Firearms Safety Course

[revwardoc]

One of the reasons water pistols are banned is that the liquid in them isn't necessarily water. I've heard of kid wizzing in them or loading them with ammonia and stuff like that. When I was a kid, it never occurred to us to put in anything besides water. It's a different world.

I used to belong to a club at work that originally started out as a legitimateornithologist club but soon degenerated into an annual one-weekend-away-from-the-wife-kids-job-stress-break-out-the-booze-bachinalia. On the Friday night, ususally at some camp somewhere in New England, we'd break out our battery powered squirt guns and chase each other around until we were too drunk to stand. Mine was Uzi size and shaped. I happened to find it the other day and thought, very briefly, about giving it to my 9 year old grand-nephew. Then I remembered the kid in, I think, Harlem who was shot by the cops who saw him carrying the exact same thing. It now holds a special place in the local landfill.

[revwardoc]

Jerry,

By the way, I heard a comedian the other day who was from Georgia and served in Vietnam. He said it was like being punished for the same crime, twice! And he suffered from flashbacks...in Vietnam!

[Jerry D]

revwardoc, as Artie Johnson stated "Veery Interesting " and agreed.

[Andy]

I'm 55 and know it's always been illegal for a 12 year old to have a firearm without an adult present. Of course you do have to remember where I'm from.

Dan, you mention our People's Republic, I'd guess you don't get a lot of Western Mass news. About three weeks ago the Chief of Police in Pelham Mass was giving a weapons safety course in the basement of the Town Hall, meetings were going on up stairs. While explaining how to safely empty a rifle his weapon went off putting a .30-06 into door casing. Yes, an investigation by the Selectmen is on-going, DA's office is also involved.

With what's been happening the last few years I would not want a bunch of kids bringing firearms to school. Three reasons:
1. You just never know who's been having a bad week.
2. The town and no doubt the State will be sued for Large dollars if anything happened.
3. It is illegal.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[SEATJERKER]

...I can remember about ten years ago, this kid came to the gas station I was managing, and was looking for work, he was just getting paroled, and he looked like he was really still wet behind the ears,...

...as he explained that he had to have a job before they would let him out, and I at least gave him a ear, and said the usuals, "what did you do to earn a stint in the crossbar hotel"???, and in the back of my mind was, I wasn't going to hire an molester, etc,...

...turns out, he was 16, and him, and his "buddy" are out looking for quick unearned cash, they "stick up" a older couple while they on their was out of a local eating est. with a squirt gun,...

...BUT, BUT, they major portion of their sentencing was because one of them tried to scare them into not moving by say ""should we off them""...

...by the intimadation of that phrase, the judge gave him 3 to 9 straight, he did 3 in the state pen, HARD,...

...must say the kid learned his lesson as he was always early worked his ass off, never missed a day, the job I gave him was part of his release program, and I saw him 6 months ago, he's never screwed up again,...

...point, a squirt gun to someone being robbed is just as bad as having a real one jammed in your back, I guess, No one has ever been stupid enough to try to rob me,....

...

[revwardoc]

Andy,

I've always that that a good demonstration adds a lot to an ordinary lecture...but that's ridiculous! If I was a Town Council Member in Pelham, I'd be paranoid as hell during the next meeting!

It's funny that even in a state as small as Masschusetts, the western part is rarely mentioned in the news. I can get news stations out of Eastern MA, RI, and NH but nothing out of Springfield. On a good day I can pick up 102.1 FM but only if the wind's blowing NE.