Monday, January 22, 2018

Guns and Scooters

I don't own a gun.  Never will.  

I have always understood that, should you want to die in an argument, carry a gun.

A rider in Modern Vespa recently posted "What do you carry..."  He is a member of a Harley Davidson forum where, because most of them are not satisfied that the Harley Davidson provides enough machismo, they must carry a weapon to make up for their missing manhood.

Since the thread got locked, I thought I would enter my opinion in the forum where I can say anything I like.  Because it is my blog.

In our riding group at least one member carries a gun.  It is a bit crazy as he is the most liberal fellow in the group.  I would have put him with me in the anti-gun group, but he carries a pistol.

It was a major disappointment when one Tuesday we were riding down Atlantic Boulevard heading to our weekly club ride to dinner.  A motorcyclist rode past, then signaled for us to stop at a parking lot in front of the Mudville Grill.  Thinking he was interested in the group, wanting to learn more, we pulled over.  Just to be nice.

He turned out to be mad and started yelling at one of our riders, I believe he was thinking they had "cut him off" or some other nonsensical act that road ragers use to build up their anger.

My disappointment was that the gun toter in the group didn't pull out his gun and shoot the idiot dead.

Maybe next time.

I am kidding, of course, but it would have been dramatic.

As for my reasons for not carrying a gun, the most obvious is to recall an incident that happened in Jacksonville a few years ago.

A middle aged South Florida man had attended a wedding in Jacksonville earlier in the day.  He was returning with his girlfriend to his home, but needed to stop to put fuel into his car. 

While refueling he got angry when a fellow refueler had friends inside his car playing rap music, rather loudly. 

Our Florida man got mad and asked the young man to turn the music down.  Loud words followed.

The Florida man then reached into his car, retrieved his gun, then fired several rounds into the car towards the loud music playing young man.

The result was that the young man died at the scene.  The Florida man is now serving life in prison, his life ruined.  Family members on both sides mourn.

If he had only left that gun at home..... .

Bill

6 comments:

  1. What, no comments here? Modern Vespa would have lit up by now if there weren't "rules." I think we agree on the gun issue. Funny, not too many years ago it wouldn't raise much of a stir. In my world it was farm/hunting use and that was it. I remember a conversation with another MVer who did drug counselling in Vegas (before retiring to the Midwest) and carried a handgun because of the nature of his work. He's not bothered since that I know of. Heard my wife's grandfather did the same in Mexico when he was carrying large sums of cash around decades ago. All rather sane and logical to me.

    What's beyond me is the current fetish of gun ownership....I've heard people in my fair town decide to take up ownership because it's getting dangerous. We've had maybe one homicide annually for some time, if that. But apparently you can't be too careful, so you now decide you have to have a concealed weapon everywhere you go. I amuse myself every time I enter the bank, with it's "no weapons" signs and think "guns and banks are part of American legend!"

    I know it's a right and all, and try to be pragmatic and tolerant, but I really wish people would realize that in the big picture, they don't confer magic protection, and they're mostly just downright silly. Sadly, something we have to live with at the moment.

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    1. At our club dinner tonight the conversation at the other end of the table turned to guns. I could heat them, at one time defending the idiot who shot Trayvon Martin dead in central Florida. It turns out at least one of them carries a gun on rides. I feel strongly that a gun inside the group is dangerous and can get me killed. I may have to ride alone more.

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  2. The good thing about riding your own scooter is the opportunity to get the hell out of the way if something weird's going on. I suppose I'd tolerate someone carrying one under the seat, but I think open carrying as in some states would be beyond the fold.

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    1. My fellow riders carrying guns are all concealed. Probably in a pocket, but I never asked. Open carry invites trouble and is fortunately not legal in Florida.

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  3. I have lived and worked in war zones around the world. Never did I feel that a gun would help. Our move to a gun country has been amazing. None of the gun totters realize that the whole drive behind "gun rights" is a marketing program by gun manufactures. The NRA, a open terrorist organization in my opinion, has accomplished it's task of making us numb to school shooting, mass murders, and gun fights on main street. The good news is we still have lawyers. A gentleman I know, retired soldier from a long career including many years in Delta Force, pulled his gun. Right or wrong he is now facing a $20 to $30,000 lawyer bill.

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    1. Ken, I am so pleased that we agree on yet another major issue. As for your friend, a big legal bill is bad, but at least he is still alive and not in prison for the rest of his life. He would now be so much happier had he only left his gun at home.

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