Gun rights and the federal laws.

[Seraphim]

It's almost 5 am, haven't been able to sleep, and my brain's fuzzy...

 

[GotSmart]

The next generation will be a great thing to watch and be a part of.  All of a sudden, we have the electronic capability to see what our government is up to, has been up to, and what they are spending our money on.

WE are the government.  It is up to us to tell the people we hired that we want to ________  or do not want to ________.

It is an exciting time to be alive.

 

[LeeRevell]

"All of a sudden, we have the electronic capability to see what our government is up to, has been up to, and what they are spending our money on."

If you believe that, you also believe the lie of "We'll have the most transparent administration in history!" Which has proven a dismal political fabrication. Refer to the push-through of obamacare and TPP, NONE of which We The People were allowed to see any part of before it was shoved down our throats.
As that zombie seahag pelosi cackled, "We have to pass it so we can see what's IN IT!"
We The People are treated as mushrooms, kept in the dark, fed fecal matter and regularly harvested for profit.
I am still "hoping for better change".........

The next generation will the most blind, the most uneducated and the easiest to coerce into whatever TPTB want them to do than any in our preceding history.

 

[Seraphim]

The next generation will be a great thing to watch and be a part of.  All of a sudden, we have the electronic capability to see what our government is up to, has been up to, and what they are spending our money on.

WE are the government.  It is up to us to tell the people we hired that we want to ________  or do not want to ________.

It is an exciting time to be alive.

I agree that we are the government. Other than that, I don't share your optimism.

What happened to the early hackers, who had such high ideals?  They're now the guys protecting the networks and databases. I've watched several generations of idealists roll over and become the people they once protested against; starting with some of my own friends from the 70s, who used to read books like Silent Spring, the Naked Ape, some of whom spoke of ecotage...

...you guessed it. One of them was complaining A couple months ago that corporations were making too much money. I asked her if he was going to take half the returns from her stock portfolio and donate it to the needy. Lol. No response but a glare. 

I don't believe we really have the capability to penetrate electronic security with any degree of real success to see what the government is actually doing at any given moment. Oh, there will be fools like Snowden who rats out old news, but he changed nothing. It's still business as usual. He probably thought he'd be hailed as some kind of hero. Hope he likes his tech job in Russia. Doubt they'll give him access to anything. They know the limited value of a traitor.

Rather reminds me of the conservative joke - and I mean no offense to anyone - that's says if you're not a liberal at age 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative at age 40, you have no brain.

Youthful enthusiasm dies out quickly, especially when they learn activism is hard work with little personal return.

 

[Queen]

I've spent the last decade working with college kids and have to agree with GotSmart, these kids are different, they've been raised with a global view, the are much less acquisitive than we were (I'm in my mid 50's), and they are very aware that there are no jobs and no money for them. They seek out experience over acquisition the vast majority of the time, they are interested in everything, they are for the most part more kind and less judgmental than any kids I've seen before. I'm am very hopeful about the future.

 

[Seraphim]

I've spent the last decade working with college kids and have to agree with GotSmart, these kids are different, they've been raised with a global view, the are much less acquisitive than we were (I'm in my mid 50's), and they are very aware that there are no jobs and no money for them.  They seek out experience over acquisition the vast majority of the time, they are interested in everything, they are for the most part more kind and less judgmental than any kids I've seen before. I'm am very hopeful about the future.

There is a bit of truth, IMO, to what you say - though I'm not sure about the global view: depends on what you mean by the term. Global markets? Global politics? global ecology?

My son is 26 and I've watched him and his friends. Some are the entrepreneurs starting their own companies, but mostly to gain experience to break into the mainstream business world. They generally haven't the funds for acquisitiveness. Most have smart phones, but they could be argued a business tool. Most studied teaching, nursing, accounting, and some have entry level jobs. Judgmental? Hmmmm. I'm FB friends with most of them and I see what's posted. A pretty even mix, I'd say. Interested in everything? Not that I can tell. They seem pretty much as we were, just having to take different approaches to the job market, which is pretty much their main interest.

 

[Queen]

I know many of them are scared, there is a touch of hopelessness at times, they think we have screwed them to the wall regarding jobs, I've heard many say "you guys have GOT to retire so we can get a job". But they also seem to have no desire to be defined by their work, rather work buys them some independence so they can separate themes from life with their parents.

As far as a global view, they know people from every culture and are much less Nationalistic than previous generations, they are so connected! They travel more, they seem to think nothing of heading out to South America to stay in a hostel by themselves.

I do admire them and wish them every success, they are mostly just great Ernest kids, I like them.

 

[John_Camping]

Queen... thanks, it's easy to loose sight of the positive potential during a weekend discussion of the negative potential.

In the big picture I think the most likely outcome is positive just because we have so many people trying to work together and find a way to share a planet, instead of a battle field.

That said potential opens in both directions and it's important to protect our freedoms because we don't actually know what the future will be.

As far as each generation turning older and more conservative, yes that happens but each generation leaves some progress that is treated as a baseline by the next.

 

[LeeRevell]

"Rather reminds me of the conservative joke - and I mean no offense to anyone - that's says if you're not a liberal at age 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative at age 40, you have no brain."
That quote is attributed to Winston Churchill.
The younger folks I see around me everyday do not give me optimism for our future as a nation. Far too many want the Easy Way - welfare. Especially if they grew up in that 'culture'. Those who make it to college want good paying jobs and all the perks - nice car, nice home, pretty wife, 2.5 kids, dog & 2 cats, vacations to Disney World each summer - right off the bat. They want to go right into a supervisory position, "Hey, I gotta degree, man!" No starting low and working up for this Momma's boy!
I do know a few, so very few, who truly are making something of themselves. One friend at work home schooled his eight kids, the two oldest boys had their own small businesses as teens, and are both military officers now, in tech fields. When they retire, they can and will walk into good positions in industry. But so few have that drive and determination to make it on their own. Most want the goody at the gate. My confidence is low for the economic and political health of our country. We have given away far too much.
Look back at the early days of those august persons on Capital Hill. Many were protesting "The Establishment" in their college days. Now they ARE "The Establishment". They sill act as if they are on a constant drug high........ I don't blame ONE Party - it pervades the culture up there.

 

[John_Camping]

Facebook is getting way too creepy. Today I learned one of my old neighbors last name.  And that they know 2 out of the 3 realtors I talked to. I don't want to mix personal and business, how do they even know this stuff? This is just invasive.

This kind of stuff is why I stress about privacy so much. When I started on the net it was a place to get some space from the people around you. Thanks to big data it's now a way for everyone you've ever known to stalk you for the rest of your life no matter where you go or what you do.  I've been trying to convince myself going all out dark net is overly paranoid. But it's starting to look like the only way to even move out of town.

 

[LeeRevell]

One thing that will scare you is to find your local online website for sexual predators - probably via your county Sheriff Office. You'll be shocked how many are close around you. And that isn't counting the thieves and druggies.......
There are realty websites that are publically accessible, that give info on your neighborhood and quite possibly your own home. The County Property Appraiser's Office also has publically available info - I have no problem calling up info on my Mom's property, including when & how much she paid for property tax.
And icing on this delectable cake is using Google Earth's utility that puts you right on the ground in front of most any location you want to see, and you can 'walk around up and down the road...... this is a boon to stalkers.

 

[Canine]

Helluva gun thread.

 

[LeeRevell]

Increasing one's awareness of one's surroundings is always a good thing. Being able to provide for one's self defense against predators is good too. Not everyone wants to carry a gun, but they really do need to offer some resistance to being a victim. Calling 9-1-1 seldom helps directly - "When seconds count the police are minutes away".
For non-gun-owners, hopefully they have secure doors and locks. Secure windows too. But home intrusion isn't that hard for a determined criminal.
According to some testimony from prison inmates having a good dog is often a very good deterrent. Perps don't like dogs.

 

[John_Camping]

All of that is old news to me, just how good technology is getting at connecting dots I thought I had firewalled though... I need to step up my game if I want any control over my life.

 

[Canine]

Knowing how to recognize predators and avoid them is way more important than having a gun then waiting until things get so bad that you must use it to stay alive. I recommend a book called "The Gift of Fear" by Gaven DeBecker. It may be the most important book I've ever read. It is an easy read and easy to understand. It is written more for women, but it works for anyone. It does have a misandrist approach, but that shouldn't detract from the value of it. (I hate misandry!) The rules work just as well for those predators who happen to have ovaries.

 

[Wandering]

If you take the political right and wrongs regarding Clive Bundy's stand-off against armed Federal Agents wanting to enforce a disputed claim against Bundy and an armed group of civilians who had as much firepower as the agents. The civilians actually had the high ground as far hitting ones's target. The very fact, at least in my opinion, that cooler heads prevailed only because there was about to be a bloodbath with equal casualties on both sides,  something The FBI or ATF was not accustomed to. 

I am not an anarchist by any means but I intend to protect my rights and if needed my neighbors against unlawful acts by anyone. That includes illegal seizure by police or theft by others, just a difference in semantics but means the same thing.

I am not a hunter but keep myself proficient with the weapons I own.

 
 
    Nope , not as *much* firepower.............***more*** , by quite a significant margin. And when the Feds set up snipers they found themselves covered from higher ground. What actually saved Bundy's tail AND saved the situation from going south was the presence of the Oathkeepers , the vast majority of us remaining very cool under the stress.
 
 
   The Feds knew that amongst the Oathkeepers they faced a certain amount of retired members of their own agencies along with some individuals that are still presently serving in those capacities.
 
 
  For those unfamilar with The Oathkeepers , it's an organisation of and for retired and currently serving military and law enforcement. The most basic tenet of this organisation is that **** We will never at any time under any circumstances enforce or contribute to the enforcement of unconstitutional laws upon the American public at large.

 

[LeeRevell]

"Misandry" - had to look that one up, as I had never heard or read the term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misandry

Misandry (/mɪˈsændri/), from the Greek misos (μῖσος, "hatred") and anēr, andros (ἀνήρ, gen. ἀνδρός; "man"), is the hatred or dislike of men or boys.[1][2] Misandry can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, denigration of men, violence against men, or sexual objectification[3] of men. The term misandrist was first used in 1871.

Many thanks, you have added to my lexicon of old fashioned terminology!

I can understand it though. A few years back, I was helping a new Corrections employee, female type, to improve her handgun shooting skills. She was soon to need to qualify, in order to keep her job, and she was not doing well at our local range. I supplied my revolver, she supplied the .38 Special ammo. Her choice of gun and ammo to use. Her superiors were of the "Old Boy" school of thought, and gave her NO training, and were intimidating her. Essentially they wanted her out, but she really wanted the job.
So, we began. After an hour, I had her shooting very well indeed, but the hardest part was working on her fear of her superiors, all men. I kept coaching her and letting her know we were NOT all like those cretins. I tried to improve her self esteem, and get her over the intimidation. Turned out she passed the qualification shoot. Haven't heard whether she stuck with the job.

 

[Wandering]

Helluva gun thread.

 
 
  Yes actually quite epic. Many good points presented.

 

[highdesertranger]

wandering it sounds like you are an "oath keeper". if so I want to personally thank you. highdesertranger

 

[Wandering]

wandering it sounds like you are an "oath keeper".  if so I want to personally thank you.  highdesertranger

 
 
  Yes Sir I am , and I thank you for your support. Many individuals forget that the Oath you take to support the Constitution and the Republic is ***for life***.