Official Not So Random Thoughts Thread Version 2.2

[willbcocks]

US Stats http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/ ... glary.html

60,000 robberies committed in residences in 2005 (1:5000)
1,420,000 burglaries in residences in 20005 (1:200)
The average dollar loss per burglary offense in 2005 was $1,700. For robbery, $1200.

No information on murder/rape as the result of a robbery (robbery means threats or force), but clearly thieves are interested in getting something of value and getting out.

If you're worried about your property, clearly a gun (or to be more precise, anything that is not related to prevention) isn't making much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. You'd probably end up with more money if you bought Haliburton stock, printed out a copy, drew a picture of a gun on it, and taped it to your TV.

[montestewart]

^
But some of that information nate33 posted above points to the possibility that the widespread knowledge that law abiding citizens frequently carry concealed weapons and/or have guns in their home may reduce crime. I'm not necessarily buying into that, but such evidence (if credible) is not easily dismissed without some examination. People want to feel safe, and broad-based statistics and anti-gun arguments often speak to a greater good rather than an individual right to safety.

I don't care enough about anything I own to kill someone over it, but once they're in my house, are they just going to take possessions, or are they going to rape, assault, kill witnesses, etc., perhaps just out of spontaneous panic?

If widespread gun possession becomes the rule, than gun safety classes would be that much more important. My brother-in-law told me a tale of his youth, riding the bus from Anacostia with his rifle strapped on his shoulder, heading to his gun safety/target shooting classes at the NRA on Scott Circle. He got off the bus across the street from the White House, walked up 16th Street, and after the class, he walked back down 16th Street and waited for the bus on Pennsylvania Avenue, right in front of the White House, his rifle on his shoulder. You sure can't do that today.

[Cramer]

US Stats http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/ ... glary.html

60,000 robberies committed in residences in 2005 (1:5000)
1,420,000 burglaries in residences in 20005 (1:200)
The average dollar loss per burglary offense in 2005 was $1,700. For robbery, $1200.

No information on murder/rape as the result of a robbery (robbery means threats or force), but clearly thieves are interested in getting something of value and getting out.

If you're worried about your property, clearly a gun (or to be more precise, anything that is not related to prevention) isn't making much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. You'd probably end up with more money if you bought Haliburton stock, printed out a copy, drew a picture of a gun on it, and taped it to your TV.

Dude, this isn't basketball. If I hear someone coming up the stairs I'm not going to have stats spinning through my head,

[willbcocks]

^
But some of that information nate33 posted above points to the possibility that the widespread knowledge that law abiding citizens frequently carry concealed weapons and/or have guns in their home may reduce crime. I'm not necessarily buying into that, but such evidence (if credible) is not easily dismissed without some examination. People want to feel safe, and broad-based statistics and anti-gun arguments often speak to a greater good rather than an individual right to safety.

I don't care enough about anything I own to kill someone over it, but once they're in my house, are they just going to take possessions, or are they going to rape, assault, kill witnesses, etc., perhaps just out of spontaneous panic?

If widespread gun possession becomes the rule, than gun safety classes would be that much more important. My brother-in-law told me a tale of his youth, riding the bus from Anacostia with his rifle strapped on his shoulder, heading to his gun safety/target shooting classes at the NRA on Scott Circle. He got off the bus across the street from the White House, walked up 16th Street, and after the class, he walked back down 16th Street and waited for the bus on Pennsylvania Avenue, right in front of the White House, his rifle on his shoulder. You sure can't do that today.

I'm not offering a prescription for our society. I don't carry a gun and would not let someone in my house who has a gun, but then again I don't smoke cigarettes either. If you want my opinion, at the end of the day, I believe in individual rights and think guaranteeing them through the constitution is a decent way to do it. And the constitution is pretty clear about the rights to owning firearms, so until Americans change the consitution to eliminate that right (and that'll be a cold day in hell), my position defaults to supporting guns.

If we want to bring political reality into the equation, I think a clear national registration system would do a lot of good, as the problem everyone agrees on is we'd be better off with fewer guns in the hands of those not allowed to carry them. And it would aid law enforcement and increase accountability, two good things. The problem is that anti-gun folks cannot do it as they will accused of shredding the constitution, and pro-gun folks won't do it because they are scared of giving anti-gun folks a foot in the door. IMO the republicans could do a lot of good the next time they come into office by establishing sensible gun "legistlation," not "restriction."

My reason for saying I am not offering a macro-level solution, but rather advice for JWiz, is that he will enjoy the benefits -- or suffer the consquences -- of the actions of his fellow citizens regardless of whether he personally owns the gun. It's the free-riding paradox--even if you don't vote, you enjoy most of the same benefits as voters (and the one's you miss are psychological, for example the benefit of feeling like you made a difference). If crime rates really do go down because everyone else is owning a gun, he can still save a few hundred bucks and enjoy the added safety.

Cramer: Can you handle stats running through your head when deciding whether or not to purchase a gun, or are you even now, typing on a basketball forum, controlled by instinctual reaction against imagined intruders?

[go'stags]

If someone breaks into my apartment, they can have my TV, bed,money, whatever. But they won't be able to shoot me while I'm going for a gun-because I won't have one.

My possessions are not worth my, or even the intruder's, life, so I won't risk going for a gun. Even if I win the draw, I won't feel good about it. I'm not involved with anything that could lead people to break into my house looking for blood, so I have no use for a gun. I can get a new TV.

This of course is just my opinion, and I don't mean to sound holier-than-thou or anything at all like that. Just my 2 cents.

Anyone breaks into my house they can grab what they want, but they won't be leaving. I'll be damned if someone is going to be raping (or worse) my wife and daughters while I'm sitting there helpless. If some one breaks into my house and I'm there, I'll kill the **** over the pennies in my change jar. And won't lose a moments sleep.

Raping my wife or daughters is certainly a different situation, one that I hadn't really considered (I'm not married, nor do I have children). Definitely something to think about for the future. Thank you.

I still would never, ever shoot someone on their way out of my house with my TV, but thats where we differ, which is fine. Too many variables to consider-does he have an accomplice that is also armed? If I miss, do I really want a shootout in my home? It's just not worth it for me.

[pancakes3]

moving my reply to black hole politics thread.

[Hoopalotta]

Raping my wife or daughters is certainly a different situation, one that I hadn't really considered (I'm not married, nor do I have children). Definitely something to think about for the future. Thank you.

Any pets? The sickos these days.

I still would never, ever shoot someone on their way out of my house with my TV, but that's where we differ, which is fine. Too many variables to consider-does he have an accomplice that is also armed? If I miss, do I really want a shootout in my home? It's just not worth it for me.

Sure, the practicalities. First of all, if you shoot them while they're carrying your TV, they're going to drop it anyway, right? That's best case. But then what? Cleaning the gore from your carpet alone might well get more spendy than what a new plasma would run, and you've doubled that on top of the TV. It's hard to justify financially. Still, if it comes down to it and I just can't hold back a quick burst from the old MP5, I've just put in a Merlot Afghan weave in the foyer which is now my designated killzone. The rug looks great and even the drawn out writhing of a gut shot victim won't make for any stains far amiss on that old rustic stitch (adds character, if anything). Win-win.

[montestewart]

The rug looks great and even the drawn out writhing of a gut shot victim won't make for any stains far amiss on that old rustic stitch

Passages like this would look good splattered across the poetry thread. Great writing Hoopalotta.

[JWizmentality]

^^^ For f**K sake people. Forget I asked. I just wanted some info and suggestions about proper procedure into buying a weapon. Now I've got disturbing images of raped women and blood stained carpets running in my head. I mean, do I need a gun or howitzer?

[Hoopalotta]

A howitzer is really just going to compound all the issues I addressed above.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

^^^ For f**K sake people. Forget I asked. I just wanted some info and suggestions about proper procedure into buying a weapon. Now I've got disturbing images of raped women and blood stained carpets running in my head. I mean, do I need a gun or howitzer?

Using my best Slim Pickens impression "Wahoo, everybody. Live fire at JWiz' place. And he's using them depleted uranium shells in his howitzer! Yipee!!. "



Okay, now that I've tried way too hard to be funny, I will say the debate has taken some real twists, JWiz. I'd rather keep it funny than deal with guts on the Afghan carpet, raped wives and daughters ... and pets ... dayum.

[Hoopalotta]

Come on boys, nothing says "we might have gone a little bit too Chuck Bronson-Willie Horton on this one" than a nice, rhapsodic "what would Atilla do?" aside. We're right back on track now and I'm taking the credit when the next helpful soul comes along with a well intentioned and cheerful suggestion.

Oh peaches, I'll get the ball rolling: J-Wiz, have you looked into garrotes? If you're not yet sold or, say, on the fence, I strongly encourage a screening of the exquisite Michael Dudikoff star vehicle "American Ninja 4".

[JWizmentality]

[pineappleheadindc]

Random thought:

Must insist you wife talk to you ahead of time before buying your toddler A FREAKING DRUM SET.

[Wizards2Lottery]

Random thought:

Must insist you wife talk to you ahead of time before buying your toddler A FREAKING DRUM SET.

Your wife is awesome. My parents bought me a guitar when I was 6. It's been my most trusted companion since then.

[montestewart]

Random thought:

Must insist you wife talk to you ahead of time before buying your toddler A FREAKING DRUM SET.

Your wife is awesome. My parents bought me a guitar when I was 6. It's been my most trusted companion since then.

Guitar? Drums? My parents only allowed piano or bowed instruments. Strictly dullsville. They lied and said there were no awesome parents.

[dobrojim]

trumpet?

my younger plays one - hard to get her to practice enough to be
annoying

[dobrojim]

Wilbon is a major douche

[Nivek]

Wilbon is a major douche

What's prompting this comment today?

[montestewart]

Wilbon is a major douche

In Wilbon's case, disappointment defines his time here. The upwardly mobile incompetance, the vomit-inducing false sentimentality, the hardheadedness when it came to fact checking, the decline in writing, the overestimation of talent to begin with, the long-windedness, the gushing, the clichés. When is the last time something really good happened to Wilbon professionally (and I don't mean more money or fame, but but more accomplishment)? Great writers beat the odds all the time; it's what drives them and in a great many cases obsesses them. But they almost always need a boost from a change of scenery. Wilbon needs to move to Bhutan and take a vow of silence. He can keep writing, but he shouldn't publish.