Questions that come back to bite you in the ass:

People simply do not think things through, thoroughly enough.

Posted by Eric Blair at May 9, 2007 11:39 AM

If memory serves, Sullivan is against outing people. But your point stands.

Posted by RM at May 9, 2007 8:39 PM

Perhaps more directly on point: If you have the civil right to own valuable property, why should you feel the need to hide that fact? Wall safes and other hidden storage are completely unnecessary, you see... And why have a silent alarm or a hidden alarm button in your business? Just put a big red button in the middle of the counter, and go ahead and press it if some thug's holding you at gunpoint. You're entirely within your rights...

Posted by Umbriel at May 11, 2007 6:55 AM

Re: "If gun rights are civil rights, why would anyone feel the need to hide the fact that they own one?"

My reason would be so that crooks will not know if I have one or not.

Advertise you have a gun collection and someone might come around to steal it. Advertise you don't even own a b-b popgun and someone might come to rob you because they know you are unarmed.

Keep 'em guessing is my philosophy.

Came by through "Bill's comments" - Glad he sent me here.

Posted by prying1 at May 11, 2007 8:50 AM

"Greetings, my name is Rokert Gene Felco. This message is for anyone thinking of robbing, burglering, or mugging me or any one in my family.

"My youngest boy, Jimmy, has a 9mm automatic. The second fatality in our home was a crazed methhead. Three rounds in the forehead as she climbed the stairs lookin' to plant a meatcleaver in my boy's face.

"His brother, Bob Jr., carries of 44 magnum. His motto is, 'One round, one kill.' Three kills to his credit, including one child raper hidin' behind a cinderblock wall.

"Clare, my wife, carries a 22. (She's a lady, so she carries a lady's weapon.) Our first home invasion she emptied the magazine into one guy's left eyeball while I was disposing of the other two scum.

"Me? Like Bob Jr. I carry a 44 magnum. So far it's helped me rid the world of 2 muggers, one stick-up artist, 5 clowns thinking they'd do a home invasion, and a couple of sneak thieves. Do I want you to know I'm armed. Dang right turkey. I want you to know I use deadly force, and not a soul that's done bothered me or mine has ever had the chance to face arraignment. Hell, these days when we call the authorities the first thing they do is send the coroner.

"Damn straight we're armed. Do you feel lucky?"

This has been an opposing viewpoint.

Posted by Alan Kellogg at May 11, 2007 8:57 PM

Can't we all stop talking about Sully's ass?

Posted by Attila (Pillage Idiot) at May 13, 2007 8:02 AM

I usually get more annoyed at Sullivan when he clearly writes on something he knows nothing about. He will, for example, advocate extreme gas taxes— he lives in Manhattan, and thinks everybody should use public transit.

Nice for you, Mr. Sullivan, but those of us who live west of the Mississppi often have no such recourse. My job just moved and now I have to drive forty miles to get to it in the morning— and if gas prices keep going up, I may have to search for a new job, which is not good since I *like* this one. Sure, I'd use public transit if there was even a hint of it; I've got a laptop, I've got books. But any public transit is not only currently non-existent, it would have to go through at least three municipalities— one of which is very new— and they don't work together as well as one might wish.

Such a wish also denies how the price of goods is directly affected by the price of gasoline, or how sometimes a car is the only way to see dear old grandma with the whole family*, or a host of other reasons that the US is very, very dependent on the gas. But he doesn't see it, because he doesn't need it. Gah.

*My brother's family, which includes five kids, drives from Illinois to California every Thanksgiving in one straight shot with two drivers, because that's the only way they can afford to do it. I'd hate to see them stop because of gas prices...

Posted by B. Durbin at May 13, 2007 6:37 PM

We keep secrets about our selves, our identities, our thoughts, our histories, our relationships, our possesions because there are plenty of people in the world who are ready to judge us and even punish us for all sorts of percieved violations of their social orders. I wonder if anyone would care to keep his/her sexuality private if s/he lived in a alternative universe where everyone felt safe to express desires witout fear of discrimination, recrimination, embarassment, ostracism, persecution, loss of friendships and family ties.

It's all about shame, the shame that we inflict on one another in order to control one another. Without shame, I wonder if any us us would need privacy.

Looking at things as they might be and asking, "Why not?"

I know, "If all men were angels . . . "

Not conformed to this world.

Posted by John Mark Rozendaal at May 15, 2007 10:19 AM

We keep secrets about our selves, our identities, our thoughts, our histories, our relationships, our possesions because there are plenty of people in the world who are ready to judge us and even punish us for all sorts of percieved violations of their social orders. I wonder if anyone would care to keep his/her sexuality private if s/he lived in a alternative universe where everyone felt safe to express desires witout fear of discrimination, recrimination, embarassment, ostracism, persecution, loss of friendships and family ties.

It's all about shame, the shame that we inflict on one another in order to control one another. Without shame, I wonder if any us us would need privacy.

Looking at things as they might be and asking, "Why not?"

I know, "If all men were angels . . . "

Not conformed to this world.

Posted by John Mark Rozendaal at May 15, 2007 10:20 AM