Divemedic

Suicide/homicide argument

Anti gunners love to break out with the “gun death meme” and claim that 30,000 Americans are killed by guns every year. I point out that the only way that this number is accurate is to include the 22,000 or so suicides each year. I point out that there are only about 8400 firearm related homicides each year, and making guns illegal will not stop someone bent on suicide from kissing a train.

Here is an example of the counter argument that I have been getting from them:

I’m well aware that there’s plenty of ways to kill yourself if you had the wherewithal to do so. But I’m also not the one trying to discount deaths in this country vis-a-vis guns. I’m hearing that a lot, now, and I’m declaring that I won’t let ya’ll have a free pass with death rates by subtracting that number. 

Here is my counter argument to that:

If I don’t get to ignore suicide, then you don’t get to ignore that murderers and people committing suicide simply choose other tools to accomplish the task, once guns are made illegal. After all, if the goal is to save lives, a person who is strangled to death or leaps from a tall building is just as tragic and senseless as a person who is shot.
So let’s count suicide AND homicide rates from all causes, not just from firearms, and see if eliminating firearms actually saves lives..

The US has a combined suicide/homicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000
South Korea, where firearms are virtually illegal, has a rate of 29.8
India, with gun laws FAR more restrictive than the US, 24.6
Japan, where guns are illegal for private ownership sees 18.8 deaths per 100,000 people.
Canada, where there is severe gun control and handguns are virtually illegal: 18.3 per 100,000.

Each of the nations listed above have gun control laws that are FAR more restrictive than the United States, yet people are dying from suicide and homicide at rates significantly higher than the United States. It’s almost like firearms have little to do with suicide and homicide, and seems like your argument is not intended to save lives, but is instead a means to your true intent of banning those icky guns, because you don’t like them.

By Divemedic, ago

In the business?

I have a coworker whose father in law just passed away. The father in law was a gun collector, and owned 65 firearms, which were left as an inheritance with this coworker’s husband. The coworker and her husband do not want to own guns. They are not anti-gun, they just don’t want them. They do not know anything about guns, but knowing that I am a “gun guy,” have asked me to help them get rid of the firearms. I am going over to their house this weekend to see what they have. I may make an offer on at least some of them.

Here is the issue:
The firearms are surely worth a good bit of money. The couple is left with two choices:
1 They can sell the guns for themselves, in which case they will get a decent amount of money, but risk being accused of illegally dealing firearms without a license under the new Obama directive.

2 They can sell them to a dealer, in which case they will only get pennies on the dollar, as most dealers will, at best, offer you half the money that you would get by selling the weapons themselves.

By Divemedic, ago

Chicago Airport Police Told To ‘Run And Hide’ from shooters

The Chicago police department has instructed its officers to run and barricade themselves into a safe hiding place in the event of an active shooter. This is why I carry a gun: when seconds count, the police are hiding to protect their own ass.

Internal aviation department documents obtained by CNN instruct officers: “do not become part of the response to an attack. If evacuation is not possible, you should find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Block entry to your hiding place and lock the door,” but Matt Brandon, secretary-treasurer of the airport officers union, told CNN they have serious issues with the protocol.

By Divemedic, ago

Hawaii trip, part two

We began our trip to Hawaii on the island of Oahu. We stayed in a hotel on Waikiki beach. The first night, we decided to take a walk along the beach in front of our hotel. I was approached twice by homeless bums who were looking for a handout. The place is overrun with homeless. In fact, I counted 19 homeless people living on the beach in front of our hotel.

On the first day, we went to the north shore. A surfers’ paradise, the waves there during the winter are 30-40 feet tall. They were about 20 feet high on the day that we were there. It was amazing. I have never seen waves that tall at any beach.

We also went to the Hawaiian cultural center.

On day two, we visited the Arizona memorial, and the other museums commemorating the attacks on December 7, 1941.

After five days of touring Oahu, we climbed on a flight for our next island. My impression of Oahu is that it is a crowded tourist trap with a large military base on it. There are large numbers of people who struggle to make a living there because the cost of living is so high. Often, three families will live in a crappy wooden 900 square foot house built in 1945 that cost half a million dollars, because real estate prices are so high. The average rent on a three bedroom home on Oahu is nearly $2700 a month, and that home is likely more than 50 years old. A four bedroom apartment will set you back $3200 each month.

The only people who can afford to live there are multimillionaires (a nice house costs several million dollars), or military members who live on base. Everyone else lives on the edge of poverty.

One of the things that I saw when we were on Oahu was a large number of signs declaring that haole (white people) should leave, “Tourist go home,” or “We have enough hotels.” Signs of that nature. There are a large number of ‘native’ people who believe that Hawaii was some sort of peaceful paradise until Europeans arrived, and they think secession will return them to the ‘good old days.’ That will be the subject of  a future post.

By Divemedic, ago

Arrested for bad attitude

I know this is old, but I just saw it. A woman in Indiana is pulled over for speeding. Since she is alone on a dark road, she is afraid for her safety, and does what many safety experts, as well as the Indiana state police, recommend: she engaged her flashers, slows down, and drives to a well lit, public area before stopping. 

“The officer indicated the motorist displayed a defiant attitude.”

So she was arrested because she did not display the appropriate amount of deference to the authoritah of a cop. Officer roid rage approached her car, furious that she did not pull over, and she got mouthy with him, which is not illegal. Instead, he found a way to exact his revenge. This is a classic POP (pissing off police) charge. I have have heard many cops say this:

You might beat the charges, but you won’t beat the ride.


Meaning that they are knowingly abusing their arrest powers to hassle people.

Fortunately, in this woman’s case, the public outcry resulted in charges being dropped. There are many cops who are good people, and you are all being painted with a pretty broad brush lately. Have you wondered why? It is because, as a profession, this sort of behavior has continued for long enough that most people know someone who has been mistreated by a rude, overbearing bully of a cop. For years, this has continued, and now a large percentage of the people don’t trust you.

Clean up your profession, get rid of the power hungry idiots, and maybe people will be more likely to support you.



By Divemedic, ago

Gun laws not enforced

Here is a case where a 17 year old and his 14 year old brother were smoking marijuana and drinking vodka after shooting two people in an apparent read rage incident. 

The 17 year old will be charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. There are a host of other charges that I wonder why they were not also charged.
Drug possession
Alcohol possession by a minor
DUI (in Florida, if you are legally intoxicated in a vehicle with the keys in the vehicle with you, you can be charged with DUI)
Possession of a firearm by a minor: The only way that a minor can possess a firearm in Florida is for the purpose of hunting, marksmanship competition, target practice, or if the firearm is being lawfully transported to or from the aforementioned activities.
It is also a felony for any adult to have provided this minor with the firearm.
My theory is this: the real utility in firearms laws is not in reducing crime. The anti gunners don’t care about reducing crime. What they really want to reduce is firearm ownership. Reducing crime is really just an excuse for passing firearms laws. 
The reason that any gun law is not enforced is that the powers that be KNOW that criminals will not obey them, and that is just fine with them, because the crimes committed are just used as an excuse to pass another gun control law. The real target of gun control laws is the law abiding gun owner.
By Divemedic, ago

Free money

The video below is a typical Democrat voter. Watch it all the way through. I know it is torture, but if you really want to understand the depth of our problems, you need to watch all of it while remembering that her vote counts the same as yours.

By Divemedic, ago

Flying and the TSA

I recently took a trip to Hawaii. I have a lot of thoughts on what I did and saw on this trip, enough to make several posts on the subject. Since the trip involved 7 different flights departing from 5 different airports, I want to begin the series with a discussion of the experience of flying and going through TSA security.

First, the TSA:
Since travelling with a firearm is such a hassle, and since the state of Hawaii does not honor my concealed weapons permit, I was travelling unarmed. I locked my firearms in the safe, and headed out.

Screening is a mess. During the seven different screening processes, I was asked to remove my shoes for 5 of them, my belt for two.

In four cases, I was scanned with the millimeter wave devices. In three of those 4 cases, I also received a pat down. In one case, the machine had them frisk me because of a wadded up receipt in my pocket. Twice, they felt the need to examine my left calf. This is the same calf that required extensive surgery to repair. Perhaps the old scar tissue sets it off, I do not know.

In four of the airports, I was also sniffed by a TSA dog.

In three airports, my luggage (checked and carry on) was x-rayed at least twice.

It went like this:
(Hawaii) Bags are x-rayed upon entry to airport, for so- called “agriculture inspection.”
Have papers examined at ticket counter. Hand checked bags to TSA. They x-ray them and send them through.
Stand in queue that passes by sniffing TSA dog.
Have papers inspected by TSA agent.
Remove shoes, belt, and contents of pockets. Place them with belongings on belt for x-ray exam.
Go through perv scanner.
Get dressed while standing under TSA version of flag.

I actually felt DIRTY and sick to my stomach each time I had to go through this. What happened to the freedom we used to have?

Airlines:
Of my 7 flights, four flights were late. Three had been moved to different gates without notification. Three of them had me sitting next to crying babies.

Flying sucks.

By Divemedic, ago

2015 in review

Here is the obligatory year in review post. I don’t mention a lot o personal stuff on here, but this post will be an exception.

This has been a pretty good year.

Professionally:
I began the year working as a part time science teacher. While doing my taxes, I was able to get an exemption from the Obamacare penalty, but it was obvious that I would not be able to do so forever. The penalty is going to be quite a bit more expensive for 2015, and buying insurance is also too expensive. I needed to get a job that offers health care benefits.For reasons that I am not yet at liberty to discuss, I could not return to my old career as a paramedic, so my only other option was to go full time as a teacher. So I now teach Biology and Chemistry at the High School level.

Personal:
In November, I became engaged to my girlfriend of the past two years. We are getting married next fall.

Financially:
There is a post to follow in this, but the bank finally managed to foreclose on the house from my bankruptcy six years ago. I am glad to finally be rid of that albatross.

This was a good year for travel.

This year, I took road trip to New Orleans in March, and one to Canada, Maine, and many places in between in July. In June, we  flew to Puerto Rico and took a seven day cruise to Aruba, St Martin, St Kitts, and St Thomas.
In November, we took two cruises: the first being a two day trip to the Bahamas, and the second was a seven day cruise to St Thomas, St Martin, and the Bahamas. We were on the French Side of St Martin when the Paris attacks occurred.
For Christmas, we decided to take a trip to Hawaii. We left on December 18th right after work. We arrived in Oahu the next day. We flew home on the 29th, and arrived home on the 30th. There are a few posts on that coming up.

All in all, this was a pretty good year. I look forward to what 2016 brings.

By Divemedic, ago

Armed at Disney, redux

Just after I did my post on being armed at Disney, the company came out and announced that they would be placing metal detectors at their parks. This was apparently done in response to the man who was arrested while carrying a 5 shot Smith and Wesson revolver into the park, without a concealed weapons permit.

One article made this claim:

Before you are allowed inside the park, you can see an increased security presence at the front gates. Large metal detectors are set up at the entrances of Disney World’s four theme parks. Security thoroughly goes through each guest’s bag, pulling out items and opening wallets.

I went to Disney’s Hollywood studios in the Orlando area to test the claim that they would be looking for firearms by opening wallets and running guests through metal detectors. To test the claim, I decided to carry my J frame Smith and Wesson in a pocket holster in the front right pocket of my jeans.

There is an area just in front of the entrance where park security checked the bags of guests who were bringing bags, but this was haphazard at best. There is a “bypass” that allows guests without bags to enter the park without passing through the bag check area. Since I did not have a bag, that is the way that I went. There were security guards there, including an off duty deputy, and a security guard with a dog. I passed through without them giving me a second look, despite the fact that I was armed.
I watched them for a bit. They stopped one man to look in his fanny pack, but allowed at least three guests through who were either pushing strollers or wearing backpacks without giving them a second look. I did not, in the five minutes I watched, select a single person for a magnetometer, nor did I see a single magnetometer in use. It is possible that the magnetometers were discretely hidden, but I watched hundreds of people enter the park, and none were given more than a quick look, and most passed through without question. 
Just as I have done dozens of times, I entered the park with my weapon, walked around for about an hour, and then left. I was armed the entire time, yet I did not break a single law, nor did I do anything to hurt anyone. 
I also recently visited Universal Studios. The security there is just as much of a joke, and it is full of holes. Let me give you some examples:
If you are a guest who drives to the park at Universal, you must pass through a security checkpoint where they do the same sort of cursory inspection that is done at Disney. If you are staying at one of the hotels on Universal property and decide to walk to the park, you must also pass through a second security checkpoint. However, if you take the complimentary water taxi from the hotel to the park, the boat drops you off BEHIND the checkpoint into the “secure” area without so much as a glance.
Another security lapse at Universal is the mini golf course. It is surrounded by a 3 foot tall wrought iron fence. The golf course is in the nominally secure area, but is separated from the general public by this fence, and nothing more. 
In short, this is not security, it is theater that is designed to make people who don’t know any better FEEL as if they are safe. It is all smoke and mirrors.
By Divemedic, ago