Wyoming Has a Different Plan
Audette Fulbright a UU Minister writes a letter to her state representative regarding carrying concealed weapons in schools in Wyoming.
The response from her state representative was if you don't like the political atmosphere here, please leave. What he might of thought in reality could have been much more colorful. Hans Hunt said what a lot of people in Wyoming think. UU Congregations are probably one of the few places in Wyoming, where there are not a lot of guns. Probably more than a few Priuses, Bio diesel pickups and Obama bumper stickers.
Gun racks in pick ups, holsters, boots, cowboy hats are more the norm out there. While I doubt that a proposed amendment about carrying while drunk would have made a difference it does point out other pitfalls when everybody can have a gun and may feel the need to carry it to protect themselves from UU's or engage in a shootout with an officer during a traffic stop.
I doubt that same sex marriage is going to be a big vote winner out there either. Mathew Shepherd probably wishes he had left the state before he was murdered as well.
The laws out there give a universal right to carry a gun, however your rights in Wyoming will not pass muster in other states that have their own laws or try to follow federal laws.
I don't think guns have a place in schools. Students and teachers could fight and gun play might happen. The UU Minister has a right to her opinion and even in a small rural state, a person who might think differently should speak out. The First Amendment still exists for people who disagree with some folks interpretation of the Second amendment.
The response from her state representative was if you don't like the political atmosphere here, please leave. What he might of thought in reality could have been much more colorful. Hans Hunt said what a lot of people in Wyoming think. UU Congregations are probably one of the few places in Wyoming, where there are not a lot of guns. Probably more than a few Priuses, Bio diesel pickups and Obama bumper stickers.
Gun racks in pick ups, holsters, boots, cowboy hats are more the norm out there. While I doubt that a proposed amendment about carrying while drunk would have made a difference it does point out other pitfalls when everybody can have a gun and may feel the need to carry it to protect themselves from UU's or engage in a shootout with an officer during a traffic stop.
I doubt that same sex marriage is going to be a big vote winner out there either. Mathew Shepherd probably wishes he had left the state before he was murdered as well.
The laws out there give a universal right to carry a gun, however your rights in Wyoming will not pass muster in other states that have their own laws or try to follow federal laws.
I don't think guns have a place in schools. Students and teachers could fight and gun play might happen. The UU Minister has a right to her opinion and even in a small rural state, a person who might think differently should speak out. The First Amendment still exists for people who disagree with some folks interpretation of the Second amendment.
You have a lot of assumptions. Here is what the Wyoming law actually says.
ReplyDeleteNo permit issued pursuant to Wyoming law or any permit issued from any other state shall
authorize any person to carry a concealed firearm into:
Any facility used primarily for law enforcement operations or administration without the written consent of the chief administrator;
Any detention facility, prison or jail;
Any courtroom, except that nothing in this section shall preclude a judge from carrying a concealed weapon
or determining who will carry a concealed weapon in the courtroom;
Any meeting of a governmental entity;
Any meeting of the legislature or a committee thereof;
Any school, college or professional athletic event not related to firearms;
Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic liquor and malt beverages
for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to that purpose;
Any place where persons are assembled for public worship, without the written consent of the chief administrator of that place;
Any elementary or secondary school facility;
Any college or university facility without the written consent of the security service of the college or university; or
Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law or regulation or state law.
I think the UU Congregations are safe in Wyoming. Illinois, with the strictest gun laws in the nation, has a murder rate over 4 times higher than Wyoming.
How does that fit into your little story? Using Matthew Shepard to tar the citizens of Wyoming is pretty low. Like saying Bjarni Bernhardur is typical of Icelanders.
I think Wyoming is one of four states that allows people to discretly carry weapons without a state issued permit. I'm glad you pointed out some exceptions but how these laws are administered may be problematic. On one hand I'm sure almost everybody in Wyoming is not a murdering homophobic person but the fact that he was not carrying a gun made him the subject of some bullying gone amuck.
DeleteIn Knoxville, there was a shooting at a UU Church program. In Miami, where I attend services we had an incident a long time ago where shots were fired during a program that favored normalizing relations with Cuba.
Recently, we have had off duty police officers at a few services because of threats. Thankfully, nothing happened and the police have left. However just last Sunday there was a special congregational meeting at church regarding safety that included what people should do in case of an outbreak of violence.
Re: Bjarni, LSD, Poetry, Murder,I guess it is a relatively good thing that he only had a knife. I guess Iceland has a different plan as well and I hope Bjarni continues to take his meds. I stand by my comment that Mathew Shephard wishes he had left the state, it just seems logical. Thanks for your comments.
You forgot to even mention Bjarni's victim, who doesn't care that it was only a knife. I never hear of the successful defensive incidents, I wonder why?. I'm also pretty sure that almost all people in Florida are not gun fetish sociopaths. I think I would be safer in Cody, Wyoming than Miami but that's just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteYou probabhly would be safer in Cody, Wyoming. Living in urban areas seems to be more dangerous. Prior to your comment I knew nothing regarding Bjarni or his victim. Maybe successful defensive incidents don't get reported because they are rare or of a somewhat mixed bag. Little old ladies who hold off home invaders do get coverage in Miami.
ReplyDeleteWoman are one of the fastest growing segments of firearm owners. I think it is a good thing to be responsible for your own safety. I have very little trust in law enforcement protecting me or my family. The gun laws proposed in reaction to reported shootings have very little to do with safety and the media silence in reporting positive gun defenses is immoral. What is the general sense of UU congregations on affirmative defense? My father said that that most people don't understand that evil is real. It exists. It is something that cannot be justified , excused or avoided and must be confronted for what it is. I think he learned this in WWII.
ReplyDeleteI own a Glock. Suzy and I have both been to the gun range and learned to handle it. It sits in the closet. I don't take it out, I don't carry it around, I generally don't talk about it. I don't hunt, sport shoot or think its cool. But I'm glad I have it. For Illinois it required a FOID card, a background check and approval by the state police. If I commit a crime or domestic violence my FOID card is revoked. I must dispossess myself of the gun or serve 5 years in jail. I don't want any more restrictions than that. People are generally not aware of how restrictive the current guns laws already are. Iceland has very little capital crime. Bjarni is a very rare case. I pointed to him to show that evil doesn't need a gun. Thanks for listening.
I have no problem with people that own guns responsibly. My original post related to the response of the elected official that responded to the tone if you don't like it leave. Recently a kid in Homestead accidently shot another kid on a school bus by mistake while showing her the gun.
ReplyDeleteAccidents, Murder/Suicides, drunken arguements, and just plain crazies killing others happen far too often. There is room for other opinions and ideas.
When I lived in England in the early sixties even the police did not regularly carry guns. I think that has changed because even London has gotten more violent.
One morning while leaving from work I was told by a police officer to go back to my condo and stay inside. Catty corner from my building there was a body and the neighborhood was crawling with police. A murder and the body was dumped in High Pines. A first for the neighborhood. Robbery murder by some visitors from New England.
About thirty years ago my apartment was ransacked and a TV and some electronics were stolen. I got shook up and almost moved to a goat farm in Williston North Dakota, but that is another story.
A fight over a game of pool, one of the trouble makers left and came back from his car with a gun. The police were called and I exited stage left out the back door. The bartender grabbed a bat as I was leaving. I rarely went to the Pine Tree Bar after that incident.
Two guys argueing over a parking space in front of a 7-11. One guy pulls a knife, the other reaches under his seat and pulls out a gun. I was leaving after I saw the knife. The guy with the knife left when he saw the gun.
Right after the McDuffie riots I had to go to the Caleb Center in an area where there had been many shots fired and a few people killed. Co-workers asked me if I carried a gun or was worried about working in the area. Actually, I felt safe there because the National Guard escorted me to the building and there were troops on every major corner until I got back to Miami Shores.
Working in Homestead after Andrew I had an assistant from the Mountain Division from Fort Drum. He accompanied me as I worked a line. He said his M-16 was not loaded but he was confident that the rifle butt could do the kob if needed. Lot's of folks slept with guns protecting their property from looters for quite a while down there.
I hope you never encounter an experience that requires a gun. I've never seriously thought about owning a gun out of concern about getting pissed off at someone and using it.