Ken's Comments

I am in favor of measures that will ensure the safety of our schools and the children who attend them and for that reason I'm opposed to just about everything recommended by the students speaking at the March For Our Lives.  What they recommend will accomplish nothing to further safety in the schools while they ignore ideas that will work.  Furthermore, I find their bullying tactics of insulting and ridiculing on anyone who opposes their ideas deplorable. At the CNN Town Hall, the NRA spokesperson was called a murderer.  At the March For Our Lives event, US Senator Marco Rubio was labeled a "Kid Killer."  These high school kids are trying to portray themselves as the adults in the room but they are engaging in juvenile name calling that alienates people rather than bringing them together.  Do they really think they have a better chance of success attempting to insult and intimidate or is that really intended to promote themselves into more publicity? Th...

Really interesting story about the idea that rather than try to get all the guns off the street, why not educate people on how to legally and safely possess weapons for your protection.  I like the catchy name too - "Black Guns Matter."  I give the writer credit for being open minded about this and not just making a knee jerk condemnation.  But like the writer, I disagree with the people interviewed when they suggest self-defense includes illegal actions by police.   But the general point is well taken.  Education works.  There is a reason why none of the instances described in the article where little kids shot someone or were themselves shot happened in rural states like Wyoming or Montana where guns far outnumber people and kids of any age can hunt as long as they are accompanied by an adult.  Out here weapons are tools and people are taught from the earliest age how to handle and respect their tools.   Ubiñas: Philly man...

Thought #1 - In my opinion the most effective form of gun control is a gun in the possession of someone who respects the weapon and knows how to use it, and who also respects life and living things. Here in Montana, I like to say there are 5 guns for every person in the State.  I have no basis for that statement but guns are popular and easily obtained.  You would think, after hearing President Obama's speech this would be a recipe for routine massacres, yet that doesn't happen out here. Why is that?  Probably because people who own guns are raised from an early age to respect guns as a tool not a toy and educated on the proper use.  They also respect life and other people. The result is that in the 18 months I have lived here I can recall 2 instances of death by gun. Thought #2 - Unlike the "Right to Privacy" or the "Right to an abortion" or other rights people claim to have (and do for the most part), the "Right to Bear Arms" is explicitl...

With tears in his eyes, the President announced his new gun control executive orders.  But why all the fuss? On the one hand, the things President Obama is ordering would not have prevented any of the mass shootings that he's concerned about.  The possible exception is making the mental health lists available to be considered when background checks occur. On the other hand, those who claim the Executive Orders are illegal are not 100% correct.  Some things may be.  But adding people to do a task within the Administration, as the President is doing by assigning more people within the FBI to do background checks is within the power of the Executive Branch, so long as their is money available appropriated by Congress.  So those saying the Orders are illegal are overstating the case. By the way, one wonders where the extra people President Obama is going to assign within the FBI to do background checks are coming from.  What other duties is he pulling the...