RECENTLY ON TOL:
TOL Our Town
- A tumblr site dedicated to the people and places that make up Oregon and Southwest Washington.
TAGS:
elhoward's comments:
on Unpacking Heat
"Wielding" means to hold in one's hand, in preparation for being used. If you do "wield" a handgun, except to prevent the use of deadly force by another, you are guilty of menacing, and will be arrested for it. I'd prefer a taser had been used on the homeless man instead of a gun, but there is a big different between threatening someone with a weapon and merely possessing one. Had the homeless man not been advancing on a police officer with a razor blade held out in front of him, he would not have been shot.
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
I take it then, echolynch, that you are a direct descendant of Kennewick Man? Because I'm pretty sure it was his country first.
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
As a nation, are we made safer by letting every other nation know we have nuclear weapons and a well prepared military, or by developing those in secret?
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
- The United States government's national threat level is Elevated, or Yellow.
- For all domestic and international flights, the U.S. threat level is High, or Orange.
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
Do you count the police shootings of unarmed citizens as "proactive gun violence" or "actual self defense"?
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
Right... and our government should get rid of all those nuclear weapons too, because they are making us less safe... do police officers carrying weapons make us less safe? Does a uniform make anybody more responsible or less human? Granted, there are people who SHOULD NOT be allowed to possess firearms. But there are also many responsible, well-trained individuals (ex-military and ex-law enforcement) who should.
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
As a child, I slept with a loaded gun rack at the foot of my bed. And yet I NEVER played with guns. Is the solution to preventing accidental deaths to never expose children to guns so they never knwo how to handle them on the off chance they come across one, or to train them from a young age that every gun is a deadly weapon that should never be pointed at anyone you do not intend to kill?
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
So, is the solution to ban all weapons except for those used by police officers, or to require training for all people that have a legitimate interest in defending themselves and their families? In my experience, being a police officer does not necessarily make one a more responsible gun owner. How many people have been shot and killed by police officers in the Portland area this year, both in the line of work and as deliberate homicides, versus people shot by non-police? Shocking, considering what a small percentage of the population are in law enforcement!
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
Good point. Unfortunately, far too little training is required for either gun ownership or for a concealed carry permit. Anyone with a clean record can attend a short class and get a concealed carry permit without ever demonstrating proficiency with a weapon. And anyone with a clean record can buy a firearm. I would prefer that gun ownership be treated more like automobile ownership, where one is required to demonstrate both knowledge of the law and proficiency with the tool in question before being allowed to take one out in public. But once one has a driver's license, there are few legal limitations to the vehicles one may possess.
I believe that private citizens should have access to many of the same self defense tools that law enforcement does, but that they should be required to receive adequate training first.
Finally, if Mr. Kirby had been wearing a uniform, would those around him have been any less disturbed?
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
People use guns to protect themselves every day in America. If you can successfully convince all criminals to give up their weapons, and all wild animals to give up their teeth and claws, then I will gladly give up my firearms. Until such day, I will claim that I still need weapons to defend myself and my family.
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
on Unpacking Heat
All businesses have a right to ask someone to leave if they are making other customers uncomfortable. I would prefer that the Criminal Trespass laws had been used in this case. Likewise, all businesses have the right to prohibit any firearms on premises, but they should post conspicuous signage advising customers of this decision.
I too believe that all citizens should be allowed the same reasonable tools for self defense that police officers are allowed; the flip side of that coin is that they should be required to have adequate training.
I understand that just seeing a holstered weapon makes many people nervous. However, nobody complains about law enforcement, or even private security guards carrying weapons. Wearing a uniform does not necessarily make someone more responsible!
Open carry laws are necessary; without them, it would be impossible to legally carry firearms to or from the gun store. Also, handguns are still necessary in many circumstances (even on public lands) for their original purpose: to protect people from wild animals. However, all gun owners should realize that any use of a firearm is potentially deadly, and "with great power comes great responsibility". Seeing someone walking through the woods with a weapon, while initially frightening, is completely reasonable. But there are lots of places where any reasonable person would consider open carry inappropriate: around schools, bars, gambling houses, etc. Mr. Kirby did a disservice to the open carry cause by using his weapon in an irresponsible way. While I believe a criminal trespass notice would have been the proper response, if he had no legitimate business purpose he should not have been there, either with our without a weapon.
posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context
