Remember When?

fm2176 · March 2, 2013

Sheesh, I need to get to Afghanistan. As I'm sure some of you can tell, I've been bored as heck for the last few weeks. Anyways...

I'm still a relative young buck, born in the late '70s, who didn't even own my first gun until 1996 or so (when the '94 Assault Weapon Ban was still fairly new). I know many of you here are much older and wiser than I, and some of what I'm about to state is based on hearsay rather than personal experience.

Is it just me, or has anti-gun hysteria completely turned America around in terms of morals and values? Shortly after I got over here Christopher Dorner started his self-justified fight against Los Angeles area law enforcement. As an anti-gun "martyr" (sadly enough, some circles supported his crimes) he ranted against what he perceived as lax gun laws before going out and murdering innocent cops their relatives. This thread isn't about him, however, and most of you already know the story, so I won't elaborate on his crimes or my opinion of him. The mere fact that a murderer can blame his actions on the availability of certain weapons, and the fact that so many supported him, is sickening to me. Remember when we--and not lawmakers or police--were accountable for our own actions?

Not very long ago some localities would allow high school students to keep rifles and/or shotguns in their vehicles during hunting season. I won't draw a comparison between that and a lack of school shootings, because unfortunately children have always been subject to violence in their places of learning. Still, I've yet to hear of an instance where a young hunter decided to turn his or her weapon on their peers. Instead, they were encouraged to partake in a tradition and sport that was for some a means of putting food on the table. Today we hear reports of students being suspended for having butter knives in their backpacks, and it is illegal in many places to have an otherwise lawful firearm anywhere near a school-zone. Remember when our young men and women could be trusted on-campus as much as they are trusted off-campus? For that matter, remember when we as adults could be trusted as responsible citizens without a need for 1000-foot buffer zone and the risk (in some jurisdictions) or becoming a convicted felon?

Private transactions at gun shows have been targeted by politicians and the media for years now, but before recent events the so-called "loophole" seemed to have little chance of getting closed. This may be a little projection on my part, but I believe that in the coming years--if not months--those who have been working for decades to stop face-to-face sales without a background check will finally succeed. After that, who's to say that private transactions in general won't require a background check or going through a licensed dealer? In 1934 we got the National Firearms Act, requiring registration of machine guns, short-barreled weapons, silencers, and destructive devices. Legally-owned weapons that fell under it had to be registered, turned in, or destroyed, and all future transactions (private and through dealers) required a background check and hefty (at the time) tax. Perhaps it's comparing apples to oranges, but what's to stop the FBI from imposing a "fee" for NICS, or even the seller maintaining records of the firearm (as dealers and Curio and Relics license holders do now)? Remember when American citizens could sell or trade their legally-owned personal property without media outlets getting uproarious?

I've met many police officers who have been "just another guy" with a job to do. I've met a few that seem to be of the opinion that they are the only ones who should be legally armed (this was back in my open carry days), or who think they are above those who do not wear a badge. Similarly, I've known a few too many citizens who distrust the police and their motives. Granted, larger urban areas have had this problem for years, but now it seems that even smaller rural areas are affected by the disconnect between law enforcement and the public. If anything, the disconnect has grown to include all facets of the justice system as well as many governmental departments and officials. From rude DMV clerks to ungrateful SNAP (food stamp) beneficiaries, few government/citizen interactions are exempt from this disconnect. What has eroded the mutual trust and respect that smaller communities--if not metropolis'-- used to have between ordinary citizenry and the institutions organized to protect and provide for them? Remember when the "law" was both respected and respectful? Remember when government entities provided services for grateful citizens?

Maybe my perception is off, or maybe I am blinded by my own idealistic beliefs, but I yearn for the days I recall even in my short life when Americans held themselves accountable and were mostly trusted to do right without inane laws dictating what "right" is. And maybe reruns of the Andy Griffith Show warped my interpretation of small-town America, but I wish a handshake and a person's word was still worth more than all the lawyers and contracts in the world.

8.1HD/ALLISON · March 2, 2013

Your not the only one missing those days. I have to add I think another thing to blame is the blatent bull$hit that todays media spews across this nation. Its one sided. They only report what they want people to know. I won't get started cause I'm sure my blood pressure is rocketing as I type, lol but well said!

kstruckcountry · March 2, 2013

Small town America is still the same in some places, like where I grew up. But it's changing fast. Just last year a kid got in trouble for having a gun in his car at school.

'01LS1 · March 2, 2013

Your not the only one missing those days. I have to add I think another thing to blame is the blatent bull$hit that todays media spews across this nation. Its one sided. They only report what they want people to know. I won't get started cause I'm sure my blood pressure is rocketing as I type, lol but well said!

My bp shoots up too when listening to those in D.C. Matter of fact, it is why I cancelled XM years ago as I would listen to the news & could not turn it off if it was in front of me. Obviously my own issue.

But the free press is necessary to prevent a tyrannical government opinion from controlling the majority. Right now, we have state run media. MSNBC, NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS & the freakin' Weather Channel all seem to carry the political messages of government instead of carrying or looking for the truth.

History shows us the effects of too much or too little government regulation/dependency, yet America is getting duped by the ideology of a few.

fm2176 · March 3, 2013

Small town America is still the same in some places, like where I grew up. But it's changing fast. Just last year a kid got in trouble for having a gun in his car at school.

My travels have been somewhat limited, but I've lived near small towns in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Georgia, and used to spend months at my dad's place in a small town in Delaware. There is still a small-town feel to those places, but at the same time they seem to be slowly evolving (devolving?) into much smaller shadows of nearby cities. I know there are many places left where small towns are hundreds of miles away from the nearest city (and its influence and population flight), but unfortunately urban sprawl and the aforementioned population spread have ruined (IMO) too many towns. When I open a small-town paper that caters to only a few thousand people and read the same stuff that I can read in the Advocate (Baton Rouge) or the Times-Dispatch (Richmond) in the local news, something is wrong.

I barely touched on the media in my original post, due to them requiring a multi-page rant by themselves. I stopped watching the national news years ago, yet I am still bombarded with its mostly one-sided nonsense everytime I turn around. Okay, maybe it's not fair to call the news one-sided. The big cable news outlets let opposing viewpoints on, don't they? Of course! I had the (dis)pleasure of watching Piers Morgan "interview" the owner of the VA Beach pizza shop that gives discounts to those carrying guns. Basically, the "interview" went as pretty much all of them do, with the "morally straight" "journalist" talking over and insulting the pizzeria owner while the former tries to get a word in edgewise.

Local media could be our saving grace, by giving honest coverage to local, state, and national matters that concern us most, but I gave up on it too when I started tuning into Savannah stations a few months ago. The same news is covered every half-hour for the first few hours of the morning: "police are investigating a murder outside of...", "coming up, we'll tell you how you can lose weight...", "Bryan County school officials..." with no attempt whatsoever to spend more than a minute or two on even the most pressing issues. I understand that crime and other local issues take precedence, but when the national headlines are touched on and they mimic what the affiliates' national news services report, it just ain't right. I understand if NBC, CBS, ABC, or Fox affiliates have to report whatever national news their "big sisters" tell them to, but when local anchors and reporters just spout the party line without giving a personal or at least a regional view on the subject, they've failed in my opinion.

Funny that you mention the Weather Channel too. It wasn't until last year that I realized how little weather they report between news updates and reality programs. At least you can press a button for current local weather on Directv.

'01LS1 · March 4, 2013

Switched to Accu Weather online to get away from the party line talk on the Weather Channel. It was not like that under their previous owner/investor Landmark Communications. TWC does not allow alternate influence or opinion, just straight line progressive msnbc.

If you like that sort of thing, then it is great. However it made me change the channel.

Did not mean to hijack your thread, just so frustrated with how the media controls national opinion which obviously includes guns.

fm2176 · March 5, 2013

Switched to Accu Weather online to get away from the party line talk on the Weather Channel. It was not like that under their previous owner/investor Landmark Communications. TWC does not allow alternate influence or opinion, just straight line progressive msnbc.

If you like that sort of thing, then it is great. However it made me change the channel.

Did not mean to hijack your thread, just so frustrated with how the media controls national opinion which obviously includes guns.

It''s not hijacking; I started this thread to rant about everything "wrong" with this country. TWC was the network that fired one of their anchors, who claimed it was over her military service: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/weather-channel-anchor-says-she-was-fired-over-military-service.html

I don't know what ever became of that.