More on Gun Control

There are thousands of rules, regulations and laws that supposedly control guns in the United States. We do not need MORE laws. We simply need to enforce the ones already on the books, leaving the stupid laws and keeping the ones that actually make sense.

Here’s some personal data from my life that maybe will shed some light on a couple gun laws. It will shed some new light for a few of the newer listeners of Thanks for Listening who are not privy to my past altercations with the law.

I wrote some hot checks for which I paid with three years of my life in Colorado’s Grey Bar Hotel. I used - most likely - a Bic T-Ball Jotter or some such writing instrument. I didn’t use a firearm. My crimes were committed using a pen.

Now, the logical thing for the government to do would have been to take away my right to use a writing instrument. All the convictions were perpetrated using a Parker Pocket Pal ink pen or similar crime committing paraphernalia.

But in its infinite wisdom, the government says that I cannot own or have in my possession any firearm, nor will the government allow me to vote.

I didn’t use a gun in any crime nor did I vote for the “wrong” candidate or whatever it is the government doesn’t want an ex-con voting for.

June 22 of next year will mark my 50th “get-out-of jail” anniversary from the hoosegow and I still can’t own a gun for my personal protection nor can I vote for Daines for President. (I’m not sure Sen. Daines would appreciate my support anyhow, me being a convicted felon and a “very dangerous individual” when armed with a pen).

But I digress.

GUN CONTROL BEGINS AT HOME. It begins with strong parental control. It begins with parents telling their children what is true and what is Hollywood. It begins with parents denying their children the “opportunity” to watch suggestive movies/TV or to play the violent video games so prevalent in today’s society. Where the hell else do you think the kids come up with the idea that gun-running is fun and profitable or that drug running is where all the fame and fortune lies? The fast women and loose cars. The duffel bags full of “Franklins.” The nightclubbing with hot music and loud women.

The media glorifies shooting up a school full of kids as a great way to get on the 10 o’clock news or to show an ex-girlfriend the lengths to which one will go to “show her.”

Gun control begins with parents being positive role models.

Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, a drive-by shooting usually involved a fast moving car and either a road sign or a jackrabbit. No one ever heard of a school shooting such as we have happening here too very often.

Families in the West always had guns around. Kids drove to school in pickups with gun racks in the back window in plain sight that held 30-06s, shotguns and .22s. I don’t recall a school shooting or any gang violence in Montana in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Do you?

Out-of-control gun violence began in New York with the Puerto Rican immigrants fighting everyone who got in their way and then carried out to the west coast with Mexican immigrants fighting whites. Then it became a huge problem in Michigan and Illinois with the black nefarious population fighting for their “share” of the pie.

And we can’t overlook the Italian Mafia immigrant’s gun violence during prohibition and beyond. Recall St. Valentine’s Day in a garage? Nor can we dismiss the Irish and the Blacks retaliating against the Mafia, the Whites and each other.

All of that gun violence media coverage was kept localized for the most part and the only photos were stills in a newspaper. There were no graphic depictions such as are seen in today’s movies and TV. (Or on the prime time news broadcasts!)

Nearly all of the gun violence in the United Stated since the turn of the last century was over illegal drugs, whiskey, guns, gambling, prostitution or were racially incited.

And Hollywood romanticized and glorified it all on film using our favorite actors playing the parts of all the bad guys. And they continue to do so today and therein lies the rub.

I remember when the government fined a movie studio and star actor $5,000 each for uttering the word “damn” in an Academy Award winning movie. Remember GWTW?

If all the nekkid sex, gun violence and inappropriate language were to be fined today in every movie, TV show and video game, the 19 trillion dollar national debt could be retired in a matter of minutes!!

I hold the film industry and the television industry culpable for depicting the gun violence and the Internet for the “how-to-kits.”

That’s it for now folks. Thanks for listening.