[Seawolf]

http://media.www.dailycampus.com/media/storage/paper340/news/2007/09/14/Commentary/Americas.Gun.Culture.Must.Change-2969235.shtml

Staff Columnist Chris Donnelly is a 5th-semester sociology and political science double major. He can be contacted at Christopher.Donnelly@UConn.edu

You can also comment on the web site itself at the end of the article.

[modifiedbrowning]

the population being slaughtered by the newest fresh out of the box Glock
Guns don't kill people, people kill people, stupid.
[Guns kill people/QUOTE]
See above.
[QUOTE]I know there are some of you who will continue to live in your sad and pathetic world of hate, and that you will laugh while reading this article when I speak of peace and a world without firearms. And I pity you, I really do.
I do not own guns because I hate, I own guns because I LOVE (my life and those of my friends and family).

[fletcher]

Ignorance++

This is the most misinformed, idiotic writer I've seen in a couple months. Typical anti arguments, full of holes.

5th-semester sociology and political science double major
This is where our politicians come from. Looks like he has just completed his sophomore year - not a misnomer at all.

The main reason why we created the whole Second Amendment was something along the lines of protecting ourselves back in the 1700s from the people we stole our land from; aka Native Americans,
Wow. Just wow.

[Texasred]

You know I really don't see any points made and the sarcasm he uses doesn't sound convincing at all. I'm not worried about it, because anyone who could believe this is not worth having on our side anyways.

[ClickClickD'oh]

Staff Columnist Chris Donnelly is a 5th-semester sociology and political science double major.
Ah, he's majoring in Professorship I see.

The article is a waste of time. It's not an argument of rational intellect, it's an argument of emotion and hatred. The finger pointing, political mudslinging and name calling starts almost immediately. These people can't, and should 't be debated with. That only leads to a circus.


PS: Anyone else think it's funny that a fifth year polysci major has such an obvious lack of understanding of the framing of the Constitution? Indians? HAH!

[Nanook]

The main reason why we created the whole Second Amendment was something along the lines of protecting ourselves back in the 1700s from the people we stole our land from; aka Native Americans,

Let me go out on a limb here, a Clinton campaign worker in his spare time? :)

Wow, where do you start with this one? So many wrong headed statements, so little time. I'll bet his parents are thinking of suing his university to get their money back.

Everybody wants reparations. Where does it end? Do we go back to the first caveman tribe that vanquished its neighbors? Try to find the descendants of the losing tribe?

Sheesh.

[El Tejon]

He's 20 years old. He's not very well educated. So, I can understand his motivation.

We need to treat this as an opportunity to publicly response and perhaps reach others, or, we can only hope, the author.:)

[mp510]

I sent in some nice commentary. Let's see if it actually get's approved.

[Tommygunn]

What ineffable twaddle......
:barf::barf::barf::barf::barf::barf::barf::barf::barf::barf::barf:

[rdhood]

the population being slaughtered by the newest fresh out of the box Glock

Someone here recently posted FBI statistics that showed the average time-to-crime was about 10 YEARS. So the population is really being "slaughtered" by people carrying 10-year-old glocks. Further, twice as many people are being slaughtered by backyard pools and boating as by gun-toting thugs.

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

These sorts of displays of ignorance of even basic U.S. (and North American in general) history always make me wonder how the hell these dolts manage to make it into an accredited college to begin with.

[hcddog]

Looks like another socialist-utopian student in the making. The REALLY scary thing is that he'll eventually become a college professor and have an entire class full of naive students to share his utopian ideas with.

[Rumble]

I posted a comment. It appeared immediately, so it looks like they haven't started filtering anything (and they may not).

[ZeSpectre]

Well he's getting slammed pretty hard on the webpage...good.

It's weird, when I was younger I knew enough to LISTEN and LEARN about a topic before I opened my mouth to talk about it.

(Now I just talk away, but I'm a cranky old guy so I can get away with it right?!? :neener:)

[Colt]

Yeah, he's getting diced up pretty good.

I'm sure all the comments will be sumarily dismissed in his (small) mind as further examples of gun owner hate.

[40SW]

The individual who wrote this article is mentally ill and needs serious counseling, please don't give him legitimacy. If individuals who read this garbage actually believe it, then they need help as well.
Look, its simple, live is precious and worth defending. There are those in our society who don't hold life and its sanctity in very high esteem, they are simply evildoers who will kill you for anything they want or need. Their judgment centers are compromised by drug use or they may have been born without empathy and are simply savages, regardless of the pathology, civilized human beings need a method of defense against savagery that exists in our society, be it simple or complex, having said that, individuals who place all their faith in police response time are delusional and/or mentally ill. Its simply a difference between those who place their destiny in self reliance vs. government dependence. This is elementary stuff to people with a brain. A college campus is not a place to find such people, for the most part.

[atblis]

I really don't see anything worthy of a response. Getting rid of guns is the solution to all of society's woes?

This is how I'd respond if that article actually motivated me to respond. What a piece of crap. Thankfully somebody already said it.

*Yawns* ... This commentary reinforces my belief that todays college student is taught nothing about American history. But let's not let facts get in the way of a good emotional rant .

[iamkris]

Another in a long chain of proof...the hard core anti-gunners have a clear misperception:


They confuse the "gun culture" (e.g., us gunnies who like guns for their aesthetics, mechanics, history, self reliance and challenge of shooting) and the "death culture" (bad people who wish harm on others...to whom the gun is a tool to that)

They have a bizzare notion that the presence of an object (in this case, a gun( will transform an otherwise meek mild person into whatever the popular media beieves that object represents (in this case, a raving, blood-thirsty lunatic). This is delusional thinking at best...sort of like thinking you can will a basketball player to make the shot...those are the thoughts of a child.

[billhilly66]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. (breath) ha ha ha.

OMG! That is absolutely the worst anti schpeel I've ever read. This has GOT to be satire. Surely he can't be serious. I think we need LOTS more articles like this. Drooling idiots on the other side helps our cause.

[hcddog]

wow, the comments are hammering this guy...hard

[alucard0822]

there went 10 minutes of my life I will never get back.

[Thegungal]

AMERICA's COLLEGE CULTURE MUST CHANGE.


Seriously, that is what these twits are advocating for everyone else. In the real world, when you continue to find problems with everything other than yourself...guess who the real problem is?

Look at what America's college culture has given us. The Collegiate institutional ideas and agendas that have shaped this country in the last 50 years have set up the systems that have caused the problems in this country more than any other thing. And they stand behind these failures like they were the gospel.

The only thing that keeps the Barbarians at bay that are pounding on the City gates is the backs of hard working Americans.

[ozwyn]

I posted a reply earlier, should have checked my spelling better.

Naturally a polisci student would support gun control - it is the easy answer that fits in a sound bite without accomplishing anything.

[Deanimator]

Naturally a polisci student would support gun control
Then apparently, I'm quite UNnatural, given that I've got a Political Science degree and had a room full of guns in college.

[ozwyn]

That makes you a VERY welcome exception to the rule. We just need about 300 more of them and in congress.

[MDW GUNS]

AMERICA's COLLEGE CULTURE MUST CHANGE. is what liberal said 20+ years ago and they have done a good job!
This kid is the product of "guns are bad" brain wash, which is done in every public school!

[Deacon Blues]

The simple fact is that guns serve no tangible purpose anymore.Eh, what?

Is this guy really an anti? If this was written anonymously, I would be almost certain that it was a pro-2A poisoning the well. How could you put your name to such purposeless tripe? :confused:

Someone tell me he didn't really compare gun ownership with human embryo harvesting. :scrutiny:

[cnorman18]

The site wouldn't let me post my comment, so I emailed it to this kid. Any reply I receive will be posted here, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Dear Mr, Donnelly,

Your column was long on stereotyping and prejudice, but woefully short on facts. Here are a few you might want to try to work into your thinking on this issue:

The UK has totally outlawed handguns. The result? Their much-heralded low rate of violent crime is now higher than ours. Look it up.

EVERY state that has instituted a Concealed Carry law has seen a sharp drop in violent crime.

In those states, virtually no CCW permit holders have been arrested for ANY crime. Virtually none have had their licenses revoked.

On the other hand, the jurisdictions with the most stringent gun controls consistently have the highest rates of violent crime.

These are not arguable statistics; they are facts from government records.

You want to outlaw guns entirely? Fine. What will you do when government agents come to search YOUR home? Oh, you don't have a gun? Sorry, there's no way to verify that. Your home will be searched anyway. The only way to get rid of ALL the guns will be nationwide house-to-house searches--without warrants, by the way. Is that okay with you?

And that wouldn't work either, as a moment's thought would tell you. As soon as word gets out that this is happening, legal and illegal guns alike will be going into hiding--buried in back yards or on public lands, or hidden in houses that have already been searched. A simultaneous nationwide search is clearly impossible.

Guns in private hands prevent more crimes than they cause. I know you don't believe those statistics--for no better reason that that you don't WANT to, which is of course no reason at all--but I can tell you this; my own ownership of a firearm has saved my life and my family's thee times. One was a threatened street attack which ended when I merely displayed my gun. Another was a home invasion; two men broke into our house while we were in bed, and fled at the sound of my chambering a round. The third was a threatened attack from a mentally ill person who decided not to carry it out when informed that I was generally armed.

Unless and until you can find a way to disarm 100% of armed criminals, who will NOT meekly turn in their weapons when some new law is passed, it simply makes no objective sense to disarm peaceful, law-abiding people who have never, and will never, use any weapon in an irresponsible or criminal manner.

Do you actually know anyone who owns a gun? Or is your blatantly skewed and distorted image of gun owners purely a product of anti-gun propaganda and your own prejudice? I suggest you visit a gun range and take some time to actually meet and get to know some gun owners. You will find that, by and large, we are neither savages nor ignorant, bloodthirsty rednecks (and I cannot help but wonder how you would react to stereotyping of any other group as vicious and hostile as you have displayed here).

Oh--and before I close, I'd like to note for the record that I'm pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-government funding of stem-cell research, and I don't think there's any doubt that evolution is a fact (I think that's the dumbest argument on the public agenda). I have put my life "on hold" to care for an elderly friend, 24-7, because he cannot afford the kind of care he needs. I bathe daily, do not follow any sport, and listen to classical music. Sorry to mess up your stereotype--but there are millions like me, and very few who fit the nasty, viciously prejudiced and hate-filled image you are trying to promote here.

I'm sure you have received some comments and emails that are rude and insulting. I regret that; on the other hand, when you smear and libel people, they are not likely to react by sending you flowers. My own communication here is, I think you will agree, respectful and civil.

Please give this matter a little more thought. I would not expect you to change your mind, but I would expect that, as a matter of intellectual honesty, that you will at least admit that there are arguments on the other side that are reasoned, rational, logical, intelligent and more than mere bloodthirsty savagery, as you have indicated here.

If you can only make your case by smearing your opponents while ignoring their actual arguments--well, it might be reasonable to conclude that you have no real case, only unthinking prejudice and groundless stereotypes.

Sincerely,

Charles Norman

[40SW]

Cnorman18:
That was an exceptional letter. Very well done, from one wordcraftsman to another. I hope he responds, who knows, sometimes we make a difference, even with the irrational.

[MrPeter]

Wow, no way. I read into the third paragraph and I just stopped.

I just... can't.. do that to my brain...

[ArcherandShooter]

Naturally a polisci student would support gun control

I, too, have my first degree in Poli Sci. Not only that, I got it from UConn, where I used to be a staff photographer for this very same newspaper!

You see, there IS hope for people to grow up!

[AKChuck]

Some folks sure have a twisted out look on life. His whole focus should have a indictment society not an inanimate object. I guess that should be expected coming from a university that specializes in basket weaving -basket weaving (a UConn specialty). What happened to higher education?

The main reason why we created the whole Second Amendment was something along the lines of protecting ourselves back in the 1700s from the people we stole our land from

Excuse me I was under the impression the 2nd amendment along with the other 9 amendments in The Bill of Rights was written to endorse our God given rights. The right to protect our family, ourselves, and our country. The right to provide for our family. The right to assure America remains free.

I guess what sticks in my craw most is these people don't understand is all 10 amendments are interlocked when one goes it only a matter of time before they all fall. How long does he think will the 1st amendment will survive without the 2nd?

If any of them, amendments, are to survive we better make sure the next generation has a more accurate understanding of history or our grandchildren will not be a free people.

[ArmedBear]

This guy isn't worth your time.

Fortunately, there's Starbuck's so he can find employment when he finally graduates.

Why is it that angry little jerks lecture others about "hate"?

[cnorman18]

I think that antis like Donnelly ARE worth our time. It seems clear that he hasn't really thought about the issue very much, and that his views are merely unexamined prejudice and stereotyping. He can be educated--if he has retained enough integrity and intellectual honesty to have it--and he might even come over to our side someday.

The real intractables are the ones who KNOW the facts and are busy finding ways to conceal or distort them; who have no compunctions about manufacturing false and deliberately misleading propaganda, because they know that honest debate does not favor their cause. In short, the ones who made this kid what he is now.

Sometimes, people like Donnelly, when they realize what a bill of goods they've been sold, come around.; when they know the facts, they're furious at having been deliberately misled, and have the integrity to change their position.

Sometimes they merely join the liars and help them lie.

But there is hope for the ones who haven't actually thought about it yet, but only parroted the views that they think are fashionable with the crowd they hang with. I have little doubt that this kid is one of those. I doubt if he's ever seen a legitimate argument against gun control before today; he's only been told there aren't any, and he's believed it. We'll soon see what he's made of.

[frankcostanza]

this might be the worst article i have ever read regarding 2A. :barf: whats even worse though, is that many of the pro gun people posting comments in regards to his "article" are stooping to the same level as the author. as infuriating as this particular piece of writing is, hurling insults back at the writer does more harm than good. props to benezra for taking the high road in his reply to the article.

[revjen45]

This crock of tripe was so absurd that I thought it was a parody of the typical Brady/VPC twaddle. Another puerile nascent socialist who believes he is so smart that he can think for all the rest of us.

[MKEITH]

cnorman18, hats off man, very well said.I think this guy is just weak minded. He said he has seen someone die, and through the context of his writing, we are led to believe that it came from a violent crime. Nw, if this happens to be the case, there are generaly two types of reactions to such an event. One would be to say to one's self that you will not allow such a thing to ever happen to you if you can in any way prevent it. At that point actions would be taken to help protect yourself, probobly including obtaining a firearm for protection. The other reaction is to simply cover your head and beg for all evile to just "go away".At best, he is this second type of person. At worst, this is the type of person who will be teaching our future generations.

[Black Adder LXX]

Wow-what an idiot!

Cnorman18:Nice reply. Definitely more than that naive pubescent deserves...

[torpid]

Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm swayed.

[torpid]

.....
;)

[SoCalShooter]

I read it. Its not a rational argument and he is obviously dillusional. You can read all the books you want and create some form of an opinion from them until you hit reality.

re:cnorman18

Right on. Perhaps someone in his area should invite him shooting.

[ArmedBear]

I read it. Its not a rational argument and he is obviously dillusional. You can read all the books you want and create some form of an opinion from them until you hit reality.

That was my point.

Sadly, some people never do hit reality, but there's usually little point in arguing with them anyway.

[Black Adder LXX]

"Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him."
Proverbs 26.4

[SoCalShooter]

RE: armed bear

I know a lot of college educated people and a lot of college students (considering I am one) and honestly they happen to be some of the dumbest people I have ever met. They tend to throw rational thought out the window and rely on the books or the professor/teachers lectures they were given a long time ago...its like noone ever formulates their own idea or own opinion anymore in college. I am at the point where I think college is no longer a place of enlightenment just job training.

[ArmedBear]

SoCal, I agree. I see it, too. A lot.

I am at the point where I think college is no longer a place of enlightenment just job training.

Soon, you may find that it is neither.:) At least, not in the way that they claim it is. What you really learn is often unrelated to your classwork.

It is, however, a great way to prolong your childhood into what used to be middle age. We in 21st Century America live in far greater luxury than we realize.

[scurtis_34471]

I just went back and read the newest responses. This guy is getting owned. My response was downright polite compared to most of bashing this guy is taking for that insipid editorial he wrote.

[MD_Willington]

"America's Gun Culture Must Change"

Yeah, it should, I'd like to see more people buying AR, AK's, 30 round magazines... I mean only bambi & donald duck killers buy sporting arms {/sarcasm...


We in 21st Century America live in far greater luxury than we realize.

I work with people from all walks of life from all over the world... America, is like Disneyland for these people!

[ArmedBear]

Well, nobody likes a pussy, scurtis.:)

Seriously, though, if by chance he really is pro-2A, and very clever, he's really succeeding!

[lanternlad1]

This 'guy' is a CHILD. A fifth-semester student. (I'd guess 18-19 years old)He is not a real journalist, nor even an adult. He is not someone to be argued with, but a child to be slapped and sent to his room for spouting nonsense. By all of you writing to him, you have validated his already over-inflated sense of self importantance.

"See, I can REALLY tick people off if I want."

And so, you have fallen into his trap.

His ignorant ears will not hear your teachings, nor will he be swayed from his rantings by your letters.

I believe you are all wasting your time. I hope that I am wrong.

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

This 'guy' is a CHILD. A fifth-semester student. (I'd guess 18-19 years old)
So, by your estimation he entered college 2-3 years before most students graduate from high school? Did his writing impress you so much that you think he's an academic prodigy?

[Cougfan2]

I am at the point where I think college is no longer a place of enlightenment just job training.

SoCalShooter, you and my son would get along. He is doing his student teaching now in WA state and can't believe the liberal tripe that some of his Profs at WSU spew. He is a shooter and a solid 2A advocate. There is hope for the educational system yet!;)

[SoCalShooter]

The problem is that he shows no SCIENTIFIC thought its just gooshing over with feelings and opinions based on no facts. Opinions are like ***holes everyone has one.

[lanternlad1]

"So, by your estimation he entered college 2-3 years before most students graduate from high school? Did his writing impress you so much that you think he's an academic prodigy?"


Why not?

Most college students enter at 18 and graduate at 21 (on average). I entered at 17 myself...

Of all the things in the world to ask. Stay on topic.

[Kentak]

I tried to post this comment there. Don't know if it went through or not.

This is just sad on so many levels. Mr. Donnelly's arguments for his position and the understanding of the issues he brings up are sophomoric, simplistic, flawed, uninformed, and bigoted.

This childish level of journalism would be expected in a middle school publication. What's Mr. Donnelly's excuse?

[joesolo]

i am not normally moved to respond to BS like this but this guy is an idiot.

[TCB in TN]

This kid is the product of "guns are bad" brain wash, which is done in every public school!

Some of us are trying to change that!

[Rob87]

I'm a fifth-semester student. I'm 20 years-old. I'm not a child.

:)

[Fly320s]

This guy is an idiot.

Why don't we stop insulting the man and invite him here instead?

Isn't that the way of The High Road?

I'll send him an invitation to this thread right now. If he reads it and if he registers so that he may respond here, then we can educate him. Nicely. No name-calling, no childish, "grow up" type rebuttals.

Sound good?

[Rob87]

A man is not an idiot for having an opinion.

I don't agree with a thing the mans ays, but he's still entitled to his opinions--logical or otherwise.

[Australian Shooter]

the population being slaughtered by the newest fresh out of the box Glock

I say, the population is being slaughtered even more by the newest fresh out of the factory Ford.

(Don't get me wrong, I love Fords)

[Soybomb]

Hi Chris, I wanted to just address a couple points quickly from your
article. First you speak of the poor defenseless animals being killed by
hunters. I have to say first I'm not a hunter at all. It doesn't sound
like a sport I would enjoy and I prefer my meat to come wrapped on a nice
piece of styrofoam. But when you consider the cruelty of an animal being
shot, also consider the cruelty of a population that grows out of control
with animals starving. Certainly in a Disney world all the animals would
live happy lives if we didn't intrude but I don't think you're giving
credit to some of the reasons people hunt as being positives for the
animal population.

Next up you say that guns serve no tangible purpose anymore. I'm sort of
confused on that, it seems like they serve a very real purpose of
protecting people against those stronger than them that wish to do them
harm. Its the reason police officers carry guns. Its the reason I have a
gun. Reports put the number of defensive uses of guns in the US each year
somewhere between 1.5 and 2 million times if you go off a Department of
Justice report or a study by FSU criminologist Kleck.

You're also talking about the 2nd amendment and native americans. I'm
not sure if you're really giving the 2nd amendment the credit it deserves.
Don't forget that the entire bill of rights was a tool to help convince
anti-federalists to go along with the consitution. You'll notice that the
bill of rights really serves to expressly limit the government's power in
certain areas. The right to arms and an armed population was there to be
a last resort check against government tyranny. These were people who had
just recently used firearms to overthrow their unjust government and saw
that they might to do it again in the future.

You say gun proliferation is at an all time high. Whats the
crime rate like? I'd encourage you to look up the FBI's Uniform Crime
Reports and similiar data put out by the department of justice and look at
the trends of violent crime over the last few decades. It certainly looks
like things are doing well to me. You also random acts of violence.
Being a sociology student I would think you would be interested in the
motivations for those actions but instead you seem to be more interested
in the tool used in some of those acts of violence. Why don't we look for
the real problem and try to treat it? Humans have been killing each other
for a very long time without firearms, and continue to do so. Don't think
that if the guns go away you'll wake up in a peaceful world.

Finally you say that guns kill people, there is no reason that should ever
happen, and we need to talk out our problems. I commend your sentiment
and desire for that to happen, but that just isn't reality. I hope I
never have to use a gun to shoot at anything but a paper target, but I
also accept that there are people in the world that will do harm to others
no matter how much you talk to them. I would never ask that an innocent
person give up their life so someone that wishes to do them harm could
live. Would you really condemn the actions of a police officer that shot
a man trying to stab him, a woman that shot a man trying to rape her, or a
woman that scared off a battering ex who came back to beat her again?

Its good you have respect for life and hate to see death. I think you'd
find most firearm owners are the same. If you do appreciate the gravity
of it though I think you'd see where sometimes the only option is that an
attacker trying to harm others is going to need to be forced to stop, and
sometimes that involves guns or death. Your article is well intentioned
Chris, but I just don't see that its very well thought out or applicable
to the world people actually live in. I'd like to see you support your
thoughts with unbiased facts and statistics. Emotional outbursts like
"killing in your weekly planner" don't support your position. If there is
one thing that I learned in college its that my arguments and thoughts
need to be supported.

[Fly320s]

An invitation has been sent to his published email address.

This being Friday night, it might be a few days before we get a response, if we get one at all.

[Nitrogen]

I could have easily wrote something that stupid when I was 20. Hopefully he gets some well reasoned responses, and sees the light someday. Hopefully not through violence or the need for a gun that he'd have banned.

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

A man is not an idiot for having an opinion.
No one said he was.

I don't agree with a thing the mans ays, but he's still entitled to his opinions--logical or otherwise.
No one said he wasn't.

Neither of your observations makes him any less (or more) of an idiot. That is determined by the quality of his thinking (or lack thereof.)

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

Why not?

Most college students enter at 18 and graduate at 21 (on average).
Which would have most of them either earning a bachelor's degeree in 3 years, or requiring that amount of time for an associate's. I don't have the statistics in front of me but I'm willing to bet that's not correct. I'm also not aware of any colleges that offer a 3-year degree program.

I entered at 17 myself...
Which would make you 19 by the beginning of your 5th semester (assuming you didn't skip a semester). Remember that this is the beginning of the academic year, not the middle. If this is his 5th semester then he skipped *at least* one semester (or some higher odd number of semesters) before beginning his college career. Even if he started at the lower end of the age range (17) these facts make him at least 19, and more probably 20 or more.
Of all the things in the world to ask.
*You* offered an estimate of his age, so you seemed to think it significant.

Stay on topic.
Yes Mom.

[Dr. Peter Venkman]

A fifth semester student is in the first part of their 3rd year, so he's around 20-21. Your math is a little off as well "WuzYoungOnceToo".

Regardless, he's a moron.

[Crunker1337]

I have no intentions of wasting my time trying to reason with this guy.

If you can find me a battle that I can conceivably win, I'll gladly engage.

[MachIVshooter]

I got through about 1.3 paragraphs and realized this individual has the writing talent of a fourth grader that he's put to good use regurgitating every thoughtless, cleche anti-gun line he's heard.

Nobody will take this fool seriously.

[skinewmexico]

Other fools, of whom he is surrounded, will take him seriously.

Just proof of how the American education system got hijacked, and turned into a facility for political indoctrination.

[ReadyontheRight]

Has any parent ever sued a University to get their money back for non-delivery of promised "education"?

Maybe we can all start a class-action suit for this guy's parents.

[Maximum1]

What a naive fool...

Come to think of it I heard a Radio Talk Show Host use this phrase "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder" I now know what he meant....

[GlowinPontiac]

comments on this article must now be approved by an "administrator".

Guess he doesnt want to hear the facts.

[Robert Hairless]

Fly320S:

An invitation has been sent to his published email address.

This being Friday night, it might be a few days before we get a response, if we get one at all.

Is there some way to distinguish between anti-gun people who have been invited by forum members to come here to "debate" and ordinary trolls, or is there no distinction between them?

At any rate, I think that you're all upset because you've misread the Second Amendment and didn't know that "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" meant that Americans wanted guns to take away land from Native Americans, who should be paid reparations.

Those reparations were clearly intended in the Third Amendment which says "No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law." What the framers of the Constitution presumably meant was that soldiers should not be given twenty-five cent pieces because those quarters had to be saved for later payment to the Native Americans. Either that or maybe the soldiers couldn't be drawn and quartered unless their doctors wrote legal prescriptions.

I'm thinking of studying political science at the University of Connecticut.

[ReadyontheRight]

If there is one thing anyone can be sure of in this country, it is that Americans love guns. Not a day goes by when you don't see a fine American citizen killing some poor, defenseless person/animal with a .50 caliber hand cannon on television, or you hear about some random act of violence (a bank robbery, a homicide, or a crazed postal worker) which involves a gun in some respect. Therefore, being a proponent of living in general, I think it's about time we as a country threw in the towel when it comes to the whole "I'm from America, and I have a God-given right to kill and spread carnage whenever I feel like it" gig and adopt a platform of life.

Nothing is more ironic than your average conservative Republican who vehemently cares about not using a couple of cells for stem cell research (that just get thrown out anyways) and claims that they care about life, but yet they have a large enough arsenal in their cellar to single-handedly occupy Paris (for purely hunting purposes only, mind you). If we are going to take this approach as a country, then every time I get a nose bleed I better call an ambulance to save the thousands of cells from dying.

The simple fact is that guns serve no tangible purpose anymore. The main reason why we created the whole Second Amendment was something along the lines of protecting ourselves back in the 1700s from the people we stole our land from; aka Native Americans, who, in my book, we should still be paying reparations to as an apology for the numerous instances of rape, theft and murder that occurred at the hands of 'true' Americans. Oh, and we can never forget the necessity of a firearm to protect your log cabin from being invaded by bears.

But wait, if we stopped having guns and if we even took it to the level of decreasing our military arsenal as well, it would be much harder for us to start wars, the classic American past time. Forget baseball, nothing makes a real American man happier than a beer in one hand, the controls to a flat screen LCD TV in the other, and the latest front line report from Fox News in front of him, fresh with depictions of carnage and massed destruction brought to you live from some country in the Middle East that we can't (or don't bother to learn to) pronounce anyways.

But hey, who cares? We as Americans are pros at conveniently blocking out death tolls from across the globe as long as the victimized masses are not 'one of us'.

Unfortunately, we do the same within our own borders as well. With gun proliferation at an all time high, people are being mowed down all across the nation in random acts of violence.

But once again no one cares - at least not until it's a cute little white girl holding a lollipop that gets killed walking down the road on her way to school. Then it's an epidemic. Then it's a crisis beyond any known to man. Then something must be done. But as long as it's the poor, undereducated, non-white segments of the population being slaughtered by the newest fresh out of the box Glock, we just plainly don't care.

If it is really that hard for one to lay down their arms and live a life of peace and prosperity, then perhaps it is due to a lack of better things to do. I have thus constructed a list of possible activities to take the place of killing in your weekly planner.

Options range from, but are not limited to: ice skating, basket weaving (a UConn specialty), planting a tree, learning to play an instrument, helping the poor, helping yourself, taking long walks on the beach, and finally, my personal favorite, survivalism taught first hand in the 21st -century epic that you and I know as "Man vs. Wild."

All of these activities not only don't involve firearms and the slaying of the innocent, but are both time consuming and recreational (or in the case of "Man vs. Wild," a stroke of pure genius).

Enough is enough. Guns kill people, and there is no reason why this should ever occur. In case you didn't get the memo, contrary to what is shown on TV, violence is not an acceptable form of conflict resolution, and the simple, little process called 'speech' is much easier and better at solving problems.

I know there are some of you who will continue to live in your sad and pathetic world of hate, and that you will laugh while reading this article when I speak of peace and a world without firearms. And I pity you, I really do.

I can tell you from personal experience, that seeing someone die is not funny; it is not a joke; and you wake up every morning and pray to God that you will never have to see something as horrible as that ever happen again.

Staff Columnist Chris Donnelly is a 5th-semester sociology and political science double major. He can be contacted at Christopher.Donnelly@UConn.edu

It IS refreshing to see someone of this guys ilk openly espouse his beliefs.

Of course it is very sad to see that a supposedly well-educated man seems to think that he is an expert on each and every topic and that his expansive expertise comes from endless streams of 30-second soundbites.

-Bush is baaaaaaad
-Guns are baaaaaad
-If we just disbanded our military, every one would leave the US alone
-White Europeans entering America was the worst thing that ever happened in human history
-USA baaaaaad
-"Man vs. Wild" goooooood - just don't use guns vs. wild, man

Personally, I can envision, as Mr. Donnelly does, a world without guns as an effective means of personal defense. A world without a military. A world where people spend their time licking lollipops, planting trees, learning to play instruments, helping the poor, helping themselves, taking long walks on the beach. A world with an entire "Man vs. Wild" network.

And I can imagine someone invading that world with firearms, because they would not expect it, and they would probably have a lot of cool stuff to take.

This guy's silly article should be just a funny diversion, but it's not. Because it is the way that nearly 50% of the voting public and 25% of the U.S. population think. This guy was just naive enough to write it down and publish it.

[Maximum1]

Here's what I send to this Poor Lost Soul who obviously is a DEFECTIVE PRODUCT of our School's of "Higher Learning". Too bad these institutions don't terach the basic facts reqarding the Constitution, Our Founding Fathers and the Second Amendment

Text of my email....

What a misguided naive fool... Come to think of it I heard a Radio Talk Show Host use this phrase, "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder" I now know what he meant....

Got a question for you chief; how are those gun bans going in Britain and Australia? How is it possible AFTER nationwide gun confiscation violent crime has SKYROCKETED??....Could it be only CRIMINALS HAVE GUNS??? BTW, Washington D.C. has had a gun ban in place for thirty plus years yet it’s one of (if not the MOST) dangerous place n America. In contrast 30 States joined the ranks of Right to Carry and in EVERY ONE OF THOSE STATES CRIME HAS GONE DOWN…How can that be?

Oh, about that "Gun Culture" those of us who exercise our Second Amendment RIGHT hadn’t killed ANY defenseless person only BAD GUYS AND ONLY IN SELF DEFENSE... That "fine American citizen killing some poor, defenseless person" you’re talking about (by the way, they’re called CRIMINALS) will continue to kill so the question is will you have a gun to protect yourself and your family or will you simply become a VICTIM. As for the rest of my Fellow Second Amendment Citizens, we’re ready and able to protect ourselves and our family.... As our Constitution GUARANTEES.
.

“The simple fact is that guns serve no tangible purpose anymore.”… Spoken like a true misguided naive fool.

[ReadyontheRight]

I have no intentions of wasting my time trying to reason with this guy.

If you can find me a battle that I can conceivably win, I'll gladly engage.

Oh, you'd win it, but he would have no idea what was going on.

Kind of like playing chess against a 2-year-old.

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

A fifth semester student is in the first part of their 3rd year
Yeah, I blew that one.

so he's around 20-21. Your math is a little off as well "WuzYoungOnceToo".
Actually, that was the age range I was estimating.

Regardless, he's a moron.
True dat.

[xsquidgator]

I was pleased to see that the entire first page of comments under his article scolded him and took him to task for his un-American writings. At least the author's reading public knows what's right even if he doesn't.

[the pistolero]

I read that column, and for some reason I was reminded of monkeys at the zoo throwing their crap and screeching at each other. The comment section was indeed heartening, though.

[bumm]

>I was pleased to see that the entire first page
> of comments under his article scolded him and
> took him to task for his un-American writings.
> At least the author's reading public knows
> what's right even if he doesn't.

Obviously, he's been targeted by the NRA. :)
Marty

[outdoorman63]

i threw my 02 cents in

[jefnvk]

Not even worrying about the content, the kid needs to learn to write. Doesn't seem to hold any sort of topic except America is bad.

Purely an opinion piece from a college junior.

[Pigspitter]

seriously this guy is a moron
1. He implies that all gun owners want to do is kill women and children. That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard..ever. You know what are the only living things I shoot for fun, lemons(guess he might object to that if he is a vegan). Gun owners are gun owners not murderers.
2. His stupid quote idolizing the guy from man vs. wild as a non-guns kinda guy. Bear Grylls isn't some anti-gun/war guy, he was in the SAS!!
All his article did was make me mad and confused.

[Warren]

Not one single response in support of his position.

One post alleged that this was a sociolgy experiment. If so the kid did a great job of eliciting responses.

[Ballistic308]

Political Science AND Sociology DOUBLE MAJOR?! This one will definitely be a great addition to our society when he graduates.

Unfortunately, he will then have to pay his own bills, and deal with the real world outside of college life. Methinks he may have a rude awakening when he does. It will change his outlook like only reality can.

[razorblade31]

political science and sociology double major. There is one boy who is never going to leave academia for the real world. His arguments are so asinine that they are not even worth responding to. I am a college kid too and one of the things I have learned in my relatively short life is that if you are going to take a position you should have some idea of what the hell you're talking about.

[Mr. Designer]

Typical empty-headed-leftist talk.

[Sonora Rebel]

This 'guy' a product of his insular environment. In that environment the lunatics run the asylums. It's all emotional hysterics based upon zero real world experience. At 21... I was breakin' things 'n killin' people in the National Interest. I've had no desire to repeat that... but I DO carry a sidearm for my own defense daily. I will use it if the situation demands. This is just another instance of the sheep confusing the sheepdogs with the wolves. Stupid sheep can't tell the difference. Baaaa!

I always figured if Lenin knew how to dance... the Soviet Union would never have happened.

[v35]

Posted today:

I love my family, I love my country, I love my freedom, and yes, I love my guns. Since I also consider myself a "real American man" I am at a loss to respond to your characterization of me as a sports loving, beer swilling Neanderthal. I don't own a TV, flat screen or otherwise, and I prefer to get my news from reputable sources such as the Wall Street Journal. I enjoy an occasional glass of good red wine and classical music, and although I appreciate a good, preferably home-made beer, I haven't had one in years. I think I'll pass on basket-weaving, but I am learning to play the piano.

I saw the carnage (or what you call "massed destruction") resulting from the horrible terrorist attacks of six years ago, and I am revolted by your insinuation that it, or anything resembling it, was an enjoyable experience for me. Nothing makes this "real American man" happier than seeing my growing family enjoying simple domestic tranquility, knowing the rights guaranteed by our Constitution, including my right to keep and bear arms, are there to protect them from harm. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I have the tools and the ability to defend them.

Since it appears your characterization of "real Americans" is a product of your excessive exposure to television and its sickening obsession with violence, I humbly suggest you make an effort to interact with some "real Americans" in person. Perhaps you could visit the internet forum where I learned of your story. Perhaps you could visit a firearms range, and speak to the people you characterize as gun-wielding maniacs. You might even go to a gun show, where you will likely find the most polite, well-educated, affluent (guns aren't cheap!), nicest people you've ever met. The long-haired, tatooed redneck handling an evil-looking black assault rifle might just be me.

I too dream of a world without violence, a peaceful place where I wouldn't have to concern myself with threats presented by my fellow man. Unlike you, however, I am able to separate dreams from reality. In the real, non-dream world, bad people exist. Hitler existed. Stalin existed, Saddam Hussein, countless others who would probably agree with your advocacy of preventing private ownership of the firearms that would have checked their ascent into the powerful positions that enabled them to slaughter millions of their fellow men. In the real world, people exist who would like to deprive me of my red wine, my piano, my domestic tranquility, or my family, and history has shown this is the legacy of mankind. Yes, it's sad, but it's true. That's not dreamland. That's reality, and I live in the real world. You live in the academic world. If and when you leave the world of disheveled professors and 8 AM lectures, your nice orderly world of classes, exams, schedules, and GPAs, you will learn the difference.

I humbly suggest it is you who must change. It is shameful that as a student of higher education, it seems your mind is closed; your conclusions drawn. This story is the worst example of ignorance I have read in a long time. I certainly hope you don't represent the majority of UConn students.

In closing, though I believe your opinions to be narrow-minded, short-sighted, bigoted, ill-conceived, ill-informed, and frankly stupid, I would fight to the death for your right to express them. After all, this is America, land of the free, home of the brave. May it always be so.

[Gladius]

"I speak... of a world without firearms".

You know, we actually had that, at one time....

It was called the Dark Ages.

[Neo-Luddite]

My bet; he is trying to get liberal college girls to like him.

[benEzra]

Gladius, I HOPE you posted that on the comments! Well said...