weapons. Try as they may, the Government will never have the capacity to actively police everyone in the country. In the meantime, their focus should be shifted to providing services to the mentally ill and other needy people suffering similar ailments, and if everyone was a bit happier and contented with their lives and are given a sound reason to believe there is hope in the future, violent crimes would probably see a considerable increase. That would be a win win for all.
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@Ryo1 Regulations won't be enough for anywhere once 3D printing technology starts to become more mainstream. I can't speak for other countries, but here in the US gun control regulations have largely failed the people, not to mention there are folks out there who have the know all to craft their own weapons. Try as they may, the Government will never have the capacity to actively police everyone in the country. In the meantime, their focus should be shifted to providing services to the mentally ill and other needy people suffering similar ailments, and if everyone was a bit happier and contented with their lives and are given a sound reason to believe there is hope in the future, violent crimes would probably see a considerable increase. That would be a win win for all.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 18, 2022:
You know... in thinking about it more based on some of the comments below, maybe it is best that I not get involved in a criminal shooting incident should I ever witness one again, and simply only be concerned about removing myself from the scene like a selfish cad, even though being selfish like ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@Tejas The ones who automatically assume my go to sidearm is some sort of "assault gun" are the ones in particular who are the most difficult to reason with. Their irrational fear and dread on that can at times be mildly humorous though, albeit also concerning at the same time. Geez, who knew an 8-round handgun was a weapon of mass destruction, lol.
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 18, 2022:
You know... in thinking about it more based on some of the comments below, maybe it is best that I not get involved in a criminal shooting incident should I ever witness one again, and simply only be concerned about removing myself from the scene like a selfish cad, even though being selfish like ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 19, 2022:
@Tejas The ones who automatically assume my go to sidearm is some sort of "assault gun" are the ones in particular who are the most difficult to reason with. Their irrational fear and dread on that can at times be mildly humorous though, albeit also concerning at the same time. Geez, who knew an 8-round handgun was a weapon of mass destruction, lol.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
I get what you're saying, but the concept is similar though. Don't take that comparison too literally.
Don't you think that's a personal hang-up, that might require therapy sessions? My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a danger to society because they do not accept Jesus as their personal savior, and thus must be removed from society? I'm willing to bet a big no on that one, and for good reason, yet some of the religious are genuinely concerned about the secular community, and for the most part society does not acknowledge their fears, and again for good reason.
Let me ask you this much since you brought up the fear excuse... what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities. You know how that works, if you don't have sufficient evidence to backup your claims, you will lose your case, and in which case it could logically be concluded that your fears were misplaced. Please also keep in mind here who it is you're dealing with. Other gun owners aside for a moment and only focusing on me, let me give you a quick rundown as to why you can and should put your fears to rest... I once worked in armed private security for a number of years, as a condition for my continued employment I was randomly subjected to drug/physical/and psychological tests to determine my overall mental stability and reliability, and always passed every one of them. I have been a gun owner for years, having grown up around them, and have a good track record where gun safety is concerned, never one mishap. I took a gun safety course at a local community college, and passed it. I am one of the most rational and reasonable people you could ever know, open-minded to what both sides have to say, and yet not persuaded by either one as well, I go where the evidence leads me. Speaking of which, since I do strive to accomodate everyone within reason, would you perhaps feel better if before being issued a carry license that one would first have to go through a state-sponsored gun safety course that they would have to pass? Would such a measure help put you more at ease? Can't say I'd agree with such or that it's absolutely necessary, but a concession I'd be willing to make so both sides would walk away contented.
You said above- "I want to draw attention to something that is mentioned in your narrative and that is the fact that you have a concealed weapon. This is interesting to me because it promotes the (false) impression that nobody in public is using a gun. How different would that perspective be if that gun wasn't concealed. If you walked around with your weapon...
TheMiddleWay comments on Sep 18, 2022:
The fundamental problem is that while you feel safer with a gun there are a lot of us that feel safer without you having one. The condom statement only serves as a saying but not as an analogy. There have never been Mass insemination incidents in schools nor has a good guy with a condom prevented a ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
I get what you're saying, but the concept is similar though. Don't take that comparison too literally.
Don't you think that's a personal hang-up, that might require therapy sessions? My rights do not end where someone else's irrational fears begin. Should we then take some of the religious' claims that all non-believers are a danger to society because they do not accept Jesus as their personal savior, and thus must be removed from society? I'm willing to bet a big no on that one, and for good reason, yet some of the religious are genuinely concerned about the secular community, and for the most part society does not acknowledge their fears, and again for good reason.
Let me ask you this much since you brought up the fear excuse... what actual concrete evidence do you have to justify your fears aside from mere suspicion, that I am indeed a danger that needs to be looked into deeper by the authorities. You know how that works, if you don't have sufficient evidence to backup your claims, you will lose your case, and in which case it could logically be concluded that your fears were misplaced. Please also keep in mind here who it is you're dealing with. Other gun owners aside for a moment and only focusing on me, let me give you a quick rundown as to why you can and should put your fears to rest... I once worked in armed private security for a number of years, as a condition for my continued employment I was randomly subjected to drug/physical/and psychological tests to determine my overall mental stability and reliability, and always passed every one of them. I have been a gun owner for years, having grown up around them, and have a good track record where gun safety is concerned, never one mishap. I took a gun safety course at a local community college, and passed it. I am one of the most rational and reasonable people you could ever know, open-minded to what both sides have to say, and yet not persuaded by either one as well, I go where the evidence leads me. Speaking of which, since I do strive to accomodate everyone within reason, would you perhaps feel better if before being issued a carry license that one would first have to go through a state-sponsored gun safety course that they would have to pass? Would such a measure help put you more at ease? Can't say I'd agree with such or that it's absolutely necessary, but a concession I'd be willing to make so both sides would walk away contented.
You said above- "I want to draw attention to something that is mentioned in your narrative and that is the fact that you have a concealed weapon. This is interesting to me because it promotes the (false) impression that nobody in public is using a gun. How different would that perspective be if that gun wasn't concealed. If you walked around with your weapon...
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
@laidback1 Thank you for understanding my point, and it is about taking certain precautions in which to help protect innocent lives, and I'm hardly thrilled about having to take such precautions. When people's emotions run high, critical and rational thinking go out the window, and the secular/atheist community is certainly no exception to that much.
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
@laidback1 Thank you for understanding my point, and it is about taking certain precautions in which to help protect innocent lives, and I'm hardly thrilled about having to take such precautions. When people's emotions run high, critical and rational thinking go out the window, and the secular/atheist community is certainly no exception to that much.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
Indeed, crime and violent crime in particular is the problem, and until if and when a viable longterm solution is discovered people here will continue to be worried about such and rightly so. Criminals will always find a way to arm themselves if they want.
Ryo1 comments on Sep 18, 2022:
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
Indeed, crime and violent crime in particular is the problem, and until if and when a viable longterm solution is discovered people here will continue to be worried about such and rightly so. Criminals will always find a way to arm themselves if they want.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
Buttercup comments on Sep 18, 2022:
Walter Mitty saves the ungrateful libs.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
I'm not interested in heroic daydreams, but I do like to help others if it's within my ability to do so. Regarding the OP above, twice now I nearly found myself in the middle of a shooting, both times of which the weapons used were black market acquisitions, which is why I feel as I do on the matter. Also both times the laws in place failed to protect anyone, and you can't rely on the police either.
On a side note, at least you took a humorous path there as opposed to a paranoid one like some did on this thread, so you get some Internet points for that I suppose, lol. Not sure what you meant by ungrateful libs though, and I'm fairly liberal myself. Ungrateful naive persons might be more like it, those who complain about both armed citizens and police officers all the while thinking the laws in place will magically shield them from any and all harm. I guess such people also believe "god" is going to protect them, so no actions on their part are required.
Buttercup comments on Sep 18, 2022:
Walter Mitty saves the ungrateful libs.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
I'm not interested in heroic daydreams, but I do like to help others if it's within my ability to do so. Regarding the OP above, twice now I nearly found myself in the middle of a shooting, both times of which the weapons used were black market acquisitions, which is why I feel as I do on the matter. Also both times the laws in place failed to protect anyone, and you can't rely on the police either.
On a side note, at least you took a humorous path there as opposed to a paranoid one like some did on this thread, so you get some Internet points for that I suppose, lol. Not sure what you meant by ungrateful libs though, and I'm fairly liberal myself. Ungrateful naive persons might be more like it, those who complain about both armed citizens and police officers all the while thinking the laws in place will magically shield them from any and all harm. I guess such people also believe "god" is going to protect them, so no actions on their part are required.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
@273kelvin Did I ask for anyone's pity? No need to feel sorry for me, I'm doing fine for the most part, but thank you anyway though for the concern. Your sympathies should be more directed towards those who live in areas of crime (or questionable anyways where crime is concerned) and which are largely left defenseless against crazed lunatics bent on harming others. This story in particular comes to mind, and sad it is that UK laws did not protect or keep them safe, save your sympathies for victims like that.- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-eu-britain-plymouth_n_61162136e4b01da700f44f1c
As for the going out for groceries part and being ready to take a life, the alternative where you then be a potential victim is certainly no better or rational. I'll give you credit though for not showing a paranoid or fearful attitude towards someone like me, and that indicates you realize that people like me are not the true problem in society nor are we to be feared in any way, which is more than I could say for some of those who had commented on here. Again, I'm doing fine for the most part. I'm well aware of the reality that life itself is not fair nor was it ever meant to be, and my concern is for those who don't think to prepare ahead of time for the worst. I'm not thrilled with having to take such precautions, hardly, but will do what I have to as I cannot carry a police officer around with me in my pocket all the time, and no one else is looking out for my safety but me.
273kelvin comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
@273kelvin Did I ask for anyone's pity? No need to feel sorry for me, I'm doing fine for the most part, but thank you anyway though for the concern. Your sympathies should be more directed towards those who live in areas of crime (or questionable anyways where crime is concerned) and which are largely left defenseless against crazed lunatics bent on harming others. This story in particular comes to mind, and sad it is that UK laws did not protect or keep them safe, save your sympathies for victims like that.- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-eu-britain-plymouth_n_61162136e4b01da700f44f1c
As for the going out for groceries part and being ready to take a life, the alternative where you then be a potential victim is certainly no better or rational. I'll give you credit though for not showing a paranoid or fearful attitude towards someone like me, and that indicates you realize that people like me are not the true problem in society nor are we to be feared in any way, which is more than I could say for some of those who had commented on here. Again, I'm doing fine for the most part. I'm well aware of the reality that life itself is not fair nor was it ever meant to be, and my concern is for those who don't think to prepare ahead of time for the worst. I'm not thrilled with having to take such precautions, hardly, but will do what I have to as I cannot carry a police officer around with me in my pocket all the time, and no one else is looking out for my safety but me.
For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the ...
NostraDumbass comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I too feel sorry for you, because you seem unable and unwilling to conceive of a better way; a better society. A world in which the fetishizing and mass ownership of deadly weapons is rightly seen as the problem, not the solution. A world in which the sane view predominates: The more guns in ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
You said- "I too feel sorry for you, because you seem unable and unwilling to conceive of a better way; a better society. A world in which the fetishizing and mass ownership of deadly weapons is rightly seen as the problem, not the solution. A world in which the sane view predominates: The more guns in circulation, the less safe everyone collectively becomes." How many times do I have to go through this with you? That's deluded thinking that's not rooted in reality, and I'm not fetishizing anything, only stating a reality that you refuse to accept. Evil people and the violent actions they direct on others do exist, have since the beginning of time, and if guns aren't around violent thugs will use another means of hurting or killing others. Recently in Canada there was a mass stabbing in which ten people were killed and multiple others injured, a mass stabbing as in no guns were used yet many people were affected regardless. The "sane view" is adopted by a good portion in society, but I'm worried about the small minority that isn't that could negatively impact the rest of us. No, the more angry and mentally disturbed along with desperate thugs that continue to go unnoticed makes the rest of us become less safe. A world without guns or any other weapon does not exist, no matter how badly you may wish it to be so, get over your hippie delusions because it's not rooted in reality. You might as well believe in the mystical sky fairy saving you.
As for your take on evil, I have but one question for you... are you whacked on drugs or something. While I did mention the term evil, I also cited a rather specific evil, and no sane or rational person would offer up excuses attempting to justify acts that the rest of society would readily throw them in jail for committing. That's not stereotyping or dehumanizing perceived adversaries, as society as a collective would determine that random shootings in which people including young children getting killed would indeed constitute an act of evil, and that's not a mere cavalier opinion, as again any sane and rational person would arrive to the same conclusion. I don't bother or harass others, I wish to be left alone and not have to take any action as indicated above, but once someone makes it obvious that they refuse to leave others alone and threaten to kill them, at that point I'm forced to take action to defend myself whether I like it or not. Nothing "cavalier" about that, and your moral crusader argument holds no water either as I don't go around poking my nose in where it doesn't belong, someone has to start trouble with me first before I take any sort of action, and unfortunately I can't walk around all the times with a police officer in my pocket. I take it you also don't think child rapists are evil either? ...
NostraDumbass comments on Sep 18, 2022:
I too feel sorry for you, because you seem unable and unwilling to conceive of a better way; a better society. A world in which the fetishizing and mass ownership of deadly weapons is rightly seen as the problem, not the solution. A world in which the sane view predominates: The more guns in ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
You said- "I too feel sorry for you, because you seem unable and unwilling to conceive of a better way; a better society. A world in which the fetishizing and mass ownership of deadly weapons is rightly seen as the problem, not the solution. A world in which the sane view predominates: The more guns in circulation, the less safe everyone collectively becomes." How many times do I have to go through this with you? That's deluded thinking that's not rooted in reality, and I'm not fetishizing anything, only stating a reality that you refuse to accept. Evil people and the violent actions they direct on others do exist, have since the beginning of time, and if guns aren't around violent thugs will use another means of hurting or killing others. Recently in Canada there was a mass stabbing in which ten people were killed and multiple others injured, a mass stabbing as in no guns were used yet many people were affected regardless. The "sane view" is adopted by a good portion in society, but I'm worried about the small minority that isn't that could negatively impact the rest of us. No, the more angry and mentally disturbed along with desperate thugs that continue to go unnoticed makes the rest of us become less safe. A world without guns or any other weapon does not exist, no matter how badly you may wish it to be so, get over your hippie delusions because it's not rooted in reality. You might as well believe in the mystical sky fairy saving you.
As for your take on evil, I have but one question for you... are you whacked on drugs or something. While I did mention the term evil, I also cited a rather specific evil, and no sane or rational person would offer up excuses attempting to justify acts that the rest of society would readily throw them in jail for committing. That's not stereotyping or dehumanizing perceived adversaries, as society as a collective would determine that random shootings in which people including young children getting killed would indeed constitute an act of evil, and that's not a mere cavalier opinion, as again any sane and rational person would arrive to the same conclusion. I don't bother or harass others, I wish to be left alone and not have to take any action as indicated above, but once someone makes it obvious that they refuse to leave others alone and threaten to kill them, at that point I'm forced to take action to defend myself whether I like it or not. Nothing "cavalier" about that, and your moral crusader argument holds no water either as I don't go around poking my nose in where it doesn't belong, someone has to start trouble with me first before I take any sort of action, and unfortunately I can't walk around all the times with a police officer in my pocket. I take it you also don't think child rapists are evil either? ...
Love this one:
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
@Garban That much is true, due to poor leadership, but still doesn't take away from the fact Russia is a world superpower with a well equipped (weapons wise) military force. Their leadership along with a good portion of the soldiers lack in intelligence. That's not hard to realize, so tell me something I didn't already know? That's not a defense of or propping-up of the Russian Government either by the way, just reality, and think you are already well aware that I cannot stand Putin and his cronies and hope they lose the war they started.
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 18, 2022:
@Garban That much is true, due to poor leadership, but still doesn't take away from the fact Russia is a world superpower with a well equipped (weapons wise) military force. Their leadership along with a good portion of the soldiers lack in intelligence. That's not hard to realize, so tell me something I didn't already know? That's not a defense of or propping-up of the Russian Government either by the way, just reality, and think you are already well aware that I cannot stand Putin and his cronies and hope they lose the war they started.
Where the hell do I belong?
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 17, 2022:
I'd suggest looking into the Libertarian Party, as their fiscal/economic conservatism along with being socially liberal and accepting would probably appeal to someone like you. Personally, as a Libertarian myself, I gladly accept you for who and what you are and stand for, regardless of whether or ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 17, 2022:
@elgato3141 Same here, registered independent with overall Libertarian views. I concur on the tribalism part, and your take on the matter is a good way to be.
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 17, 2022:
I'd suggest looking into the Libertarian Party, as their fiscal/economic conservatism along with being socially liberal and accepting would probably appeal to someone like you. Personally, as a Libertarian myself, I gladly accept you for who and what you are and stand for, regardless of whether or ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 17, 2022:
@elgato3141 Same here, registered independent with overall Libertarian views. I concur on the tribalism part, and your take on the matter is a good way to be.
I like this young man; BTC not DeSantis.
[m.youtube.com]
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 17, 2022:
While Cohen speaks the truth regarding the social issues, he tends to exaggerate claims when it comes to other political views. Ad Fontes Media was rather kind in saying he's generally reliable (his actual reliability score is up in the air/debateable), even though the word generally there is ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 17, 2022:
@Garban Glad to see you acknowledge that it was indeed more an emotionally charged opinion piece than actual journalism, and I admire your willing honesty on that. That's more than what I could say for others on here who would have jumped at what I mentioned above, looking for any reason to defend Cohen's statements.
As for the liking him part, I understand. As for me, he'd be a bit more likeable if his focus was shifted more to criticizing questionable policies of the Republican Party instead of bashing any and all who disagree with his own viewpoints. Easier said than done though I suppose, given the current hostile political climate in the US.
SpikeTalon comments on Sep 17, 2022:
While Cohen speaks the truth regarding the social issues, he tends to exaggerate claims when it comes to other political views. Ad Fontes Media was rather kind in saying he's generally reliable (his actual reliability score is up in the air/debateable), even though the word generally there is ...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 17, 2022:
@Garban Glad to see you acknowledge that it was indeed more an emotionally charged opinion piece than actual journalism, and I admire your willing honesty on that. That's more than what I could say for others on here who would have jumped at what I mentioned above, looking for any reason to defend Cohen's statements.
As for the liking him part, I understand. As for me, he'd be a bit more likeable if his focus was shifted more to criticizing questionable policies of the Republican Party instead of bashing any and all who disagree with his own viewpoints. Easier said than done though I suppose, given the current hostile political climate in the US.
Love this one:
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 16, 2022:
@Garban The Russian Military itself is far from being a joke, and it's their leadership that's a joke. Russia is a world superpower possessing many nuclear/high destructive weapons. As for the Ukrainians, I wasn't only referring to those in their Military, I was talking about average citizens alot of whom had never even fired a gun in their lives before the Russian invasion and who certainly didn't receive alot of training on such short notice, yet they are doing quite well so far against the Russians.
Doesn't matter how much of a joke you think the Russian Military is (not disagreeing with you on that part), point is they are a powerful military force that's well equipped, and the mere fact that Ukrainian citizens who don't have nearly the training that the Russians have and yet could withstand the Russian assault like they've been doing is proof average people can and have stood up against a much larger and powerful assault force. Don't underestimate the will of such people to survive, and alot of people can improvise when they find their back up against the wall.
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 16, 2022:
@Garban The Russian Military itself is far from being a joke, and it's their leadership that's a joke. Russia is a world superpower possessing many nuclear/high destructive weapons. As for the Ukrainians, I wasn't only referring to those in their Military, I was talking about average citizens alot of whom had never even fired a gun in their lives before the Russian invasion and who certainly didn't receive alot of training on such short notice, yet they are doing quite well so far against the Russians.
Doesn't matter how much of a joke you think the Russian Military is (not disagreeing with you on that part), point is they are a powerful military force that's well equipped, and the mere fact that Ukrainian citizens who don't have nearly the training that the Russians have and yet could withstand the Russian assault like they've been doing is proof average people can and have stood up against a much larger and powerful assault force. Don't underestimate the will of such people to survive, and alot of people can improvise when they find their back up against the wall.
Love this one:
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 16, 2022:
@Garban Armed citizens like me, that's who keeps the crazies in check. Ever notice how those cowardly lunatics always seem to target these "gun free" zones like shopping malls and schools, where they know almost for certain they will be met with victims who lack the means to defend themselves. The progressive authoritarian movement in this country is hellbent on restricting the rights of civilized gun owners preventing them from carrying while visiting high risk places for such acts of violence, and those same people turn around and brag about good guy with a gun incidents are rare, well no duh, it might be a different story if we had fewer restrictive laws. Mass shooters and in particular the school shooters, are cowards who would think twice about trying to shoot-up a place where there could be armed individuals who wouldn't hesitate to defend themselves. At the least though you do indeed acknowledge that the true problem there is with criminals and the mentally disturbed, and not guns per se. The focus should be shifted more towards people suffering from various mental/emotional ailments, and a bit less on the guns.
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 16, 2022:
@Garban Armed citizens like me, that's who keeps the crazies in check. Ever notice how those cowardly lunatics always seem to target these "gun free" zones like shopping malls and schools, where they know almost for certain they will be met with victims who lack the means to defend themselves. The progressive authoritarian movement in this country is hellbent on restricting the rights of civilized gun owners preventing them from carrying while visiting high risk places for such acts of violence, and those same people turn around and brag about good guy with a gun incidents are rare, well no duh, it might be a different story if we had fewer restrictive laws. Mass shooters and in particular the school shooters, are cowards who would think twice about trying to shoot-up a place where there could be armed individuals who wouldn't hesitate to defend themselves. At the least though you do indeed acknowledge that the true problem there is with criminals and the mentally disturbed, and not guns per se. The focus should be shifted more towards people suffering from various mental/emotional ailments, and a bit less on the guns.
Love this one:
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 16, 2022:
Special training or additional education cannot help someone who is already a dimwit. While your claim above could conceivably apply to some, it would not apply across the board. You said above "I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force." Dude... what do you think alot of the Ukrainian citizens have been doing since late February? For many Ukrainian citizens it was the first time in their lives they had to pick up a gun (let alone have any special training prior) and defend themselves against ruthless Russian aggression, and alot of them seem to be holding their ground reasonably well. In contrast, the Russian Military which is heavily armed and well trained, has not exactly fared too well against an opponent who they initially thought would be easy to overtake in mere days. That example alone rather debunks your claim.
As for the video game part, I'm sure you're aware that many gun owners have gone through safety courses, some of whom go on to be firearm safety instructors through organizations like the NRA and GOA etc, right? I went through a safety course at my local community college (that said, I had worked in armed security at the time). Again, not sure about your claim there, as over the years there have been documented mishaps from supposedly trained and "disciplined" soldiers and even police officers, yet mistakes still occured despite their training and discipline.
That aside, for a moment how's about focusing on the original point brought up in the OP, instead of deflecting to other points right away? Figures someone like Takei would say something asinine as that, as if there haven't been privately armed Americans who went over to Ukraine to help them fight against the Russian onslaught, right? That sure is alot more than what that chicken shit Takei is doing, and don't you wonder what if anything he's doing to help the Ukrainians since he was the one who brought the topic up? I bet he's not doing much, yet he sure likes to complain. Gonzales was right, and am I really the only one here who noticed that activist groups like those for gay rights or abortion rights, many of whom are also in favor of heavy regulations/bans regarding 2A rights, are also the same groups in recent times that have come under serious attack by ruthless authoritarians? That's no mere coincidence, as said authoritarians are well aware that most of their intended targets (meaning those whom they seek to take their rights away in this case) lack the means to actually fight for and preserve their rights, unlike the 2A advocates whom largely still have their rights intact. Not a coincidence, and authoritaran control freaks, no matter how well trained or...
Garban comments on Sep 16, 2022:
I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force. I guess they think they can substitute video game time for discipline and training.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 16, 2022:
Special training or additional education cannot help someone who is already a dimwit. While your claim above could conceivably apply to some, it would not apply across the board. You said above "I love the idea that people with ARs suddenly think they’re qualified as a soldier; and would stand a snow ball’s chance in hell against any trained force." Dude... what do you think alot of the Ukrainian citizens have been doing since late February? For many Ukrainian citizens it was the first time in their lives they had to pick up a gun (let alone have any special training prior) and defend themselves against ruthless Russian aggression, and alot of them seem to be holding their ground reasonably well. In contrast, the Russian Military which is heavily armed and well trained, has not exactly fared too well against an opponent who they initially thought would be easy to overtake in mere days. That example alone rather debunks your claim.
As for the video game part, I'm sure you're aware that many gun owners have gone through safety courses, some of whom go on to be firearm safety instructors through organizations like the NRA and GOA etc, right? I went through a safety course at my local community college (that said, I had worked in armed security at the time). Again, not sure about your claim there, as over the years there have been documented mishaps from supposedly trained and "disciplined" soldiers and even police officers, yet mistakes still occured despite their training and discipline.
That aside, for a moment how's about focusing on the original point brought up in the OP, instead of deflecting to other points right away? Figures someone like Takei would say something asinine as that, as if there haven't been privately armed Americans who went over to Ukraine to help them fight against the Russian onslaught, right? That sure is alot more than what that chicken shit Takei is doing, and don't you wonder what if anything he's doing to help the Ukrainians since he was the one who brought the topic up? I bet he's not doing much, yet he sure likes to complain. Gonzales was right, and am I really the only one here who noticed that activist groups like those for gay rights or abortion rights, many of whom are also in favor of heavy regulations/bans regarding 2A rights, are also the same groups in recent times that have come under serious attack by ruthless authoritarians? That's no mere coincidence, as said authoritarians are well aware that most of their intended targets (meaning those whom they seek to take their rights away in this case) lack the means to actually fight for and preserve their rights, unlike the 2A advocates whom largely still have their rights intact. Not a coincidence, and authoritaran control freaks, no matter how well trained or...
A somewhat lengthy but worthwhile read detailing how both progressives (far left) and conservatives ...
Castlepaloma comments on Sep 14, 2022:
When I'm told what work I must do and what I must force into my body, I DON'T comply.
Yes, both sides are over powering.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 14, 2022:
Same.
Castlepaloma comments on Sep 14, 2022:
When I'm told what work I must do and what I must force into my body, I DON'T comply.
Yes, both sides are over powering.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 14, 2022:
Same.
A somewhat lengthy but worthwhile read detailing how both progressives (far left) and conservatives ...
puff comments on Sep 14, 2022:
No shit Sherlock. Left more so, the guys who used to be into individual rights, pretend they still are. But disagree and not comply with their "Holier than thou" BS (vaccine mandates the prime example) ie express your own individuality, the thing they propose to support, and you will be canceled....
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 14, 2022:
True, but try convincing the progressives of that though, good luck on that...
puff comments on Sep 14, 2022:
No shit Sherlock. Left more so, the guys who used to be into individual rights, pretend they still are. But disagree and not comply with their "Holier than thou" BS (vaccine mandates the prime example) ie express your own individuality, the thing they propose to support, and you will be canceled....
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 14, 2022:
True, but try convincing the progressives of that though, good luck on that...
These days can't say I bother much with the general threads, but given the significance of today for...
duchessa1 comments on Sep 12, 2022:
**While you may have a point here........you shouldn't generalize. You must realize today is a difficult / painful day for many Americans and, also, that each person commemorates differently. **
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 12, 2022:
True, which is why I had mentioned it wasn't necessary to go to extremes commemorating the day as some do. Was not expecting anything like that, just a mere mention of the anniversary was all.
duchessa1 comments on Sep 12, 2022:
**While you may have a point here........you shouldn't generalize. You must realize today is a difficult / painful day for many Americans and, also, that each person commemorates differently. **
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 12, 2022:
True, which is why I had mentioned it wasn't necessary to go to extremes commemorating the day as some do. Was not expecting anything like that, just a mere mention of the anniversary was all.
We don't forget...
yvilletom comments on Sep 11, 2022:
Yeah, 9/11, a long-delayed payback for America’s oil-inspired foreign policy in the Middle East during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. We didn’t care how rulers treated their own people, so long as they were anti-communist.
The WaPo recently reported that America interfered in seventy six...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 11, 2022:
Point taken, but can't say killing a couple thousand civilians like what happened on 9/11 is ever justifiable. If you call that act revenge on America, I must ask when have two wrongs ever made a right?
yvilletom comments on Sep 11, 2022:
Yeah, 9/11, a long-delayed payback for America’s oil-inspired foreign policy in the Middle East during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. We didn’t care how rulers treated their own people, so long as they were anti-communist.
The WaPo recently reported that America interfered in seventy six...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 11, 2022:
Point taken, but can't say killing a couple thousand civilians like what happened on 9/11 is ever justifiable. If you call that act revenge on America, I must ask when have two wrongs ever made a right?
The largest and most comprehensive survey of American gun owners ever conducted suggests that they ...
FvckY0u comments on Sep 9, 2022:
same lame argument on the other side. I guess one lame one deserves another, right? It's a violence problem in this county we first have to address. You might notice none of the politicians with maybe the exception of a 1 or twoc. Neither party is supporting getting to the bottom of the violence...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 9, 2022:
Thank you for noting the problem directly is one of violence in general.
FvckY0u comments on Sep 9, 2022:
same lame argument on the other side. I guess one lame one deserves another, right? It's a violence problem in this county we first have to address. You might notice none of the politicians with maybe the exception of a 1 or twoc. Neither party is supporting getting to the bottom of the violence...
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 9, 2022:
Thank you for noting the problem directly is one of violence in general.
The date 9/6/2022 AD was the prophesized date suggesting the end of the Agnostic.
creative51 comments on Sep 8, 2022:
I felt our demise was not to be at this time. But who knows what the future may bring.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 8, 2022:
Nothing lasts forever, eventually the sun will burn out and we'll all be finished as will be the case with all other life on the planet. That said, I somehow doubt it'll be curtains anytime that soon for this site. Guess we'll find out in due course.
creative51 comments on Sep 8, 2022:
I felt our demise was not to be at this time. But who knows what the future may bring.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 8, 2022:
Nothing lasts forever, eventually the sun will burn out and we'll all be finished as will be the case with all other life on the planet. That said, I somehow doubt it'll be curtains anytime that soon for this site. Guess we'll find out in due course.
The date 9/6/2022 AD was the prophesized date suggesting the end of the Agnostic.
puff comments on Sep 8, 2022:
Come again?
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 8, 2022:
Guess you missed a previous post in this group that had raised concerns the site was going to shutdown on September 6th. Not that you had missed anything though, much ado over nothing.
puff comments on Sep 8, 2022:
Come again?
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 8, 2022:
Guess you missed a previous post in this group that had raised concerns the site was going to shutdown on September 6th. Not that you had missed anything though, much ado over nothing.
The date 9/6/2022 AD was the prophesized date suggesting the end of the Agnostic.
KKGator comments on Sep 8, 2022:
I, for one, am greatly relieved.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 8, 2022:
Ditto. Atheist Universe did not look visually appealing.
KKGator comments on Sep 8, 2022:
I, for one, am greatly relieved.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 8, 2022:
Ditto. Atheist Universe did not look visually appealing.
When the government runs the system, the right of citizens to end their own suffering can be twisted...
FvckY0u comments on Sep 7, 2022:
Of course, isn't government simply a form of capitalism? The government's role is to make money via taxes, etc and to retain and exert power. How's that any different from a corporation? I fail to see any real meaningful difference.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 7, 2022:
Point taken, but in all fairness I don't see private corporations actively encouraging certain individuals to put an end to their lives though. That said, you are surely right about the Government's role in retaining and exerting power and control.
FvckY0u comments on Sep 7, 2022:
Of course, isn't government simply a form of capitalism? The government's role is to make money via taxes, etc and to retain and exert power. How's that any different from a corporation? I fail to see any real meaningful difference.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 7, 2022:
Point taken, but in all fairness I don't see private corporations actively encouraging certain individuals to put an end to their lives though. That said, you are surely right about the Government's role in retaining and exerting power and control.
Most carnival games are rigged in some way in favor of the carnie running the game.
azzow2 comments on Sep 4, 2022:
Interesting how people know the odds are low and the vendor just rakes in money like crazy.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 4, 2022:
Such seems to be the case with alot of folks, though over the years I've been lucky at that game, having won at least one time each year at the Fair for as long as I can remember.
That said, odds aren't quite as bad for the candy wheel as they are for other Midway games. The dart games come to mind as a good example, in particular the type of dart games that feature a really small target. From the years 2004-2006 there was this one dart game in which you had to sink the dart in a small star-shaped target, which was smaller than the size of a quarter. Yet, I was able to win big at that stand, using my win tickets to get the bigger prizes (porcelain dolls in this case). Some guy playing next to me was trying to win a doll for his daughter, and had nothing to show for after spending $50.
Yeah, those carnies rack in the money, for sure.
azzow2 comments on Sep 4, 2022:
Interesting how people know the odds are low and the vendor just rakes in money like crazy.
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 4, 2022:
Such seems to be the case with alot of folks, though over the years I've been lucky at that game, having won at least one time each year at the Fair for as long as I can remember.
That said, odds aren't quite as bad for the candy wheel as they are for other Midway games. The dart games come to mind as a good example, in particular the type of dart games that feature a really small target. From the years 2004-2006 there was this one dart game in which you had to sink the dart in a small star-shaped target, which was smaller than the size of a quarter. Yet, I was able to win big at that stand, using my win tickets to get the bigger prizes (porcelain dolls in this case). Some guy playing next to me was trying to win a doll for his daughter, and had nothing to show for after spending $50.
Yeah, those carnies rack in the money, for sure.
Live from the 2022 Allentown Fair.
Unity comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Had many great memories at The Main Gate
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 3, 2022:
@Unity Lehigh Street. It's gone now, closed earlier in the year after being in business for nearly 90 years, another casualty of Covid lockdowns. They were still at the Fair this year, but supposedly the last year for that as well. Crowds of people have been flocking to their fair tent, folks from all around the area, enjoying their cheesesteaks and pizza for one last time. Hope that makes them reconsider, if they will no longer be around year round at least they might continue showing up for the fair. Guess I'll see by next year.
Unity comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Had many great memories at The Main Gate
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 3, 2022:
@Unity Lehigh Street. It's gone now, closed earlier in the year after being in business for nearly 90 years, another casualty of Covid lockdowns. They were still at the Fair this year, but supposedly the last year for that as well. Crowds of people have been flocking to their fair tent, folks from all around the area, enjoying their cheesesteaks and pizza for one last time. Hope that makes them reconsider, if they will no longer be around year round at least they might continue showing up for the fair. Guess I'll see by next year.
Live from the 2022 Allentown Fair.
Unity comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Had many great memories at The Main Gate
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 3, 2022:
Had meant to ask, during your time in the Lehigh Valley do you remember a restaurant called the Brass Rail?
Unity comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Had many great memories at The Main Gate
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 3, 2022:
Had meant to ask, during your time in the Lehigh Valley do you remember a restaurant called the Brass Rail?
Live from the 2022 Allentown Fair.
Unity comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Had many great memories at The Main Gate
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 3, 2022:
From the looks of it, the Main Gate was pretty busy both nights (Thursday & Friday) I was at the Fair, which is a good sign.
Unity comments on Sep 2, 2022:
Had many great memories at The Main Gate
SpikeTalon replies on Sep 3, 2022:
From the looks of it, the Main Gate was pretty busy both nights (Thursday & Friday) I was at the Fair, which is a good sign.
The following story brought back some memories for me.
Unity comments on Aug 30, 2022:
Thank you for sharing this. I was totally unaware of this.
It is without a doubt one of the most ridiculous laws I know of.
Our legislators have too much time on their hands
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 30, 2022:
That's for sure. The politicians have to make it appear like they are doing something meaningful.
Unity comments on Aug 30, 2022:
Thank you for sharing this. I was totally unaware of this.
It is without a doubt one of the most ridiculous laws I know of.
Our legislators have too much time on their hands
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 30, 2022:
That's for sure. The politicians have to make it appear like they are doing something meaningful.
The following story brought back some memories for me.
GoodMan comments on Aug 30, 2022:
If more of these youngsters are laughing, instead of angry, it may curb school shootings or other acts is violence. Give me a happy spray bottle or a happy pill any day, but of course I’m not not have I ever contemplated senseless violence against anybody.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 30, 2022:
I agree on that suggestion in curbing such violence.
GoodMan comments on Aug 30, 2022:
If more of these youngsters are laughing, instead of angry, it may curb school shootings or other acts is violence. Give me a happy spray bottle or a happy pill any day, but of course I’m not not have I ever contemplated senseless violence against anybody.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 30, 2022:
I agree on that suggestion in curbing such violence.
Dear Admin,
Could you please advise if there is a plan in place to not renew the domain ...
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 26, 2022:
I think that Developer individual had mentioned a few months back that the domain was going to be renewed come September.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 29, 2022:
@Marionville Sure thing, and I'm getting sick and tired of the rumors too, so much ado over nothing at all serious. It's the Agnostic.com apocalypse!! It's gonna be the end of the Agnostic.com world on a certain date, we must prepare now for the end!! Yeah right, as if...
Guess you could call me an atheist when it comes to the Agnostic.com end days prophecy, as I'll believe that when I see it.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 26, 2022:
I think that Developer individual had mentioned a few months back that the domain was going to be renewed come September.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 29, 2022:
@Marionville Sure thing, and I'm getting sick and tired of the rumors too, so much ado over nothing at all serious. It's the Agnostic.com apocalypse!! It's gonna be the end of the Agnostic.com world on a certain date, we must prepare now for the end!! Yeah right, as if...
Guess you could call me an atheist when it comes to the Agnostic.com end days prophecy, as I'll believe that when I see it.
I feel like starting trouble. 😁
Silver1wun comments on Aug 26, 2022:
Mission accomplished. Thanks, one and all. The same strident, juvenile nonsense ensues when posting facts about nonexistence of gods on pages devoted to theological fanaticism.
When questioning notions held by those subscribing to reality, there's barely a ripple and they answer the issues, ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 27, 2022:
@Silver1wun True, and these days no shortage of "ists", "ives", and "isms" in this world.
Silver1wun comments on Aug 26, 2022:
Mission accomplished. Thanks, one and all. The same strident, juvenile nonsense ensues when posting facts about nonexistence of gods on pages devoted to theological fanaticism.
When questioning notions held by those subscribing to reality, there's barely a ripple and they answer the issues, ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 27, 2022:
@Silver1wun True, and these days no shortage of "ists", "ives", and "isms" in this world.
I feel like starting trouble. 😁
Silver1wun comments on Aug 26, 2022:
Mission accomplished. Thanks, one and all. The same strident, juvenile nonsense ensues when posting facts about nonexistence of gods on pages devoted to theological fanaticism.
When questioning notions held by those subscribing to reality, there's barely a ripple and they answer the issues, ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 27, 2022:
Being atheist does not automatically equate to intelligence. I learned that the hard way, after having stumbled across this site by chance I was hoping to find truly open-minded skeptics on here, and I was wrong, very wrong...
Silver1wun comments on Aug 26, 2022:
Mission accomplished. Thanks, one and all. The same strident, juvenile nonsense ensues when posting facts about nonexistence of gods on pages devoted to theological fanaticism.
When questioning notions held by those subscribing to reality, there's barely a ripple and they answer the issues, ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 27, 2022:
Being atheist does not automatically equate to intelligence. I learned that the hard way, after having stumbled across this site by chance I was hoping to find truly open-minded skeptics on here, and I was wrong, very wrong...
Dear Admin,
Could you please advise if there is a plan in place to not renew the domain ...
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 26, 2022:
I think that Developer individual had mentioned a few months back that the domain was going to be renewed come September.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 26, 2022:
@SeaGreenEyez Understandable, and found the comment I had referred to earlier.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 26, 2022:
I think that Developer individual had mentioned a few months back that the domain was going to be renewed come September.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 26, 2022:
@SeaGreenEyez Understandable, and found the comment I had referred to earlier.
Dear Admin,
Could you please advise if there is a plan in place to not renew the domain ...
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 26, 2022:
I think that Developer individual had mentioned a few months back that the domain was going to be renewed come September.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 26, 2022:
@Diaco Developer (not sure whether Developer is male or female) said the domain was going to be renewed by then. That was some months back and cannot find that post now, and marked the last time I heard from any of Admin's staff.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 26, 2022:
I think that Developer individual had mentioned a few months back that the domain was going to be renewed come September.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 26, 2022:
@Diaco Developer (not sure whether Developer is male or female) said the domain was going to be renewed by then. That was some months back and cannot find that post now, and marked the last time I heard from any of Admin's staff.
Is 54 too old to consider a career change?
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban I figured, and sure nothing will probably be done about it anytime soon. Thank you for trying though. Also appears that the chatrooms in certain groups are broken too.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban I figured, and sure nothing will probably be done about it anytime soon. Thank you for trying though. Also appears that the chatrooms in certain groups are broken too.
Is 54 too old to consider a career change?
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban I did not receive it. Great, now I'm not even getting the messages...
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban I did not receive it. Great, now I'm not even getting the messages...
Look what I got last night.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
A bit off topic but since you did mention dogs above, your one profile photo of the dog that you had used for your avatar... at first I thought it was a stuffed toy, lol. Adorable lil' feller.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban Lol.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
A bit off topic but since you did mention dogs above, your one profile photo of the dog that you had used for your avatar... at first I thought it was a stuffed toy, lol. Adorable lil' feller.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban Lol.
Is 54 too old to consider a career change?
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban While perusing my profile page, you didn't by chance try to message me did you? I ask that as the messenger hasn't been working for me recently, and while sometimes I can still receive messages I cannot send any though. Have received some strange notifications, doesn't say who it was from. Thought about bringing that issue up in the Senate group, but at this point rather doubt anything would be done about it.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban While perusing my profile page, you didn't by chance try to message me did you? I ask that as the messenger hasn't been working for me recently, and while sometimes I can still receive messages I cannot send any though. Have received some strange notifications, doesn't say who it was from. Thought about bringing that issue up in the Senate group, but at this point rather doubt anything would be done about it.
Is 54 too old to consider a career change?
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban Sure thing, always glad to help out when I can. My bad, thought Garban was short for Garbanzo, I stand corrected, lol.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 18, 2022:
Not old at all, and the possibilities are endless. You could maybe pursue a career in being a firearms instructor. How's about a mall security guard? Or maybe a career in firearms manufacturing or marketing? I heard ICE is looking to hire more agents, and a career with ICE would hardly be boring. A ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 18, 2022:
@Garban Sure thing, always glad to help out when I can. My bad, thought Garban was short for Garbanzo, I stand corrected, lol.
Big difference between those who are progressive and those who are genuinely liberal...
p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:
It’s ‘progressivism’ … spelling is a lost art! 😂
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 14, 2022:
Indeed it is and I noticed such, but I wasn't the one who created that meme though.
p-nullifidian comments on Aug 14, 2022:
It’s ‘progressivism’ … spelling is a lost art! 😂
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 14, 2022:
Indeed it is and I noticed such, but I wasn't the one who created that meme though.
Big difference between those who are progressive and those who are genuinely liberal...
NostraDumbass comments on Aug 14, 2022:
Yes, those on the far left can be just as illiberal as those on the right. Nevertheless, if you get socialism right you achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. If you get libertarianism right you end up with feudalism.
“Both liberty and equality are among the primary ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 14, 2022:
I agree on the both sides being illiberal part, but disagree on the socialist and libertarianism part, and the latter strikes a balance between the two extremes whereas socialism does not. No shortage of people living in countries with socialist regimes, and they are eager to immigrate to the more libertarian-minded USA. If socialism was as wonderful as it's cracked up to be, there would be less Venezuelans wanting to move to the US, along with Cubans.
NostraDumbass comments on Aug 14, 2022:
Yes, those on the far left can be just as illiberal as those on the right. Nevertheless, if you get socialism right you achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. If you get libertarianism right you end up with feudalism.
“Both liberty and equality are among the primary ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 14, 2022:
I agree on the both sides being illiberal part, but disagree on the socialist and libertarianism part, and the latter strikes a balance between the two extremes whereas socialism does not. No shortage of people living in countries with socialist regimes, and they are eager to immigrate to the more libertarian-minded USA. If socialism was as wonderful as it's cracked up to be, there would be less Venezuelans wanting to move to the US, along with Cubans.
It was there all along. lol
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 14, 2022:
What if the letter A looked like this though, lol.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 14, 2022:
@Betty lol
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 14, 2022:
What if the letter A looked like this though, lol.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 14, 2022:
@Betty lol
I was born and raised in New Jersey. This is why I have no plans on moving back.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 11, 2022:
How about the Lehigh Valley? My mother's side of the family are/were all from New Jersey, and most of my family members that are still living in that state want out. Also, they tax you to death too in NJ.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 12, 2022:
@Unity Starts last day of this month through Labor Day Monday (six days total). Previous years it used to run for seven days, always the last Tuesday in the month, but since Covid hit it starts now on the last Wednesday in August. Hopefully they'll eventually switch back to the Fair lasting seven days.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 11, 2022:
How about the Lehigh Valley? My mother's side of the family are/were all from New Jersey, and most of my family members that are still living in that state want out. Also, they tax you to death too in NJ.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 12, 2022:
@Unity Starts last day of this month through Labor Day Monday (six days total). Previous years it used to run for seven days, always the last Tuesday in the month, but since Covid hit it starts now on the last Wednesday in August. Hopefully they'll eventually switch back to the Fair lasting seven days.
I feel like this app has become quieter. Is it dying off?
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 12, 2022:
It has become an echo chamber, like alot of other social media platforms are. The site probably is gradually dying.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 12, 2022:
@yvilletom Why stop at me? By those standards pretty much everyone on this site could be guilty of such. Some of us who started certain groups did so due to alot of the daily general feed posters who would post about the same topics and angry tirades multiple times a day. In other words, I wasn't one of them who started that trend, and started certain groups in which to be able to freely discuss other viewpoints that were hardly ever getting mentioned.
That said, it's worth pointing out that my public feed posts are a mixture of topics, and these days I don't do nearly as many political-based posts on the public threads, as I don't wish to be confined to that echo chamber. Think the OP was mostly referring to the general forum, and that maybe he needed to check out more groups.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 12, 2022:
It has become an echo chamber, like alot of other social media platforms are. The site probably is gradually dying.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 12, 2022:
@yvilletom Why stop at me? By those standards pretty much everyone on this site could be guilty of such. Some of us who started certain groups did so due to alot of the daily general feed posters who would post about the same topics and angry tirades multiple times a day. In other words, I wasn't one of them who started that trend, and started certain groups in which to be able to freely discuss other viewpoints that were hardly ever getting mentioned.
That said, it's worth pointing out that my public feed posts are a mixture of topics, and these days I don't do nearly as many political-based posts on the public threads, as I don't wish to be confined to that echo chamber. Think the OP was mostly referring to the general forum, and that maybe he needed to check out more groups.
I was born and raised in New Jersey. This is why I have no plans on moving back.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 11, 2022:
How about the Lehigh Valley? My mother's side of the family are/were all from New Jersey, and most of my family members that are still living in that state want out. Also, they tax you to death too in NJ.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 11, 2022:
@Unity Speaking of which, the Allentown Fair is just around the corner, and I can hardly wait.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 11, 2022:
How about the Lehigh Valley? My mother's side of the family are/were all from New Jersey, and most of my family members that are still living in that state want out. Also, they tax you to death too in NJ.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 11, 2022:
@Unity Speaking of which, the Allentown Fair is just around the corner, and I can hardly wait.
Not much feedback on this post, gee whiz I wonder why that is, lol...
q:680326
azzow2 comments on Aug 9, 2022:
Am I missing the point? How in any way would gun control eliminate gun violence? We know that people want to believe the lying politicians that gun control will stop mass shootings. The public has learned nothing about government control and how that just breeds more chaos the best example of that ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 9, 2022:
The link to my post above was to point out how racist gun control policies are, and apparently alot of those in the gun control group conveniently ignored my post.
azzow2 comments on Aug 9, 2022:
Am I missing the point? How in any way would gun control eliminate gun violence? We know that people want to believe the lying politicians that gun control will stop mass shootings. The public has learned nothing about government control and how that just breeds more chaos the best example of that ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 9, 2022:
The link to my post above was to point out how racist gun control policies are, and apparently alot of those in the gun control group conveniently ignored my post.
[tiktok.com]
Every f time bcz getting older and dementia is apparently my new best friend 🙄🦇
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 8, 2022:
Oops nevermind, looks like it is Monday now, in my timezone anyways.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
@Pralina1 Like to say I'm turning 22, but that was a number of years ago, so 38 will have to do now. Took a personal day off from work, and going to indulge a bit in birthday cake, which I don't do often these days anymore. Thank you, much appreciated.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 8, 2022:
Oops nevermind, looks like it is Monday now, in my timezone anyways.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
@Pralina1 Like to say I'm turning 22, but that was a number of years ago, so 38 will have to do now. Took a personal day off from work, and going to indulge a bit in birthday cake, which I don't do often these days anymore. Thank you, much appreciated.
[tiktok.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 8, 2022:
That's what I usually do.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
@Pralina1 It sure is.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 8, 2022:
That's what I usually do.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
@Pralina1 It sure is.
No shortage of blame to go around...
callmedubious comments on Aug 8, 2022:
doesn't it come down to the electorate is to blame.
it's been said that ppl get the govt they deserve.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
Sure wish more of my fellow Americans would vote for third-Party candidates.
callmedubious comments on Aug 8, 2022:
doesn't it come down to the electorate is to blame.
it's been said that ppl get the govt they deserve.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
Sure wish more of my fellow Americans would vote for third-Party candidates.
No shortage of blame to go around...
callmedubious comments on Aug 8, 2022:
doesn't it come down to the electorate is to blame.
it's been said that ppl get the govt they deserve.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
Valid point I suppose.
callmedubious comments on Aug 8, 2022:
doesn't it come down to the electorate is to blame.
it's been said that ppl get the govt they deserve.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 8, 2022:
Valid point I suppose.
Maher raised a solid point there.
Castlepaloma comments on Aug 7, 2022:
All the labeling and conflicts is insane the last few years.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 7, 2022:
For sure.
Castlepaloma comments on Aug 7, 2022:
All the labeling and conflicts is insane the last few years.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 7, 2022:
For sure.
Contemporary progressives employing racial essentialism to conflate race with ideology is the height...
TheInterlooper comments on Aug 6, 2022:
I vaguely remember a Rothbard lecture where he exposed the racist roots of progressivism. I'll try to find it tomorrow. If I succeed I'll post it in this group.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 6, 2022:
As time permits me to, I'm working on a post to share in the gun control group. I'm certain the members in that group will be delighted to see me post again, lol.
TheInterlooper comments on Aug 6, 2022:
I vaguely remember a Rothbard lecture where he exposed the racist roots of progressivism. I'll try to find it tomorrow. If I succeed I'll post it in this group.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 6, 2022:
As time permits me to, I'm working on a post to share in the gun control group. I'm certain the members in that group will be delighted to see me post again, lol.
Contemporary progressives employing racial essentialism to conflate race with ideology is the height...
TheInterlooper comments on Aug 6, 2022:
I vaguely remember a Rothbard lecture where he exposed the racist roots of progressivism. I'll try to find it tomorrow. If I succeed I'll post it in this group.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 6, 2022:
Sounds good.
TheInterlooper comments on Aug 6, 2022:
I vaguely remember a Rothbard lecture where he exposed the racist roots of progressivism. I'll try to find it tomorrow. If I succeed I'll post it in this group.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 6, 2022:
Sounds good.
Indiana becomes first state in nation to approve near-total abortion ban post Roe | Fox News
ChestRockfield comments on Aug 6, 2022:
Only about 20% of the seats in their senate are held by Democrats, and Republicans are disgusting fucking assholes who hate women, so, very predictable.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 6, 2022:
It's not only the Republicans that are guilty of such, as they are getting help from a number of Democrats as well- https://democratsforlife.org/
Keep a watchful eye on your so-called allies, as it pays to question just how allied they are to the cause...
ChestRockfield comments on Aug 6, 2022:
Only about 20% of the seats in their senate are held by Democrats, and Republicans are disgusting fucking assholes who hate women, so, very predictable.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 6, 2022:
It's not only the Republicans that are guilty of such, as they are getting help from a number of Democrats as well- https://democratsforlife.org/
Keep a watchful eye on your so-called allies, as it pays to question just how allied they are to the cause...
Yet another example showing democracy as it stands is a pathetic joke and not working out that well,...
yvilletom comments on Aug 4, 2022:
Spike, if you believe democracy as it stands is a pathetic joke, you are probably a wanna-be dictator.
You will of course deny that and I won’t offer an opinion on your denial.
You also know many people don’t see a sufficient payoff for trying to organize a reform movement.
You know ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 4, 2022:
It's easy to deny such an accusation as it's not grounded in reality. Libertarians and dictators are two very different forces who are diametrically opposed to one another. Democracy was mankind's dream of good Government and that in the end everything would magically work out.
As for the reform movement, true, and that's been a big part of the problem we face in society.
No, I've chosen not to go along to get along, and the majority are not always right. For example, christians in the US still outnumber atheists, but that doesn't automatically mean the christian viewpoints are fully validated simply because they are the majority. Much easier to fool people than to convince them they've been fooled, and such is the way with democracy at present time. The current system continues to fail us, and most people still want to go about the very methods that continue to fail, and then some wonder why corruption in Government is as widespread as it is?
yvilletom comments on Aug 4, 2022:
Spike, if you believe democracy as it stands is a pathetic joke, you are probably a wanna-be dictator.
You will of course deny that and I won’t offer an opinion on your denial.
You also know many people don’t see a sufficient payoff for trying to organize a reform movement.
You know ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 4, 2022:
It's easy to deny such an accusation as it's not grounded in reality. Libertarians and dictators are two very different forces who are diametrically opposed to one another. Democracy was mankind's dream of good Government and that in the end everything would magically work out.
As for the reform movement, true, and that's been a big part of the problem we face in society.
No, I've chosen not to go along to get along, and the majority are not always right. For example, christians in the US still outnumber atheists, but that doesn't automatically mean the christian viewpoints are fully validated simply because they are the majority. Much easier to fool people than to convince them they've been fooled, and such is the way with democracy at present time. The current system continues to fail us, and most people still want to go about the very methods that continue to fail, and then some wonder why corruption in Government is as widespread as it is?
I can’t find a supporting article but ABC news just said that Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau said...
BD66 comments on Jun 27, 2022:
Maybe we can get the Canadians to pay for women's healthcare too?
It's worth a try.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 3, 2022:
Good suggestion.
BD66 comments on Jun 27, 2022:
Maybe we can get the Canadians to pay for women's healthcare too?
It's worth a try.
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 3, 2022:
Good suggestion.
[youtu.be]
Another former lefty opens his eyes & sees more clearly .
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 2, 2022:
Trade the word liberal there for progressive, and that sounds good. Now that he's away from the far-left progressive crowd, he'll feel more at home with those who respect liberty (the right-leaning liberals, conservatives or independents, whatever you want to call them). The real liberals never ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 2, 2022:
@Seriousreason Right you are, major US cities that are under progressive Democrat control have turned into crime-riddled hellholes. I'm fine with those who are genuinely liberal in the classic sense, whom by today's standards are considered more right-leaning, and absolutely abhor the political correctness that is far far-left progressive politics.
SpikeTalon comments on Aug 2, 2022:
Trade the word liberal there for progressive, and that sounds good. Now that he's away from the far-left progressive crowd, he'll feel more at home with those who respect liberty (the right-leaning liberals, conservatives or independents, whatever you want to call them). The real liberals never ...
SpikeTalon replies on Aug 2, 2022:
@Seriousreason Right you are, major US cities that are under progressive Democrat control have turned into crime-riddled hellholes. I'm fine with those who are genuinely liberal in the classic sense, whom by today's standards are considered more right-leaning, and absolutely abhor the political correctness that is far far-left progressive politics.
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