Comments were made

Looking back at some of my previous posts I noted that an Alex was kind enough to leave his thoughts on my "Duncan Macleod Wannabe" feature.

Thank you Alex, I am not sure if you were socliciting a response from me or not so I decided to address your comments in a post.

Alex - While I am GENERALLY with you on this issue -- I don't think concealed carry is going to make Nebraska any more dangerous --

Me - I appreciate that you don't think Nebraska will be any more dangerous. That is as it should be. CCW in one form or another is the law in 48 states. There has never been any problems with CCW in any state that it has been enacted, there is no reason why it should be any different here. After all with the requirements only decent law abiding citizens will be able to secure a permit anyway, and these are the people that Axel labels unsafe with a shoot first mentality.

Alex - I would like to say that I think that this kid making a public political statement takes a lot more guts than anonymous playground-style name-calling over the internet.

Me - Your absolutely right Alex it takes guts to make a political statement and I respect young Mr Arth for that.

What I can't abide is the snivelling hyperbole that that Axel and others promulgate. In all of the other states that have enacted CCW there have not been shoot outs over parking spaces or fender benders. There is not an inkling of a shoot first mentality that Student Arth alleges.

With gnashing of teeth Axel and his co-horts are slandering the good citizens of this city and state. He prescribes negative attributes to the law abiding citizens of the community in which he resides. By infurring that law abiding resposible Nebraskans with state issued permits are unsafe and will have a shoot first mentality is a form of name calling with out actually using the names like; thoughtless killers and reckless irresponsible bumblers.

Because people like Axel and his minions can't seem to get it through their heads I'll say it again; Due to the requirements of the qualification process i.e. Finger printing, State and National background checks, required classroom use of force training, and proficeincy on the firing range, the only people that will qualify for and/or receive the permit are the LAW ABIDING citizens in this Community. You know, members of the College Alumni Assoc., Doctors, Business Owners and yes responsible everyday men and women of all races and denominations. This is the way it should be.

People that have an unwarranted fear of firearms all suffer from the dellusion; that taking posession of a firearm some how transforms a person into an "unsafe" evil monster that just can't wait to take their frustrations out on society with a "shoot first mentality".

Take the firearm away and these people will return to their normal selves and stop harboring ill thoughts toward their fellow man.

When Axel and others make statements like, it's "unsafe" or "shoot first mentality" they are slandering and making assumptions about honest law abiding people that they don't even know and that I can not abide.

Alex - Parts of what you wrote, like assumptions about him wanting to be a Hollywood film actor just because his major is performance and deriding his plans for a future career with absolutely no knowledge of his level of talent, borders on libel.

Me - Okay so I made an association between Thespian Arth and the hollywood liberal elite. It is no big secret where most of them stand on the issue of gun control despite the MILLIONS of dollars a good share of them have made using guns in their movies. Personally I don't think that association was unreasonable or out of line with the profession.

And lastly you chastise me for "deriding" him, but you apparently excuse his implications that thousands of Nebraskans will be transformed into maddog shoot first criminals simply because we choose to take responsibility for our own safety and that of our families.

You agree that Nebraska will not be a more dangerous place with CCW, Let me ask you a question Alex;

If you consider yourself an honest law abiding citizen Alex, how can you not feel insulted or degraded by the assumptions that Axel alleges?

And for the record;

A) I never insinuated that he had no talent, and

B) I have worked in the film industry with Kris Kristopherson, Ernie Borgnine, Kevin Kostner, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Jody Foster, Dennis Hopper, George Kennedy, and Kenny Rogers to name drop just a few.

I wish Axel all the luck in the world as he pursues his major in performance. From personal experience I know what a hard row he has set for himself to hoe. However I just can't stand by and let him or anyone else get away with insinuating that decent caring responsible law abiding Nebraskans are demons simply because we believe in the individual responsibilty of protecting ourselves and the ones we love.