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Who’ll Get Shot on the Front Porch Next? Journalists? Petition Circulators? Candidates?

Veteran reporter Tom Lawrence looks at the spate of self-defense-gone-berserk shootings in our gun-nutty country and wonders if it’s safe for him to go door-to-door looking for news any more:

Was I taking an unnecessary risk stopping unannounced and uninvited at homes, especially out in the country? I hope not, because it has been a very helpful technique. I don’t want to rely on official sources or press releases from government agencies. I want to talk with the people literally on the ground.

When I have asked for comments and details from farmers, I got answers almost every time. No one has pulled a gun on me. Not yet, anyway.

…Sometimes, no one is at home. I have knocked on some doors and walked around farmyards in search of a person, but had no response. I was carrying a camera and a notepad, so hopefully I looked the part of a reporter.

I also am a white male. Has that helped? Did it make it easier to be accepted, to receive a friendly welcome? Maybe so [Tom Lawrence, “A Seasoned Journalist Asks: After Four Decades of Stopping Unannounced at Homes to Get Quotes and Photos—Is That Still Safe?South Dakota Standard, 2023.04.23].

Ever the intrepid reporter, Lawrence concludes that he’ll keep knocking on doors. But if he’s worried enough to ask whether he can safely approach fellow Americans’ doors with his notepad, perhaps I should ask whether it’s safe for me to approach people’s doors with my clipboard and pen and petitions to sign. And what about the petitioners whom ballot question committees and candidates may recruit to go door to door seeking signatures for their petitions or canvassing for votes? Are Americans now so committed to getting some bang for the buck that the gun industry has convinced them they must spend on firearms that responsible community activists—especially the ones who look a little browner than Tom and I—dare not try meeting voters where they live?

Tom’s concern for hardworking journalists and my concern for conscientious circulators and campaigners show that the craze for the Second Amendment is creating serious problems for the First Amendment.

67 Comments

  1. ABC 2023-04-23 11:22

    Repeal the fascist 2nd Amendment. Gun addicts still have state and local laws affirming, you not a felon or crazy, you buy.

    USA is barbaric country.

    Just ask the citizens of Iraq and Haiti.

    We never be as great as Canada or England or France or New Zealand, Japan or Australia, period.

    Just a bully country with way too many guns, too many angry afraid paranoid people and corrupt gun licking elected officials. USA can’t even protect school children from gun owners.

  2. ABC 2023-04-23 11:27

    Thune, Rounds and Dirty Johnson are gun lickers. School shootings happen. Dirty, Marion and John only offer prayers, not sensible legislation protecting people from guns.

    Toadies are elected by a majority of our misguided voters. Do toads have spines?

    At least real life toads and frogs do not own guns. Marion, Mike and Dirty, at least be a real toad and sell your guns and ban AK 47s and AR 15s. Be worthy enough, remember toads don’t own guns.

  3. All Mammal 2023-04-23 12:02

    I tell you I’m scared knocking on doors while circulating. Faith, SD was the worst. I hightailed it out of that town crying after being followed and harassed. I had my strap but it never crossed my mind to brandish it. It is reserved for stopping rape and mass shooters. It is the only thing that has worked for me in the past.

    Some people hate women, especially women who want folks to be able to inspire sweet island kush if it makes them feel better. There are many convincing reasons why I think only women should have guns. Really, think of how that would change society. The world would be a much safer place with equality and sanity. And human rights and nature’s rights wouldn’t be such a struggle. Not that people would be shot. It would just change the superiority MENtality that currently reigns.

  4. bearcreekbat 2023-04-23 12:33

    As a teen in the 1960’s I got a job selling magazine subscriptions for commissions door to door in Minneapolis. Our boss would drop me off in all sorts of strange neighborhoods around 5:30 p.m. where I would walk door to door for about 3 hours knocking on strangers’ doors before the boss retrieved us. I worked alone in poor and middle class neighborhoods throughout both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, including the South Minneapolis area along Lake Street, as well as North Minneapolis in the Glenwood Ave areas near downtown, Dinkytown near the U of M, and many other areas. During those times I was never threatened by anyone nor ever felt fear that I can recall. I had a few doors shut in my face of course, but for the most part people were friendly and open, and I even met some young people that invited me to teen parties.

    These days my best friend, who stayed in Minneapolis, tells me the South Minneapolis area along Lake Street is very dangerous and advises against walking the street during the daytime, let alone in the evening. Getting shot for simply existing has become an unfortunate reality due to the brilliant marketing techniques of the NRA and associates making people fear every stranger out there enough to spend money on guns and ammo and start shooting for no real reason.

  5. Bonnie B Fairbank 2023-04-23 12:50

    Golden West Telecommunications recently hired utility locator subcontractors in Fall River County to mark existing underground utilities in anticipation of fiber optics planning and installation. All the workers wear dayglo vests and helmets and carry the locators and wear IDs and wield spray cans of fluorescent paint.
    They necessarily must enter and mark private property. I was cutting firewood when two gentlemen “tagged” my scruffy lawn; I greeted them and told them to paint away like Picasso. One of them was (apparently) so stunned by my cordiality he blurted they’d been chased off a property just across the Fall River Road by the gun-totin’ owner.
    I’m guessing when the fiber optics fairy comes around he’ll be missed AND p*ssed and the first one to complain.

  6. larry kurtz 2023-04-23 13:25

    Why is anyone surprised by this? It’s the world Republicans want. And now that the Earth haters have elected a Speaker Americans need to brace for attempts on the lives of our POTUS and VPOTUS.

  7. grudznick 2023-04-23 13:31

    Mr. bat, from bear creek, grudznick would affirm the thoughts from your friend from the town of Minneapolis. The libbyism-gone-rampant there has caused many places previously just fine for a stroll to become dangerous, drug and thug infested neighborhoods. It is very sad. Soon I suspect you will find everybody in Minneapolis carrying guns, and the law abiding folks moving out there where the roller coaster is in Apple Valley, and up past the town of Anoka. Anoka is still a swell place, I am told.

  8. P. Aitch 2023-04-23 13:40

    As a kid I was warned never to go to Rapid City because of the violence that was out of control there. I assume nothing has changed; has it grudznichts?

  9. Donald Pay 2023-04-23 13:44

    I wouldn’t go door-to-door to collect signatures, unless you are doing it in your own neighborhood where people know you. For one, going door-to-door is too time consuming for the number of signatures you get. For another, you are bothering people in their private spaces, which annoys people and makes them less likely to sign. There is a possibility that a dog could bite you. There is a possibility you will be attacked. For all these reasons, it’s better to collect signatures in public, eg., at courthouses, at community events, at businesses, etc.

    During the pandemic people here had special days where candidates would set up tables in the neighborhood, in parks, etc., and people could circulate themselves and sign while staying physically distant. It was a neat way to do it, and I hope these “Democracy Days” continue.

  10. grudznick 2023-04-23 13:51

    Journalists should not be impinging on anybody’s private property to knock on doors. They are at the highest risk, by far, just by the nature of the mainstream media being twisted liars.

    Candidates should be allowed to knock, and then leave quickly if people say “no.”

    Petition people are kind of in the middle. Today they have some legal right to collect signatures, if they are in a public place. But they probably risk a few “geet off MY lawn” hollers and maybe a hiney full of rock salt in some parts of the district numbered 30. Until they outlaw the petitioning, the rock salt is the only options some folks got.

  11. Donald Pay 2023-04-23 14:02

    P. Aitch, When I lived in Rapid I never felt unsafe. I walked and rode the bike path all the time, even late at night, and never had a problem, but women, including Liz, would sometimes get hassled, and felt unsafe. I never found the homeless folks that hung out to be a problem, other than some panhandling for booze money. There were people found dead from drowning down near Rapid Creek from time to time, but whether it was murder or booze- or drug-related was hard to prove. Let’s say the deaths were suspicious, because, although the homeless there were a mix of races the only folks dying down there were Indigenous. There were some pretty tough bars, though.

  12. grudznick 2023-04-23 14:10

    Mr. Pay, I remember you had a reputation of hanging around DD’s Short Stop Bar on East Blvd, right, and also that Shotgun Willie fellow’s joint, right? grudznick stuck to Willies’s. as they let me run a tab and a fellow could get hurt at DD’s.

  13. P. Aitch 2023-04-23 14:18

    I know what you’re sayin’, Don. My point is that people like grudznichts are afraid of cities because they never go to cities. They believe and repeat anything they agree with without ever getting beyond hearsay. But if you tell them that where they live is violent, they’ll undoubtedly say, “No it isn’t. You just need to know what part of town to stay away from.”

  14. Richard Schriever 2023-04-23 15:14

    I have lived in some fairly “dangerous” neighborhoods in California (both LA and SanFran) and in Milwaukee, as well as in SD’s own SF and never been bothered harassed, attacked, stolen from, home broken into etc. On the other hand, I have been assaulted, battered, stolen from and vandalized in small-town rural SD several times. Just sayin’.

    Sununu of New Hampshire on MTP today dragged out the tired old “Chicago” and “Urban America” tropes about gun violence and crime vs. rural states like his nonsense. We all know that “Chicago” and “urban areas” are wing-nut code words for “minorities” and the associated BIG numbers they also drag out related to crimes there (I almost made the mistake of saying statistics, but they simply BIG numbers) do not accurately reflect the realities of where crime occurs. Sununu thus showed he is simply another subtle panderer tot the fears of “replacement” resident in MAGAT-land.

  15. grudznick 2023-04-23 16:02

    Mr. P.h, Rapid is a big City. That’s why it is no longer called the Camp for Hay. Bone up on your social studies and history, young sir.

  16. P. Aitch 2023-04-23 16:09

    There are several psychological reasons why conservatives like the elderly grudznichts are afraid of cities.
    1. Lack of familiarity: People are often more comfortable with what they know and are used to. For someone who has spent the majority of their life in a quiet, rural area like Rapid City, the hustle and bustle of a large city can be overwhelming and unsettling. They may feel out of their element and worry about getting lost or not knowing how to navigate the urban environment.

    2. Perception of danger: Cities are often portrayed in the media as crime-ridden and dangerous places. Rural conservatives who have little experience with cities may have a distorted sense of the risks associated with urban living. The perception of danger can be further amplified by biased news reports of crime and violence.

    3. Feelings of inferiority: Urban areas are often associated with sophistication, wealth, and education. Rural conservative individuals like grudznichts often feel like they are less cultured or less intelligent than city dwellers. This can lead to feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, which may contribute to the fear of cities.

    4. Loss of control: Rural conservative areas tend to be quieter and more predictable than cities. When someone moves to the city, they may feel like they have less control over their environment. Noise, traffic, and crowds can all be overwhelming and may make individuals feel like they are not in control of their situation.

    It’s important to note that not all rural people are afraid of cities. There are liberal rural individuals who enjoy the vibrancy and diversity that cities offer. However, for those who do experience fear or discomfort, it can be helpful to acknowledge and address these feelings through exposure and education about the reality of urban living.

  17. Nix 2023-04-23 16:32

    Soon, you’ll be able to see what political party
    a person belongs to by just driving past their homes.
    The paranoid, pocket gun carrying, transphobic
    bigots will all have a big 10 ft. tall fence around
    them complete with a Trump 2024 flag.
    You know, to keep the “scary” people out.

  18. Bonnie B Fairbank 2023-04-23 16:44

    Golden West Telecommunications recently hired utility locator contractors to mark existing buried utilities in anticipation of designing and installing fiber optics; workers were in my neighborhood last week. All workers wore orange dayglo vests, helmets, carried locator wands, wore IDs, and wielded spray cans of fluorscent paint.
    They necessarily must enter and mark private property. I was cutting firewood in my scruffy front yard when two gentlemen approached and asked if they could mark where my phone lines were; I invited them to paint like Picasso. One of them was (apparently) so stunned by my cordiality he blurted they’d been chased off a property just across the Fall River Road from me by the rifle-totin’ owner. Makes me wonder how often the locators get threatened.
    I’m guessing when it’s fiber optic installing time, Fudd won’t be on the “nice list.”

  19. All Mammal 2023-04-23 16:53

    Ahh, how easy and
    breezy t’would be if I was
    Male and white and free.

    This blurp of stupid, scared gun-bunners is on the continuum of a)Genocide or b)Gangrene. Have you ever seen an animal with like, rabies or chronic wasting? Or ever read Old Yeller? These shooters remind me of that confused, crazed beast look and affect. You can’t trust them; never sure what they might suddenly do. It is scary, unless you are a man and have always had the right.

    Just being a white man and aware that you can possibly use that to help another person feel safe and protected is awesome. Every child or woman or picked on remembers that feeling when a brave, capable and willing white man stood up for them. It is empowering and it takes all of us to empower one another to turn the tide. I’m glad to have your guys’ support because that’s all it takes to keep going where I want, knocking on doors and dabbling in the places we care about.

  20. buckobear 2023-04-23 17:14

    It proves that Heinlein was wrong.

  21. grudznick 2023-04-23 17:35

    Herbert Humphrey once said:

    We all, all of us all, like quiet and predictability. It is a plank of the DFL.

    Mr. Humphrey was a libbie of some renown.

  22. grudznick 2023-04-23 18:01

    An entire Society, Mr. buckobear, larger in number even than the Democrat Party in South Dakota, cannot be wrong. Mr. Heinlein, Robert A., was a radical moderate, you know. And the Conservatives with Common Sense like radical moderates, you know.

  23. e platypus onion 2023-04-23 18:57

    And of course, Grudzilla’s ammosexual mindset slaughtered Hubert H Humphrey’s moniker.

  24. grudznick 2023-04-23 19:09

    In the Star Trek, Mr. onion, you of all people should know what it means to be a “Herbert.” My good friend Lar does. Do your research, young sir, then report back. Herbert.

  25. Linda 2023-04-23 19:53

    Census takers. Rural Mail Carriers. Seasonal UPS drivers.

    All the above drive regular passenger vehicles. The cars they drive are not marked, like UPS or FedEx trucks. Once in a while, you might see one with a magnetic placard on a door, but driving unmarked vehicles for official reasons is very common. They wear regular clothes. They carry an official ID, but that cannot be seen from a distance. Knocking on doors, unannounced is their job. Their biggest worry used to be getting bit by a dog, not getting shot for doing their job.

  26. grudznick 2023-04-23 20:07

    Ms. Linda is righter than right. Those fellows need to have a marked car, or a placard or a green vest with a sign.

    Or don’t trod upon private property without a white flag and your hands in the air.

  27. Richard Schriever 2023-04-23 20:28

    grudz, Rapid does not even qualify as a small city in most of the rest of the WORLD, let alone in the US. there are innumerable SUBURBS you have never heard the name of that are several times larger to Rapid.

  28. grudznick 2023-04-23 20:31

    Why is it officially named “Rapid City” then, Mr. Schriever?

    You big town fellows sure have your goat gotten so easily, by a podunk village like Rapid, which does engulf your mind and out-of-state thoughts.

    Rapid.
    City.
    grudznick wins the debates, again

  29. Clyde 2023-04-23 20:38

    Well I commented on the Sioux Falls kids shooting while there meth head mother was supposed to be keeping the away from guns. Doubt if any of you read it. Anyway this seems to be the current topic that all lefties are making a stink about. Instead of griping why the H doesn’t this crew do something about it. Suppose anyone could raise the point that perhaps these unsafe places ought to have more LAW ENFFORCEMENT. Of course since the streets are full of weapons and no sane person wants to be in law enforcement now days it seems that someone could make a name for themselves by demanding BIG taxes on all pistols and long arms determined to not be suited for hunting. The argument would be that those BIG taxes would go towards law enforcement. Just makes sense that if the gun lobby wants to fill the world with guns that more policing is going to be required. I’m talking a big tax that at least doubles the value of the gun or more and is assessed on all guns bought and sold new or used.

    On a topic just as important, instead of griping, get behind this movement and see that it is adopted in South Dakota:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHGFwfvAa4I

  30. All Mammal 2023-04-23 20:42

    OR, How about if you’re scared, go to church instead of shooting from the threshold. It seems strange to me all the grownass men who are so afraid. Trust me, nobody is trying to rape you.

    That makes me wonder what the law says if a person was just doing their business, going door to door and is fired upon- If that salesperson, or whatever, happens to fear for his or her life and opens fire in response, causing injury or fatality.? Would the meter-reader or volunteer circulator, etc. be legally able to shoot at their shooter?

    A pizza delivery kid was jailed in Rapid City when he shot at armed robbers. But if the thugs would have shot first? It is just too messy when every Tom and Dick has firepower.

  31. Clyde 2023-04-23 20:52

    BTW, the country with the highest per capita gun ownership in the world is Switzerland. Until recently every able bodied man and woman were required to keep the finest fully automatic ASSAULT rifle in the world in their homes. That makes two for a couple. Shooting sports are the most popular per capita in the country as anywhere in the world. I once read up on Switzerland’s system of government and I don’t recall the details right now but they sure seem to have genuine DEMEOCRACY. Something this country gets less of daily.

    Btw, they also have the second highest standard of living in the world. I tend to think that fact might be related to the fact that the populace could rise up at any time against the government if it was deemed necessary.

  32. Mark Anderson 2023-04-23 20:53

    Grudz, Florida just called a killer “justified” in Tampa. A college kid got into the killer’s car thinking he was his Uber ride. The students name was Carson Senfield. The killers name won’t be released so they can go on being the paranoid fucc that they are, Marcys law you know. Senfield was celebrating his 19th birthday with friends and called an Uber about one a.m. He was shot in the chest. His lawyer had it down, stand your ground laws are breeding individuals to shoot someone. Those laws weren’t set up by libbies and mainstream reporters who report facts not the proper ganders from foxie are honest individuals. You should try it sometime.

  33. Mark Anderson 2023-04-23 22:02

    Oh Clyde, you mean that country that allowed women to vote in 1971? The country that trains all it’s young men and some women to use guns. If you want a gun in Switzerland after your military service you have to apply for one and get a license unless you get a bolt action or double barrel shotgun. Hunting you know. The authorities check on criminal records mental state, alcohol and drug use. The license is good for nine months and applicants can buy ONE weapon. Oh yeah in 2008 they cracked down on automatic weapons and silencers soooo Clyde you need to do your research and stop living in fantasy land. The US of A owns 120.5 weapons per 100 persons, the Swiss own 27.6 per 100 persons. This is easy to look up.

  34. WillyNilly 2023-04-23 22:40

    From grudz…
    ” just by the nature of the mainstream media being twisted liars.”
    Since Fox agreed to pay off Dominion over their talking heads knowingly lying repeatedly, I believe they are the only MSM admitting to being twisted liars. I can’t remember any of the genuine news organizations who may have admitted such shameful behavior. I don’t view Fox as MSM. I don’t think they are mainstream because they acknowledge that they lie to their curated audience. They are a media company that operates as a propaganda creator and distributor for a specific audience who can’t tell the difference between truth and lies. So, which MSM you speak of is the twisted liar?

  35. Arlo Blundt 2023-04-23 23:04

    I’ll take Swiss gun laws over ours any time. Adopting their laws would be an improvement and would bring down violent crime. The biggest factor is that the Swiss public just does does not tolerate illegal gun ownership.

  36. Jenny 2023-04-23 23:10

    I know I will be thinking twice about knocking on doors while campaigning. I’ll probably just stick with lit drops.

    I am sick and tired of seeing all these massacres play out everyday in this country and Congress doing nothing but thoughts and prayers. Gen Z has had it far worse than any generation in this gun- obsessed country, and it’s really sad that Congress doesn’t care enough.

    if we were all this upset in the video about America’s kids being gunned down every single day maybe things could change for the better.
    Gen Z, the “lockdown generation” deserved better don’t you think? It doesn’t have to be this way where a child is afraid their school will be the next massacre.
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UZo3Ku3mW6Y

    Keep fighting and never give up. The MN Legislature has two gun control bills coming up in the House.

  37. leslie 2023-04-24 01:55

    obviously, grdz, the star of DFP, bizarrely, is not from western SD. he knows nothing of the place on the creek that flows out of the hills. poser.

    once a lover from east river farm country mentioned RC’s supposed dangerous rep. mythology for most of us. yes, if bars are still your thing, that lifestyle EVERYWHERE is dangerous.

    the point being made in the nation now is that things are not going to return to ‘normal’. Republicans have broken America and they are only going to get worse. more dangerous. pretty sobering.

  38. Richard Schriever 2023-04-24 07:27

    grudz, is Hill City a “city”? Legally, sure, but in your mind is it a city, or a town? How about Claire City in Roverts County – population 82, or how about “Hub City” in Clay County? Hub City is not even incorporated as a town. It is so SMALL the US Census bureau does not even consider it a “census place”. Hub City’s population is about 5 or 6 people and at least quadruples in size on Sundays when church services are held. Does having the word “city” in the name of a place have the same meaning as being “BIG” (population)?

    Sorry grudz. You are a loser.

  39. larry kurtz 2023-04-24 07:32

    Daniel Tiger chose to take out two enemy police personnel with him rather than be gunned down in cold blood like Christopher Capps was.

  40. larry kurtz 2023-04-24 07:36

    Under the Rounds and Daugaard administrations the rates of violent crime in the failed red state increased dramatically. Failed GOP leadership in the state, especially in Rapid City, has fostered conditions where reported aggravated assaults have increased 100%. South Dakota’s red state legislature loves violence but believes cannabis is evil. As the failed red state concentrates on cannabis interdiction and the incarceration of non-whites rather than on violent crime, the state’s residents are falling through the cracks. Community is getting more difficult every day especially for people feeling marginalized and disenfranchised. Rapid is just one small city trying to please taxpayers at student expense and Steve Allender has thrown up his hands and is walking away. Honestly? Are there any towns doing it right? Cops in Farmington, New Mexico shot somebody when they answered a call at the wrong house.

  41. Richard Schriever 2023-04-24 07:39

    Clyde, I got into this discussion about gun laws in Switzerland and Israel with a 2nd amendement open carry promoting NUT the other day on FB. I would be all in favor of adapting either Switzerland’s, or Israels gun ownership, possession and RELATED laws, which REQUIRE military service of EVER ABLE BODIED citizen for AT LEAST 4 years (up to 16 years in Switzerland for officers). They also REQUIRE an annual physical and psychological exam EVERY YEAR and REQUIRE one to complete a 2-week training course EVERY YEAR in order to keep one’s GOVERNMENT ISSUED firearm, and its associated 50 rounds (maximum) of ammunition in working order and secured AT ALL TIMES. In addition, the Israeli law REQUIRES evert active-duty military person to have their GOVERNMENT ISSUED firearm on their person AT ALL TIMES – both on and off duty. EVERY weapon has it’s ownership registered with the government and failure to comply with the requirements aforementioned – results in confiscation of the firearms. Good luck.

  42. ronald Fuchs 2023-04-24 08:05

    wasn’t Tom Lawrence ran out of Mitchell and fired from the Daily Republic

  43. larry kurtz 2023-04-24 08:13

    Gee Ron, semiliterate much?

  44. bruce 2023-04-24 08:15

    In days of old, town site companies were setting up the early trading posts ever 8 to 10 miles apart where they wished to sell plots for housing. The way they could sell the dream was to create towns with names with something easily translated to the masses swarming to the great plains in search of a place to settle. Calling a place a “city” helped sell the dream of moving to civilization. Rapid City, Hill City, Hub City all became destinations because of the land speculators selling a dream. Some of these villages grew to be towns or in SDCL definition a “city” but many did not. Rapid City is a bigger town and will never be a “city”, Hill City will always be a mountain town and until Dalesburg Lutheran Church closes, a wide spot on University Road.

    South Dakotans have been settled by mostly ignorant or illiterate people who were afraid of the king’s tax man to take the piggy bank or the king’s army showing up to conscript the young men for the next war. If we had a real social studies program taught in South Dakota we would know the lesson our grandparents tried to pass on. Those of us who are multi-generational South Dakotans have been told these stories by our elders. Fear of the unknown was enhanced by the 160 acre isolation created by the Homestead Act.

    Now we have the screaming “news” channels on radio, TV and the internet to accentuate the fears created by partial stories we chose to believe make our fears real.

  45. Mary Rose 2023-04-24 08:32

    Last night during the beautiful Northern Lights show, this shooting culture was high on my mind. Why if in the dark a farmer sees us and doesn’t like where we park (off the road-not in driveways) and gets his gun? Well done NRA, you’ve put fear in all of us :-(

  46. Clyde 2023-04-24 09:15

    Well, Mark and others the facts that I quoted are from my memory which goes back a ways and isn’t as good as it once was. Now your facts I can only guess concern private ownership of guns in Switzerland while the fact that I remember may have included those required to keep a military rifle in their homes. At any rate all of those who are lambasting me are overlooking the fact that the country’s they site have reasonable laws that are enforced. Do we??? As I said, this group likes to bitch and detract but I don’t see any discussion about my suggestion of a tax large enough to reduce the incentive to own these weapons. I see no one that even bothered to watch the video I linked or comment on it or act on it.This group is great at griping and derision but I see few interested in action.
    How about the “Restict” act that is going to take away the last of your constitutional freedoms. Do any of you pay attention to that or have a concern for it or has the propaganda machine got all of you cheering for it as it has you cheering for tossing out the 2nd amendment ???

  47. O 2023-04-24 09:56

    I suggest that like Australia: we have a moment of clarity (prompted from a mass shooting disaster) and do a ban/massive buy-back of guns. I propose we follow reason and facts to move us forward on safety. Along with this, nullify that silly, outdated Second Amendment.

  48. e platypus onion 2023-04-24 10:39

    Couple of Grudzilla’s besties on ammosexual display. Canned Ass Owens sets up this farce of a video starring kid rock, war hero wannabe with an automatic weapon trying to exterminate Bud Light cans because of a trans woman being pictured on cans. Short video. Pay attention to lower right side of video to see incoming fire on cans not caused by Kid Rocks inability to sly the dragon his way. Salty langwidge has been muted.

    https://youtu.be/H4uoPCk_q0g

    Doesn’t hunter safety courses teach hunters not to use water for a backstop?

  49. Jenny 2023-04-24 10:41

    Oh, but ….but the Republican answer to stop all our school massacres is to arm teachers. You all should listen to Greg Belfrage’s show a few weeks ago where the topic was should we allow teachers to be armed. Every single person that called in was staunchly for it. So does that mean the teacher that was shot by her six year old student would have had to shoot back? Pubs are so disconnected from reality.
    The below video tries to understand Pub thinking.
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5zyQeawq4LA

  50. Clyde 2023-04-24 12:03

    I would guess that Republican leaderships idiotic idea to just arm more people [teachers] to negate the effects of all the arming that has gone on already is prompted by what runs our elected leaders……money……Before you concentrate on getting rid of the 2nd amendment you ought to maybe concentrate on “Citizens United”. That is the root of most of the evil in this country. The only reason to get more guns out there is because the arms industry would make money off of it.

    We have done the buy back thing on guns and cars. The public has decided its a good way to get rid of junk. Also got rid of a lot of items that should have been collector items.

  51. Bob Newland 2023-04-24 19:04

    Whatever would we do without grudznutz’s juvenile interlocution?

  52. larry kurtz 2023-04-24 19:39

    grudznick is yiddish for concern troll.

  53. Clyde 2023-04-24 20:06

    Just to remind you that it has been hundreds of years since a revolution was fought without firearms…..

  54. grudznick 2023-04-24 20:25

    Oh, you fellows are such silly teasers!

  55. Clyde 2023-04-25 16:20

    You drift off to play with grudznick without anyone willing to seriously discuss things that could be done. Initiative and referendum haven’t completely been taken away yet. Does anyone think that passing a law that refuses to send South Dakotans to war UNLESS congress declares war as our constitution demands.

  56. O 2023-04-25 16:50

    Clyde, given the current Supreme Court love of gun ownership, I cannot see anything sticking until the Second Amendment is repealed. That means direct action from the states or a substantial reassignment of SC Justices. Anything short of that will be swatted away as a violation of our “most sacred and protected right.” Solutions must address the root cause; nipping around the cancer is immaterial.

  57. Clyde 2023-04-26 17:18

    O, I am FOR everyone owning an assault or at least a high powered rifle. I am FOR private militias being formed, meeting and training regularly. Not for anything being done against the 2’nd amendment but am for limiting hand gun ownership or concealment. Long arms are a little harder to conceal or maneuver and hand guns are only really good for shooting people at close range.

  58. P. Aitch 2023-04-29 13:22

    GUN CONTROL LAWS ~ Colorado’s governor signed four gun control bills Friday 04/29/23, a significant move in a state with a long history of mass gun violence, including a shooting last fall at an LGBTQ+ nightclub that left five people dead.
    The measures in Colorado include legislation to raise the buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, establish a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun and institute a new red flag law.

  59. grudznick 2023-04-29 15:01

    Have they thrown the red flag on you, Mr. P.h?

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