910 Outlaw People
“Guns don’t kill people, people do.” -- Long time gun fan slogan.
“48 People shot in NYC over the Labor Day Weekend.” -- News item.
If the first and second statements are true, then it’s time to get to the root of the problem and outlaw people. No gun deaths or any others except natural causes. And, of course, people who are sentenced to death for being people.
New York has probably the toughest gun laws in the country. Forty eight fewer New Yorkers; no one but immediate friends and family notices the difference. Except the Mayor, who says it’s all the fault of no federal gun laws, because without them, how do you prevent all those pistols from getting into town undetected.
They could stop people at the bridge and tunnel tolls and hold inspections. Kind of like customs. That would mean today’s traffic snarl at the Lincoln Tunnel would have started last June. Oh, and they’d have to hire enough toll taker/inspectors and, of course, there’s no money for that.
But guns don’t kill people. So, outlaw people.
Of course, a lot of the people who kill people are not considered people at all. Ask anyone not involved in Monday’s West Indian day parade about it and you’ll find out. So NOW what do we outlaw.
This parade, held on Labor Day, even though the Labor Day Parade isn’t, is always violent. People celebrate. They wear colorful costumes. They sing. They dance. They get tanked up and cranked up. They shoot and stab others. Tradition. Never fails.
But it doesn’t take a colorful parade or a diminishing of the humanity of one group or another to lead to a lot of shootings. And it’s not just Columbine or Virginia Tech or the Texas Tower. It’s little kids with irresponsible parents and who play with guns that mysteriously “go off,” and it’s stickup artists at 7-11 and the bank.
All this points out a major flaw in the legal system. The law generally says “If you are convicted of ‘this,’ then ‘that’ will happen to you. The law is good only after the fact.
A human flaw and all the more reason to outlaw people.
Shrapnel:
--Larry Yount, 77, passed away a few days ago in Taylorsville, North Carolina near Hickory a place you might not think of as a breeding ground of culture, sophistication and subtleness. Larry was a radio announcer at WPIX and WRFM and WQXR in New York City, a big man with a naturally big voice and a big but low key sense of humor. He also was friend, confidant for the past 30 years.
--The newest iPod Nano music player is about the size of four postage stamps arranged in adjacent rows of two. If it gets any smaller they’re going to have to issue choking warnings. And magnifying glasses to read the screen.
--Promo: Coming Friday, 9/9/11... the tenth anniversary comment on 9/11. The shameful and the unacceptable. And, ironically, it will be Wessay™ #911.
I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®
Please address comments to wesrichards@gmail.com
© WJR 2011
“Guns don’t kill people, people do.” -- Long time gun fan slogan.
“48 People shot in NYC over the Labor Day Weekend.” -- News item.
If the first and second statements are true, then it’s time to get to the root of the problem and outlaw people. No gun deaths or any others except natural causes. And, of course, people who are sentenced to death for being people.
New York has probably the toughest gun laws in the country. Forty eight fewer New Yorkers; no one but immediate friends and family notices the difference. Except the Mayor, who says it’s all the fault of no federal gun laws, because without them, how do you prevent all those pistols from getting into town undetected.
They could stop people at the bridge and tunnel tolls and hold inspections. Kind of like customs. That would mean today’s traffic snarl at the Lincoln Tunnel would have started last June. Oh, and they’d have to hire enough toll taker/inspectors and, of course, there’s no money for that.
But guns don’t kill people. So, outlaw people.
Of course, a lot of the people who kill people are not considered people at all. Ask anyone not involved in Monday’s West Indian day parade about it and you’ll find out. So NOW what do we outlaw.
This parade, held on Labor Day, even though the Labor Day Parade isn’t, is always violent. People celebrate. They wear colorful costumes. They sing. They dance. They get tanked up and cranked up. They shoot and stab others. Tradition. Never fails.
But it doesn’t take a colorful parade or a diminishing of the humanity of one group or another to lead to a lot of shootings. And it’s not just Columbine or Virginia Tech or the Texas Tower. It’s little kids with irresponsible parents and who play with guns that mysteriously “go off,” and it’s stickup artists at 7-11 and the bank.
All this points out a major flaw in the legal system. The law generally says “If you are convicted of ‘this,’ then ‘that’ will happen to you. The law is good only after the fact.
A human flaw and all the more reason to outlaw people.
Shrapnel:
--Larry Yount, 77, passed away a few days ago in Taylorsville, North Carolina near Hickory a place you might not think of as a breeding ground of culture, sophistication and subtleness. Larry was a radio announcer at WPIX and WRFM and WQXR in New York City, a big man with a naturally big voice and a big but low key sense of humor. He also was friend, confidant for the past 30 years.
--The newest iPod Nano music player is about the size of four postage stamps arranged in adjacent rows of two. If it gets any smaller they’re going to have to issue choking warnings. And magnifying glasses to read the screen.
--Promo: Coming Friday, 9/9/11... the tenth anniversary comment on 9/11. The shameful and the unacceptable. And, ironically, it will be Wessay™ #911.
I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®
Please address comments to wesrichards@gmail.com
© WJR 2011
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