Defending the Truth

I agree. The police take an oath to serve and protect the community and people. While I agree that a primary purpose of our police forces are to protect the people, I also believe that they might not always be there at the right time. Obviously if there is an attacker in your home, a policeman like 5 to 10 minutes away wont do much; so there is a level of necessary self-defense.


It is pretty ridiculous to propose the arming of a student body in a place of learning. I don't think the tragedy at Virginia Tech should be used to further anyone's political motives. And anyway, if I'm not mistaken, the shooter was violating the state's gun laws in the first place when purchasing them; so had they been merely enforced, it could have been averted (thus, no need to tighten gun laws any more than they need be). But it is also simply ridiculous to propose that the students should be packing; granted, more people will be able to defend themselves, and someone like the VT shooter could be taken out earlier...but you will inevitably see a hike in shootings.

I believe that the significantly high level of shootings in the United States as compared to other industrialized nations has more to do with culture than the availability of guns. Canada has a higher gun per household ownership level than us, and yet their homicide by firearm rates are significantly lower (on a factor of like x1000). The problem lies within our distinct (in the world) culture of fear.

It has to change eventually. Though, likely not in our lifetimes.

Mike. I live in the same state that you live in. As a matter of fact
I have a home 70 miles north of you in Bay City, and I have a home
in Detroit. So that does mean that we're in the same state.

Since GM shutdown BuickCity Flint is like a ghosttown. However you
guys do have the famous Michael Moore there in Flint.
Whenever I visit Flint you can believe that I am armed, but being
armed does not give me permission to shoot anyone because they
look like a crook.

In CCW training a person is taught self-control, and anger
Management. I carry my permit and weapon because I carry a
large amount of $$$$ at times, and years ago I was robbed at
gunpoint plus held hostage for two weeks until I manage to
escape.

Thereforth I do have the legal rights to protect myself by
any means.

Yes, Flint is more or less dead in the water in terms of its economic status.

If I gave anyone the impression that you can just shoot anyone that appears to be a threat, I must clarify then. All I said was that if you are a thief and wish to rob someone on the street, I think the fact that the person you want to mug might be legally armed might play a factor on whether or not you go through with it. Concealed weapons most certainly even the odds.

I believe that everyone has the right to protect themselves, I mean the cops aren't going to be around everyone in all places 24/7.

Yes we have Michael Moore, can't wait for his new movie (Sicko)

I do plan on moving as soon as I get out of college, but only because Flint is a dead end town, though I haven't completely ruled out leaving just yet. Now on the "American culture of fear", all you really need to do is turn on the news. With local news you get rape, murder, murder, drugs, robbery, rape and weather. Cable news generally doesn't fare much better. To tell the truth, I don't think it's as bad as they tell us. I swear if the news was really reflective on American society, if it was as bad as they make us perceive it to be, we'd see shootouts every hour in every city. The murder rate in this country has been falling since 1980 (10.2 per 100K in 1980, as opposed to 5.9 per 100K in 2005).

Really it's nothing more than a desperate attempt for ratings. People don't pay attention to the good news anymore, but as soon as you say "murder", they will hang onto your every word. Fear sells I guess.

"To tell the truth, I don't think it's as bad as they tell us. I swear if the news was really reflective on American society, if it was as bad as they make us perceive it to be, we'd see shootouts every hour in every city. The murder rate in this country has been falling since 1980."

Yes, I worked as a reporter for 15 years. Not everybody in the media is out to create hype. But in a way, it's the nature of the business. Something has to be "unuaual" or "shocking" to a degree to make the news. So -- to really over-simplify it -- "Jack shot Joe" is going to make the papers, whereas, "The other 500,000 people in town went about their business and didn't hurt anybody", will not make the news.

[quote=mikelew007]

First of all...I wanna say the media is nothing but hype, and the
hype is a Reporter standing in the warzone area in Iraq but
reporting how dangerous Iraq is. Damn...if its so dangerous why
is a tv crew and a reporter is reporting in the middle of a neighbor
hood where rifle fire might hit one of them?

I do NOT trust NO type of Reporter peroid. Unfortunately the
Community organization that I belong to have a journalist on
staff, but we regulate what he writes about concerning the
organization, and we monitor the articles of his that is used
in the weekly paper.

Show me where the murder rates has dropped here in the
United States? That's media hype as far as I am concerned,
and to me that's aka a Lie. Also why does something have to
be shocking or unusual to make the paper or TV news?

Why can't the news get out about a person saving a Mother
from killing herself. Or a Trooper in Iraq helping a senior elder
out of the line of fire? My point is Reporters will eat negative
items up, and will beat the item to death like beating a dead
horse.

In closing, Not only do we have rights to bare sidearms, but we
have the rights to tell a reporter to get the hell out of our face.
Then even at that...most reporters will write a article about
being refused to conduct interviews or ask questions.

MyTMouse, why you did post the top part of your quote like
you was the one who made that statement? When it was actually
mikelew stating that in his post. See!!!! You are a reporter, and you
wanted to make it seem like you stated that statement

Well, I'd compare it to a report on a hurricane; sure the reporter could stay in a nearby storm shelter and report what he/she sees from the tiny bit of window that wasn't covered by a wooden/steel panel, but by being out in the hurricane, seeing the destruction and feeling the fury, a reporter would more accurate info and of course, better ratings. It's all a business these days I guess.

Here's a couple of charts on crime statistics.
United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2005