Everybody either knows of or has heard a tragic story about guns in the wrong hands.

What people don't understand today is that your life and your precious freedoms are no more secure than your ability to defend them.

When something goes BUMP in the night – IN YOUR HOUSE – dialing 911 just tell the police where to start looking for your body.

The best way to stop bad people doing bad things with guns – is to make sure the GOOD people have theirs ready!

Yes, Mass gun laws need to be 'loosened', our 2nd Amendment is the only 'gun law' we need.

When criminals commit crimes with guns – hit 'em with the maximum – and no parole. And you liberals who are hand wringing as you read this, - tell us all please why Mucko is still alive.

I would classify myself as a liberal. I am a registered Democrat. I am also an NRA member and have a license to carry. It wasn't a hardship to wait for the paperwork to go through. But I think there has to be some compromise. Maybe the first time someone applies, the 40 days would be ok, but if you just need to renew, maybe we should just be able to do it online. I don't think we need more gun laws, but I do think we need to enforce the ones we have. People have a right to own guns AND people have a responsibility to observe gun safety procedures. This issue isn't going to go away, so we need to find a way to meet in the middle.

It's a shame but some local police chiefs make it very difficult for their citizens to use their 2nd Amendment rights. Not uncommon for the chiefs to delay for months in issuing licenses. People in Everett have waited over a year for what the law says should be a maximum of 40 days to get their gun licenses. There is much more that is wrong but maybe we can at least get this gun license delay issue cleared up.

No they shouldn't, I'm one of the people who has been denied the right but I think the common good is more important than my needs.

Well said Iron Mike

Navy Seals didn't kill Osama Bin Laden, Guns did.... said nobody, ever.

this is a really topic to speak on, because there are so many factors to it, but you shouldnt punish everyone for a few people's mistakes. You could compare it to: Nobody can drive beacuse of the handful of people that have OUIs

Maybe the renewals should be every 10 years? That would cut down the work load on police and allow them to process applications quicker.

10 weeks does seem unreasonable for a simple renewal. Imagine if it took 10 weeks for them to process your drivers license renewal?

Maybe permits remain valid while the renewal is being processed. A clerk enters the application into the computer as soon as it's received and then if you ever get stopped, the cops can run the license and see that it's status is pending and you're clear until informed of their decision. There's some problems to get worked out here like "lost" mail and someone claiming they didn't know their renewal was denied.

Maybe the state starts handling all gun applications?

Or maybe we just throw money at it - since in this case it could actually solve it.

Mass gun laws are the most ridiculous in the country. The laws and "consumer protection" rules issued by decree by the Attorney General are just plain old dumb. The permit issuance process is just one example. If the law says there is a 40 day limit, then your permit should be issued automatically after 40 days unless its specifically denied. Renewals should be automatic, like for driver's licenses, in the absence of a suspension or revocation.

Another perfect example is the ban on new-manufacture magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. In what possible world does this make any sense -- instead of using brand-new, perfect magazines I;m limited to using 20 year old ones, which are readily available. I hear the anti-gun crowd shrieking, "why could anyone ever need more than 10 rounds?" Well, the answer is that when I go to the range I shoot 200 to 300 rounds, or more, and reloading every 10 rounds is just a waste of my training time. Criminals sure don't worry about whether they're using "Mass compliant" magazines, so all this does is reduce safety by forcing the law-abiding to use old equipment.

The list goes on and on...

It is a hardship in this state to get a gun and get ammunition for it. The criminals have them but good people can't get them easily or without excessive cost in Massachusetts.

Yo, we gotta ban da gunz because gunz kill people out in tha STREETZ. I know a buncha kidz wit gunz and dey b shotin peeps all ova da place. STREETZ

We need gun patrol & tight laws. It involves childen's safety. Not all adults are responsible! Gun law should be tight including locking guns up! A 2 yr. old boy shot himself because the licenced gun was not locked up. We need to think responsibilty & CHILDREN'S safety & lives!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_keep_and_bear_arms

Before all the Liberal anti gun people get a bee in their bonnet I'd like to point out that this is hardly a loosening of "Gun Laws" as the article's title reads. It is more a case of making bogged down Massachusetts bureaucracy more efficeint by eliminating unnecessary, typical Mass, red tape. This is for Renewal so these people have already been put through a thorough background check.

Unlike how our court system deals with people who repeatedly endanger us with drunk driving violations, Mass has a very unforgiving policy and history of punishing people who break gun licensing laws. Not to be confused with people who commit crimes using guns. Because we all should know by now that all the gun laws the state can think up will NOT stop someone intent on committing a crime. Those criminals DID NOT bother to get a license to begin with. All the additional gun laws that Mass has over other US states do nothing but prevent the law abiding citizen from protecting himself, his family and maybe you the next time you stop to pick up a few quick things at the store.

Maybe if we started REGISTERING guns in order to cut down on the stolen gun problem, things might improve. But Wayne LaPierre will scream 'THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR GUNS. YOU NEED TO BUY MORE! AND YOU ALSO NEED TO JUSTIFY MY MILLION DOLLAR SALARY!'

I'm a proud NFA owner, but until they get rid of LaPierre, I will never, ever join the NRA.

Massachusetts needs to worry about the criminals with guns, not the licensed gun owners. I am a licensed gun owner, which is probably why I've never been robbed/will be robbed. If someone comes into my house at night while my children are sleeping- I shoot to kill and say I was attacked and acting in defense of my sleeping children. If I was a criminal, I'd be the one who attempted to rob me and got killed. Simple simple.

there was an armed home invasion in waltham 4 days ago...

I agree it was drug related but your comments about no home invasions in waltham in 50 years are completely false. I cant believe the way you think. If someone breaks into your house and is walking up the stairs to your bedroom or your kids bedroom do you really think that you will have time to call the cops and have them respond!? I understand its rare but whats not rare is breaking and enterings where jewelry and money is stolen. If you think that the people committing these crimes are unarmed whether its a gun or knife THINK AGAIN! Also think about what happens when a member of your family happens to be home when that occurs. I grew up in Lexington and my house was broken into 3 times and nearly walked in on 2 of them. It can happen anywhere and it does more often than you think. ITS YOUR RIGHT TO OWN A GUN AND PROTECT YOURSELF AND FAMILY. Stop bad-mouthing the good people that take advantage of their right to be safe.

Good Lord, Iron Mike. We all know where you're coming from, but do you even realize how paranoid and scared your posts make you sound? There are bad people living in every town in every state of this country. My owning a gun doesn't change that, and it doesn't lessen the chance of a bad guy doing something bad any more than capital punishment dissuades a murderer. I've lived in Waltham 18 years. I have never needed to use a gun. I'm pretty sure you could say the same about yourself. If owning a gun makes you feel safe, good for you. No one's taking away your right to own. But, I want to know that law enforcement in my town is well aware of who owns a weapon. That is not an unreasonable request. If you have to go through a little hoop-jumping to renew your license, what's the big deal?

Mike, I don't want to sound disrespectful, but I laughed out loud at your assertion that registration is the first step down a slippery slope. If you really believe that, then it's obvious we'll never be able to talk to each other. Good luck to you, sir.

Why does the word "liberal" always enter into these discussions. If you're talking about me, well, I've said nothing about my politics so you're making an assumption. It's possible to be a thinking human being without being liberal. (Really.)

Try Lawrence, MA where it can take up to six months just to get an appointment to apply for a gun permit...

The last I checked, Massachusetts was a part of the United States of America and should start acting like it instead of passing it's own unconstitutional and Marxist laws.

i am a vet honorable discharged ,when i was just out of the service, i went on a binge drink and ended up in boston city andrew house for 3 days .after that i have never drank again, so when i went to renew my right to carry in another town in ma. i was told to get a letter from my Dr. saying i am a cured alcoholic every 5 years !!!,25 years later, really !!!!,i let my license lapse about 2 weeks ,it was altered to a hunting and target license. because i had no need according to the civil servant who stated i could sue, but it would be costly , it was issued as a target and hunting license !!! when i let it lapse 1 week i went to my locale police station to sit out side the police officers assigned to the permits office, and watched him play on his computer .he seamed really mad because i knocked on his door because i did not call ,he had nobody waiting and saw his computer was a card game when i came in his office i was treated like a little kid!!! he said call me Tuesday next week for a appointment in 3 weeks i told him i had only wanted to drop of my paper work only to be re told the same thing again being a vet and a 20 year state employee you would expect a little more this is because most license official will only give the permit for people that have money ,and there chosen friends and family ,complain and no permit that's just the power these cops are given on who gets the golden permit sad in mass.

"When seconds count, 911 and the police are just MINUTES away."

BINGO! Here we are a full year later – nobody knows who killed John and Geraldine Magee in their home in Andover, - but the couple was UNARMED – and shot execution-style in the head. Their SUV was found burning in Boston...

You can choose to be unarmed, and trust to luck.

You can choose to be ready to defend yourself.

If you choose to be unarmed - say your prayers now; - there may not be time to pray when evil comes calling....

It's happened again. 27 dead in Connecticut.

I'm interested to hear what the anti-gun control folks think is the solution to this. Mass shootings are not an acceptable price for Second Amendment freedoms.

This Patch is pathetic. It posts a few rambling incendiary words about controversial subjects and opens the door for angery posts from dogmatic citizens. I am unsubscribing.

No Deb – and your snarky tone does nothing to advance a sane discussion.

I lived four years in a town very near Sandy Hook – went through there weekly. This hits home.

But I'll never blame 'guns' for the actions of a criminal or a madman. I said I'll wait to hear the facts before judging. As of this moment they ~ think ~ there was a single gunman ~ perhaps ~ 20 yrs old – and ~ perhaps with a connection to that school.

If you want to waste your time – figure out how to round up 270 million guns....and not miss a SINGLE one... And since people die in cars,...let's round them up too...

Better we figure out how to spot troubled kids early, and figure out how to rewire their brains...

BTW, in China - where they don't have guns, these kinds of madmen who kill in schools and shopping malls - use knives....

Meanwhile, maybe we should arm some teachers, just like we did with some airline pilots.

"This Patch is pathetic. It posts a few rambling incendiary words about controversial subjects and opens the door for angery posts from dogmatic citizens. I am unsubscribing."

I agree Karen. The comments are just getting too hard to take.

I think we've reached the point in time where we need more security in all public places. I would have no objections to it myself. I don't know what's happening to us but when they start shooting in malls and in schools that is too much.

Mark, please calm down a bit and think before you type.

People aren't walking around with guns looking for people to shoot.

Good law-abiding citizens choose to be armed – legally – fully licensed – and on rare occasions manage to stop crimes.

These mall / campus spree shooters are madmen. They live in a different world, and often obvious warning signs are ignored. Most have bought their guns legally, - others steal them. Today the shooter is reported to have used guns he bought legally.

Again, the guns didn't do the killing, the madman did. Seems his mother was a teacher at the school, - he killed her...and his father in NJ.

Some things have no one solution; they have hundreds of little solutions. Violent crime, the economy, and climate change all share this in common. The problem is we tend to get overwhelmed and discouraged because there is no easy clean fix; so we end up doing next to nothing. Maybe we should simply try to do 2 things at our local schools that would help. Accept the fact it won't be perfect. Next year do 2 more and so on.

I have to read Ried who is pro gun....... " Violence begets violence" It morally & mentally makes sense!!!!

If you are going to have a legal permit process then it is not fair to allow licensed persons to become "unlicensed" due to bureaucratic delay. The state should either fix the delays or provide for a grace period long enough to accommodate those delays.

At one point I had a license to carry in mass. My line of work changed so i gave it up. However the process took more then 6 months to obtain the permit. I have US Military training and awards in rifles and hand guns along with no record and it still took over 6 months. Compare this to a house mate of mine (at the time) who was from out of state but living in mass while finishing military duty. He had to go through a different process since he was not a resident. It went straight through the State Police. He got his in weeks. Ya that makes allot of sense..

Iron Mike Read gun laws. The gun & ammo should be locked up seperately, A 2 yr, old shot himself with a licenced gun. It's to keep gun from chilren & criminals, I raised children & was a special needs pre-scholl teacher. Yes I know. NO GUN(S) INVOLVED!!!!!

Karla, I believe the topic here was: "TELL US: Should MA gun control laws be loosened?", followed by: "A Massachusetts gun owners group is lobbying for passage of a bill that would confer lifetime gun licenses — no renewals necessary."

Issuance of a life-time license hardly rises to the level of loosened gun laws. The renewal process is just a scheme to extract yet another $100 out of our pockets. The local police are more than prepared to confiscate your gun license in a hot minute should you be convicted of a crime, so what's the point of going through the renewal dance? When one is first licensed, you submit fingerprints & the State Police run a criminal background check. Other than picking our pockets, I believe someone, somewhere in the MA govt they hope a licensed gun owner will accidently forget to renew, thus giving the licensing authority the ability to deny or downgrade your existing license. MA does & will do anything it can to throw curve balls/barriers at legal gun owners.

I should not have to beg on my knees every 6 yrs & continually fork out money just to "use" my 2nd Amendment right to own a gun. The Founding Fathers must be twirling in their graves at how we've twisted the Constitution & Amendments like pretzels. Being US citizens we are given very special gifts & we shouldn't be looking for ways to purposely circumvent these gifts just because of someone's abuse, personal dislikes or for political currency.

@ Karla Vallance

>> what do we do about all the madmen

Karla, I'm glad you are able to discern between law-abiding gun owners and madmen.

Address the 'Special Needs Industry' and their fanaticism about 'mainstreaming' any and all 'special needs kids'.

MOST 'special needs' kids are harmless. BUT a FEW are dangerous and delusional – and are placed on anti-psychotic drugs. THAT'S THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM.

Why? Because neither their parents nor their doctors will tell the public, the schools, or report them to state gun licensing agencies. Privacy you know – PATIENT PRIVACY!!!

Schools aren't TOLD which kids are truly dangerous – and which ones are escalating.

'GUNS' are NOT the problem.

John Odgren came to Sudbury High School with a long kitchen knife – and randomly attacked James Alenson. Odgren's parents – Dorothy and Paul - and his physicians had DELIBERATELY CONCEALED his mental condition as they placed him in one school after another.

WHERE is the 'Presidential Commission on Dangerous Kids'? WHERE?

It ~ seems ~ from the limited info leaking out – that they become most dangerous when they stop taking their drugs.... So we need to lift 'the cloak of patient privacy' from these dangerous individuals – and probably keep the worst of them locked up. THAT picture caused űber-liberals to squirm and writhe.

In China and Japan - spree killers use knives - and have killed many helpless kids in schools. We need to look at the killers!

Iron Mike, Dicern is to be able to tell the difference. Guns ARE a problem! They have been for years, even those who are licenced. Stop blaming mental illness. Criminals are criminals. "Children live what they learn" Your posting is dangerous to 1's mind who is not educated in law & sociatal issues. You ought to take Observing & recording behavior, Observing society & Psychology. I have so I can speak on it.

Dusk would be a better handle.

Reverend E. Raleigh Pimperton III

Iron Mike, Fist, I'm not liberal. I have no phobias. I have serious worries about those who do not uphold the law.. in FULL. My other conern is people like you who jump to conclusions & judge others without real knowlege of what your speaking about. Read , go to College. Undestand oberving others &socirty,then post. I look for intelligence,not ignorance. Thanks, have a good night!

Iron Mike, Relax. I have lived quite the while & it's not turned out to be what I was taught &read. I believe in the 2nd Ammendment, but our childrens lives! Why had that guy gone to that school? I can't get a straight story. I'm Roman Catholic, Earth is suppose to represent Heaven. That is nOT going on. The adults have to protect the children, not with guns! The children will learn to solve problems the same way! Future generations. we owe our children & selves more than violence. Like talking problems out or walking away from what can't be resolved due to the other(s) won't listen or co operate. I know this becauase I raised children & was a pre-school teacher.Now go try & have yourself a good day! Careful, the flu is speading horribly! Orange juice & homemade soup! keeps you healthy!

Ah, Dawn ... I sympathize with your thoughts but I think you go a bit far. First of all, I think it is not up to the Federal Government to dictate or even begin to try to legislate new gun laws. The role of the Feds is to see to our protection from outside the US, at least that's how I interpret their role. They are not and should not ever take apart out constitutional rights. What happened in CT is up to CT to work out and if you understand a bit where Iron Mike is coming from, I think you just might agree that he speaks from vast experience and knowledge of history. That little 2nd amendment is in place for a very good reason and that is for us to be able to protect and defend ... it really is that simple. I do agree with you re: protection of our little ones but that doesn't necessarily mean we give up our unalienable rights as prescribed by men who knew, long ago, what can happen to a nation if we give ourselves over to tyranny. Indeed, WW11 is a prime example of what can happen when Gov.ts. decide what is best for its people. I don't want to go there again and I'm certain neither do you, but if we the people are not vigilant about keeping our constitutional rights it can happen even to our mighty nation. Gun laws have been in place and not solved the problem of violent individuals ... violence finds a home in certain people and changing laws cannot stop one who wishes to harm, they will find a way. We can only hope it doesn't repeat often.

Iron Mike ... stand corrected, please. If you had a spec. needs individual in your care, you would know that there is no "industry" and that although the talk is all about "mainstreaming" those with substantial, or severe, special needs it doesn't necessarily happen at all, they don't get mainstreamed. You would also know that there is no lobby (at least, not that I am aware of and I've been at this for a very long time) that would ever be able to complete with the NRA, not that it's a goal. The primary objective of all advocacy on behalf of these kids is simply for them to have an equal opportunity to the education all kids are entitled to, and not to tuck them away as in days of old in someone's attic or basement, simply to provide an opportunity for them to learn to the best of their ability. It is often an amazing surprise to learn just how much the correct treatment/education can help these individuals achieve given the chance. I hate to think of you in the same camp as the "holy" man of no church I ever heard of because I have great respect for you as I generally agree with you on most issues. We differ on this one, I'm afraid, and it saddens me greatly.

I.Mike ... I think (I know) we are from the same town and there are far more long busses than short. We disagree and it's too bad for I consider you a thinking, responsible soul and it's disheartening for me to realize that in this instance you just may be ill informed. It is untrue that each SPED child has his/own teacher ... nothing could be farther from the truth. However, I will leave you to your conclusions since I learned a long, long time ago that once a person's mind is made up on any issue it's useless to try to encourage new thinking. Still friends, I hope?

I.Mike ... southwest ... I thought you and I were Chelmsfordians. Anyway, some of those short busses/sedans are transporting older, adult dev. disabled individuals to their work place or day programs ... not all go to public schools. On my street, my son's bus is the only shortie and he goes to a day program and to work.

I don't know what is RRB ... enlighten me.

I.Mike ... and just who are Tom & Kelly, and how do I get in touch with them?

Coal miners have unions, state cops have unions, and the special education industry has unions...

"The Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education (ASE) is the lead association representing the special education administrators in Massachusetts. ASE provides a variety of services to its members - conferences, newsletters, information briefs, and representation of the membership at the federal and state levels. More specifically, ASE provides leadership in advocating for appropriate provision of services to all children and youth in Massachusetts..."

Reverend E. Raleigh Pimperton III

Getting back to the issue of this post, last night on "Nightside", WBZ Radio hosted by Dan Rea, the discussion revolved around a novel idea, that being to require gun owners to buy insurance for their guns/collection of guns. The thought is that if your fire arm is used indiscreetly either by you or another, you are insured as you would be for, say, for any liability. Does this make sense to anyone? Thoughts?

Hey, I.Mike ... I'm just passing on something I heard on the radio for conversational purposes. Not at all do I subscribe to the notion ... thought it was a joke!

Again ... who are Tom and Kelly and how do I access your blog?

Were you trying to make a point about shotguns, invited guests, or Chelmsford?

Or,…were you just proving that liberals can type without thinking?

So tell us Woman, - how do YOU plan to deal with uninvited guests?

If we get to truly universal, comprehensive and free background checks at all points of sale including private sales, then there is no need for an antiquated gun permit/license system at all, at least for low capacity hand guns, rifles and shotguns.

Criminals and the insane can and should have any guns they might own taken away through those processes. To retain gun licenses with the capacity for nearly instant national background checks at all is an antiquated throw back. The background check database should also be freely available to local police so if they choose, they can query the status of anyone found in possession of a gun to determine whether they on the no-buy list. Simply require that a person in possession of a gun carry a government issued photo id and combined with a database that is all that should be needed.

I realize that the extreme left of gun control advocates are simply trying to make it harder for everyone to own a gun by layering on new requirements on top of old ones, but we have a second amendment, if we create a system of universal background checks, then there is no reason to also force licensing and registration other than to harass law abiding citizen gun owners.

We can better keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the insane and also make it easier for law abiding citizen gun owners to comply with the law.

Gotcha, I. Mike ... and the pic of you back in the July Westford Patch and bit of your bio. I did see you outside the CCA Building opening in Chelmsford, did I not? Anyway, good blog and I will follow it but I don't see a place for comments ... what am I missing? (BTW, my husband was a Col. in the USAF before retirement.)

Well what have we here?

Based on the snarky tone, the misspelled words, and the inane personal attack, I’d say that ‘Binders Full O’Women’ is really well-known Patch-maggot Steven Cavaretta of Waltham.

Iron Mike,

We are surrounded by an ragtag army of angry moonbats. Two of us, back-to-back, will do just fine because...

"Liberals feel, conservatives think."

I recognize this is confusing to many readers... the same ones that are wondering why their take-home pay is lower under the reign of The Chosen One.

Reverend E. Raleigh Pimperton III

Naw... a sock puppet is defined as an Obama voter. The other 49 percent are not brain dead, entitled or dependent.

Reverend E. Raleigh Pimperton III

Yes, these laws are too restrictive and place responsible gun owner at risk for arrest, imprisonment, and permanent loss of gun rights, for victimless crimes. Example, you go to the shooting range and lose track of a 22 caliber bullet and it ends up on the floorboard of the back seat of your auto. You get stopped two weeks later and a police officer notices the shell when he looks in the back. You just got yourself arrested with all it entails. You now have a "gun violation" for "illegal" ammunition, and you lose gun rights permanently. Or your 17 year old daughter ends up driving said car and gets stopped etc. etc. In most states the police officer would not be able to charge anyone in this circumstance. The problems are not hard to see. I think these laws need to be nullified for the protection on MA citizens.

One thing the Liberals do know is they can't let this gun debate be primarily about mental illness. Because then we'll all look back at the timeline and be reminded of how the radical Lefties closed all the state mental hospitals and left the families to try and control the volatile patients. I thought the Progressive Libs were all about spending our money on social wellness programs. Until it comes to imprisoned criminals and dangerous mental defectives. Then the Libs think it's wrong to remove them from society and they should be set free to live amonst us.

Steve C: Your reply is exactly that sort of cute, smarmy,stand off-ish, wise guy comment that I get most often from Liberals regardless of the issue. Instead of conversing and seeing just what a persons perspective is and where there might be a common belief, you choose to be inflamitory and destructive. Question: What about people who want to own cars with huge engines that could propel a car down a public street at several times faster than the posted speed limit, thus endangering you, me, our loved ones. Then allowing that very car to be owned and operated by a 17 yr old. Do you want bans to prevent that situation. After all we see cases of youth + speed equaling death to innocent youths multiple times a month in this state alone per year. I say no. You can't ban everything that may pose a danger to society and still call America free. And owning a car and driving isn't even protected in the Constitution. And semi auto hand guns Steve?? So your saying revolvers are ok in your book?

Massachusetts is filled with hypocrites. Take a look at where the majority of domestic gun production occurs. Massachusetts politicians don't mind selling guns all over the country. See how they vote if the legislation means lay offs at Massachusetts gun makers.

It's so simple guys ... having the ability to defend yourself is your right under the constitution. That guns get into the wrong hands resulting in multiple deaths is a sad fact and were it not guns, it would be another device that would cause devastation. When someone wants to harm, they will find a way. Planes on 9/11, a bomb in Tulsa, examples. I cannot and will not ever agree to changing our 2nd amendment, placed there for valid reasons by good and caring men who understood better than we ever will the danger of giving in to tyrants and the will of those who would wish our nation harm. One thing I know for sure is that history speaks volumes to us if we take the time to study it and learn. I understand fully that there are all sorts of divisions among us, we cannot all agree all the time, we are not living in a utopian world. But we can and should, at the very least, all work to preserve and defend our constitutional rights.

Steven Cavaretta
8:59 am on Sunday, January 20, 2013
The gun debate is about mental illness. People who want to own assault rifles, large capacity magazines and semi automatic pistols are dangerous mental defectives.
____________________________________________________________

I own a semi-automatic pistol. Are you calling all who do "dangerous mental defectives"? In other words are you calling me a 'dangerous mental defective' based soley on the fact that I own a semi-auto pistol? How dare you! You don't know me or anything about me; where do you get off calling strangers incediary, insulting names?

FYI I have a permit & the gun was bought legally. I'm not some street thug, hoolum, doper or gangbanger.

GUNS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM; CRIMINALS ARE THE PROBLEM.

LCT,

Ignorance and intolerance are a couple more problems we're dealing with. Steven has no tolerance for you being a law abiding member of society all while demonstrating his ignorance of firearms.

-OT

>> Ignorance of firearms is a virtue

That is one of the most totally elitist and most ignorant things I've ever heard an American say – [other than that they voted to re-elect Obama].

What you're admitting to – and proudly it seems – is that your entire life has been lived in the protection of better and braver men and women than you will ever be. You're essentially saying 'I'm a nurtured hot-house pansy who has never even felt the rain on my leaves”.

Steven ... way out of hand, your remarks. You may assume what you wish about Nam vets but I can tell you first hand that they were not all dopers and for the most part all were brave enough to be in the fight while others fled. You are correct, the new military relies heavily on tech but not in face to face combat ... what do you think a soldier will do, pull out his I-phone when someone is gunning him? Don't be foolish and talk about what you don't really know, since I detect you have never faced battle of any kind. And shame on you for disparaging any individual who has ever been in a war zone. Best to give valor it's due no matter your disagreements, and be ever grateful to those who were conscripted. Believe it or not, it was and is a sacrifice not only for the fighter but for the family as well, but I suspect you have little knowledge of such ... bet your squirmishs began and ended in grade school.

So you say, Steven, but it sure sounds to me like you just may be making up for it now

Sorry Stevie boy ... I don't understand you any more than you understand what I said. You are completely off subject and just don't make sense so that leads me to assume that you just may be making up for lost time back in the day, smoking your own brains away.

Stop the personal attacks, folks. Debate ideas but when you start focusing on the person who is posting instead of the idea, you're off-track. We will delete the most egregious of the posts.

Karla ... thanks for deleting that hideous comment about smoking Viet Nam vets and about their undeserving of respect for their service to their country. It was totally off topic and incredibly cruel and insulting.

Sure would be nice if liberals waited for the facts to be known before assigning blame and coming up with new laws and new solutions.

BEWARE of ANYONE who wants to 'disarm you'! Such people don't really believe in our Constitution.

Reminds me of what a wise old sage once said " I don't know all the facts....the Cambridge police acted stupidly."