"Carry a big stick, not gun" Another Anti-gun article.

[George D]

I like what he said . Really openened my eyes . I now see the light and I'm selling my guns tomorrow and getting a nice stick

I actually think its a great idea and I took his advice and went out and purchased several sturdy sticks.


Please disregard any additonal metal parts in aforementioned sticks.

 

[theGringo]

My Boy Scout has been hard at work, honing his hatchet skills. Consequently I now have a great selection of pointy sticks.

 

[JRyan]

Good grief. I'm with the devils paintbrush here.

 

[notalib]

Interesting.. I think his only point was that he wanted to disarm the LEOs... Interesting place to start but I dont see it getting traction

and as for bringing a stick to a gun fight... I think not

 

[Mike S]

Here's my email, sent to the editor of the paper.

Hi Barbara,

As a legal, law abiding gun owner I felt the need to write to you in regards to the recent "rhetoric" that your newspaper published which was written by John Burciaga.

I wanted to point out a few things. Besides the fact that it is incredibly poorly written from the beginning, "No sooner the killing"? What is that? It is also drivel in the sense that the author has no idea what he is talking about in regards to the NRA and the work that they do.

Example: Here is a piece of his story,
"We are children of wrath as long as the National Rifle Association rules America ‑ “loaded,” as it is, with vast bucks and voting blocs and packing heat. Their latest victory is a Congressional so-called “reform” bill, bearing an amendment allowing loaded firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. Boy, do I feel a lot safer knowing that an encounter with Bambi could result in the poor critter being wasted by an alert gunslinger.
Followed by:
"But I can dream, can’t I? So what would a society sans guns be like? Well, a lot like England, for starters ‑ and please ignore the derisive laughter from bully-boy bystanders, ready always to decry any country other than ours, land of the free and home of the big mouth. They will spout anecdotal and erroneous information about firearms in Lo ndon. Certainly no society is perfect, but the English bear watching."


This is completely wrong, the NRA is trying to protect the rights and privileges of LEGAL GUN OWNERS as provided by the 2nd Amendment of our constitution. As a matter of fact, I'm glad he mentioned England (this is where he is completely wrong, you should check your facts before publishing this kind of thing) they are an excellent example of what happens when citizens are no longer allowed to own firearms. Since the time that guns were taken away from lawful citizens, violent crime has gone up over 40% in some urban areas! Guess what? The criminals still have guns! The only thing the passing of anti gun legislature in England did was make life easier for the criminals!

Now, getting back to the National Park rant above. As a legal gun owner, why shouldn't I be allowed to protect myself and my family from violent crime no matter where I go? Can you honestly tell me that no violent crimes happen in National Parks? This has nothing to do with being a "gun slinger" or "shooting Bambi" it has to do with protection of myself and my family. As the saying goes, "when seconds count, the police are minutes away".

Next on the hit parade of dis-information and poor grammar:
"Things might be different, could we but get over our falsely glamorous images of the20Wild West; of crazy criminals from the past whom we have idealized; and the idea that all people are alike, as is their behavior."

I take exception to this comment and wonder how many legal, law abiding, hard working gun owners he knows? I am a good citizen, I have never been arrested, pay my taxes, work hard, love my family, and I vote. I put up with being treated like a criminal in my own state because I want to own a gun(s) for two reasons, target shooting is a sport that I very much enjoy, and I have the benefit of being able to protect myself and my family should the need ever arise. (I prey that time never comes)

To paint gun owners with a comment like the one above is an insult and a dis-service to many hard working, law abiding Americans, and I don't appreciate your paper printing such drivel, you should know better, get better writers, and check your facts before going to press with a story that bad again.

Thanks
Mike Sweeney.

 

[Bob P]

I was reading one of my local newspapers this morning and saw this.


Carry a big stick, not gun

Newburyport -

No sooner the killing of Dr. George Tiller (longtime church-going man, contrary to the rhetoric of demonization by the radical right) at his Wichita church whilst ushering Sunday worship parishioners, than came news of Mr. Screwball van Brunn shooting up the Holocaust Memorial in Washington. Such gun-toters are equal-opportunity assassins with a lethal dislike for minorities, abortion clinics and whoever else could be next on their list.

We are children of wrath as long as the National Rifle Association rules America ‑ “loaded,” as it is, with vast bucks and voting blocs and packing heat. Their latest victory is a Congressional so-called “reform” bill, bearing an amendment allowing loaded firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. Boy, do I feel a lot safer knowing that an encounter with Bambi could result in the poor critter being wasted by an alert gunslinger.

But I can dream, can’t I? So what would a society sans guns be like? Well, a lot like England, for starters ‑ and please ignore the derisive laughter from bully-boy bystanders, ready always to decry any country other than ours, land of the free and home of the big mouth. They will spout anecdotal and erroneous information about firearms in London. Certainly no society is perfect, but the English bear watching.

The U.S. is the only civilized nation with over 50 million handguns alone in circulation. When such is mentioned, the retort is often, yes, but even in England, bobbies now are armed ‑ which is a gross oversimplification of what has changed within English law enforcement.

Since Robert Peel (later two-time prime minister) first put “bobbies” (named after him) on London streets in the early 19th century, little has changed. They were the world’s first modern police force ‑ organized not on military lines but on the principle that crime fighting rarely requires guns ‑ including in tough areas around city ports and wharves, where attempts to steal cargo were especially violent.

Despite increasing riot crime and smuggled firearms, the bobbies’ arsenal is still limited to “patience, restraint, investigation, amicability and a short piece of wood.” What has changed is that now, only one in seven London officers is even trained in the use of guns and chosen for the “temperament to carry a volatile, deadly weapon.” Guns are carried regularly only by diplomatic guards, security at special events and to combat terrorism.

Rank-and-file police are issued guns by superior officers when a situation is believed to be potentially violent or the principals are known, dangerous criminals ‑ but the arms are not to be publicly visible. When an officer discharges one, there will be questions both from police and the public, but before firing, “warning shouts, not warning shots” are required.

The biggest, latest news is whether Taser stun guns, the electroshock weapon, should be used by bobbies, according to The Christian Science Monitor. Those for the measure claim it respects right-to-life even in dangerous situations, but it is opposed by Metro police ‑ even some bobbies, who are the frontline of enforcement and most in peril during violent crime. (Amnesty International points out that such “guns” played a role in over 320 deaths here and in Canada in the past decade.)

The American mentality is vastly different. When we see police behavior, we assume it is normal and necessary, including when a lone, falling-down drunk swings wildly at an officer and is swarmed by packs of law enforcement punching, kicking and clubbing him while pinned on his stomach. When any one or two of our Finest can’t subdue such a person, we are in worse trouble than we think.

Such is not unlike treatment of some who are pulled over for driving tickets; only last week, we learned of someone shot 12 times in his back by police. Why is there not more judicious handling of less-dangerous situations?

Things might be different, could we but get over our falsely glamorous images of the Wild West; of crazy criminals from the past whom we have idealized; and the idea that all people are alike, as is their behavior.

John Burciaga lives in Newburyport and contributes commentary on social, religious and political issues to The Current.


Comment on this article here:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/newburyport/news/opinions/x931205633/Carry-a-big-stick-not-gun

Google British news stories on police brutality. Far from the quaint, patient bobbies in their funny hats, law enforcement in GB is just as prone to violent reaction as any US police force. I love how the left romanticizes GB while demonizing the US. Cops in the western world pretty much behave like cops. Some good, some bad, trying to get a tough job done.

 

[KMaurer]

...but the English bear watching.

True words there.

Back when a few people still said "the sun never sets on the British Empire" (without a strong dose of humor), a common retort was that it was true only because even the good Lord wouldn't trust an Englishman in the dark.

Ken

 

[MasterShinken]

I still don't understand the difference between shooting someone and beating them senseless with a bat... I actually think there's better odds of you surviving the bullet wounds...

 

[Mike S]

I received a response from the editor, as follows;

Mike,
I appreciate your attention to those elements of journalism that motivate people in my line of work. I should point out that commentary is an entirely different animal from news. At the risk of stripping the writer's personal style from opinion pieces, awkward phrasing and the like is not something the editor's mark touches.

To your other point, I did ask John Burciaga to fact check his statements, but in all fairness to him and other opinion writers, he is entitled to base his statements on hearsay and warped recollection.

That's why I am so glad to receive letters like yours. So please continue to follow closely what makes its way to our opinion pages.

Best regards,
Marlene

Kind of interesting she called his opinion "warped"

 

[Yelena]

I hoped he meant they had gotten, as I had, thorough home inspections and a list of things to increase security. Instead, he told me that the police advised them to arm themselves and shoot to kill!

Yes, he indeed had gotten a list of things to increase security: a gun and a couple of boxes of ammo for it.

 

[GSG]

IThat's why I am so glad to receive letters like yours. So please continue to follow closely what makes its way to our opinion pages.

Sounds like all she cares about is that people read her paper to see that ads that pay her salary...

 

[jds1971]

Back when a few people still said "the sun never sets on the British Empire" (without a strong dose of humor), a common retort was that it was true only because even the good Lord wouldn't trust an Englishman in the dark.

Ken

that's funny. i've never heard that. i'll be telling that one to my mother (she is half irish).

 

[MasterShinken]

To your other point, I did ask John Burciaga to fact check his statements, but in all fairness to him and other opinion writers, he is entitled to base his statements on hearsay and warped recollection.

Sooo, she encourages BS to be published in her paper. at least the enquirer lets you know it's BS.

 

[Mike S]

Sooo, she encourages BS to be published in her paper. at least the enquirer lets you know it's BS.

And they wonder why they're having trouble keeping readership up... it's pretty funny actually.

 

[MasterShinken]

I found the stick he was talking about...
http://www.coldsteel.com/gunstockwarclub.html

 

[Mike S]

I found the stick he was talking about...
http://www.coldsteel.com/gunstockwarclub.html

Nice, reminds me of the movie "Last of the Mohicans"

 

[MasterShinken]

I wonder how one would go about concealing a war club...

 

[Negotiator]

Back when a few people still said "the sun never sets on the British Empire" (without a strong dose of humor), a common retort was that it was true only because even the good Lord wouldn't trust an Englishman in the dark.

Ken

Many a true word spoken in jest Ken

 

[GSG]

Nice, reminds me of the movie "Last of the Mohicans"

Great soundtrack, too.

 

[weekendracer]

Ironic:

Went to that website. Ad #1 "search for sex offenders in your area". Ad #2 "CCW class at frontsight".

 

[weekendracer]

I wonder how one would go about concealing a war club...

Wear an eagle feather in your hair, claim it's your tribal heritage.

 

[Mike S]

Just got another email from the editor of the paper, she wants to run my email to her as a "letter to the editor" I gave her permission. Interesting.

 

[MasterShinken]

Cool!