The Boston Marathon starts in my hometown of Hopkinton, Mass, so it has been a part of my life since I was a kid. I can only be relieved that they didn't target the start - it would have been a thousand casualties, some of which I would know personally. It saddens me to see that this fun and long-running traditional international event is marred in this way. An 8 year old boy killed, his sister loses her leg, mother has brain injuries, all because they wanted to see their father cross the finish line. My heart goes out to them and all the innocent victime.
I agree with Paul, but no one thing is going to cure the problem. If we attack it on all sensible fronts, maybe we have a chance of lesssening this kind of violence. Closing the gun show loophole with background checks is one common sense step to making it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to get guns. Restricting violence in movies and video games is another. But, just as the NRA and the gunsellers hide behind the second amendment, Hollywood will hide behind the first.
I am surprised at this comment. I have been to maybe 20 or 30 of Jenny's programs over the past two years and have found the hall to be nothing but comfortable.
Thanks, Nikki - great article! As a visitor for 40 years and a resident for 2, I have always found the library to be a wonderful resource for programs, books and videos. We always got books for my son when he was younger on our visits and my grandchildren love to visit the library and check out books on their visits in Steamboat. Thanks!
Mark - the scenarios are endless. But I was merely pointing out that a lot of laws are enforced not when they happen, but when something bad happens as a result. You can drive drunk and get away with it, but if you hit another car and kill someone you are caught.
My other point is that the sheriff spoke about the unenforcibility of the large clip law and most of the comments on here have addressed that aspect. I get that. But the background checks are more important. I think everyone in the country including the NRA after Sandy Hook was saying we need to keep guns away from the mentally ill (and the bad guys). That will be very difficult, but requiring background checks on all gun sales is a positive step and, by the way, it's not really aimed at you selling your gun to a friend, but at the gun show loophole where many bad guys get their guns.
I mean WalMart has to do it, why not the gun shows? What's the big deal?
The background check is the most useful of these laws. The way enforcement would work is if your neighbor went off the deep end next week and killed 20 people with the gun you sold him, you would be going to jail. So the question is how much do you trust the guy you illegally sell the gun to....
The word "senior" as applied to a ski pass is not very accurate. They give a discount to 70 year olds. I have been a senior for many years, but I still have to wait a few more to get a discount.
The leading choice in your poll (by a small amount) is the "friends and family need to identify and get help for mass murderers". I suspect that most of these are actually just voting for "it's not the guns, it's the creeps". I hope that none of these voters think that this is a reasonable solution to the problem. The symptoms of mental illness are subtle, insidious and difficult for even trained professionals to diagnose. A lay person has very little chance to diagnose real mental illness, never mind being able to pinpoint those who might massacre children.
And even if you could identify these individuals, "getting help" is problematic. What kind of help would you get? Who would you contact? What if the person refuses help? You see, the physically sick brain thinks it is normal, thinks there is nothing wrong. And if this person is truly a potential mass killer, the only help that is meaningful is a lockdown mental hospital. Have you ever tried to put someone into a mental hospital? If they are over 18 years of age, they have to voluntarily check in, unless you get a court order. And good luck with that. Remember, this is your friend or close family member.
In the Newtown case, the dust certainly has not settled yet, but from the reports so far, the shooter was quiet, smart, nerdy and liked video games but showed no unusual symptoms. Are we to round up all people of that description and get them some help? The mother was described as personable, nice, normal, a social butterfly, played Bunco with the neighborhood ladies, kept a nicely landscaped yard, had a heart of gold and owned a stash of semi-automatic assault weapons. Anybody see any red flags here?
I am convinced that if the mother had not owned those weapons, none of us today would have ever heard of Newtown, Connecticut.
Second the motion, Carole! Just organizations using the almost non-existent issue of voter fraud to disenfranchise voters that oppose their views. I know that most people will not understand this, but the very low amount of actual voter fraud tells me we need to loosen up the system not tighten it down.
George Fargo 1 month, 1 week ago on 2 explosions at Boston marathon finish line
2 explosions at Boston marathon finish line
The Boston Marathon starts in my hometown of Hopkinton, Mass, so it has been a part of my life since I was a kid. I can only be relieved that they didn't target the start - it would have been a thousand casualties, some of which I would know personally. It saddens me to see that this fun and long-running traditional international event is marred in this way. An 8 year old boy killed, his sister loses her leg, mother has brain injuries, all because they wanted to see their father cross the finish line. My heart goes out to them and all the innocent victime.
George Fargo 1 month, 1 week ago on Paul Bonnifield: Achieving justice
Paul Bonnifield: Achieving justice
I agree with Paul, but no one thing is going to cure the problem. If we attack it on all sensible fronts, maybe we have a chance of lesssening this kind of violence. Closing the gun show loophole with background checks is one common sense step to making it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to get guns. Restricting violence in movies and video games is another. But, just as the NRA and the gunsellers hide behind the second amendment, Hollywood will hide behind the first.
George Fargo 1 month, 1 week ago on Steamboat's Bud Werner Memorial Library adapts to its role in the digital age
Steamboat's Bud Werner Memorial Library adapts to its role in the digital age
I am surprised at this comment. I have been to maybe 20 or 30 of Jenny's programs over the past two years and have found the hall to be nothing but comfortable.
George Fargo 1 month, 1 week ago on Steamboat's Bud Werner Memorial Library adapts to its role in the digital age
Steamboat's Bud Werner Memorial Library adapts to its role in the digital age
Thanks, Nikki - great article! As a visitor for 40 years and a resident for 2, I have always found the library to be a wonderful resource for programs, books and videos. We always got books for my son when he was younger on our visits and my grandchildren love to visit the library and check out books on their visits in Steamboat. Thanks!
George Fargo 1 month, 3 weeks ago on Jim Berry: Be fair to Wiggins
Jim Berry: Be fair to Wiggins
Mark - the scenarios are endless. But I was merely pointing out that a lot of laws are enforced not when they happen, but when something bad happens as a result. You can drive drunk and get away with it, but if you hit another car and kill someone you are caught.
My other point is that the sheriff spoke about the unenforcibility of the large clip law and most of the comments on here have addressed that aspect. I get that. But the background checks are more important. I think everyone in the country including the NRA after Sandy Hook was saying we need to keep guns away from the mentally ill (and the bad guys). That will be very difficult, but requiring background checks on all gun sales is a positive step and, by the way, it's not really aimed at you selling your gun to a friend, but at the gun show loophole where many bad guys get their guns.
I mean WalMart has to do it, why not the gun shows? What's the big deal?
George Fargo 1 month, 3 weeks ago on Jim Berry: Be fair to Wiggins
Jim Berry: Be fair to Wiggins
The background check is the most useful of these laws. The way enforcement would work is if your neighbor went off the deep end next week and killed 20 people with the gun you sold him, you would be going to jail. So the question is how much do you trust the guy you illegally sell the gun to....
George Fargo 2 months, 1 week ago on Steamboat Ski Area announces pass prices for 2013-14 ski season
Steamboat Ski Area announces pass prices for 2013-14 ski season
The word "senior" as applied to a ski pass is not very accurate. They give a discount to 70 year olds. I have been a senior for many years, but I still have to wait a few more to get a discount.
George Fargo 3 months, 3 weeks ago on 39th Annual Cowboy Downhill
39th Annual Cowboy Downhill
Great job, Ben!
George Fargo 5 months, 1 week ago on In the wake of the Dec. 14 school shooting in Connecticut, how do you think mass shootings can be prevented?
In the wake of the Dec. 14 school shooting in Connecticut, how do you think mass shootings can be prevented?
The leading choice in your poll (by a small amount) is the "friends and family need to identify and get help for mass murderers". I suspect that most of these are actually just voting for "it's not the guns, it's the creeps". I hope that none of these voters think that this is a reasonable solution to the problem. The symptoms of mental illness are subtle, insidious and difficult for even trained professionals to diagnose. A lay person has very little chance to diagnose real mental illness, never mind being able to pinpoint those who might massacre children.
And even if you could identify these individuals, "getting help" is problematic. What kind of help would you get? Who would you contact? What if the person refuses help? You see, the physically sick brain thinks it is normal, thinks there is nothing wrong. And if this person is truly a potential mass killer, the only help that is meaningful is a lockdown mental hospital. Have you ever tried to put someone into a mental hospital? If they are over 18 years of age, they have to voluntarily check in, unless you get a court order. And good luck with that. Remember, this is your friend or close family member.
In the Newtown case, the dust certainly has not settled yet, but from the reports so far, the shooter was quiet, smart, nerdy and liked video games but showed no unusual symptoms. Are we to round up all people of that description and get them some help? The mother was described as personable, nice, normal, a social butterfly, played Bunco with the neighborhood ladies, kept a nicely landscaped yard, had a heart of gold and owned a stash of semi-automatic assault weapons. Anybody see any red flags here?
I am convinced that if the mother had not owned those weapons, none of us today would have ever heard of Newtown, Connecticut.
George Fargo 7 months, 2 weeks ago on Carole Milligan: Integrity of our elections
Carole Milligan: Integrity of our elections
Second the motion, Carole! Just organizations using the almost non-existent issue of voter fraud to disenfranchise voters that oppose their views. I know that most people will not understand this, but the very low amount of actual voter fraud tells me we need to loosen up the system not tighten it down.