Wil Some of the Mass Shootings be Eliminated with Better Gun Regulation?

Many would argue that, not only does gun regulation infringe upon our basic liberties, but if someone wants to “get a gun” they will find a way. To buy into this argument, you then have to buy into the further argument that there is no need to have police and fire departments. Of course people will get killed even though there are police departments in operation, and fires will take place even though fire departments are in operation. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have those departments.

Obviously the answer is, it’s all a matter of degree. With police departments and fire departments, you eliminate or reduce the risks of loss of life and the loss of property; and maintain a more orderzxly society. Isn’t it timme that we, as a people, rise up against the well-connected, well-funded NRA (National Rifle Associations), and their willingness to throw big dollars at those political leaders who support their position to prevent the regulation of guns. The biggest folly of all is the NRA’s argument that to solve the problem is to put an armed guard in each school. sure that would be helpful, but once again it is only a partial answer. What would prevent a calculated mentally deranged killer from shooting the guard first and then go on he mass shoothing spree!

To competely ban automatic weapons and to insist that no guns are sold without a complete background check, to insist that all gun sales be limited in quantites, is not asking too much. Hunters and other outsoo sportsmen will not be denied their rights to hunt. Homeowners will not be denied this tight to protect themselves in their homes.

Authorized legal authorities with their own set of strict training and gun regulations, such as are required by the military, the police, and other law enforcement agencies, should continue to be allowed to carry authomatic weapons and other heavy duty weapons, but they should be the exception not the rule.

-JS

Why do People Like Lance Armstrong Do Stupid Things?

I can understand the motivation behind Lance Armsstrong’s actions. Greed, fame, power, ambition, big profits…all of the above I’m sure, played a big part. The motivations or reasons behind his actions are rather obvious. The question remains, why would he undertake the risk? Of course in retrospect, his actions were stupid.

In a sense, he put his life on the line. Now I understand that he is being sued for close to ten million. Surely he made millions, but now that the lawsuits are beginning (and there will probably be more), he will be wiped out financially. Furthur, three major endorsements constituting “big bucks,” have been cancelled as recently announced. As Armstrong said on Oprah, he wasn’t worried about whether he had done right or wrong, he was only scared of being caught, and more scared as investigations narrowed. He was, in effect, admitting that he has no moral fiber.

If this is the case, then the reason he took the chance was that he thought he could maybe get away with it. After a while, he was “on a roll.” The big continuing momentum generated by his big lie, and the fact that he once had committed the big lie, led to his recognition that there was no turning back.

So he put his life on the line, and now at a relatively young age, he is disgraced for life and perhaps penniless forever. (Though since he is very cunning, he may have stashed millions in various accounts all over Asia and Europe, and may also have hidden abundant gold and silver bars, in case he did get caught eventually.) He lived the good life for most of his adult years, and now he has destroyed his life in my opinion, for his remaining adult years. I wonder about his friends; have they all abandoned him? And if not, why not?

Yet is this any different from Bernie Madoff’s defrauding of friends, family, clients, and other of this ilk, who flinched millions, and sometimes billions? Madoff is in the slammer. Is Lance Armstrong far behind?

“He rose to the top, has been toppled, and now has plummeted to the bottom.”

So be it!

-JS