Comments for Oh my, where to begin? We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:35:36 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Oh my, where to begin? Barbara Miner, a writer in Milwaukee, takes a walk down the dark street of gun-ownership, in an angst-ridden yuppie fashion. She does have flashes of insight. I'm sitting at my desk, staring at my new Glock 19 semiautomatic 9mm handgun. The kind that [He Who Shall Not Be Named] used in his rampage at Virginia Tech. I am scared of the gun. But I am also fascinated. I allow the fascination to run free, and I conjure up Hollywood fantasies of revenge and respect. A small, gray-haired woman, I imagine myself walking city streets and saying to any hulking guy... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:43:28 -0600 Comment from Ian Argent on 2007-06-04 Dang - I wish it was that easy to buy a longarm (much less a pistol) in the People Republic of NJ... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60759 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60759 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:10:26 -0600 Comment from KCSteve on 2007-06-04 Most of what's covered in most states CCW courses are the subject that matter most to the State regarding your CCW - where you're allowed to carry, where you're not allowed to carry, when you're legally allowed to use your weapon, etc.. I believe Missouri is a bit progressive in including segments about gun maintenance and making sure you're at least able to recognize both revolvers and semi-autos. On the one hand, the lack of 'training' in actually using the gun could be considered an issue. Then again, they're not that hard to use being, as often said "the original point and click interface". There's a line between insulting the experienced people and overwhelming the novices. Most instructors note the 'less experienced' students and make sure to encourage them to get additional training suitable to their level. For us more experienced types they just say things like "low light shooting" and "combat house" ;) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60756 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60756 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:54:58 -0600 Comment from jim b on 2007-06-04 Firest and foremost I like the looks of the 1911A1. Second place is Smith and Wesson model 39. I do not like DAO or Glock triggers. But in a fight anything that works is better than a sharp stick. I also like DA revolvers. I like the simplicity and reliability. A black dog told me to buy a Charter Arms Bulldog. (my buddy the welder was wearing a t-shirt Friday that said .. "I know the voices aren't real. But they do have some pretty good ideas." Oh, I work in Missouri but live in God's Country (Kansas). http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60754 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60754 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:22:48 -0600 Comment from Neffi on 2007-06-04 groan But scored perfect on the 50-question written and shot 246 out of 250 on the range, so now I can get my Colorado CCW to replace the non-resident Utah permit that becomes invalid July 1.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60753 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60753 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:22:20 -0600 Comment from Heartless Libertarian on 2007-06-04 Most the the latest generation of 'plastic fantastic' pistols are ugly. Glocks, the Springfield XD, the new S&W M&P...they all look like a block of steel dropped onto an ungraceful plastic frame (although the M&P isn't as bad as the XD, and neither are near as ugly as anything made by Glock.) Oh, and don't even get me started on Ruger semis, aesthetically speaking. Me, I've just re-discovered my Sig P220. I may now have to find myself a SAO version. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60751 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60751 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:56:28 -0600 Comment from Oldloadr on 2007-06-04 NDS - Why, yes; pistols are supposed to be pretty (for ladies) or kewl (for guys), but never ugly. Although, as in most things people can be passionate about, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I know a master armorer who thinks Glocks are the neatest thing in weapons since the club, but that's him. Anyway, what a would-be attacker usually sees is the muzzle and that usually keeps the attacker from appreciating the design/lines etc. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60749 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60749 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:57:13 -0600 Comment from fdcol63 on 2007-06-04 First Law of Guns: A gun at rest will remain at rest, until acted upon by a human force. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60746 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60746 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:58:43 -0600 Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2007-06-04 Jim - you and NDS are both Missourians. Now you know which Nevada! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60745 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60745 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:51:58 -0600 Comment from kat-missouri on 2007-06-04 She is scary. Or, mabye the truth is, she's no journalist, but a hyper-imaginative diarist pretending to be a journalist. She is writing of the experience as if it was religious in nature and that the "gun culture" folks see it as a similar experience (like, you know, Christian fundamentalists). Now, mind you, I had a religious experience with a gun once, but I can't say that it was because the gun made me start praying to it. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60744 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60744 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:36:26 -0600 Comment from Heartless Libertarian on 2007-06-04 Nearly 12,000 people are murdered by guns in this country every year, on top of the roughly 17,500 suicides by firearms, according to the World Health Organization and its 2002 "World Report on Violence and Health." I know that issues of violence are complicated and that unemployment, drugs and gangs are huge factors. Nobody was murdered BY guns...they may have been murdered by someone with a gun, but the guns didn't do it our their own. I'd really like to see a suicide by a gun...how exactly does the gun accomplish that? Does it jump off a tall building? Maybe somehow plug its own barrel, then somehow fireitself, causing an earth shattering Ka-Boom?
By international standards, Milwaukee is a war zone, its gun-related murders dwarfing the figures for many entire countries in the industrialized world.
Someone should inform her that Seattle, which is roughly the same size as Milwaukee, has fewer murders and less violent crime. Now, WA does have a 7 day wait, not 48 hours, unless you have a CPL. But WA also has shall-issue concealed carry, too, which Wisonsin does not. Wonder if that might have something to do with it. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60743 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60743 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:29:33 -0600 Comment from jim b on 2007-06-04 Maybe this will get found in the wastebasket ... maybe not. Doing this from work puts it in the spam catcher. NDSteve. In my state the training for Concealed Carry is an 8 hour class. It has a brief shooting component that centers of sucessfully putting a number of rounds (I don't know what the mininum is) out of 25 shots ... in an FBI "Q" target. And yes some did not hit the big mother thing all 25 times. The thing looks like an off white outline somewhere between Casper the Friendly Ghost and a huge bowling ball pin. It does not deal with drawing, hip shooting .. point shooting or any cowboy or police stuff. There are however courses for that as well. They just do not occur in the basic class. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60742 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60742 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:29:21 -0600 Comment from HDW on 2007-06-04 Rather than "Oh, great. You killed somebody." I wish her husband was thinking, "Wow, you just saved our children..." http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60741 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60741 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:15:24 -0600 Comment from NevadaDailySteve on 2007-06-04 I agree with you; I think Glocks are ugly and I have always prefered an exposed hammer ala Model 1911, M-9, etc. Pistols are supposed to be pretty? Personally I'd like any pistol I have for defense be ugly as hell, and preferably look like a small hand cannon ready to gouge huge holes out of a human body. It seems to me there would be less chance of actually having to pull the trigger on it. On the other hand I've had advice that says if you reasonably feel that you are in danger, act. Don't wait until you know the bad guy is going to because by then it might be too late. Does the training for CCW permits help teach how to react to situations like that or is it just to teach you to put the bullets downrange and not shoot yourself in the foot? I've been thinking of taking the course. Not because I want to carry, there are damn few reasons for me to haul a pistol around, but for the situational awareness aspect. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60740 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60740 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:12:40 -0600 Comment from Oldloadr on 2007-06-04 John - Do you think this GFW with a Glock (ironic to look at, written down) will respond to your response? I would love to see it, anyway... I agree with you; I think Glocks are ugly and I have always prefered an exposed hammer ala Model 1911, M-9, etc. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60737 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60737 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:35:25 -0600 Comment from Barb on 2007-06-04 I hope that Ms. Miner takes the Glock back to the shop she bought it from and completes her short gun-ownership experiment. Her thinking is so muddled that she frightens me. Just the bit on aiming a weapon and being surprised that she hit the target, for instance. As if it would be somehow better to spray 9mm projectiles all over randomly. What a twit. Tthe sad thing is, if she did accidentally shoot her foot off, she'd still blame the gun. Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60734 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60734 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 10:16:43 -0600 Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2007-06-04 I can't go easy on the attitude, AFSis, however *understandable* it may be. Feelings make for lousy policy. Inform policy, but not make it. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60732 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60732 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:36:18 -0600 Comment from afsister on 2007-06-04 Here's a more "publishable" comment. Go easy on her, John. When non-gun owners, and non-gun handlers, get their hands on a gun, it's a frightening thing. Knowing that that piece of sleek, shiny metal can kill another human being with such ease is scary and sobering. When you read about a lot of people who've gone off the deep end with guns, people who knew them often make comments about how "normal", "peaceful", "caring", and "loving" the shooter was. They never guessed they were capable of doing such a thing- but everyone has a breaking point, and if you reach that point with a gun in your hand... Lord help those around 'em. Yes, I do understand the concept of "guns don't kill, criminals kill"- but sometimes "normal" people do abnormal things when you put a gun in their hand. It's these people that gun control laws are aimed at, but since you can't tell who "these people" are... the general public gets restricted as well. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60729 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60729 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:19:44 -0600 Comment from dc on 2007-06-04 I was visiting London, last week. Happened upon a demonstration march (on Upper Thames Street) against the "Gun Culture". It seems that the West Indian folks are shooting each other up, there in peaceful ol' Londonistan. Blame it on them Yanks! Seriously, violent crime doesen't seem to register with liberals, unless it is gun related. You can lose your life to a cricket bat, knife, or good old fashioned stomping. This Moonbat is obviously experimenting with an "alternative lifestyle" of a gun culture, and is clearly trying to show some sort of intellectual superiority. Just hope that this nice person doesn't accidently shoot their foot off. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60726 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60726 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:16:36 -0600 Comment from fdcol63 on 2007-06-04 FbL, Exactly. They call it "projection" in the mental health field. LOL http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60725 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60725 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:15:30 -0600 Comment from AFSister on 2007-06-04 John pulled my comment, at my request, which is why FBL's comment doesn't make much sense right now. It's all good. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60724 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60724 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:01:30 -0600 Comment from FbL on 2007-06-04 That's the point. You put on your adult pants. She wants someone else to be the adult. Exactly. It's the "stop me before I __________" attitude. She's stigmatizing the gun rather than looking at herself in the mirror and realizing it's not truly the gun she's afraid of; it's herself she fears. [Some material deleted at the poster's request]]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60723 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60723 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:58:32 -0600 Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2007-06-04 Heh. While I take your point, AFSis, she wants to restrict my life in all sorts of ways... because of her fears about herself - that she blithely then projects onto others, like me. You haven't exhibited that tendency, that I'm aware of. That's the point. You put on your adult pants. She wants someone else to be the adult. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60722 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/oh_my_where_to.html#comment-60722 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:44:27 -0600