tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post4832156753853511304..comments2024-03-18T23:39:24.591-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: No More Polite NoddingTeacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-84472074312879348722012-06-06T13:32:53.014-07:002012-06-06T13:32:53.014-07:00Amen, Teacher Tom. No matter how you try to dress...Amen, Teacher Tom. No matter how you try to dress them up, guns have ONE SINGLE purpose--and that is to kill.Miss_Lola_77https://www.blogger.com/profile/07928529605689208761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-43365653976090747122012-06-06T09:15:45.609-07:002012-06-06T09:15:45.609-07:00Too many people are tragically killed in the Unite...Too many people are tragically killed in the United States by gun owners. Someone's right to own a gun should not trump someone else's right to life. <br /><br />We lived in Holland for a few months. I felt so much safer walking around there. Their laws require everyone to have their guns stored at a central location where they have to go to retrieve them for the purpose of hunting or target shooting. Nobody just walks around the streets with a gun. <br /><br />It's time for the United States to make a change in gun laws to protect everyone's right to life.Kathy Slattengrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16252019752450372211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-41018634804201009862012-06-06T08:55:35.381-07:002012-06-06T08:55:35.381-07:00It's definitely time for a change in our gun l...It's definitely time for a change in our gun laws. Someone's right to own a gun should not be more important than someone else's unalienable right to life. <br /><br />We lived a few months in Holland and I felt so much safer walking around there. People can own guns but have to store them at a government building where they also have to go to retrieve them - for the purpose of hunting or target shooting. <br /><br />Too many innocent people have been shot to death in the United States. We need to make a change to protect everyone's right to life.Kathy Slattengrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16252019752450372211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-33792594622296255802012-06-02T11:40:47.503-07:002012-06-02T11:40:47.503-07:00Gosh, reading this sent shivers through me, I am g...Gosh, reading this sent shivers through me, I am gobsmacked by the statistics. <br /> I live in Ireland, although we do have gun crime, the cultural aspect you have in the US, is so scary and alien to me.Liznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-27882832511627646512012-06-02T08:51:38.496-07:002012-06-02T08:51:38.496-07:00Amen. So well said. I will share this with the p...Amen. So well said. I will share this with the proud gun owners I know. We have guns but they are all in a safe, know how to use them and teach our children about how serious they are. Every gun owner I know is very well educated and just as careful, and I live in the heart of Texas, where it's almost a tradition to own guns. Thank you.happynikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03730082505038569248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-46843722663329244962012-06-02T06:55:50.502-07:002012-06-02T06:55:50.502-07:00Tom, you seem to like statistics.
Seattle has s...Tom, you seem to like statistics. <br /><br />Seattle has some of the most lenient concealed carry laws in the country, and has one of the lowest homicide rates in the nation for a city of its size.<br /><br />Washington, DC, on the other hand, has a homicide rate 7 times as high as Seattle's, with the most stringent gun laws in the nation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-47702283159770945702012-06-01T11:22:29.211-07:002012-06-01T11:22:29.211-07:00Thank you for your post. I agree that if we cannot...Thank you for your post. I agree that if we cannot just ban guns, then it needs to be very difficult to own one, like maybe not selling them at Walmart. I also agree with a response you made to a previous comment about the connection between exposing children to violence and children committing violent acts- isn't it strange that we live in a society that is more comfortable with violence then sex? People are fine with blatant violence in children's cartoons and games, but we get uncomfortable and offended if they're exposed to anything sexual. Maybe if we were more comfortable with sexuality and less so with violence we'd have a lower teenage pregnancy rate as well as lower violent crime rates. Sorry to go off on a tangent. Loved your article, signing up for your blog! <br />~MichelleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-49792242050606457142012-06-01T07:45:07.233-07:002012-06-01T07:45:07.233-07:00Oh, Tom. What an awful, scary, disheartening day. ...Oh, Tom. What an awful, scary, disheartening day. Thank goodness none of your daughter's friends were physically harmed, but my heart goes out to all of the families whose grown children were killed. <br /><br />I agree that more effective gun control is needed. I agree that those who are allowed to have them need serious training. <br /><br />But above everything else, there needs to be more love, education and kindness in the world so that people don't grow up with so much anger that they look for people to kill as a way to solve their problem and those who have mental illness aren't untreated or ignored. <br /><br />Sending much love to the city of Seattle and to you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06567374692535009450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-14407822534154125882012-06-01T06:29:21.289-07:002012-06-01T06:29:21.289-07:00I grew up in New Hampshire, in a small town where ...I grew up in New Hampshire, in a small town where pretty much everyone owns guns for hunting, and I firmly believe that gun control should be one of our #1 priorities in this country. The prevalence of guns, of various shapes, sizes, and killing ability, is ridiculous. Nobody needs an AK-47 to shoot a deer. Nobody needs a sub-machine gun. For any reason. For anyone who believes the whole "guns don't kill people, people kill people" adage - that may be true. So how about we replace it with a new adage? "People kill people, but guns make it much easier to do so." If you really want to kill someone, I suppose you are going to try, but it is MUCH HARDER to do so with pretty much any other weapon. To do serious damage with a bow and arrow you need training and practice. To inflict mortal wounds with a knife or sword you need to get close enough to the person you intend to harm, which makes it much more likely that they will be able to escape. You cannot randomly spray a crowd of people with these weapons, as you can with a gun. THAT is the point about gun control - it is relatively easy to kill people with a gun, by accident or intent. And as to the argument that "if guns become harder to get/illegal, only criminals will carry guns," I have two answers. The first is: if guns become harder to get/illegal to own in all but specific circumstances, then there will naturally be fewer guns out there to be bought or stolen. It may take a while, but eventually the market for guns will lessen dramatically. The second is: the number of law-abiding people who have used guns successfully to defend themselves against criminals is VERY LOW compared to the number of people who have shot others by accident or design, in self-defense. As to its constitutional rights issue, the constitution can be changed, and has been changed, over the years. It's time to change it again.Kieranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-21338745653004929302012-06-01T00:50:45.138-07:002012-06-01T00:50:45.138-07:00Fantastic post! Thank you for writing! I am so tir...Fantastic post! Thank you for writing! I am so tired of the whole car argument, the 'we are a nation of gun owners', the 2nd amendment arguments, all of it. Crap like this doesn't go down where guns are outlawed. Period.meg- grow and resisthttp://www.growandresist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-76916712069178422472012-05-31T23:19:26.006-07:002012-05-31T23:19:26.006-07:00Amazing. Thank you.Amazing. Thank you.Christina D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13452325429271741809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-18427219330022712462012-05-31T20:15:36.856-07:002012-05-31T20:15:36.856-07:00Both of my parents have been shot with firearms. M...Both of my parents have been shot with firearms. My father by his 13 year old brother in a hunting accident, my mother by her jealous boyfriend at point blank range at the age of 15. We were not allowed to play with any kind of gun as children, no water pistols, nothing. My father was an avid hunter, it was how we afforded meat to eat. His rifles were under lock and key when we were growing up. When each of us turned 14, he took us out and taught us how to shoot safely as a life skill. I have never shot a gun since, though my brother uses guns for hunting and target practice. When I became pregnant with our first child, my husband rifles were removed from the house and won't be coming back until our children are teenagers, if then. My father taught me that guns are deadly and the only reason to aim one at something or someone is if you are going to eat it or it's <br />about to kill you. You need to be a rational, stable human being to make rational, stable decisions when it comes to guns. Of course we should make sure only those that have proven that they can handle them have them. It does absolutely nobody any good to have a gun in the hands of an untrained and/or mentally <br />unstable person. And if you really believe that you need a gun to protect yourself or your family, surely you believe you need to be able to operate it properly to do that.Anne Tnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-49645121471631494962012-05-31T19:30:45.247-07:002012-05-31T19:30:45.247-07:00Yikes!!!
And for some smiles: I wanted to stop b...Yikes!!!<br /><br />And for some smiles: I wanted to stop by and tell you we finally made our own water wall. Thanks for the inspiration once again!!<br /><br />Gianne at cowsgomooandducksgoquack.blogspot.comGianneCurryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05851205950096306388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-22489000911134897552012-05-31T18:54:43.289-07:002012-05-31T18:54:43.289-07:00Years ago while living in Detroit, a drug crazed m...Years ago while living in Detroit, a drug crazed man loaded with guns and ammunition burst onto my daughter's playground at school. The little kids, (my daughter was in 3rd grade at the time and was a little kid) stayed inside for recess that day. There happened to be a solar eclipse occuring at the same time. The staff felt that little eyes may be harmed if they allowed them outside, but the big kids 5th - 8th graders were all on the playground preforming science activities that went along with the solar elclipse. Now comes in a loaded to the hilt gunman running from the cops. As soon as the cops took in the situation, they killed the man. In front of all the 'big' children who were outdoors, and all the 'little' children who were at the windows watching. My daughter is now 26 and has three chldren of her own, but that day still haunts her memories at times. We left Detroit shortly afterwards and moved to rural America. I can only wonder what would have happened had the police officers not accessed the situation so quickly and one or more of those children became hostages or statistics. It still makes me cringe. I found out years later, Quite by accident that the crazed gunman hepped up on drugs was 13 years old. THIRTEEN YEARS OLD! He was not a gunMAN. He was a kid, a deadly kid, but a kid. Makes me sad. Your blog was well written Teacher Tom. Thank you!Tammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00532345037039251206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-72843189969857379542012-05-31T18:43:28.197-07:002012-05-31T18:43:28.197-07:00A brilliant post, Teacher Tom... living in Austral...A brilliant post, Teacher Tom... living in Australia I have to say that in my 34 years I have never actually held/touched a gun - the closest I would have been to one is walking past a policeman in the street. Thinking of you from over here, so glad your family is safe... I'm off to give my kidlets an extra cuddle :)lil' redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10127035244765843279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-84153988692393780442012-05-31T16:21:15.095-07:002012-05-31T16:21:15.095-07:00@Tim . . . Mentally ill people WITH GUNS kill peop...@Tim . . . Mentally ill people WITH GUNS kill people. Children WITH GUNS kill people. Criminals WITH GUNS kill people. Guns are killing machines, designed to make it simple for anyone to kill. Yes, I suppose someone who is really determined will still kill, but come on, guns make it so much easier and make success so much more likely. Making it harder for mentally ill people, children and criminals to get guns will reduce the number of gun deaths caused by the mentally ill, children, and criminals. It should be very hard for these categories of people to get guns. Even the NRA agrees with me. I don't know what's so hard to understand about that.<br /><br />As for the 9-iron, any police department will tell you that a gun in the home is far, far, far more likely to be used to kill or injure a family member (as opposed to a 9-iron), either accidentally or in a domestic dispute, than it will be used to deter a crime. But that's really beside the point. I said nothing in this post about taking guns away from responsible gun owners. I just believe, as a society, we have a right to assure that gun owners in our midst know how to use their guns safely by requiring them to take courses and pass tests, know how to store and secure their gun properly, and pass a rigorous background check. I find it shocking that any "responsible" gun owner would object to these conditions.<br /><br />And I do want to address the comparison between guns and cars. This is one that comes up over and over. Cars are transportation machines that when used improperly can kill people. I do believe that our legal driving ages should be raised, our drunk driving laws should be strengthened, and that it should be much more difficult to acquire and much easier to lose your right to drive a car, because they are so dangerous. Guns, on the other hand, are killing machines. They only have one purpose: killing. <br /><br />Finally, I assure you the statistics I cite in this post will in no way be dispelled by anything I read. They cite the raw numbers of deaths of children by guns and compare them selectively to deaths by other means in order to put them in perspective. We have loosey-goosey gun laws in our country and we have the highest gun death toll, by far. Comparable nations with strict gun laws have lower death rates. "More guns, less crime," is a dangerous, unproven theory. For the life of me, I can't see how relaxing our laws even more will result in a safer society -- it is not born out by reality.Teacher Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-43769695215472704402012-05-31T14:25:02.011-07:002012-05-31T14:25:02.011-07:00This is one of the most ignorant blog posts--and m...This is one of the most ignorant blog posts--and many of the following comments--that I've ever read. Guns don't kill people; people kill people, and they will always find a way to do so, whether it's guns or something else. If the concern is really "safety" like your blog purports, then why aren't automobiles outlawed? More than 65 times the amount of people killed in firearm related incidents are killed in automobiles each year! Irresponsible people are everywhere, "stable" or not, "mentally ill" or not, "children" or not. Taking guns away from any of the aforementioned demographic groups doesn't keep anyone from being irresponsible, nor does it keep anyone from being killed. How is killing an intruder with a nine-iron morally superior--or "safer" for that matter--to killing an intruder with a pistol? What if the intruder has a gun? Are you going to hit him faster than he can shoot you? No gun rights people want to kill people with their guns; they simply want an alternative to trusting that [the intruder] doesn't have a gun himself, or having to wait for the police to arrive. If you're really "open" to other viewpoints, you should read the book, "More guns, less crime." The statistics you've cited will be dispelled and you'll find yourself realizing that what you've come to believe--largely because of the media's fixation on the fear of firearms--is pure fiction.Tim Hickmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391102972942773898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-56122545309146994102012-05-31T14:11:24.438-07:002012-05-31T14:11:24.438-07:00Thanks, Tom. After reading the comment by Anonymou...Thanks, Tom. After reading the comment by Anonymous, I just want to point out that the five people who were killed by the shooter yesterday were each someone's child, and yesterday they all became victims of senseless gun violence. You can't really argue that fact.Shellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03732673603804548204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-28437370024073285782012-05-31T14:04:55.905-07:002012-05-31T14:04:55.905-07:00I am with you 100%.I am with you 100%.followthatdoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02073521142861511678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-17098510644594198292012-05-31T13:48:09.000-07:002012-05-31T13:48:09.000-07:00Actually, PatrickF, that was the initial report, b...Actually, PatrickF, that was the initial report, but if you read the article I've linked to, you'll find all the shootings were committed by the same mentally ill man. I don't know if you live here or not, but you can't turn on the radio without hearing the story. It's still horrible, but the fact that it was one guy rather than two makes me feel slightly better.Teacher Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-24174348292191105232012-05-31T13:39:09.264-07:002012-05-31T13:39:09.264-07:00As a clarification: The two shooting incidents in ...As a clarification: The two shooting incidents in Seattle yesterday were NOT related. They were two separate shooters, one of whom shot and killed himself, the other is in police custody. I post this not as criticism, simply to make sure the facts are stated correctly.PatrickFnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-52903508759284186732012-05-31T13:17:45.061-07:002012-05-31T13:17:45.061-07:00Hey Anonymous... how do you teach gun safety to th...Hey Anonymous... how do you teach gun safety to the mentally ill. Maybe these kids would have been safe had this guy had some gun safety courses?<br /><br />http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/20/brendan-orourke-gets-life_n_1441728.htmlDevolutionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17353800266226327666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-83444548127354091052012-05-31T13:08:51.522-07:002012-05-31T13:08:51.522-07:00I'm so sorry to hear of this. I live in Canada...I'm so sorry to hear of this. I live in Canada where you need a gun safety course to own a gun. Many of my neighbours have them for hunting deer and turkeys, and keeping pests off their farms (coyotes, groundhogs). We didn't let our son play with toy guns but my mother once said, you can keep toy guns out of the house, but you can't cut off his finger...and it's true in a way. He'd find sticks that looked like guns, and I don't know about your little ones at school, but my kindergarten students build them out of lego and link cubes. <br />I find the data fascinating, that the most violent countries in the world are the ones where guns are NOT strictly regulated...as far as I know, gun-related deaths are still the exception in Canada, although we all practice "lock down" drills the way we do fire drills. Great post. Lots to reflect upon as always.The Knitty Gritty Homesteadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02890656094078973552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-56679889643489638132012-05-31T12:21:33.568-07:002012-05-31T12:21:33.568-07:00Eddie Izzard, in Dress to Kill, does a whole bit a...Eddie Izzard, in <i>Dress to Kill</i>, does a whole bit about guns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsN0FCXw914Kerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05122690676680965659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-78565690899488315612012-05-31T11:41:48.008-07:002012-05-31T11:41:48.008-07:00thank you, tom. I 100% agree, especially after rea...thank you, tom. I 100% agree, especially after reading about a man in our town-- at 8 am, next to an elementary school, who shot himself in the head in front of children being crossed by a crossing guard. Police were nearly on the scene already, as someone alerted them after seeing a man walking down the street visibly holding a weapon. I find it baffling that we are lawfully permitted to carry unconcealed weapons.Bending Bircheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05152624959065450814noreply@blogger.com