No More Police Protection.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Redux

And I thought that community policing programs and community crime prevention programs were pro-active approaches to problem soving...all of which face funding shortgages.

Silly me...having a gun makes one pro-active.

I think it also increases the size of your penis.

HI Redux!

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

I think it also increases the size of your penis.

HI Redux!

I worked for the National Crime Prevention Council years ago and even got to wear the McGruff Crime Dog suit once.

It was not anatomically correct.

Shoulda worked for the NRA where size matters.

And hi to you

[Lamplighter]

Some consider a gun prophyl-active

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Double the police force and they still won't protect you, they only try to catch the perp after the fact. You still need to protect yourself, if you don't want to be a victim.

Try? If you're lucky...

[dmg1969]

The way I look at it, you have two choices...

1. Choose to keep a gun for home protection (or carry it with a permit) and protect yourself.

2. Dial 911 and PRAY the police get to you in time...which probably won't happen in most cases.

Police response time is several minutes. Your response time is several seconds. It's your life, do what you want. I know what I do.

[classicman]

Mine is probably the last home in my neighborhood someone should attempt to enter illegally - just sayin.

[Pete Zicato]

Or you can get yourself an iPhone. And a security system.

Texas man watches home burglary. From a distance.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by dmg1969

The way I look at it, you have two choices...

1. Choose to keep a gun for home protection (or carry it with a permit) and protect yourself.

2. Dial 911 and PRAY the police get to you in time...which probably won't happen in most cases.

3. Divest yourself of all worldly goods, and be enlightened that you are not merely flesh and bones. Repeat after me "ommmmm"

4. Put bars on your windows and get a dog.

Lookout stated that his philosophy was not to pull out his gun unless he was going to shoot, but recently he did just that. When Wolf found a snake (IIRC) in her apartment, she wasn't packing so she didn't shoot it, and she didn't go get her gun and shoot it. Guns might not be the panacea you're looking for.

[Lamplighter]

Repeating myself with this link

[xoxoxoBruce]

England did away with guns and the stabbing rates skyrocketed. What's your point?

[Shawnee123]

I can run faster than a knife?

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

England did away with guns and the stabbing rates skyrocketed. What's your point?

There are so many "points" in this link, but they almost always fall in the direction that guns do more harm than good, whether in
self-defense
spousal abuse
children killed by accident
suicide prevention
on and on...

37-39. Overestimates of self-defense gun use
We use epidemiological theory to explain why the "false positive" problem for rare events can lead to large overestimates of the incidence of rare diseases or rare phenomena such as self-defense gun use.We then try to validate the claims of many millions of annual self-defense uses against available evidence.
Major findings: The claim of many millions of annual self-defense gun uses by American citizens appears to be invalid.

[lookout123]

Originally Posted by Redux

And I thought that community policing programs and community crime prevention programs were pro-active approaches to problem soving...all of which face funding shortgages.

Silly me...having a gun makes one pro-active.

Having a gun means nothing. Having a gun and being ready, willing, and able to use it if necessary means you are less likely to be a victim. It is pro active in that you aren't just waiting for the cops to take your statement if someone wants to harm you.

Your first statement about community policing and crime prevention is accurate. They are proactive methods for deterring crime but they are not 100% successful in eliminating crime. Taking personal responsibility for you and yours is the next obvious step.

Originally Posted by lookout123

Having a gun means nothing. Having a gun and being ready, willing, and able to use it if necessary means you are less likely to be a victim. It is pro active in that you aren't just waiting for the cops to take your statement if someone wants to harm you.

Your first statement about community policing and crime prevention is accurate. They are proactive methods for deterring crime but they are not 100% successful in eliminating crime. Taking personal responsibility for you and yours is the next obvious step.

I absolutely agree that every citizen not only has the right, but the responsibility to protect oneself, family and property - by the means with which they are most comfortable - for you it is a gun, for me it is not.

But that does not in any way detract from the need for a well-staffed and well-trained police force and one that focuses as much on prevention and deterrence as it does on apprehension....programs that are currently facing severe budget pressures.

An armed populace will not replace a civil police force accountable to the public. The wild west concept of vigilante justice does not play well today.

[lookout123]

I agree the police force should be fully staffed and supported, as should fire and other emergency services. Budget problems should not ever put those areas at risk.

That is exactly why I voted against the recent Phoenix food tax that was packaged and presented as the only viable means of saving police and fire jobs. That is complete and utter bullshit. Those vital services should be among the first expenditures and nearly untouchable in budget negotiations. Once the necessities are paid then come back and ask for more money for optional programs and services. You pay the absolute necessities first and then make the hard choices with things that may not be absolutely necessary.

Cutting vital services in a budget crunch strikes me as ludicrous. If I lose my source of income and the future looks dire, I don't quit buying food and paying the electricity. I cut out unnecessary dining out. Cable. Try to lower the water and electric bills. Maybe sell some of my unnecessary luxury items. I cut out every last discretionary item I have before I even think about touching the items that materially affect my family's health and well-being. If none of that works then I rob the neighbor because that dumb fucker probably doesn't have a gun.