Out of the mouths of hardened criminals

[Fatman]

Thought I'd dig this old article up. I first read it in the NJ Star Ledger on July 28, 1995.  Pertinent excerpt below.

PRISON PROGRAM USES GREAT BOOKS TO GET INMATES TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF
 Vern Anderson, Point of the Mountain, Utah (AP)

A few feet from where state prison inmates spend their days punching out license plates, a group of felons is discussing Huckleberry Finn's definition of thievery. Leon Hendricks, a heavily tattooed offender, easily grasps the moral distinctions between 'borrowing' and 'stealing' made by Mark Twain's hero. But in Hendricks' macho world of prison and the streets, 'taking' is just as excusable as 'borrowing,' and both are poles apart. ‘Stealing is when you take someone's stuff when they're not around,' Hendricks says, adding a pungent disparaging remark about that particular activity. 'But if you're taking something,' he adds, 'you just take it and they can do something about it if they're man enough.' What if someone pulls a gun?' another inmate asks. For Hendricks, the answer is obvious. 'Then I ain't taking it,' he replies. In and out of prison four times in eight years for theft and parole violations, Hendricks, 26,... 

I sent this in to then Governor Whitman, my Senator and House Rep with a request they push for 'shall issue'. All said they agreed, but it was a hopeless cause.  One even pointed out he knew of one Democrat, (a female  House member from Newark) who's child was in prison for armed robbery. He figured she and others with similar relations would fight 'shall issue' tooth and nail. 

It's now 2008, still no love for the good guys in Jersey. Truly the inmates run that asylum. 

[Ron J]

Thought I'd dig this old article up. I first read it in the NJ Star Ledger on July 28, 1995.  Pertinent excerpt below.

I sent this in to then Governor Whitman, my Senator and House Rep with a request they push for 'shall issue'. All said they agreed, but it was a hopeless cause.  One even pointed out he knew of one Democrat, (a female  House member from Newark) who's child was in prison for armed robbery. He figured she and others with similar relations would fight 'shall issue' tooth and nail. 

It's now 2008, still no love for the good guys in Jersey. Truly the inmates run that asylum. 

But Newark is so wonderful this time of year!   

[Rastus]

...........  One even pointed out he knew of one Democrat, (a female  House member from Newark) who's child was in prison for armed robbery. He figured she and others with similar relations would fight 'shall issue' tooth and nail.  ........ 

I never considered that statement.  For that lack of consideration I'm gonna beat myself up mentally so it won't happen so easily again.  I guess it's not always double-mindedness with these libs (or sellouts like Senators Lott and Graham).  I was not raised that there were no consequences for being stupid, so I would never ever base my opinion of a law on what was best for someone close to me who would be stupid enough to commit armed robery.  You do the crime and if you survive you do the time...consequences for actions is important as is basing law on something more than personal whims.

Lot's of times there is more to something than you can see... I suppose that's why researching an unknown subject before acting is so important.

[PegLeg45]

Thought I'd dig this old article up. I first read it in the NJ Star Ledger on July 28, 1995.  Pertinent excerpt below.

I sent this in to then Governor Whitman, my Senator and House Rep with a request they push for 'shall issue'. All said they agreed, but it was a hopeless cause.  One even pointed out he knew of one Democrat, (a female  House member from Newark) who's child was in prison for armed robbery. He figured she and others with similar relations would fight 'shall issue' tooth and nail. 

It's now 2008, still no love for the good guys in Jersey. Truly the inmates run that asylum. 

Good point.
Based on current Liberal theory on gun control, I too, like the democrat mentioned above, should be against gun ownership.
Years ago I had a cousin who was shot in the chest at point blank range and killed by his friend with an "unloaded" .357.
I also have a nephew (by marriage) whose father and brother are both LEO's, and I've never met him because he is serving 15 years for armed robbery and home invasion.
Based on Liberal theory, I should feel that guns are bad.
I don't.
I feel that people do stupid and bad things with guns, and should be held accountable for their actions.
I was raised to be responsible for what you do in life, and if you screw up, you pay the price.
The many should not suffer the consequences of the actions of a few.
Now, to get back to the prison issue in the first post, my nephew told his dad that his friends knew the homeowners were not armed. That's why they chose that particular home, because there was no threat of defense.