Multnomah County concealed handgun license applications spike

[PaulB47]

"These are the same people who still vote & elect our enemies"

All the voters here elect my enemies too. Everyone in the legislature is my enemy; there are no friends there.

That's because politics is a package deal. Your choice is between someone who is evil and stupid on issues A, B and C, or someone who is evil and stupid on issues D, E and F.

Better to not vote, because "voting only encourages them".

 

[etrain16]

Better to not vote, because "voting only encourages them".

That is a remarkably short sighted point of view, and it's part of the reason things are getting worse. Honestly your rant means very little if you don't bother to be involved in the process. That's just really disappointing to know that your failure to vote is helping to empower them even more in Salem to take our gun rights away. I don't know if that's what you want, but it is what you're helping to do by your inaction.

 

[HappyRoman]

OUCH.. Not voting is making you one of the sheeple.. What not try to improve the situation? Talking with any and all the voters you work with, have meals with, meet at church, city hall or any public places for improvement is better than being trampled. Just my .o2c

 

[Goosebrown]

OUCH.. Not voting is making you one of the sheeple.. What not try to improve the situation? Talking with any and all the voters you work with, have meals with, meet at church, city hall or any public places for improvement is better than being trampled. Just my .o2c

Best thing you can do is repeat this among your liberal friends. I actively take this stand when I am with young people of the left or lefties in general with whom I have to interact. Getting them to stay home is almost better than voting because you get one vote but if you can depress two or three people into staying home or believe that they don't have power, it increases the power of your vote by 100%, 200% or more.

I think keeping the left from the polls by whatever means you can come up with is vitally important.

However you MUST vote. Even if you vote for the loser you have to vote.

 

[45alive]

This whole ''Spike Increase'' in Gun Permits and Gun sales has got me thinking there is a ''Fox in the Hen house'' I don't like it.

 

[PaulB47]

"That is a remarkably short sighted point of view"

No, actually it is long-sited. I am 65 years old. I have spent literally decades involved with politics. I have done the whole enchilada - going door-to-door, putting out signs, writing letters to the editor, going to meet the candidates, and everything else I could think of. Almost ran for the legislature myself once. It didn't help. I might just have spent all that wasted time reading a book, or fishing.

Look at this:
http://www.wyominglibertyindex.info/

I created that. I read every bill that came out of the Wyoming legislature for about 4 years and put them in a spreadsheet and ranked legislators for their support of liberty. What was the result of all that effort? Was a single liberty-hater driven from the legislature? Not that I can tell. I passed the site off to somebody else, who now appears to be using it to elect R's, rather than liberty lovers. Just what the world needs!

No. Politics is what the rulers use to distract us from reality. It's not more voting that we need; even if the turnout was 100%, it would not improve the situation. What we need is disobedience. Withdrawal from the system. Stop giving them your sanction. Stop sending your kids to government schools for indoctrination. Stop accepting government "help" such as police "protection" and Socialist Security. Stop believing what any politician (not just D's) says about anything. Stop falling for divide-and-conquer tactics, stop letting politicians stampede you in fear. Just stop.

"What not try to improve the situation?"

I have improved it. The best thing I ever did, was to give up on politics. I am now an apostate from the Government Religion.
http://strike-the-root.com/apostate-from-government-religion
You, my friend, are one of the sheeple; not me. Go ahead and pray in your church, the voting booth. That's not for me any longer.

 

[David Bowman]

The people realize that government can't keep you safe. You are responsible for your own well being. No one is coming to rescue you. Part of that waking up process for many is carrying a firearm.

Encourage them to take the steps

Step one: Buy guns
Yes, buy lots of them. All kinds; and accessories too. Save your pennies and collect cans and bottles if you have to, but buy them.

Step two: Get Training, often
Because just like a car, a gun is nearly useless to you if you don't get the training to operate it correctly, safely and learn the performance envelope of the tool. It will be twice as effective if you get the training that addresses gear, mindset and tactics combined to make better at the craft. (Also, shameless plug for me---see the banners floating around here).

Step three: Get in shape
You don't have to be able to lift a small house or run 6 marathons to be in shape. There are a thousand things that people of all sizes, abilities, and ages can do to make their muscles, hearts and bones stronger than they were yesterday that don't involve tons of time or money. Injury is no excuse. Age is no excuse. Surviving the gunfight but dying because you weren't as physically prepared as you could be makes you the same amount of dead.

It makes me happy to know that even in liberal Multnomah County that people are taking their fate in their own hands and leaving the idea of government responsibility for their safety behind.

 

[etrain16]

"That is a remarkably short sighted point of view"

No, actually it is long-sited. I am 65 years old. I have spent literally decades involved with politics. I have done the whole enchilada - going door-to-door, putting out signs, writing letters to the editor, going to meet the candidates, and everything else I could think of. Almost ran for the legislature myself once. It didn't help. I might just have spent all that wasted time reading a book, or fishing.

Look at this:
http://www.wyominglibertyindex.info/

I created that. I read every bill that came out of the Wyoming legislature for about 4 years and put them in a spreadsheet and ranked legislators for their support of liberty. What was the result of all that effort? Was a single liberty-hater driven from the legislature? Not that I can tell. I passed the site off to somebody else, who now appears to be using it to elect R's, rather than liberty lovers. Just what the world needs!

No. Politics is what the rulers use to distract us from reality. It's not more voting that we need; even if the turnout was 100%, it would not improve the situation. What we need is disobedience. Withdrawal from the system. Stop giving them your sanction. Stop sending your kids to government schools for indoctrination. Stop accepting government "help" such as police "protection" and Socialist Security. Stop believing what any politician (not just D's) says about anything. Stop falling for divide-and-conquer tactics, stop letting politicians stampede you in fear. Just stop.

"What not try to improve the situation?"

I have improved it. The best thing I ever did, was to give up on politics. I am now an apostate from the Government Religion.
http://strike-the-root.com/apostate-from-government-religion
You, my friend, are one of the sheeple; not me. Go ahead and pray in your church, the voting booth. That's not for me any longer.

You remind me of a guy I worked with years ago who tried to convince everyone around him that income taxes were illegal, and optional, and we didn't have to pay them. He left Oregon years ago and went back east to continue to live his life of freedom from the government. And what happened? The government caught him and he's now living completely on government support, in government housing, wearing government clothes and likely taking up the backside by other anti-government folks like himself.

I wonder, in your plan to disassociate yourself from all things government, can I assume you don't drive on paved roads? That you don't purchase gasoline? That you don't purchase any goods whatsoever? I assume you don't use city water, sewer, power, phone? You're 100% completely off the grid, in a place where no public funds were used to provide access roads or any other improvements? If your home catches fire, I assume you wouldn't call the government firefighters? I assume you also don't use medical facilities, prescription medications or any kind of insurance? I'm willing to guess that you're more reliant on the many aspects of government than you would be willing to admit, but that's just a guess.

Is the government broken? Yes it is. Is there a perfect solution? No there is not. People on both sides of the aisle do bad things, some far worse than others. You may think we don't have a say, but you're wrong. I really don't care how old you are, you're simply wrong. If 100% of the people, for example, voted pro-gun in Oregon in 2016, the gun control measures would be gone, off the table. You are really going to tell me that doesn't make a difference? I wonder what direction the country would go if 100% of the population all decided not to vote? I can assure you it would have a very bad outcome. Like it or not, our votes are about the only thing that provides any kind of restraint on these people - and part of the reason they run out of control are those that vote from either an uninformed position, or, like you, choose to bail on your fellow citizens.

Government is a necessary evil. It serves a purpose in areas where individuals on their own simply could not fill that role. It is up to the populace to help guide the government. And, when it gets too far out of hand, to correct that government. Just because you haven't seen it happen in your lifetime, doesn't mean it can't or won't happen.

You are welcome to sit back and give up, that's your right. I simply cannot endorse or agree in any way with that point of view.

 

[PaulB47]

etrain, your post is full of straw men.

Just because I drive on the roads, this does not destroy my argument. My argument is not to go live in a cave. It is to disassociate as much as possible, and stop believing (as you do) that government is here for our benefit. It is not. It exists for the benefit of the ruling class, the bureaucrats, the indoctrinators and the enforcers.

Anyone who understands this point, and who has some self respect, naturally responds by disassociating with this racket as much as he reasonably can, when he has a choice. Some things are well worth avoiding or going around. It's one thing to drive on a government road, where there is no choice. It's another thing entirely to send your kid to the government indoctrination center, where you DO have a choice. In fact the reality is that homeschooling is actually EASIER to do than using government schools:
http://strike-the-root.com/homeschooling-is-easy
And there is still the private school option.

Nor am I arguing for a perfect solution. Such is not possible, where human beings are concerned.

Nor do I argue that we have no say. We certainly do have a say; it's just not found in the voting booth:
http://strike-the-root.com/momentous-anarchic-event-2008-2009-great-american-gun-buy
The voting booth is where you go when you want a politician to have your say, rather than yourself.

We also have a say on things like gun confiscation - again, not in the voting booth. Our say is in our determination to kill anyone who attempts to disarm us. No need for politicians!

" I wonder what direction the country would go if 100% of the population all decided not to vote?"

I can't think of anything more wonderful. What is better than a politician with zero mandate? A politician whom nobody pays any attention to?

"Government is a necessary evil. It serves a purpose in areas where individuals on their own simply could not fill that role."

Government is an unnecessary evil:
http://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=17

The populace does not guide the government. That is pie in the sky.

Oh, and I am not giving up (your final straw man). I am speaking the truth and living a decent and proper life, the best I can. That's what works, not worshiping in the government church.

 

[PaulB47]

I should say that I understand anarchy is not everybody's cup of tea. That's why we need panarchy. Then everybody can get what they want (other than dominating others unlike them, of course).

http://strike-the-root.com/panarchy-not-anarchy-is-answer

 

[etrain16]

etrain, your post is full of straw men.

Just because I drive on the roads, this does not destroy my argument. My argument is not to go live in a cave. It is to disassociate as much as possible, and stop believing (as you do) that government is here for our benefit. It is not. It exists for the benefit of the ruling class, the bureaucrats, the indoctrinators and the enforcers.

Anyone who understands this point, and who has some self respect, naturally responds by disassociating with this racket as much as he reasonably can, when he has a choice. Some things are well worth avoiding or going around. It's one thing to drive on a government road, where there is no choice. It's another thing entirely to send your kid to the government indoctrination center, where you DO have a choice. In fact the reality is that homeschooling is actually EASIER to do than using government schools:
http://strike-the-root.com/homeschooling-is-easy
And there is still the private school option.

Nor am I arguing for a perfect solution. Such is not possible, where human beings are concerned.

Nor do I argue that we have no say. We certainly do have a say; it's just not found in the voting booth:
http://strike-the-root.com/momentous-anarchic-event-2008-2009-great-american-gun-buy
The voting booth is where you go when you want a politician to have your say, rather than yourself.

We also have a say on things like gun confiscation - again, not in the voting booth. Our say is in our determination to kill anyone who attempts to disarm us. No need for politicians!

" I wonder what direction the country would go if 100% of the population all decided not to vote?"

I can't think of anything more wonderful. What is better than a politician with zero mandate? A politician whom nobody pays any attention to?

"Government is a necessary evil. It serves a purpose in areas where individuals on their own simply could not fill that role."

Government is an unnecessary evil:
http://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=17

The populace does not guide the government. That is pie in the sky.

Oh, and I am not giving up (your final straw man). I am speaking the truth and living a decent and proper life, the best I can. That's what works, not worshiping in the government church.

Straw men? Actually, I was going more for reductio ad absurdum.

I don't love the government, I don't even like it, but I do think it serves an important purpose, when it's not overstepping its boundaries.

But your point of view is too far out of reality for me, so I'll pass on getting any deeper in this with you. As you said, anarchy isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's not mine. Thinking about it, it's probably a good thing that you're not voting.

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

there's always going to be dumb/irresponsible people in every group. natural selection will eventually weed them out. hopefully.

as far as the fitness aspect of what i said, i'll clarify. i'm seen several times where a person's fitness was not allowing proper operation of a firearm. that's a problem because then you're unsafe and putting others at risk. people seem to like to handle firearms that are too big for them...or too small for them...or too heavy...etc. i've seen it all.
i'll use myself as an example. i like the idea of a subcompact handgun but i have large hands and can't safely handle it without getting my fingers pretty darn close to the end of the barrel so i stay away from them.

i call it the "fat cop syndrome"...whenever i see an overweight cop i think to myself, "if a criminal was to do something stupid right now, how would he/she chase them down". i'm not talking about a cop who is carrying a few extra pounds...i'm talking about cops like this...
View attachment 267940

He could probably roll downhill pretty fast though...