I have a feeling that this molecule:
May have something to do with it.
Posted on 12/28/2004 3:02:39 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
| Bullets Come Down: Help Stop Celebratory Gunfire this New Years | |
| Action Alert Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March 1225 Eye Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 www.bradycampaign.org Brady/MMM is joining with America's police departments to urge Americans not to engage in what police call "celebratory gunfire" -- the indiscriminate firing of weapons into the air. On New Years Eve, scores of people will place others at risk of injury or death because of celebratory gunfire. When a bullet is fired into the air, the bullet has to come down somewhere. This holiday season, help spread the word about the dangers of "celebratory gunfire" - the practice of firing a gun indiscriminately into the air to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. For activists and chapters looking for a project over the holiday week, we suggest contacting your local police and asking them if you can help spread the word about an annual firearm threat that more-and-more cities are facing. Brady/MMM will be issuing a press release on Tuesday, December 28, urging Americans not to engage in celebratory gunfire. The body of the press release is below. Your local police department would probably appreciate help from the Moms in spreading the word about this problem. It is not just about convincing potential shooters to think again - public attention on the problem can also increase peer pressure from the potential shooter's friends and relatives. Your efforts could lead to someone urging a spouse or friend to "put the gun away." Here's an early draft of next Tuesday's press release: The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence united with the Million Mom March is joining with America's police departments to urge Americans not to engage in what police call "celebratory gunfire" - the indiscriminate unloading of weapons into the air. On New Years Eve and Independence Day each year, scores of people place others at risk of injury or death as a result of celebratory gunfire. When a bullet is fired into the air, the bullet has to come down somewhere. The practice of celebratory gunfire has been a problem in cities like Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix and Los Angeles and in towns along the U.S. and Mexico border. Last year, it became such a problem in Puerto Rico that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were called in for advice. "Every police group in America supports national and local efforts to educate citizens on the dangers of celebratory gunfire," said John Shanks, Law Enforcement Relations Director for Brady/MMM. "Every police officer in America would urge people not to do something as reckless as this." "The danger inherent in this activity ought to be obvious," continued Shanks. "It makes no sense whatsoever to fire a weapon into the air, not knowing where the bullet may fall. This is probably the most unsafe, crazy practice people engage in on New Years Eve." Four years ago, Phoenix, Arizona enacted Shannon's law, in memory of 14 year-old Shannon Smith, killed by a stray bullet in June 1999 while talking on her phone in her back yard. The law makes it a felony to fire a gun into the air within the city limits. Yet in 2003, there were still 95 cases of random gunfire successfully prosecuted in the city of Phoenix. How dangerous can it get? Consider one of the risks facing America's service men and women in Iraq. Last November, celebratory gunfire in Baghdad following the death of Saddam Hussein's two sons cost 31 Iraqis their lives, including two young children. Seventy-six others were wounded. |
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Been hit many times by 12 gauge pellets coming down. Terminal velocity must be very slow.. feels like hail.
Wish I could still shoot the thing on New Years.. No more.
Too many nuts...
Firing live rounds into the air is sooooooo "raghead"! (We didn't need the Brady bunch to tell us that it is a bad idea...)
Better yet, use blanks or shotgun shells with wadding only. Still a good idea to fire at a safe backstop
It is a long-standing tradition in our family to fire a number of shots equal to the last digit of the New Year (five, this time...) right at midnight. However, we use 12-Ga. "Bird Bombs":
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Bird Bombs (See "All Purpose Ammo")
"Blasts an M-80 type projectile between 50 & 100 yards. Upon detonation, you will see a BRILLIANT white light with a THUNDEROUS REPORT!"
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(BTW, when fired several feet above them, trespassers find these a powerful incentive to depart the premises -- post haste!)
I agree, I remember a dove hunt when I was a teenager and
my brother shot me with a 12 guage in the chest. I had moved
myself closer to where I thought the action was, without telling anyone, and he just followed a bird down and his shot went thru a bush and hit me. I barely felt the shot that hit my jacket, but the ones that hit my skin where my
shirt was open left a welt.
A few years ago when I lived in AZ, there was a story of a
young girl watching her brother play baseball, some holiday
evening and just fell dead right next to her Dad, supposidly
from a falling bullet. I thought then that whoever fired that bullet did not fire it straight up. It may have still
been some moron firing into the air, but it wasn't straight
up.
If your home is mobile, but your cars are not... you might be a... well you get the idea.
I remember reading a while back that there were often fatalities at Arab celebrations because of their tradition of firing into the air.
The M600P is a hand held device which can positively detect anomalies packed in a scanned item, etc (including the detection of contraband such as drugs, explosives, weapons, currency and much more). This is a fast and effective way to detect contraband concealed in objects such as tires, cargo, doors, walls and any other object or substance that may contain contraband.
When did money get verbotten?
When the Feds discovered they could confiscate it under the RICO statutes, I'd guess...
Thank god we can still buy dynamite over the counter in Texas !
I know a few inner-city cops. From what they've told me, from midnight to 1 AM everyone stays inside because of all the celebratory gunfire. To paraphrase: "Until 1, as far as I'm concerned, they can do whatever they want, because we're not coming out."
Great idea, MMM's! I suggest you team up with Eddie Eagle and get the word out. How about it?
(Is that crickets I hear?)
I remember some candidates for the Darwin award did this in the Bronx when the Yank-offs won the world series one year.
Use a shotgun if you do this. It makes great noise and the pellets won't hurt anything on their freefall back to earth
This is why every child should be given training and learn to properly use a firearm. Not doing so causes many of the accidental deaths from firearms, to the gun holder and any targets in front of the barrel.
When you are taught something that young, you do not forget.
I learned from shooting a bow and arrow when I was very young.
Very small, cheap, fiberglass bow, but when you shot an arrow straight up, it pretty much came straight back at the top of you skull. You only do that once.
Firing an arrow at an angle, and never finding it again because it traveled much farther than you imagined set in as well. (these things were done in a wooded area devoid of homes or people).
It didn't take much to imagine what would occur with a bullet, so I never have done any upward shooting with a gun, because I am not stupid, nor wish to die.
Not teaching a child firearm safety is just asking for them to be the victim of an 'accident' with a weapon. IMHO.
Don't you know that guns are a disease or is it bullets? Any way.
Press 1 to continue in Spanish, the official default language of the once great nation formally know as the USA.
As such, to be effective this release should be in freaking SPANISH.
"Which one of these things is not like the others, which one of these things is not the same...?"
Compared to the other cities on that list, New Orleans does not have a significant hispanic population. This behavior is not exclusive to hispanics by any means.
I'd be interested to know which locales listed as "problem areas" have enacted bans on fireworks. New Orleans passed such an ordinance, and when fireworks became tough to buy, that's when the celebratory gunfire began.
The city council will never admit it made a mistake and vote to overturn the fireworks ban, but at least now the cops now mostly ignore people who have fireworks.
As a result of that bit of discretion on the part of law enforcement, the holiday gunfire has lessened quite a bit. Of course, it's just a matter of time until a smoldering bottle rocket burns down someone's house and the mayor will scream at the cops to take a hard line on fireworks. When they do, the gunfire will then flare up again.
I have a feeling that this molecule:
May have something to do with it.
We don't have this problem, here in England.
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