Basically, it requested (but did not require) that all residents keep a gun in their homes for protection and to deter crime.
Personally, I don't have any issues with law abiding citizens owning guns to protect themselves and deter crime, especially in their homes. I don't even have an issue with city ordiances requesting this. I hate criminals with a passion and if more people had guns IN THEIR HOMES, I think many hoodlums and thugs would think twice before breaking and entering.
My issue with the Greenleaf situation is that after seeing the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, a city councilor in this tiny Idaho town founded by pacifist Quakers came up with what he considered a novel idea. He wanted Greenleaf residents to keep a gun at home in case they were overrun by refugees from the Gulf Coast."This is not an 'it'll never happen here kind of thing,'" said Steven Jett, the ordinance's sponsor. "We could get refugees." This is actually what he said!
The actual ordinance reads.
“In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, it is recommended that every head of household residing in the city limits maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore, and obtain appropriate training relating to proper, safe and lawful handling of firearms.”
Okay, it's a gun ordinance. But I hate the fact that this asshole Steven Jett is trying to use racism and racial ignorance to promote this plan. If you want your folks to buy guns because you're an NRA patsy, then go ahead and push the guns. But, damnit don't try to stir up an unreasonable fear of black people within your white community! By far, the face of the Katrina evacuees where black. What this asshole Jett is saying is... "White folks of Greenleaf, be scared! Be scared because BLACK PEOPLE might come to our town! Whoooooo! Whooooooo! Be afraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaid! Whooooooo!"
What an asshole.
Now, I try to be the first person to call a duck a duck. And, I've heard the stories, I've read the reports - there are large numbers of criminals that have been relocated from New Orleans and lots of these hoodlums have be relocated around the country and started doing the shit that got them locked down in the first place - and I FIRMLY believe these people should be taken off the streets and put behind bars accordingly. But, for Idaho's Steven Jett to try and paint all Katrina evacuees as criminal, it is absolutely, racist and it is absolutely criminal.
And since I'm calling Steven Jett an asshole here, I'd like to comment on all assholes that misuse the US Constitution...
"Steven Jett, the sponsor of the proposal wrote, 'I am the city councilman that has proposed the ordinance in Greenleaf, Idaho. You would agree that this is not a new idea. The 2nd amendment was ratified 215 years ago (12/15/1791). I am only supporting it.' "
The 2nd amendment reads:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
So many assholes cut and chop this sentence up to use it towards their own end. Steven Jett is no different. He's trying to justify the "right of the people to keep and bear arms..." Personally, I think owning a gun is fine if it is legally purchased and registered and the owner is a law abiding citizen with proper mental faculties. But I do not believe that the 2nd amendment is a cart blanche allowance for everyone to have a gun. If you read the text itself, it is clear that it was written to assure that the 18th century American militia was well armed and ready to stand in armed defense of the United States. Well, in today's United States we have an Army, a Navy, an Air Force, and the best damned fighters in THE WORLD - THE UNITED STATES MARINES to protect our homeland. The whole militia thing isn't quite what it used to be. But folks still try to use the 2nd amendment to serve their own purposes. Just read people! Read and use your heads!
TTBM
15 comments:
Hi babs got a new Blog now (!)
http://tickckledpinksays.blogspot.com/
Luv Sam x
Hey stumbled upon your blog today, you got some good stuff as well as good links to others with similar material. I saw a post that mentioned your wife so I am curious to know what race she is? Just asking.
I'm with you, TTBM.
Sadly, most people have no idea what the second amendment to the Constitution is all about.
TTBM,
Avoiding my question? Doesn't matter you may say? Thats fine, still doesn't answer my question though... what race, is your wife? Is she Black or White?
Hey GUNFIGHTER!
Did you see that Tickled... is back in the saddle?
I'll have to check in and see what's new on her end!
As for you CURIOUS I'm not ducking you. Jesus, you're a little full of yourself aren't you? But considering the tone of your insistant question, you sound more "creepy" than "curious."
You tell me why you want to know, and I'll answer your question honestly, okay. Put yourself in MY shoes. You have someone that's not even a Blogger user and they're PRESSING you for information about YOUR wife or YOUR husband. Wouldn't that kinda' raise an eyebrow? Wouldn't it?
Tell me why you're so Curious and I'll answer you - straight up. If you don't reply back - then I'll just write you off as CREEPY and move on.
TTBM-
Tell you what Curious
Since you're not asking for classified information...
The answer to your question can be found in my June 2006 Archives. Read my post on June 24th.
And yes - saying "Black or White" would be too much like right. I'm sleepy and I'm grumpy so I'm feeling a tad sinister right now.
TTBM
TTBM,
Sorry I wasn't attempting to "creep you out" I was just pondering what your family was like. I noticed in a previous post you spoke highly of your wife and I have noticed a far too often trend of so called "Fight the power" blacks being married to someone of the opposite race. That being said I was just desparetly hoping that you kept it real and married a woman of your mother's likeness. I actually bet that you did, so thanks for winning me $50.00... maybe I'll send you $25.
Anyhow, again sorry to appear creepy I just didn't want to come off as rude if you had been married to a white woman so i didn't post my reasoning just aksed the question. Your June 24th post was very refreshing, I agree with you that many of our younger black men are "awestruck at the idea of having a white woman." It's a sad but true sceniro all over the United States. I foreone am 22, and have been with my black husband since I was 16. He is an accounting major, and I am in law school. My point in saying this is that blacks come in different roles in life... younger black men need to take into consideration that just because she is white it doesn't mean that she is better or will have more success than a woman of your own color. White is not always right, if you think it is then you're dealing in a slave mentality. Thanks for keeping it real, and I wish you and your family MUCH success, have a blessed holiday season.
~KJ
Hey CURIOUS.. uh, KJ!
WHEW!!! Thanks for not being as creepy as I thought. Sorry I was kinda' rude to you there - I've had some, shall we say "interesting encounters" with people on my blog and and I was a little 'curious' that you may have been one of my 'folks' coming back to keep the non-sense going. I'm glad to see you're not and I certainly hope you continue to leave comments!!!
My best to you and your husband, you all sound like the kind of strong couple we need more of!
I've always dated and been in relationships with Black women exclusively, it always felt like it was the way it was supposed to be - for 1000's of reasons, many of which I've documented in past posts.
I'm very hard on Brothers that choose women of other races because they think other women are BETTER or will bring a certain sense of STATUS that a Black woman wouldn't bring. However, I always try to put the caveat to my comments allowing for TRUE LOVE, which I honestly believe IS COLOR BLIND! Sometimes TRUE LOVE just sneaks up on a person and hits them across the head, race and color - be damned.
But like I said, I'm sorry if I was unnecessarily rude a few posts ago. I was just taking a defensive posture. : )
Thats okay TTBM, I understand you being cautious, I will definelty be a continued reader and will comment as often as I can. After all, strong black couples need to stick together! :-)
Thanks KJ
That is not actually what he said. The New York Post twisted his words to sell more papers. What he meant is that because Greenleaf is set on a high ground, if the neighboring city of Caldwell were flooded, then we would be overrun with refugees. And we wouldn't want looters, such as what happened with Katrina victims, to come into our homes and try to take over. You also failed to mention that the ordinance requires residents to have extra food supply so that if a flood or natural disaster like Katrina did happen, then we would be able to help out the refugees.
-An upset Greenleaf citizen
And by the way, we are located five miles outside of Caldwell.
Oh yes, and another thing that I forgot to mention was that all citizens owning a gun would be required to go through proper safety training classes. This ordinance was not written or passed as a racial statement. It was written as a "Be prepared for anything that may come". I hope that you can learn that not all white people are racist.
-The same upset citizen
Well Hello ANONYMOUS from Greenleaf - thanks for leaving a comment! WOW, someone from Greenleaf actually checked out my post on the gun ordinance issue. I'm always amazed at the power of the Internet.
Thank you so much for your comment. I'd like to first start by pointing out that I didn't say white people, or all white people, or the people of Greenleaf were racist. Your second comment implies that I did. So, I want to set the record straight on that point. I called Steve Jett a racist based on my initial understanding of his comment, but I've never been to Idaho or Greenleaf, so to call you all racist when I've never even heard of your town would be both assinine AND rasict on my part. But there is nothing wrong with defending your town's reputation, so - no harm no foul.
Now, I admit that you have opened my eyes a bit about the NY Post spinning Mr. Jett's comments, I'll look into that and see if it is so and adjust my post according, so THANK YOU for pointing that out! My blog is all about exchanging ideas, I put my thoughts out and get feedback from people I otherwise would have never ever spoken to!
I was completely appauled at the thought of someone saying "Black people my be coming so we should take arms!" I was so angry over this!!! I hope that you are right and I am wrong on this, but if I find that Mr. Jett tried to use subtle racial overtones in his warnings, I will be furious all over again. His statment still doesn't sit well with me completely though... it seems that if you all are near a low lying town that might flood, we're still all in America and he seems very determined to prepare arms for the worst! In other words, he's implying that every town above a flood plain should consider buying guns incase the people on the floodplain get washed out of their homes! "So, we'd better be prepared to shoot the hungry and homeless that are coming to town if they wander too close to our property!" Maybe that's a bit dramatic on my part, because I believe in defending my home and I think everyone should use whatever means is legal to do the same with theirs.
I'll end this comment by saying, thanks for leaving the comments, I truly appreciate them, I'll look into what you said. I don't think all white people are racist, and don't be upset by my blog and my opinions, because they are just MY BLOG and MY OPINIONS.
Thank you for looking into that. There was an excellent article written in The West, a Pocatello newspaper. It was written by the same author and it is the exact same article that was sent to NY, but the editor did not change it for their own purposes.
But again, you've read it wrong. We do not want to shoot people who need help. If they truly do need our help, that is what we are preparing for. But, if it comes to it, we want to be able to protect our homes.
I feel that my father was justified in writing this ordinance because I know what fear is. Caldwell, the lower lying city, has a gang problem, and they are the kind of people that would be coming into our town if Caldwell were flooded. We would be more than happy to help them, but if it comes to that, we want to be able to protect our homes also. And it is not as though we are handing out guns to anyone who wants one. They are required to buy a license and take necessary training courses.
Thank you for responding to my comment. It has shed you in a better light in my eyes. Especially since you called my father an a------.
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