First Head
People tend to travel in the direction they are looking. It is obvious that the lady from Wilbraham who wrote the recent letter entitled “Bad Bible” is one of the multitude who sit in front of their televisions and inhale reams of anti-Christian twit without realizing that they are being systematically and successfully acted upon. It seems that every family has at least one unsuspecting member who has, for decades, held the door of their mind open to mockery aimed specifically at defaming Christians and the Bible.
Things are much different now than they were in the 1940s and 50s. Today, if you say “Praise Jesus” to some “acted-upon” member of the family, chances are they will be reduced to a spitting, sparkling ball of emotion. So sad. ..But there is good news! While it is scary to see persecution increase, it is an historical fact that driven rage coming against the faith could very well lead to spiritual growth of the individual. I have seen this right here in the Pioneer Valley. We live in difficult but exciting times.
Racist?
#AllLivesMatter unless you are a racist, in which case only #BlackLivesMatter
Marijuana bust right or wrong?
Editor’s note: These comments were left on the Advocate’s Facebook page under the article “Arresting Care: Northampton medical marijuana consultant may face criminal drug charges.”
Josh Pelland: Pretty smart consultant there. Helicopters fly over the hilltowns every year looking for weed. Now they’re in Florence? (I haven’t noticed them) Best bet is to wait for the law to actually change before violating it.
Kevin Mulligan: When two thirds of the voters approved medical marijuana years ago, best bet is for the state to stop dragging its heels implementing the voters’ wishes.
Elaine Fletcher: Well, I don’t agree it’s a good drug and that is just me
Gun owners should carry firearm insurance
For years, gun control advocates have focused on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, banning certain types of weaponry, and developing more restrictive rules for gun dealers, especially those at gun shows. These efforts have been pressed by a myriad of groups, many of which are formed after mass shootings. At the same time, the NRA has become more and more powerful.
Everytown.org reports that almost two children are killed by guns every week, and more often than not these unintentional shootings occurred because a family member failed to secure a legally obtained gun. Moreover, there’s growing credible research proving that a legally owned gun in the home is more likely to harm an occupant than an intruder. Recently, two escaped convicts got a gun that they were able to use to threaten police when they broke into an unoccupied cabin.
Hence, it’s a fiction that “responsible gun owners” aren’t the problem. Any gun presents a potential threat to the safety and security of us all. That attitude is buttressed by legislative representatives who seemingly have no appetite to reign in the proliferation of guns or the ease of their availability.
I’ve come to believe we need to change the paradigm for how gun control is approached in this country. Why not require people who own an inherently dangerous product to be strictly liable for injuries caused by the product?
If we hold the owner strictly liable for any harm caused by their gun, those injured would not have to show that the owner was negligent. The fact that the gun caused the harm would be sufficient to recover and therefore, as a matter of public policy, all gun owners would be required to carry minimum liability insurance. As part of the gun licensing process, the federal government could require proof of insurance annually and assess fines against those who fail to comply. To add teeth, such fines could be deducted from income tax refunds or added to taxes due.
We spend trillions in this country to “keep Americans safe.” Most of us also want to be kept safe from the guns in our midst.
