So, I'm going to try to take it easy today and tomorrow and get over this stuff.
So, here's a tragedy: A 65 year old man, bicycling on a trail somewhere in Pennsylvania, is pushed over by teens and the teens attempt to rob him. The man pulls out his gun and shoots - all of them I guess - one of the teens dies. Apparently the teens also assaulted the man while trying to rob him.
I'm a gun rights advocate, I don't go around talking about it everywhere but if the subject comes up, I'm definitely taking the side of the right to bear arms rather than the idea that we should all be disarmed. Does a situation like this send a message to people who want to rob others? Yes, the potential exists that you might be shot by an armed citizen who may be concealing a weapon and - you don't know until it's too late.
The moral question - at least for me - should the teen have been killed over money? I would have a problem with that, but the story also said they were assaulting the man, I'm taking that to mean they were beating him up. At the point of physical violence, I have no problem with the man shooting those teens. 3 against 1 is not good odds, depending on the size/age of the teens and to what degree of violence they were willing to go to, including potentially killing the man. We will never know the answer to that question, but in this case, I definitely side with the older gentleman but still have sympathy for the family/parents of the deceased teen.
There are frequent stories about an armed citizen shooting would-be robbers in the news, I tend to read as much information about those stories as I can find. For me, I had to come to some kind of conclusion as to when I would pull the gun and shoot. Certainly, if a group of people are assaulting me - if I can even get at the gun at that point - those people are going to get shot. I would go to bed that night, even if someone died, and have no problem getting to sleep.
I'm not sure I would want to shoot a group of people who are demanding my money and that's it. In other words, the threat of violence may be there, but it hasn't yet happened. If I hand them my wallet and that's the end of it, then I probably would not pull the gun. I might be incredibly pissed and infuriated at people taking my hard earned money, not to mention have to call credit card companies and having cards cancelled, the bank accounts frozen and what-not - replacing the driver's license and on and on, but I carry nothing in my wallet that has any sympathetic attachments, they are just cards and ID. Replaceable. Some of it not necessarily easily replaceable, but still.
Someone comes into my house to rob me - all bets are off. You are clearly taking your own life into your hands when you "break and enter" a person's home to rob them. There have been home invasions in this area in the past, in fact, one occurred several years ago 2 houses down where 350 man is currently living (he was in prison at the time).
Oops. I just remembered something. The dogs need their shots. The news had an official on there admonishing dog owners to get the shots up-to-date if they are expired because distemper cases are spreading around these parts like crazy. Fry's Food Stores carries (or used to carry, I'll find out) those shots, they are cheap and easily administrated. Pull up the scruff of the neck, stick the needle in, pump the fluid in, done.
Well, took a break and got up on that trailer. I know, I'm trying to get over sickness, but I just couldn't resist the absolutely gorgeous weather we are experiencing here right now. It's nothing short of beautiful outside. I can tell you that I wouldn't want to be doing that work in the heat of summer, on a hot roof with the sun beating down on me and the metal roof putting off heat coming back up at me. So, the vent is on, installed. Only have left to put some caulking around it and it's good to go. I have one more large vent to do, but I haven't bought the vent yet. $35 or so with tax. Then a smaller drain vent that I already bought, much less work though I don't have enough new screws to install the new one. I think putting in the one vent today was enough, thank you.
I stopped by Auto Zone today and got my free gift card. I was hoping at least $25, I got $20. The offer for 20% off is still good, though, on the next purchase. Well, the radiator, I have now determined, does not need to be replaced. I had thought there was a leak in the upper portion of the radiator, but apparently it was just wet from when I was refilling the thing with fresh anti-freeze. Makes me particularly happy that I don't have to shell out $100 for another part for that car. There are other problems with it, but nothing that stops it from running.
The same kid I had over just before Christmas to haul landscaping rock is here again. A job I did not want to do: sand down the wood on all the gates and the apply a fresh coating of lacquer. I gotta say, this is the first person I have found off of Craigslist that really will work the entire time instead of complaining and whining how hard everything is and blah, blah, blahhhhhh. This will be an on-going thing on an occasional basis to have him over doing the things that I do not want to do. Next on the list will be to paint the block walls. They are coated with stucco. I have never had them painted. If I had thought about it at the time, the stucco itself could have had tint added to it. Regardless, my mother gave me 10 gallons of stucco paint some time ago. It's been inside the entire time so it hasn't been exposed to unbelievable summer heat. It should still be good. Give that kid a roller and the paint and he can paint the entire affair. That particular job will take quite a bit of time to finish, but he is motivated. That's all I need - a person that is motivated and isn't going to complain about whatever work I give. I have had the complainers over and I have never invited them back.
Okay, Mark is the exception. I not only had him back, but he's lived here for almost 2 years with Lynnette, lol. No signs that they are leaving anytime soon, but life can be rather strange in the way it treats you so - who knows. Not asking them to leave, that's for sure.
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