Gun Laws in America, purchasing a firearm

Well, let's say you would like to purchase a firearm in the United States, legally.

How do you do that?

Well, you first need to decide what you are buying, which will lead you to discover that different firearms are designed for different uses.

Do you want something to hunt with?

Something to defend yourself (and your family and property) with?

Something to target shoot with?

Let's say you choose hunting, now, do you want something to shoot ducks? Deer? Rabbits? Big Horn Sheep? All these choices define different types of weapons.

And of course, if you wish to do all these things, you would ultimately have different firearms to do each with.

For example, let's say you hunt Deer. You may want a firearm like a .243 or a 30-06. It may be a semi-automatic, lever action, or bolt action rifle, pump action, rolling block, or single shot. It may be a classic design from the early part of the 20th century, or something more modern. It may be you prefer a 30-30. There are many calibers, designed by many manufacturers, in many different style rifles, and all are desinged for hunting certain things, with a certain geography in mind.

I have a cousin who used to shoot coyotes for farmers, he used a very high velocity bullet, with a very high-powered telescopic sight, to shoot them from very long distances. That bullet could have been used to shoot deer, but it wouldn't work as well as ones designed for deer and animals the size of a deer.

Anyway, let's say you choose a common, inexpensive bullet, the .223, for hunting deer. You choose it because it is common, inexpensive and easily available.

Now you need to decide on the rifle you will use... hmm, something classic? Maybe a bolt action rifle? Good choice, unless you think you may not be as good a shot as you would like to be, because that second shot? That takes longer than in a semi-automatic. Maybe you might want to decide on a more modern firearm. Also you have to think about maintaining your firearm, how easy is it to disassemble and clean, and reassemble? How heavy is it? Is it prone to rusting?

So, with these thoughts in mind, you go to the local gun store to buy that rifle.

Ooops, what are the laws in your state? Do you have the appropriate training and licenses to buy the rifle?

Maybe your state has a law requiring a waiting period between when you buy the rifle and when you can actually pick it up? If so, better plan for that too.

Some states have laws that say you need a license to buy bullets. Do you have that as well?

Oh, and don't forget, you will need several forms of id too, and will need to wait for the background check.

Yep, it isn't quite as easy to do this as the Media and anti-gun people would have you believe.

You must obey all these laws scrupulously or you will lose your right to own a firearm, FOREVER , unless you are one of the rich and famous... like a Kennedy. (google John Kennedy firearm, logan airport)

Gun Laws in America, gun shows and the “gun show loophole”

Well, if you listen or watch the News in America, you’ve probably heard of the “gun show loophole.”

So, I had a license, back in the 90’s, as a gun dealer. You can get one too, all you need is money, paperwork, and background check. Easy.In order to buy guns at dealer prices, saving over $100 per gun bought, you need such a license. This is a federal license that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms requires you to have to be a gun dealer in the USA.

Now, as a licensed gun dealer, which is the only legal kind of gun dealer in the USA, you are required, by law, to do background checks. A person comes in to your store, they want a firearm, they will have paperwork to fill out, then you disappear into the back of your store, call the number you’ve been given in your state and you give the (in my state) State Police Officer, the data from the forms. The officer puts that into their computer, which is linked up with all the other states, and feds, an a background check is done on you.

Now, if you pass the background check, you get the firearm... either right then, in some states, or after a few days, the waiting period, defined by some other states.

Some states require you to have some form of weapons training before you can take possession of the firearm. Military Service counts.

Now, Gun Shows and the lie that anti gun advocates call, the “Gun Show Loophole”

Do the laws change because, you, the gun dealer, are at a gun show? Are you no longer required to do a background check?

NO!

The law does not change because a gun dealer is at a show, selling firearms there! Gun dealers are still required to do all the things they do at their gun store to maintain their license!

So, what is this “loophole” that anti gun pundits keep talking about? Well, it’s not a loophole at all, it is simply the law.

and here it is.

As a private person, if I have a firearm I wish to sell, i am not required by law to get that background check on the buyer that a dealer MUST GET. I COULD go to a gun show, with my firearm with me. I could then sell it to someone at the gun show.

no loophole.

No getting around the law. Nothing illegal. And the gun show does nothing, nothing to encourage illegal activity, exactly the opposite actually. Police are usually stationed at gun shows.

Gun laws in America

It’s too bad that the people of America never take the time to get educated on things like gun laws before they decide to vote on them.

So, let’s start at the beginning.

No one wants gun deaths in America. Not the NRA, not you, not me. Honestly.

So, let’s understand the venue first.

People are emotional and that’s normal.people ‘distort’ the truth to try to win their argument. That’s normal.

I’m going to speak only facts, facts that I will get from the federal government sites. I’ll link to them as much as possible, so you can read it for yourself and determine the truth for yourself.

Ready? Let’s start!

See the next post!

Knives in my Back

A couple of hours ago, I was stepping out of my office to do something, I forget what, and a lady I had worked for a couple of times was passing by on her way to a meeting. I was surprised to see her. She, didn't like some of my work, but then paradoxically had asked for me to work for her a couple of times more.

Anyway, she was telling me about what she is doing now, some interesting stuff about navigation, when DB walked over.

Without going into a lot of detail, DB had known me since I was hired here. My last interaction with DB prior to today was when I had applied for the Commanders Executive Fellowship Program. This is a program run out of NAVSEA where you are trained to assume an executive role, though none is guaranteed to be given you. I had been applying for it over the past several years, about 6 – 7 times, and finally my application had gotten some traction. My Department Head, had recommended me for it to the Captain, and he was writing a letter to recommend me for it to NAVSEA… that’s how everyone gets their application sent in, if you don’t have that letter, then officially you haven’t applied, so it does NOT mean you are selected, merely that your base supports your desire to be in the class.

Anyway, without a word to me, DB, who was acting Technical Director for the base at that time, had my letter ‘pulled back’ and destroyed.

So, seeing him today, bad day for Britt.

When he walked over and reached out his hand, I shook it just like a real professional would. Though I felt like looking at it and spitting on it. I did not act on that desire, I did the professional thing.

Anyway, I do not know what DB’s role is today, he had retired a few years back and taken a Directorship at one of the subcontractor companies. For all I know, he is back in government and I need to be watchful.

I am leaving here early. I don’t want to run into him again today.

Oh, his hand was cold as ice, like a dead bodies hand. Freaky.

Sleep

Hi.

I can’t sleep.

Again

Sure, I’m tired, I need to sleep, but I can’t. Instead I toss and turn until I finally give in and go read news online, play games or something.

I took zzzquil, it made me sleepy. I went to bed with my beautiful wife. She fell asleep. I tossed and turned, now, here I am with you.

What helps you sleep? What do you do when a tiring day comes to an end, but you still can’t nod off?

Pain and stupidity

Went walking with the wife yesterday. We didn’t walk too much, only about 4.5 miles.

So short a walk resulted in a ton of pain for me!

We have walked over 6 miles without me having this, in the early spring when we were at Disneyworld.

So I don’t know why I’m having sooooooooo much pain today!

Whiny Britt!

As I get older

It’s a funny thing.

In New Hampshire there is a mountain trail that we used to call Idiot’s Alley. It was maybe 2-2.3 miles long, but in that distance you rose maybe 4000 feet. So, it was steep.

As a man in my 20’s, with no real amount of training, I have climbed up that trail several times, each time it took several hours to climb, but getting to the top, making camp, looking out over the White Mountains, sweaty and hot. It was beautiful.

No big deal. Sweaty, yes. Tired, yes. Sore, limping for days afterward, in pain all over my body, shoulders, back, legs, feet? No.

Today I am not even a pale shadow of that man that I was then.

Back then I was probably more of an ass than I am now... maybe the same amount but in different ways, you tell me.

But today, when I awaken in the middle of the night with pains all over from simply sleeping wrong, and this happens every night and lasts for days or weeks, limping is almost constant.

I may walk, seeing a new sight with my lady love beside me these days. On flat terrain, for not very far, and still, that lead to days of pain. Days of limping. I still want to go, want to see, want to enjoy, but each time leads to another bought of pain.

Maybe better walking shoes?

I think how cruel aging is. Sure, it beats the alternative.

Dreams

I just had a dream...

My dreams are always ‘different’!

I’m at home, on a different version of Cape Cod, rebuilding my old 1984 Camaro Z28. It’s got tons of horsepower, but still it also finds plenty of traction on sand. I take it for a drive on a wet roadway, and while my rear traction control keeps going in and out, I still maintain traction. I watch as someone in a very powerful Mustang spins out of control, backwards, down a side road. My brother tells me to be careful that I don’t spin out of control and hit that other car.

We go around a corner and there is an entrance to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which now extends from one end of the Cape to the other, much like present day route 6.

It is an exit to the left and a sharp hairpin to get on to it, but all art cars are allowed, and my Z28,for some reason, counts as an art car.

An old challenger, colored that shade of purple called Plum Crazy, takes the left, and via its extreme amount of power, spins down the sand dune covered road, the road is covered by drifting sands. I make the left and maintain control, but must stay to the right as another art car, a sky blue and white amphicar, with a camper back is driving down the road toward me... I am about to pull into the left lane when, from atop the hill behind, comes another art installation, two men, one in a costume with legs, pulling another, this in a costume making him a giant merman, come walking down the road (I guess pedestrians have right of way in this dream!), they pass me by and suddenly, the merman shouts, “There, there’s what I need! Salt!” And flops off a sand cliff to land in the sand 30 feet below, where a stationary art exhibit of people carving sculptures out of huge rock salt crystals stands, complete with Gypsy caravans for them to live in!

The people, naked, wearing body paint depicting them as wearing ragged shoes, barely there shorts and exaggerating the size of their moths and teeth, welcome him and their Gypsy leader, Madame Something or other, gives him a small salt crystal, telling him he owes her nothing, but must make a small donation at a donation site at the end of the Cape and must take no receipt for the donation.

He, devishly, responds, “Yeah,”, sarcasm dripping from his voice, she repeats that she is serious!

He leaves.

I drive down there and leave $300 on her table and tell her acolyte that this is a donation from me, for my enjoyment of their art, and as I leave the acolyte is confused about why I gave them money.

I leave and awaken.

Strange, huh?

about average for me. If I could paint, i’d Paint the imagery in my mind, it was fantastic!

judging the past by today's morality

Back in the 90's I took an English class at Cape Cod Community College.

I quickly dropped it.

you see, the Professor started the class by explaing how Hedda Gabler, by Ibsen, was a horrible, sexist tale, and the author a sexist POS. She was judging his behavior and works by the 20th century morality she felt was correct. I, being a moron, pointed out that IN HIS TIME He was revolutionary in his treatment of women, for most of the western world was much, much, much more sexist than he.

Of course she disagreed, and she was the prof. So I dropped the class, took CLEP tests, and 'Clepped" out of English. For $80 I earned the equivalent of an A in Engilsh 101 and English 102, which would have cost me over $500 to take in regular courses (I recommend the CLEP if you can!)

Now, today I hear that some idiot named Kavanaugh or some such is being vilified because as a teen back in the early 80's he may have been less than polite at frat parties with Drunk girls who all claim they were virgins, enticed into sin by those evil frat boys.

Hypocrisy

Don't go to a frat party and don't drink, if you do then the behavior you exhibit when drunk is no one else's fault.

And don't judge the 'free sexuality' late 70's and early 80's by today's rules!

Dreams

It’s funny how so many of my dreams take place in or around the house I lived in from 1970-1977. My parents sold that place in 1981, so, as far as my life goes, it wasn’t the place I lived in the most, wasn’t the place for the largest part of my life... but it was a place where a lot happened for me.

I was 10 when we moved there, prepuberty.

When they sold it, I had lost my virginity, had girlfriends, had cars, learned to rebuild engines on cars, moved in with a gal...

I think the only other location where I have dreams as much as that is on university campuses.

Libraries

Today, for some unknown reason, I was thinking about a former Frat Brother of mine. <\p> He was studying biology to become a park ranger or some such, if I recall correctly. This was back in the late 1970’w, so way, way, way before the internet. <\p><\p> Back then if you wanted to discover information, you went to a library <\p> So, I’m remembering how librarians used to be researchers, you could ask them to research anything and they’d deliver. It was awesome. I recall for one research paper, going to the Boston Public Library and picking up a cart full of books each bookmarked at the relevant sections, so my research was pre-targeted for me! <\p><\p>