Sue Gun Makers? How About More Destructive Products Which No One Wants to Mention?

"Democratic mayoral nominee John F. Street announced yesterday that if elected, he would sue gun manufacturers for flooding the markets with guns that fall into the hands of criminals and children.

Standing with State Rep. Dwight Evans, a former Democratic mayoral candidate who made guns the centerpiece of his primary campaign, Street said the suit also would take manufacturers to task for not providing safety locks on guns and for 'misleading advertising as to the safety of guns in the home.'" --- part of a news release "gem" from out of the past in a city in south eastern Pennsylvania which is representative of the gun control crowd that is determined to save us from ourselves -- the disease with which they are infected has spread throughout the country at large!

Common sense would dictate that if you are in the timber business and you are going to cut trees down and sell them, you don't go for a sapling about 4 inches in diameter or so -- sure would take a big pile of them to load a Peterbilt powered log truck! No, you concentrate on those trees that are at least 15 inches or so in diameter at the base -- preferably you are in an area where the trees are even larger than that -- the more inches, the more gold that will be put in the treasure chest!!

So we have these people that take fits like a dog frothing at the mouth when someone shoots someone or a number of persons. In such a frenzy the cry goes out to get rid of the guns, etc. And the media help to publicize these things most effectively.

How about we start with the big timber first? How about we get rid of all alcoholic beverages or at least sue the manufacturers of such products? Anybody out there man enough or woman enough to dig up all the deaths in a year's time in this country that are the result of drinking alcoholic beverages and compare those numbers with how many have been shot by firearms? Let's start with those killed in auto accidents by drunk drivers. But there are other circumstances in which someone took a few drinks of booze, and then in a rage killed somebody -- yes, they may even have used a gun -- but then again, maybe it was a knife, a meat cleaver, a hammer, or a ball bat! Or the drunk who stomped another guy to death in a bar room "confrontation" as happened years ago in the area where I was born and raised.

However, it is not just violent death at issue here as a result of the consumption of alcohol. It is impossible to calculate the damage done when families are abused in many ways by a member who has to have his or her booze, marriage break-ups, loss of employment, property damage, injuries due to fighting, rape and molestation -- are you getting the picture here?

Add it ALL up and the gun problem quickly fades into the background -- now the "big timber" dominates the scene! But nothing will be done, in part because most are unwilling to face reality on this, such as the politician mentioned at the beginning who shot his mouth off about suing gun manufacturers. Suing the makers of alcoholic beverages would be unthinkable to him and others of his breed!

Further, nothing will be done because:

• too many politicians like to have their own little (or big) nip on a regular basis -- so while some would be willing to sue the gun makers, they would never sue the booze makers!
  
  
• too many parents also like their booze and keep it around the house and then wonder why their little tykes get into trouble for drinking and "partying!"
  
  
• media executives would not want this deadly menace eliminated because they get tons of money in revenue from advertising -- ever watch a NFL game and observe who are big advertisers during those hours?
  
  
• at least some states would not want the stuff banned, such as my home state of Pennsylvania which is in the business of selling hard liquor and wine for profit!
  

But the day will come when it will be ended -- the booze business will be out of business, just as noted elsewhere in this blog, all politicians will no longer hold office -- you don't believe it? How about consulting the Creator of this universe about the matter and listen to what He says and ask Him precisely what His future plans are for this world!

With that I rest my case!

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" --- Revelation 11:15

Guns Are NOT #1 When It Comes to Tools of Death!

I confess to a bit of prejudice in addressing the issue of guns and efforts to "control" ownership and use of the same. Here are some things I admit which reveal my "prejudice:"

• I am the owner of a number of guns with the handguns being greater in number than my rifles and shotguns. My handguns range in size from a .357 magnum with an 8 inch barrel to a very small mini-mag 22 cal. revolver which lies snugly in the palm of my hand. In this collection are 9 mm semi-automatics, including a German Luger built in 1918, and 32 cal. semi-automatics with one being a duplicate of a weapon used by 007 agent James Bond in the film series.
  
  
• I have a sticker on my front storm door which is red in color with the following inscription: WARNING - This property is protected by an Armed American Citizen - Absolutely nothing in here is worth dying for!
  
  
• I have a licensed permit which allows me to legally carry any of my handguns concealed and loaded, except in areas where laws override the permit such as post office and other government property, public schools, and most colleges and universities.
  
  
• In conclusion on this matter I need to say also that my guns have killed less people than Teddy Kennedy's Oldsmobile which he owned a number of years ago! Teddy is great on getting rid of guns but he has never campaigned on getting rid of Oldsmobiles!
  

The Virginia Tech tragedy did a number of things in addition to shocking us and bringing out the worst in competitive media exploitation of the tragedy -- it also revived the "anti-gun" movement in which a number of high profile people in government and the entertainment industry (which has its own way of promoting violence daily) begin to froth at the mouth and rant on about the need to get rid of guns!

Can you stop and think for a minute in a very sober and common sense fashion? Consider this:

• Guns are not the number 1 killer -- compare the number killed by guns in a year's time to the number killed senselessly due to alcohol use, beginning with drunk driver victims plus all the other incidents involving violent death due to someone having a few "drinks" -- and in some of these firearms were the tools, but if the person hadn't guzzled some booze, it is likely the death would not have taken place! Will anything be done to curb and eventually eliminate the booze epidemic -- no, because even many of the "anti-gun" people who want to confiscate my guns just have to have their nip of booze on a regular basis! So in their stupidity and lack of common sense they will pursue their goal of removing guns from our nation under the delusion we will not have any more "massacres!" They forget that all they will accomplish will be taking the guns away from the law abiding citizens -- thousands of the criminal element will still have theirs!
  
  
• Second, a careful study of past incidents of mass shootings will uncover the disturbing fact that they took place in what was considered a "gun-free" environment! Cities such as New York or Washington DC which have the strictest gun control laws on the books (if you are caught with a hand gun in one of those places, they are almost ready to hang you without trial and jury) but also have extremely high murder rates, many involving firearms. Colleges, universities, and public schools are "gun free" by law. Even most campus security officers are not permitted to carry firearms. A person who is determined to wipe out a bunch of people in a gun shooting spree is aware that he doesn't have to worry about some of his potential victims carrying a weapon. What if a couple of students at Virginia Tech had been carrying weapons or would have had quick access to them? Yea, I know -- it's crazy to suggest such a thing is it not? But numerous incidents across this country which don't make headlines show that when a citizen is armed in his home, for instance, and an intruder breaks in to rob and/or kill, the weapon in the hands of a homeowner has made a difference!
  
  
• Third -- BUT the big issue that is deliberately avoided by the high profile people on their anti-gun rampage is the massacre of about 100,000 unborn children every month is this republic. Talk about violence -- what do you call an intentional act that results in a human which God is forming in the womb being chopped and torn to pieces? We claim to be shocked when someone kills another person and then dismembers the body, placing the parts in garbage bags etc! Yet there is an eerie silence coming especially from those who try to convince us that if we take away the guns, then all the violence and the killing will be ended. In the right column of this BLOG is a section about the greatest massacre in United States' history. You can view photos of some of the victims -- and remember, they were just as special and precious as the 32 who were shot on the campus of Virginia Tech! But most U.S. citizens, including the frothing-at-the-mouth anti-gun people, couldn't care less!
  

Amidst all the media in their shark-frenzy attention given to Virginia Tech and newly released information on the person who did the shooting, there was a measure of good news -- a Supreme Court ruling which has upheld the ban on partial birth abortions, but the slaughter of thousands each week still continues -- so we as a nation are not off the hook by any means as the Creator of this universe sees it!

"For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'?" --- Jeremiah 7:5-10

The Tobacco Guys Got Sued -- Now How About the Alcohol Guys?

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. -- Galatians 6:6,7

You do remember, do you not, that some years ago a massive suing "campaign" was launched against the tobacco industry with great success. These bad guys had trafficked in a product that was a health hazard for years and years, and the reasoning now was that they should pay! It amounted to billions of dollars -- the people who really cashed in big on this one were the trial lawyers. You can't get through a day without some of those people throwing an ad at you from somewhere urging you to sue somebody for something so you can get the "money you deserve, and remember, there's no fee unless we get money for you!" There should be a PS added which says, "If we do, we will take a very LARGE piece of the pie!"

In tonight's news it was mentioned that there is a crisis involving teenagers drinking alcoholic beverages -- well, what do you know? Those little tykes are always up to something, aren't they?

So big people in powerful positions are now saying that something needs to be done. Oh, and just what is that in addition to pious words such as "adults taking responsibility"?

What in the world would cause those youngsters to indulge in such a manner? Could it be the huge numbers of examples they see in terms of parents, friends, high profile celebrities, TV and movie films? Could it be the clever ads that make booze seem so exciting and adventurous and if you don't get some into your gut you are missing out on a lot of fun and joy in life? In fact, you are missing out on what life is really all about -- so hand me another beer or a couple of shots of Jack Daniels!

Want to start the "cure?" Then sue the industry just as was done to the tobacco industry -- no, at least it's a start. Can't you just hear the objections, a number of which will come from persons in "high places!" We just can't do that! Did you ever wonder how many barrels of booze would run down the streets if you emptied the White House and capitol building in Washington DC and all the state capitol buildings of every drop of booze? Have your hip boots on if you are standing in the vicinity if it should happen!

OK - anybody want to do the numbers on this issue? Compile the statistics for the last 50 years on damage done by smoking and chewing tobacco to that done by alcoholic beverages. See how many families have been dismantled, marriages broken up, jobs lost, property damaged, injuries suffered, and deaths resulting from use of beverage alcohol. And see how tobacco usage compares in terms of damage, destruction, and death! Ah, gotcha, huh?

In an earlier post in this series I related a personal experience I had in dealing with the tragedy of alcohol usage -- it is titled, Letter to a Business Executive About Choice to Sell Beverage Alcohol, and questioning his company's decision to sell alcoholic beverages at one of their establishments. It was posted on February 5th. You can click on the link and read it. You will soon see why I have some rather strong convictions about this matter.

There can be no denial that this country has played the hypocrite to the hilt in singling out the tobacco industry for attack while allowing the alcoholic beverage people off with not even a mild slap on the wrist. Come to think of it, could it be that the booze people pay a lot more in taxes than do the ones who churn out cigarettes, and that has a powerful influence on officials when it comes to dealing with the "evils" of our society?

Again, just do some home work on what product brings about the greatest amount of heartache, sorrow, and tragedy in this republic.

Will anything constructive be done? Hardly -- too many people in the position to do something effective like to have their fingers wrapped around something which contains a liquid that gives them a buzz now and then when they drink it!