Gun stance draws skepticism (My title: Democrat Mayor Wants Gun Ownership!)

Montgomery Advertiser (Alabama) ^ | 23 June 2002 | Todd Kleffman

[Alas Babylon!]

A 12-gauge shotgun sits Thursday behind the counter of Magic Pawn Shop as employee Nancy Blankenship waits for customers.

Fed up and frustrated by the alarming number of armed robberies in the city, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright is urging law-abiding people to fight firepower with firepower.

[Alas Babylon!]

I’m in favor of training and arming clerks so when a criminal walks in, they have reason to think they might not walk out,” Bright said. “I know I’m really opening myself up for major criticism because I’m saying property over life, but we’ve got to do something. The number of robberies, not just here but worldwide, are getting ridiculous. We can’t continue to say to criminals ‘Come on in and take the money because we won’t resist you.’ ”

Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright is a DEMOCRAT! The local media is skewering him about this. What do you think?

[capt. norm]

I like this guy!

Keep in mind, a Southern Democrat is quite often a Conservative. I know, they go together like brown shoes with a tuxedo, but in Alabama and Northwest Florida (Panhandle) the Democrats encourage the locals to vote Democrat in all the local elections and Republican for president.

My jaw about dropped to the floor back in the early 70's when I first discovered that, but it's a common topic in local conversation and it remains that way today.

Something noticeable is happening now. In the last few years Democrats have been switching over to the Republican party in a big way. We have a very well-liked Sheriff here. He is very conservative and his image is that of a Boy Scout. He has become a role-model for how you'd like your son to turn out. He's an Ex-Marine who will not allow his deputies to use profanity and a dirty joke told on duty can get you in serious trouble. People have found out that he's for real and not 'faking it' Martha Stewart style. He has switched to the Republican party after being a life-long Democrat.

This is a often-repeated here in this part of the South.

[glc1173@aol.com]

"That no-resistance philosophy is endorsed by the National Association of Convenience Stores and the Petroleum and Convenience Marketers of Alabama. Adding a second gun to the robbery equation could turn stores into shooting galleries with clerks and customers in the line of fire, representatives said." (Montgomery Advertiser)

That's their only concern - being sued. Equals greed.

So Alabama Freepers should get the word out about which stores aren't cooperating in letting their employees fight back - and organize a boycott of them. Local talk radio would be one good way; email mailing lists another.

FWIW, several years ago, the clerks at a jeweler in nearby Greensboro here in North Carolina didn't resist. The robbers shot them dead anyway.

GUN REVIEWS free from ad-money bias - emphasizing woman-friendliness of tested guns!

[RAY]

Nothing seems to stop armed robbery in an area (or any kind of robbery) like several punks dying in the process. If the punks find an area is dangerous, they will stay away. They strive where robbery is easy.

Bullies and crooks take advantage of those who will not fight back.

[capt. norm]

Montgomery is not much of a media market. They fall below Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, and the Quad-Cities (Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Florence) and their market size means they do not have much to choose from in reporters because they can't afford much.

Having the Montgomery media come after you is like being attacked by a flock of hummingbirds.

[CWRWinger]

The GOP has spent the last two years 'stealing' and implementing the demokrats issues. It could be the dems see the voids left by RINOs and are going to take advantage of all the conservative issues orphaned by the GOP. Just a thought.

[Alas Babylon!]

We'll, you may be right but it's also like being a small fish in a small pond. Who else you gonna go to to find local news about Montgomery except the Advertiser and WSFA Channel 12?

Bright's no Fulmar, but I am pleasantly surprised by this story. We'll see how local news continues to spins it. To say the least, they're pro-Democrat/anti-Republican. Bright was their man. Now what to do?

[Alas Babylon!]

Also, Captain, did you know that Montgomery is now the SECOND biggest city in Alabama? They just overtook Mobile this last census. Where I work in East Montgomery was all fields and woods four years ago. Now they're putting up a new mall and huge housing developments all over. When the Hundyai plant gets spun up, it will really start to grow.

[bruoz]

“It’s a very serious situation when you have to decide to shoot someone. People have to know how – and when – to use a gun. If there’s $20 in the cash drawer, it’s not worth it. And what if you get a situation where someone is shoplifting a six-pack of beer and the clerk decides to shoot? There’s a lot of scenarios you have to think about.”

There is only one senario in my shop. If you pull a gun on me I am going to pull mine and only one of us is going to survive.

[toddst]

Nothing seems to stop armed robbery in an area (or any kind of robbery) like several punks dying in the process.

Bullies and crooks take advantage of those who will not fight back.

You are exactly right! Beyond that, what's not being mentioned is the situation where a clerk does not resist, gives up the money and is shot anyway. Eliminates eyewitnesses, you see.

Also some robbers are just plain gouls and use the opportunity to commit cold-blooded murder for no reason whatever. A few dead would-be robbers calms everything down. Not opinion, but fact.

[Alas Babylon!]

Yes, just two months ago some scumbag robbed a BlockBuster Video in Huntsville and killed two clerks and two customers execution-style. I wondered then what if SOMEONE there had a gun? Better to be shot FIGHTING a punk then to go down begging for your life.

[bruoz]

“I believe citizens share in the responsibility to prevent crime, but I think it goes too far to expect more weapons to be the answer. I worry that somebody who has a hair trigger who thinks he’s about to get robbed and the innocent people who could be harmed by people who are not really trained to respond to these kind of situations. It reminds me that old vigilante style, and that’s not what we want.”

Delibrately threatening someone in Florida with a firearm is aggrevated assault. Aggrevated assault is a forcible felony. Under Florida law, the use of deadly force by civilians is justified to stop or prevent a forcible felony. Innocent people don't walk into stores and point guns at clerks.

[capt. norm]

You're right. It is the second biggest city in Alabama in population within the city limits, but I was referring to market (news media) size.

Birmingham is #39 nationally, Mobile is #62, Huntsville is #82 and Montgomery is #116. These are the numbers in use that pretty much determine the income of the media located there as advertising dollars are apportioned according to that rank from national and regional advertisers.

This is based on the number of people reached by the media in those locations.

Mobile is pretty much stuck as far as expansion is concerned as it can't expand its city limits to any great extent but its market includes Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach FLorida in addition to its Alabama reach.

It's kind of like my home state of Iowa where some of the smaller towns can still attract business from the surrounding area and have economies that far exceed their populations.

[B4Ranch]

Take your pick. Leave the empties on the window sill.

[mn_b_one]

“It’s a very serious situation when you have to decide to shoot someone. People have to know how – and when – to use a gun. If there’s $20 in the cash drawer, it’s not worth it. And what if you get a situation where someone is shoplifting a six-pack of beer and the clerk decides to shoot? There’s a lot of scenarios you have to think about.”

Nope, wrong logic here, sorry. Heres' an example. Let's say I'm walking down the street, and I got five dollars in my hip wallet. I also have my SOB holster, and my Glock 23. Some scumbag approaches me and pulls out a knife, and demands all my money. I pull out my 23 and if this dirtbag don't start immediately making tracks in the other direction, I 'll dump him right there. No hesitation.

Now, your average liberal loser will say I should have given him the five dollars. He will say that I took a life for five dollars, and that ain't worth it. Wrong! This is about more than five dollars. It is about my freedom to walk down the street, its about taking my freedom, not five dollars. His life is a small price to pay to keep my freedom. He made the poor decision, he accepts the responsibility for his own death.