Monday, November 16, 2009

Will the Gun Carnage Ever Stop?

By Sherwood Ross
November 16, 2009

Every time the young stick-up man tugged at my companion’s purse with his left hand, she would pull back, causing the muzzle of the pistol he held in his right hand to swing back and forth.

Read on.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

My, isn't our writer brave! He threw his billfold at the crook. I'm sure that'll discourage the guy from pulling another strong-arm robbery. If this ever happens again, and I hope it never does, try growing a set of cojones and help that person; don't just be an ostrich, sticking your head in the sand and hoping it'll all go away. And yes, I've been in dangerous situations, and yes, I've had to resort to force of arms -- not something one does lightly. These situations are fraught with moral and legal problems. But I didn't just throw my lunch money at the school bully and run, which is what this situation resembled.

Unknown said...

Teddy bears, candles, vigils, ribbons tied around trees to mark/commemorate another senseless death by handgun: they make me sick with anger. And frustration. Even if we were to severely restrict gun sales, there are, as you say, 238million still out there. Plus they're readily available on the black market and for sale at unregulated gun shows. As for deterrents, I doubt paying kids to stay in school would work as those who rob them of lunch money would be encouraged to step up their fleecing. Poverty is no excuse for committing murder, either. It denigrates the majority of law abiding lower-income people as criminals. That's wrong! Anger management, crisis management and self-esteem courses might help imminent offenders should they be taught or made universally available in schools. The bottom line, though, murder is a form of instant gratification for whatever passions a person feels empowers him/her to take someone's life. I was mugged in my hood while walking the dog. I told them I never carry money or wallet. One of the assailants said he would shot me for "wasting" his time. And he did.