Friday, September 05, 2008

Hope

Real hope.

Not the fraudulent, manipulative kind our politicians are pushing. [Read]

[Via W. W Woodward]

UPDATE: The French are shocked, shocked...

Fortunately, it looks like some helpful Americans have arrived to save them once again. Except for Ladd Everitt, who is quick to mask his pathological deficiencies by accusing everyone who does not share them of being mentally ill and lacking understanding.

[Via Kent McManigal]

ANOTHER UPDATE: (Click to enlarge)



No surprises there...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ladd is also the president of the DC chapter of MMM. I guess a mom wasn't available for a leadership position so this guy will do. I've met him several times, he always comes off as angry, I can understnds why he thinks people like him should be disarmed.

Kent McManigal said...

Here is the full text of the reply I sent to the journalist who contacted me asking about my gun use as a child, and how and what I taught my own kids:

Dear Sophie,

Thank you for your interest in this subject.

Yes, I did learn to shoot as a young child. I can't remember the first time I shot, but I think I was around 6 years old. My family always had guns in the house. We didn't own any handguns, but only rifles and shotguns. I knew where they were and I knew where the ammunition was kept. My parents didn't say "Don't touch the guns"; instead they told me that if I ever wanted to see or hold them, to ask. Guns were not made mysterious or glamorous, but were just a tool. It is my belief that the current push to "keep guns out of the hands of kids" is actually making kids more curious about guns, and less able to handle them safely. The "forbidden object" is always more attractive.

With my children I tried to teach them the same way I had been taught. They knew where the guns were, and knew that they were not toys, but there was no prohibition against touching them. Anytime they wanted to handle any of the guns I would let them. I would get the gun and open it to make certain it was not loaded, then I would hand it to the child and tell them to check again to make certain it was not loaded, but to handle it as if it were anyway. They knew that if they saw one of my guns lying around the house they were to come tell me about it instead of picking it up themselves.

I also took them out shooting with me. We would go out into the back-country with several guns and "targets" (usually aluminum cans). My oldest daughter would hold and shoot a .22 revolver (with a LOT of help from me) when she was about 3 or 4 years old. Using .22 shot shells she could hit the can (just a few feet in front of her) and make it bounce. You could see the satisfaction in her eyes.

Afterwards we would make a point to pick up not only our own litter, but as much of other peoples' trash as we could haul out. I wanted them to understand that it is our responsibility to clean up after ourselves.

I believe that with these experiences my kids are much less likely to injure themselves or others with a gun. They see what a gun can do to a target and understand that people can be hurt or killed if guns are used improperly. I also emphasized to them that if they were ever at a friend's house and someone started playing with a gun in an unsafe way, to get out of there as fast as they could. It isn't the gun that is dangerous, but the irresponsible person holding it.

I hope this has answered your questions. If there is anything else you would like to know, don't hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Kent McManigal

Anonymous said...

Bravo. A great antidote to the Bravo Sierra being shoveled in the media.
That little girl's smile at the end of the video is pride in a real accomplishment. Well earned.
It would make a great training video if the light were better.
That little girl's country will never be conquered, her rights never seriously questioned. That's where we all should live.
She chose her parents well.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps like Everett, I too am PMS'ing though I am not a million mom as is he. below is my comment at the link, don't know if they'll let it stay, I may not have been courteous enough,or I could have scared white people, or didn't exhibit enough moral equivalence, or didn't declare that he could take from me what he wanted if he let me call it a compromise.
**********************************


I was hunting alone with my very own rifle at the age of nine. I am now in my seventh decade of life. I have never had a negligent discharge, I have never threatened anybody with a gun, but having one has save my life more than once.

Not having one has gotten me shot, twice, different occurrences. That is when I decided the law be damned, I will make the decision of when or where I will carry. Nobody ever shot me when I was armed, either legally or in violation of the law. I would rather be a technical violator of the unnatural law of mandated defenselessness than a righteous, though stupid, corpse.

The above was to address the paranoia of Mr. Everett. He accuses others of being paranoid because they choose knowledge and preparedness because he "feels" threatened by peaceable people minding their own business just because they have tools that can be of utility in extreme and dangerous situations. Who is paranoid again?

I know his "feelings" are important to him, but I suspect his children are not. Or he would not wish them unprepared. Now, knowing that the foregoing could be considered an attack on his character, I feel in fairness, that I must posit that he may be of excellent character, but just not intelligent enough get past his "feelings" and think about facts logically.

Kent McManigal said...

SA- Great response (as usual)!