Happy New Year - Gun-Lover Style

CBS Atlanta reports on the stray bullet which crashed through a church roof and killed a 4-year-old.

A 4-year-old boy who was struck by a stray bullet while at church died Friday.

The incident happened around midnight Friday during a New Year’s Eve watch service at the Covington Drive Church Of God of Prophecy in Decatur.

It was not immediately clear who fired the shot that came through the roof of the church and struck the child, who was identified as Marquel Peters.

I'm sure the gun folks will say responsible gun owners who adhere to the tenets of the 4 Rules would never do something as stupid as firing a round into the air in celebration, which is what they think this was. I agree wholeheartedly that responsible gun owners who adhere to the tenets of the 4 Rules never would. But my question is what percentage of them is that responsible. Who hasn't fired a shot or two off where they shouldn't have? Who shoots all those rural road signs?

I'll tell you who, the vast majority of gun owners. Most folks are not concerned with the rules, not to the point of becoming out-and-out criminals, but definitely to the point of doing stupid things that get innocent people hurt.

What's your opinion? Is this 4-year-old killing in Decatur Georgia just another of those rare accidents? Please leave a comment.

Your Average Gun Owners

The Las Vegas Democrat Examiner provided a wonderful article and this video, which perfectly illustrates the malleable masses of simple gun owners. These are not the ones who write pro-gun blogs. These are the ones who receive the message whether by reading it themselves or by word of mouth. I say again, it is irresponsible for pro-gun bloggers to incite their less-intellectually endowed followers with exaggerated talk of gun confiscations and persecution of gun owners. It's not the government that's pushing these people towards the edge, it's their own leaders in the gun movement.

George Carlin on Toy Guns

Thanks PhuckPolitics

Tighter Gun Control in Finland

China View reports on the reaction to the recent multiple murder in Finland.

Finnish Interior Minister Anne Holmlund said on Saturday that Finland will amend the gun law to tighten control on guns, Finnish media reported on Saturday.

A 43-year-old man named Ibrahim Shkupolli, a Kosovo Albanian, shot and killed four employees at Sello shopping center in Espoo, southern Finland, as well as his ex-girlfriend at her home, who was also employed there, and finally himself on Thursday.

The shooting rampage has again aroused Finnish people's attention to the country's gun control. Finnish people have long asked for tighter gun control after two school shootings in 2007 and 2008.

Finland's rate of gun ownership ranks the third highest in the world as its 5.3 million populations own 1.6 million registered guns.

That's an interesting phrase, "Finnish people have long asked for tighter gun control." I wonder if that means the majority. Could the same be said about the United States?

Interior Minister Anne Holmlund said on Saturday that Finland will amend its gun law for tighter control on guns. Furthermore, new legislation will require safer ways of gun-keeping at home in order to reduce illicit weapons obtained through burglary. An illegal handgun was used in Thursday's shooting incident.

According to Anne Holmlund, Finland's present gun registry is primitive. In some cases, license information has been written on a file card without the weapon's serial number or the purpose for which the permit was granted. All the guns with old licenses will have to be re-registered, she said.

She also stressed that all the licenses for people with criminal backgrounds should be revoked.

I wonder if that's how they did the registry in Canada too, "license information has been written on a file card without the weapon's serial number." How could any system of registration be organized so badly? It almost sounds like pro-gun spies designed it to fail.

How about the suggestion that, "All the guns with old licenses will have to be re-registered." That sounds pretty simple. I guess with enough jack-booted federal enforcers it could be done. What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

The Danish Cartoonist Attacked with Axe

The Daily Record reports on the home invasion and attempted murder of the famous Danish cartoonist.

AN axe-wielding Muslim fanatic who tried to butcher a Danish cartoonist in his home was carried into court on a stretcher yesterday to be charged with attempted murder.

The 28-year-old Somali, said to have links to al-Qaeda, was also accused of trying to kill a police officer who shot and wounded him outside Kurt Westergaard's home.

Westergaard, 75, has been a target of extremists since he drew a cartoon in 2005 of the Prophet Mohammed wearing a bomb-shaped turban.

The cartoon was one of a series which outraged the Islamic world.

Those Danes know how to treat criminals. No hospital stay and rehabilitation before the court appearance for the bad guys over there.

Westergaard was at home with his five-year-old grand-daughter in the city of Aarhus late on Friday when the attacker broke in.

The house is fortified but the man smashed a window to get in. He told Westergaard in broken English that he had come to kill him.

Westergaard fled with his granddaughter to a "panic room" in the bathroom. He said the attacker yelled "Revenge!" and "Blood!" and smashed the door with the axe.

The cartoonist pressed an alarm button to alert police. Officers arrived within two minutes and confronted the axeman outside.

Now there's another interesting concept, "the panic room." Of course that could never work in America where people are into that old stand-yer-ground mentality.

What's your opinion? Would fortifying one of the rooms in the house and equipping it with means to communicate with he local police be a possible answer to protecting yourself and your family at home? Or would you prefer to be armed to the teeth?

What do you think about the blasphemy charges some in the Islamic world have raised against this cartoonist? Those Muslims are pretty severe judges and they definitely don't have a sense of humor. Is this the case that's raised questions of a United Nations prohibition against blasphemy?

Please leave a comment.

Those Evil Toy Guns

Channel 3 News from Memphis Tennessee reports on the new Arkansas law banning toy guns.

(West Memphis, AR 01/01/2010) The New Year brings a new law that cracks down on toy guns being sold in the state of Arkansas.

The law stems from the 2007 shooting death of a 12 year old West Memphis boy, DeAunta Farrow.

DeAunta Farrow was gunned down after police say he waved a pistol at them. Police later revealed the pistol was actually a toy gun. State legislators say the new law is aimed at protecting other children and officers from similar violence.

The shooting death of 12 year old DeAunta Farrow changed a lot of things in West Memphis and now its changed law. Toy guns that look real are banned in Arkansas.

What's your opinion? Do you think a law like this might save a few lives? Is the inconvenience of depriving children from playing with realistic-looking toy guns worth it? Is there some other "rights" issue involved in such a law? Why do I expect gun enthusiasts to oppose such legislation? Do they?

Please leave a comment.

Utah Man Kills Friend

The Salt Lake Tribune reports on another tragic accidental shooting.

A 23-year-old man was killed early New Year's Day after a bullet discharged from a gun that a friend was handling and struck him in the head.

Responding officers booked Ian Lewis, also 23, into the Salt Lake City jail for negligent homicide. According to police, Lewis had picked up a gun and was handling it when it went off and struck Steven McKinney.

Both men are from the Salt Lake City area, said Salt Lake City Sgt. Robin Snyder. She added the incident is a reminder to always treat guns as if they are loaded.

RuffRidr recently told me that every gun owner he knows "wouldn't put up with this" and that responsible gun owners are taught the 4 Rules when they're kids. I guess the people who are making the news every day weren't that lucky.

What's your opinion? Does it sometimes seem that the percentage of irresponsible gun owners who were not raised with the 4 Rules is a bit too high? Do you think that's just a distorted impression based on the reports that make it to the main stream media?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Guns kill people when they're in the hands of people like Ian Lewis.