I learned gun handling and safety at a very young age. As an instructor, I've taught many children to safely and responsibly shoot and handle guns. To my personal knowledge not a single one of them has EVER participated in, nor instigated a school and/or college massacre.
With all due respect, I submit that if there were no guns then the evening news would be full of reports of stabbings, clubbings, stranglings, etc... A can of soda or bar of soap in the toe of a sock can be a devastatingly effective weapon - Do we ban those next?
Simple fact is that guns are not the problem with today's society. People are the problem with today's society. Perhaps if more time had been spent teaching children right from wrong and how to co-exist peacefully with others and less time tilting at windmills such as gun-control, we'd have no need for this discussion...
Rather than repeal or amend the 2nd Amendment, wouldn't it just make more sense to enforce the myriad of gun control laws that are already in existence?
There's more that I could add regarding the 2nd Amendment, but I'm afraid that it might be construed as an attack against your 1st Amendment rights. Suffice it to say that it's my belief that one of the reasons we still have a 1st Amendment is precisely because of the 2nd Amendment...
USA Today: (Feb. 28) -- Radio legend Paul Harvey, whose news and commentary segments always ended with his distinctive sign-off, "Paul Harvey....good day," died Saturday at the age of 90, ABC Radio Network says. Network spokesman Louis Adams says Harvey died Saturday at his winter home in Phoenix, surrounded by family. No cause of death was immediately available.
Harvey never viewed himself as a newsman, even though some 18 million people tuned into his daily reports to hear his 15-minute take on the day's events. "I'm a professional parade watcher who can't wait to get out of bed every morning and rush down to the teletypes to pan for gold," he told CNN's Larry King in 1988. That he did with a vengeance since those teletype days in 1951, arriving at his Chicago studio in the pre-dawn hours to produce two news and commentary segments and his evening The Rest of the Story (written by his son, Paul) which were carried on some 1,100 radio stations and 400 Armed Forces Radio Network stations. He based himself in Chicago, flew aboard his Lear jet to give corporate speeches and commuted by limo each day from his 27-room home in suburban River Forest, Ill., to his 16th floor studio above a street sign that reads Paul Harvey Drive. When Harvey was 81 in 2000, his sole employer for all those years, ABC Radio Networks, signed him to a 10-year, $100 million contract. Rivals who had lost in the bidding told him they'd be back in 2010. Harvey's ability to sell products in advertisements, via spots that read and which flowed seamlessly from his news stories, were legendary. He is considered the greatest radio salesman of all time and sponsors — only one in 15 were accepted — were required to sign on for at least a year......
I posted this because Paul Harvey was, to me and millions of others, an American icon. I first started listening to him in 1978 as a know it all teenager while driving a wheat truck for a Custom Harvest crew in Nebraska and his commentary was a constant and positive influence upon me. I listened to Paul Harvey when I wouldn't listen to my own father. For years afterwards, I ate breakfast with Bryant Gumbel, lunch with Paul Harvey and supper with Tom Brokaw... Contrary to what the experts tell us, lunch was the most important meal of the day.
You didn't have to agree with Paul Harvey to enjoy listening to him and that might've been the best thing about his broadcasts. I never had the honor of meeting the man in person, but I still feel this morning as if I've lost a dear, dear friend.
(Oh, and I wouldn't tell a soul besides Jackie for fear that something would happen to the HUGE life-insurance policy I'd put on myself for her benefit.)
In my day to day life there's not much I'd change. On the other hand, there are things around the property that Jackie and I have talked about doing, knowing that they'll take 5 or 10 or more years to come to fruition - especially since I pretty much insist on doing everything by hand and without much more than a shovel, axe or bow saw.
Soooo... If I knew for a fact that I was going to keel over in, say 2 years, I'd forego fishing and hunting and other hobbies a little bit more in order to allow more time for putting in the small orchard we've talked of and the rose garden I want to plant (simply because I know roses are her favorite flowers) as well as clearing the rest of the brush below the existing gardens. I mean, I'd still be the same person I am right now, but I'd take a little less time for me in order to create for Jackie the pretty things we've talked about so that she could enjoy them when I was gone.
Thanks again Di! It seems to me that far too many people spend their lives going back and forth from memories of the past to anticipation of the future and forget to live in the here and now. I'm not sure if that was the point of this thread or if was simply to get folks thinking...
There are things I'd like to accomplish before I croak, but my bucket is filled to the brim with only one wish: To love my lady as well as I can for as long as I can.
Thanks Marseilles. I don't happen to agree that it's a silly question -- I assume, by your answer that you'd change absolutely nothing at all. (I wouldn't change much myself.) But some folks would undergo major changes.
If someone wants to do something pretty badly, time (read money, experience, etc...) might indeed be an issue. For example: All "X" really wants to do - "X's" ultimate goal - is to restore a vintage auto and drive it from coast to coast. "X" has done the math and knows that comfortably (taking into account time needed, capital required, etc...) it'll happen about the time they retire. But then "X" finds out that they're gonna' croak 2 years before retirement... Will "X" find a way to make it happen sooner? Or re-evaluate their goals and pass the torch to someone else?
I'm just curious as to how different folks would react...
Thanks, Di! I appreciate your insight and thoughtfulness. At times it seems to me as if folks live as if they're too busy to die - that it simply can't happen to them, or that, at worst, it's nothing more than an exceedingly dim eventuality.
Even those who acknowledge that it could be tomorrow secretly believe that it won't be for many, many years. (And hope is a good thing!)
I was just curious how people think they would react to the certain knowledge of a specific date of their demise. Would they work harder at checking things off their "bucket list," or resign themselves to not being able to accomplish everything and so simply concentrate on the most attainable?
Personally, I can only think of a couple of "loose ends" that I'd want to take care of. Everything after that would be gravy. Come to think of it, every day I wake up alive right now is gravy and the loose ends are only threads to be added to the eventual tapestry of my life.
I originally posted this nearly 2 1/2 years ago, but something I read recently got me to thinkng about it again.
If you knew when you were going to die, but it wasn't right away, what would you do?
If you had been given the gift of knowing when you were going to die, but that it was… Say 3 – 4 years into the future and you would not pass BEFORE that time - What would you do?
If you somehow knew “when” but did not and could not know any specifics of your life except the end date and that your health would remain until very near the end– How would you live?
Would you take more chances knowing that you wouldn’t die UNTIL then and figure that, provided you didn’t “take out” someone else, anything less than death would be fairly inconsequential? Or would you take fewer chances in the hopes of living pain free until the end?
Would you have less patience and become more confrontational knowing that your time was limited and therefore not to be wasted? Or would you develop more tolerance and understanding knowing that in the end, all that really matters is how you feel about yourself?
If, contrary to the popular Tim McGraw song, you didn’t need to go “skydiving, rocky mountain climbing, 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu” etc… because, thanks to a full life, you’d already done all of that stuff – What would you do with your remaining time? Would you quit your job, or keep working because that’s what you’re good at and you enjoy it? Would you change things in order to more fulfill your remaining time or keep them the same because you’re comfortable with the status quo?
And who would you tell about this knowledge? Everybody? Or certain selected individuals? Family members or just close friends? Would you tell only those whom you believe would understand? Or would you tell no one at all?
If you do not have a “significant other” would you search frantically to find “the ONE” knowing your time was running out? Or would you still let nature take its’ course, on the understanding that deep and abiding friendship is the purest form of love? And if you have a significant other, would you share this knowledge with them or keep it to yourself so as not worry them unnecessarily?
On that note - Would you work at developing more friendships or would you work at deepening the friendships you already have? Or would you work at distancing yourself, so that fewer people would be affected by your passing?
Would you make funeral arrangements in advance? And if so, how far in advance? Right now? Or with 2 years, 1 year or 6 months left?
If you belong to a particular faith – Would you more diligently pursue your faith? Or would you become disenchanted because of the “unfair deal” you got?
If you do not belong to a particular faith – Would you consider joining one in hopes of finding answers? Or would you turn your sight inward and try to figure things out on your own?
...If you somehow knew when you were going to die, but that it was some distance into the future – Would you live like you were dieing? Or would you accept death as just another part of living?
Wow! Thanks folks! If it weren't for being zoned and stoned, I'd do a cart wheel.
(I got energetic a littl while ago and got a case of hiccups that damn near made me cry! lol)
Thanks again for all the birthday wishes and well wishes. It's been a tough week, but as long as I have my lovely wife and my friends I'm the richest guy on earth.
Thanks everyone! For the first time in years, I get to spend my birthday at home, kicked back and high as a freakin' kite (thanks to the painkillers!). Haven't done that since I quit rodeoin'!
Two years ago today I received a very special gift from the lady who become my wife. I had hoped that there would be a repeat today, but I'm still too banged up from the wreck to much more than just lay around the house and collect dust.
Nonetheless, I want her to know just how much I love her and just how much she means to me. Unfortunately, words fail me and all I can say is thank you, God, for sending me such a wonderful lady and thank you, CS, for being the medium through which we met.
Welcome to the asylum! You are correct, my young friend - Most of us here are old farts! What you have to keep in mind is that we were all younger once (like you) and someday, when you least expect it, you will be an old fart, too!
In the mean time, enjoy what you can, while you can and let us old farts have our fun. For some of us decrepit old souls, it's all we can handle!
Sorry for the typo - We did indeed meet in '07 instead of '09 - I hadn't had my painkillers yet when I typed that. lol
For everyone else, thanks so much for the kind words and good thoughts. Jackson stated that the toughest part was waiting and that's true - I lost my cell phone in the accident and didn't find it until the next afternoon when I went to get my personal gear out of what was left of the truck. I've spent pretty much the past two years talking to her every single day - usually twice a day - and not having the cell to call and tell her I was okay was 10 times worse than the wreck itself.
Sparky - Thanks so much for an enjoyable lunch. Wish my evening had gone better, but finally meeting you sure made our afternoon worthwhile.
Thanks again folks, the good wishes and outpourings of genuine friendship make me realize why I'm still here more than 2 years after meeting the woman of my dreams.
Ya'll take care. (I'm gonna' take another painkiller and get horizontal again.)
Thanks everyone! I'm not sure how long I'll be off or when/if I'll get back in a truck again, but I've got a whole new appreciation for the love that Jackson sends with me on each and every trip. I'm sure it was that love, as much as anything, that kept me safe. She is my guardian Angel...
On January 27th, 2009, I met, in person for the first time, the lady who would become my wife and partner. The one that I have genuinely come to believe is my soulmate. From the time we first started communicating here on CS there were signs that we were supposed to be together and we were lucky enough to recognize them as such.
Last Sunday evening (Jan 26th) I had a bad truck wreck in Indiana. I'm still not sure what caused it, but the truck ended up on it's side in the ditch alongside I-74 outside of Shelbyville. I was still travelling probably 60mhp when it flipped and there's absolutely no reason I should have been able to walk away with no more than some serious bruising and a cracked rib... But I did.
As the truck was flipping my first thought was "Oh God, is this it? After all these years on the road, am I gonna' die in a truck wreck?" followed immediately by "Please God, don't let me die - I'm not ready to leave Jackson behind!" And I got lucky and He listened to me and cut me some slack and let me walk away with pretty minor injuries.
I learned a few things Sunday evening... I learned that no matter how good you are, things can still happen and that the law of averages applies to everybody and can't be beaten. I learned that life is easy to lose and sometimes it's just pure luck that lets you keep hanging around. And I learned that, as terrifying as it was to see the ground rushing at me sideways as the truck was sliding down the shoulder on its side, it was a pastoral view compared to the thought that I might never see my lovely wife again.
I'm home now and recuperating and Jackson is taking super good care of me as she has done since the first day we met.
And I'm not really sure what the point of this thread is except to say that if you have someone in your life that you care about, stop what you're doing right now and give them a hug. If they're not right there with you, then send them an e-mail or call them and let 'em know that you love them. It might take you all of five minutes to do it, but it only takes five seconds to miss the opportunity forever.
I'm going to bow out for a bit and make coffee so it'll be ready when Jackson wakes up. Then I'm going to take some painkillers and do some serious hugging on her. I hope everyone has a great day and takes the time to call someone or write or hug someone they care about... Life ain't always easy, but it sure beats the hell out of the alternative!
The_Kansan Forum Posts (3,395)
RE: GUN CONTROL....is it a good thing
I learned gun handling and safety at a very young age. As an instructor, I've taught many children to safely and responsibly shoot and handle guns. To my personal knowledge not a single one of them has EVER participated in, nor instigated a school and/or college massacre.