Bluewing

I do not keep a gun on me at all times. Merely when hunting. I do have a first layer warning system called dogs. Hopefully the barking is all it takes to drive away a bad situation. But I WILL be awake before you can get out of your car.

And it's not about being afraid of my surroundings. It's about understanding that public safety, (police, fire, ems, and even neighbors), is a long ways away and I cannot expect timely help from anyone. If I have a heart attack at home, I will die for sure because EMS will never get there in time. So I need to be at least somewhat prepared for situations you don't even consider living in a city. Where help is a mere phone call and a few minutes away. Hell, I don't even have cell service in my yard to even call or text with.

So yes, you are at least somewhat correct. You can't imagine.

He is an exception you know about because of all the news stories. If that wasn't the case, he would have not been more than a single blurb on the news and forgotten by morning. And he would be most likely in jail. A result you wouldn't have heard about either.

News outlets have a vested interest in shouting up the outliers while mostly ignoring the mundane. And cops are just the group you have outsourced the killing to so you don't have to.

Well, while I don't really need to deer hunt anymore, I do enjoy bird hunting. Just upland these days. So, yes, I need my shotgun and dog. There is a reason that ruffed grouse are called the King of the Table. And I live in the middle of the best area to hunt them. And I really, really like eating them. But I also forage the forest and garden and fish too. Everything I do shrinks my food budget spent. The fish I caught Saturday ice fishing is one less meal I need to buy. The 6 grouse, (possession limit), is 6 fewer meals I need to buy. Though the 25lbs of bacon I smoked this year is a wash. Still, it's a tradition I still do.

That said, there are families here that need to hunt, forage, and garden here. And if the hunt is poor, it can well determine not only how good a Christmas they will have, but how warm the house might be this winter and maybe getting new winter boots.

And there is the tradition of the hunt. Families get together and small towns around here have "hunter's breakfasts and suppers" to build community. And you haven't lived until you stand in a classroom and listened to a bunch of 5th grade students, (boys and girls both), talk about getting their first deer rifle. Almost always a hand me down from Grandpa or an Uncle. It's both a tool and an Heirloom passed down.

So yes, where I live, firearms and hunting are necessary tools to living.

As another carry permit holder, this is most certainly true. But there are a few places I will carry due to the remoteness and some of the wildlife that can eat you if they really want to. But mostly it remains at my bedside as an "in case" if it's needed. If something were to go sideways, law enforcement is probably going to be at least 20 to 30 minutes away and possibly up to 90 minutes. I cannot rely on either one of the two deputies on duty at 2AM to be anywhere near me if things go bad. Things will be well and done long before I can expect help.

Another thing most of the rabid "Gotta have my pistol and 3 spare mags on me at all times" never think about is the cost of shooting someone even in self-defense. By the time it's all said and done, it can cost upwards and beyond of $100,000+ in lawyer, expert testimony, and court fees. And you are likely to lose your job due to being jailed for at least large parts of it.

Good for you!

As a great Philosopher once said: I'm pullin' for you. We're all in this together.

Actually, you can text 911. Many counties have setup that service. We got it working quite early in the counties I worked EMS in because voice calls are often quite sketchy due to poor cell service. You can easily be somewhere that a voice call can't work, but you just might have enough service to send text,

Back during covid, I ordered and installed a fancy bidet that automatically lifts the lid when you walk in the bathroom, (you need to push a button to lift the ring but it automatically closes), and then automatically closes when you leave. It also has a heated seat and heated water and air dryer. So now she doesn't get made that I make her lift the seat lid anymore.

Worth every penny.......

And the we do 24 hour time and you need to add 12 to the long hand number.......Because dozenal rocks!

And most kids, (and adults), never do want to learn.

Source: I've stood in front of a classroom trying to make math fun

All you gotta do is add a shot of whisky or brandy alongside the espresso that's all. It will calm you right down.....

Ahh, all you sweet summer children and your fancy CD burners and MP3 players.....

I remember the OG "mixtapes". Sitting on our bedroom floors for hours with a 9V 6 transistor radio and listening to the local rock and roll station hoping to hear your favorite group's new song being announced by the DJ so you could press the play and record buttons on that cheap portable cassette player to record the latest songs. All just so you could have a shitty mono recording to listen to.

If your Girlfriend gave you a tape filled with all her favorite music, it was like both of you were half ways down the aisle and headed for marriage. It was that serious.

I would argue that Democratic Socialism works somewhat better than the perverse form of capitalism that exists today. It does have its flaws also. See the increasing surveillance of the population in the EU that is being pushed by politicians as a start.

At some point in the future, socialism will fail just like every other form of governance humans have devised.