Guns

[fourto5]

Our government has become an adversarial system. We are encouraged by leaders to agree that half the country (and half of government) is made of boobs or sociopaths who have no concept of what is right.
Ok, I agree.
So how can anyone agree that such leaders as these should be the only ones empowered with weapons?

My personal view is that when those empowered to take have taken all they can get through non-violent means, they will easily rationalize their righteous entitlement to take what they want by any means available to them.
One Senator with a weapon, when she is the only one allowed that weapon, is empowered to devastate our entire nation.

What if someone with as wide an influence as Mr. King were to propose a compromise that maintained (restored) some balance of power, that protected we the many from them the few, that wasn't complicated by waivers and favors for friends of the few in power...?
Mr. King, having enjoyed your books from the start, and now your son's work, I get the impression you have the strength of character to go down with the ship rather than jump on private jets and flee if America goes really sour.
You are so very clever, couldn't you think of a third alternative that neither strips citizens of their only deterrant protection against a government nobody trusts, nor allows for tragedies you have described to occur?

[Sigmund]

Hi!

I went through the thread quickly so I might have missed or misunderstood some things.

Did a number of people just join the SKMB to rage against SK piece on guns? And then turn around and say they are going to stop reading SK because of his opinion?

If they we such big SK fans why didn't they join the SKMB before and talk about SK's books?

Just wondering.

Peace.

[Chuggs]

I agree with some of what this fellow is saying, but why in the heck would you not read Stephen King just because you don't agree with him? That makes absolutley no since. I don't agree with my mother from time to time, but does that mean that I'm not gonna go visit her anymore, or not eat the food that she cooks? Heck no! I love my momma no matter what! And while I don't agree with Sai King on everything, I respect him and his opinion greatly, and will continue to read him. Heck, my favorite musician of all time is Eddie Vedder, and while I don't agree with everything he says or does or believes, I still think he is a great mind and a wonderful person, and I will always listen to and love his music. I was, at least in some ways, a Bush supporter. EV was most definatley not, but his anti-Bush song doesn't offend me in the least. I actually like it!
People on both sides of arguments need to be more open minded and less pig-headed. Mr King has his opinion on gun control, which is his right, and I respect him for it. And like I said, though I am a gun owner and avid gun rights supporter, I will continue to read and love Mr. King's stories, etc. He is my favourite writer, and will likely continue to be so for a very long time.

[Chuggs]

THANK YOU. I feel like this board has turned into the Yahoo "comments" section. *Cringe*

And if you don't want to read anymore, don't!!

(And come on. The correct spelling of Stephen's name is at the TOP OF THE PAGE. I don't know many Constant Readers that don't know how to spell Stephen so I'm not real concerned.)

I agree with you, Shasta, I dont think this fella is a constant reader at all. I just think he posted here to try and ruffle some feathers. Love and let love, live an let live.

[Sepia and Dust]

You are so very clever, couldn't you think of a third alternative that neither strips citizens of their only deterrant protection against a government nobody trusts, nor allows for tragedies you have described to occur?

Coupla things. The firearms you have available as a citizen will not give you any significant protection against the government. The idea of a citizen militia facing down the US government plays well on TV, but in reality, the military would simply roll over the armed citizens without breaking a sweat. Also, there is no solution that would prevent large-scale tragedies from occurring--the insane, the ruthless, and the evil will always be with us.

[Lily Sawyer]

Did a number of people just join the SKMB to rage against SK piece on guns? And then turn around and say they are going to stop reading SK because of his opinion?

Yes, and yes. DFTT

[Todash]

Hi!

I went through the thread quickly so I might have missed or misunderstood some things.
Did a number of people just join the SKMB to rage against SK piece on guns? And then turn around and say they are going to stop reading SK because of his opinion?

If they we such big SK fans why didn't they join the SKMB before and talk about SK's books?

Just wondering.

Peace.

As Ms. Mod can tell you, it happens every time he has the nerve to think that as a citizen of the US, he has the right to say what he thinks. And hey, you know, I get that. I feel their pain. STEPHEN KING, YOU ARE A BIG JERKFACE FOR STATING YOUR OPINION IN A PUBLIC FORUM LIKE ... LIKE ... like ... like I am doing right now ... Oh.

[mjs9153]

I just don't get the argument about protecting yourself from the govt with these weapons..do people really believe their .223 AR 15 will match up with military weapons,helicopters, and tactics?Should rocket propelled grenades,atomic weapons,etc be sold to private citizens to protect themselves against the govt?Of course not..and the argument that most deaths occur by a handgun is true,but the mass shootings seem to involve the assault style gun,which somehow seems to appeal to the damaged psyche of those perpetrators.See nothing wrong with most shotguns,rifles and handguns,but the ones that are glamorized in cinema as being people killers,well they are just not necessary to a personal citizen's armory.Too late anyhow,as over 300 million guns are in circulation,so am afraid that nothing is going to change until there are more and more tragedies,and I think Mr King was right when he questions whether that will be what it takes before some people see reason,that it touches their family..

[GNTLGNT]

Hi!

I went through the thread quickly so I might have missed or misunderstood some things.

Did a number of people just join the SKMB to rage against SK piece on guns? And then turn around and say they are going to stop reading SK because of his opinion?

If they we such big SK fans why didn't they join the SKMB before and talk about SK's books?

Just wondering.

Peace.

...you have grasped their intentions perfectly Sig...solidairity in silliness for the (Salems)lot of em...

[fourto5]

Coupla things. The firearms you have available as a citizen will not give you any significant protection against the government. The idea of a citizen militia facing down the US government plays well on TV, but in reality, the military would simply roll over the armed citizens without breaking a sweat. Also, there is no solution that would prevent large-scale tragedies from occurring--the insane, the ruthless, and the evil will always be with us.

I disagree. You have to imagine the sort of military that would be turning on countrymen, and who those countrymen might be. You must try to imagine the scenario that leads to a hostile takeover of the many by the few.
Recent history (past 15 years) in Zimbabwe is an interesting study.

And if you say that no solution exists to prevent large-scale tragedies from occurring...then why trade one set of danger for a different one? Won't we still always have senseless killings?

There are always non-standard solutions when good hearted people apply their minds to problems. Lets try harder to not be pawns of two extremes, both sides of which are serving their own needs, not America's needs.