Gun Stories

3 AD  (3 days after Dallas).... if you are religious, I hope that you are praying that senseless killings do not continue.   Unfortunately, there are many "copycats" out there, who want their "day in the sun," even if it means they will be killed in the effort... especially now when the police departments know that they can use drones or robots in sniper situations.  I wondered how long it would take for the police to get set up with "state of the art" crime fighting tools.   Is that good or bad?  I don't know.

You may know that I am the civilian coordinator for the Carroll County, Maryland TRIAD/SALT group.  Each month, civilians and policemen get together to discuss crime, and how to avoid it.  We always have very informative and pleasant meetings.  This month we definitely will be discussing the recent white on black and black on white killings.  This gun violence must stop... is anybody listening?

Elaine's daughter just put a post out to Facebook in which she said that all guns should be outlawed.  Suddenly, almost from nowhere.. people she didn't know read her entries... gun owners.. commented, some in a not friendly manner on her idea.  Her mother feels that a ban on gun would not work.. instead, she wants to see a ban on ammunition.

How about some stories about my interaction with guns:

1950 ..  My 16-year old neighbor asked me to go coon hunting with him and our 16-year old friend.  He offered to let me use a rifle of his.  I made up an excuse because I felt funny about killing any animal.  Anyway, my two friends went out early in the morning and my neighbor mistook our friend for some wild creature and blew his head off.

1953 - In the Air Force, I fired a rifle at a firing range.  I could not even see the target.  Luckily I didn't hit anybody.  When I looked at my service record, it showed that I was a "sharpshooter."

1956 ..   The 19-year old brother of my neighbor was gay (a lifestyle frowned upon at the time) and in love with a man he worked with at a bank.   This man rebuffed his advances and the brother went home, despondent, grabbed his brother's rifle, and blew his head off.

1955 ..  My cryptographic workstation was an Army Van.  The door locked from the inside, and a small eyehole was provided to see what was going on outside.  My Captain handed me a burp gun which rapidly fired 45 caliber bullets.  I asked him what I was supposed to do with it.  "Why, you need to shoot any dirty Commie that tries to break into the van."  None ever showed up.

1956 --  I had caught an Air Policeman cheating at cards and used that knowledge to take his money and his precious "shades."  He was stationed at a base entrance just a few yards from my crypto van. Apparently, mad as hell that I had beaten him and took his "shades,"  one quiet Sunday, he began shooting at the van with his own burp gun.  Rocking and rolling... I waited until he got tired or out of ammunition... and I survived.  He later apologized (kind of.)

1956 -- In Germany, when I traveled, everyone told me I should be armed.  So, I bought a switchblade knife, which, thank God, I never had the need to use.  I also had found a miniature blank shooting gun.  Not quite a toy.  It could be secretly loaded with a blank and fired, to scare off any "Commie"  that might try to attack.  Once again.. I never had to use anything like that ... because I was treated with respect and friendship wherever I went in Europe.

(And I do think that Brexit was a gigantic mistake for the Brits.)