OT: Ideas For Gun Owner Accountability

[NotCranky]

[quote=scaredyclassic]I guess this is why we have HOAs[/quote]

At this stage in my life I would rather be shot than live in an HOA. I guess I’ll just have to learn to be happy with the idea.

[svelte]

Bad behavior in the city:

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Kathy-Rowe-Carmel-Valley-Freak-Show-Rape-Prank-254664621.html

[Jazzman]

[quote=Huckleberry]
Obviously we’ve been pretty far removed from a tyrannical government…

Honestly what’s the first thing you would do if you were a dictator that wanted to push the US to a hard core socialist/communist government?
[/quote]

There seems to be something slightly contradictory about these two statements. Whatever, it’s your country, but here are three frameworks for viewing the issue:

1) Leave things as they are and accept that rights over-ride homicides.
2) Introduce gun controls in an attempt to reduce homicides.
3) Outright ban on guns in an attempt to reduce homicides radically.

The arguments for all three have been done to death (if you’ll excuse the pun). The problem is not so much that something needs to be done, but with mindsets that are so strong, attempts to change them just entrench each side’s position.

If you wanted to ban guns, it would probably be more fruitful to start with the proposal that open hunting on your fellow countryman is perfectly legal, and widely encouraged. If your bank is foreclosing on your home, you simply extinguish your bank manager. If your neighbor’s dog pees on your front lawn, you eradicate his whole family (including the dog of course). Taking your adversary’s argument to the extreme may, I say may, just help him see things from your perspective. You’d need to be serious, and not let on 🙂

[ucodegen]

[quote=Blogstar]I probably am overreacting, where I come form guns are used to shoot people, but even if no one here actually wants to shoot someone, what is going on sure seems to defy common sense and a sense of respect for your other neighbors.[/quote]Maybe they are showing respect for you. Where you came from, guns are used to shoot people.. probably when they are pissed off at each other or one neighbor doesn’t like the other. Maybe your neighbors like to practice shooting but would not consider using a firearm in the same manner of those where you came from out of respect.

[NotCranky]

It doesn’t look or feel like respect for me,or anybody, or anything, else. Even the shooters are sad, scared or angry about the other shooters doing their thing.

I doubt if you come over and we started shooting your guns into the ditches on my property the respect my neighbor have for me will improve. The fact is we would be bringing the quality of the neighborhood down. That is, bringing the quality of people’s lives down. How much respect does that take?

[svelte]

[quote=scaredyclassic]Ran into some guntards in a local open area. We were Rick climbing. Some were shooting relatively responsible toward other rock.

But then these guntards were just wandering around shooting in no particular fucking pattern. We had to crawl over contact their buddy and get them to fucking knock it off do we could get out
[/quote]

Sounds like former neighbors of ours. They set cans up on their fence and did target practice. The guy that lived directly behind them had to run around the block and tell them to knock that shit off since they were aiming DIRECTLY AT HIS HOUSE.

I guess idiots do a lot of stupid things, but when you put a gun in their hand that stupidity becomes very very VERY dangerous.

[NotCranky]

Dianne Jacobs. responded to my email inquiring as to why shooting laws are not enforced out here. Just a note to say she forwarded my email to Sheriff BIll Gore.

It was a PDF format so I am wondering if this is not something they send out on a regular basis. I can see several people calling or writing her after every weekend since we are talking about huge semi-rural areas and lots of shooting. If that’s all true, it means nothing will get done about the shooting. That lack of enforcement will probably continue.

Wait and see.

If the laws are in favor of making it safer I am going to ask the politicians and sheriffs to make a public awareness campaign on the legalities of shooting, print notices/warning in local media….maybe more signs in neighborhoods.

[spdrun]

If the sheriff decides not to do anything, what about printing up official-sounding mailings yourself “GUN OWNERS: KNOW THE LAWS!” and mailing them out to people in the neighborhood? Stamps are cheap.

[NotCranky]

[quote=spdrun]If the sheriff decides not to do anything, what about printing up official-sounding mailings yourself “GUN OWNERS: KNOW THE LAWS!” and mailing them out to people in the neighborhood? Stamps are cheap.[/quote]

Interesting idea but it doesn’t sound like a safe thing to do. No, people in power will have to want to take the lead.

[spdrun]

^^^

Bulk mail isn’t illegal and I really doubt that you’ll get physically hurt over a mailing that isn’t even necessarily sent by you. Even if the shooters ignore it, their wives and kids (if any) may not and might have a positive influence there.

Don’t rely on cops to always solve problems that might be best dealt with in other ways.

[NotCranky]

Anyone who wants to see the 4 PDF’s What the Sheriff sent me in regards to rural San Diego gun laws PM me with email and I will forward it.

[CA renter]

Did it seem like they were favoring you, or?

[NotCranky]

[quote=CA renter]Did it seem like they were favoring you, or?[/quote]

Things are pretty much the same as when I made the same inquiry in 2006. Shooting is against the law near the coasts, restricted as you go out and with some exceptions limited only to what shooters think is safe further out. It is in the PDF’s. The 150 yard distance from structures is a universal minimum as I understand it….many shooters think much less is safe and they get away with it.

The Sheriff’s office said that in 2009 they tried to increase the distance required from structures beyond the 150 yards but failed. I don’t know how that attempt was made or how it failed. I will look into that. I don’t recall a public vote for it.

I do know that you can make a logical math based claim for why a specific property should be condemned for shooting based on the 150 yard rule and that person will not be told by the sheriff to stop recreational non-defense shooting in my area.

Shooting is not supposed to happen in periods of high fire danger, so that could be leverage. Still, I don’t think either standard is going to be enforced based on some complaints about specific acts of shooting that I know about and no change in the frequency of shooting. Of course it would be very controversial to report a neighbor but especially when you personally have to make a big stink to to get action. The charge is probably a misdemeanor anyway, but I am not sure.

I have written back asking the Sheriff to consider places on private property other than structures to be included in the 150 yards, for example kid’s play areas, gardens, easements and driveways. I don’t want to enforce it or call the cops for what are probably considered unworthy infractions , non-emergencies, but I want to remind them of what is going on around here….how it hits home. While the east county is a huge area and sparsely populated there are pockets that are basically suburban within it and there will be more. I also asked them to consider a public awareness and safety campaign annually through the small media outlets that cater to rural parts of the county. I ask for more signage. Anything stating the 150 yard law would be better than what we have, which is nothing. Those request have been referred to branches of the department that handle those kinds of things.

[CA renter]

Seems reasonable to not shoot within 150 yards of someone else’s property, regardless of what kind of structures or areas exist there.

Still sounds like you might have an uphill battle. I say try to kill them with kindness and win them over to your way of thinking. They will probably *always* shoot on their property, but if you make nice with them and explain to them your concerns, especially regarding your kids’ safety, maybe they’ll be more open to working with you.

Good luck, Russ!

[NotCranky]

Thanks, CA renter,
I am not going to serious battle over this . I have in one occasion tried to get a neighbor to consider other people’s feelings about his behavior, he thinks it’s unreasonable to worry about it and doesn’t even respect that or the 150 yard rule. I didn’t call the Sheriff or anything. He’s pretty bent out of shape about it and claims he is going to do whatever he wants. Not cool since he has asked me to change something and I have gotten right on it and would again. Anyway that will pass, but we probably won’t have a very good relationship. Oh well, it could be worse…there are some people you wouldn’t even approach. Fortunately ,for my family at least , the other shooters are a few properties away and shoot into a hill with no houses or roads on it.

Other people will have to deal with their own neighbors on the shooting. Still , I hope the reminders to the politicians and law enforcement help maintain or improve and awareness level. That could possibly do some good.

[Author]

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