Free-For-All Friday 12/14/12
Decatur Metro | December 14, 2012Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
- rss
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Yo
Parker Cross
LAL
Leif Terry
nola
Deanne
J_T
macarolina
AMB
Decatur Taxpayer
InStitches
smalltowngal
Michael
Leif Terry
At Home in Decatur
Thanks to AngH for the suggestion I take my ripped jeans to Kim’s alterations/watch repair in Suburban Plaza. The rip was repaired so beautifully, you can’t even tell there *was* a rip there. Thanks so much! Great find!
Is it just me, or is the list of latest comments/commenters on the left side missing?
Oh, wait, I see them down on the right side.
Now they’re back on the left side.
Now it’s back on the right.
Back on the left again. Can I sue DM for whiplash?
Whenever this happens, I think it’s my #!@$%# smartphone. I’m relieved to hear that it’s a problem with DM’s, not mine.
I was using the new handy search function to look for the Christmas post lists from last year, specifically the rec from Parker? Parker- can you repost? I couldn’t locate. Anywho, thought I would resurrect this. Looks like dreams do come true. http://www.decaturmetro.com/2010/12/09/what-would-you-give-decatur-for-the-holidays/
And a big thanks to DM for this!
Oh! I am flattered that you found the comment memorable. Sadly, I have no idea what I posted. If it comes to me I will repost but you probably should not hold your breath for it. Memory is not my best thing.
I can absolutely relate to that. A story link maybe? You’ll probably remember in January, that’s usually how these things work.
Does anyone know of a local retailer who sells Cherchie’s Champagne Mustard? Thanks!
Not local, but there are many online options! They do have a “Contact Us” link, so you might be able to contact & ask if they have a local vendor.
Anyone got an update on when the smoking ban in public sidewalk cafes goes into effect. I was under the impression that some would be in effect in October, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
It was October. I’ve also noticed few are abiding by it. I believe it needs to be enforced by the restaurant owners.
I know some streets don’t have sidewalks, but we do have many perfectly good sidewalks in Decatur. Why do people ignore them and walk in the street?
The other day after dark I saw a man and woman walking on the street. They were about 3 feet off of the curb in the traffic lane. To make matters worse, they were walking with the flow of traffic and pushing a baby stroller. This type of thing happens a lot.
What street? Context is everything in these sorts of situations.
A PG-Rated variation on Take To The Streets!
If it was the same night and same stroller, Wilton.
I saw it on Coventry. Not exactly a low-traffic street.
I’ve come upon some runners in the dark running on the pavement without reflective gear and had some thoughts about Darwinian evolution. Remember that there’s 16 year olds all over Decatur learning to drive………. Not to mention folks who are impaired, texting, otherwise distracted….. If you want to run in public, please use sidewalks where available and be safe. If you want a perfect surface, there’s the tracks at Agnes Scott or the YMCA.
One that scared me lately was a runner around 8 AM last Saturday, running against traffic on CLAIRMONT ROAD up near the intersection with Lavista. He was in the right lane, not on the shoulder. Despite the fact that I was approaching in his lane, he did not move up on the grass. I had to slow down and move into my left lane to avoid him, which was okay at that time of day, but could have been hairy in traffic or at a faster speed or if I assumed that he would move.
I don’t understand this either! Next thing you know they’ll be pushing that stroller along the railroad tracks!
Seriously, though, it is irritating when I’m riding my bike and they are running or walking in the street instead of on the sidewalk (which is illegal if the sidewalk is functional), and I have to veer my bike into traffic to go around them?
I ask this question all the time!. I see it daily in the Great Lakes neighborhood. Just yesterday, going away from Clairemont Elementary around 5:00, 2 women in workout attire were walking on the street and I couldn’t get around them because of cars coming in the other direction. I just don’t understand it when there are sidewalks RIGHT THERE, not 4 feet from where they’re walking. I’m definitely open to hearing an explanation.
Some folks like to runor walk on asphalt because it’s much lower impact then cement. Others like to spread out and chat and the sidewalks aren’t wide enough. Not defending, just offering an explanation.
Hi, I can offer possible explanations to the “why do people walk in the street” questions.
1. Too many leaves on the sidewalk. Slippery when wet, and you can’t tell what’s under the larger piles. Tree pods are a problem too. Unsure if it’s up to the property owners to rake/clean, but I’ve busted and bled several times.
2. Tree roots have pulled the sidewalk up too high to get a stroller over.
3. Sidewalk section not maintained. There are sections on my route where the sidewalk is now literally loose gravel in home driveways.
4. Hard to see on the sidewalk in the dark, since the street lamps light the street, not the sidewalk. I get why…
5. People park their cars at the very end of the driveway, blocking the sidewalk. #1 culprit, IMO.
I wouldn’t walk in the street on Clairmont, or any other busy road. Or without reflective clothing in the dark. But I find the above realities cause me to move into the street at times, even with a sidewalk there.
Good points and just a friendly reply. If it is dark out and you are pushing a baby stroller it seems pretty foolish to walk in the street. Detour quickly around the occasional (and annoying) car that is blocking the sidewalk. The risk of slipping on leaves or tripping on a root is minor compared to getting hit by a car (there are plenty of leaves curbside by the street, too).
I’m a runner and I run on the street where possible. Always against traffic. Never on busy streets.
The No. 1 reason I run on the street is safety, believe it or not. Sidewalks are uneven. The street is not.
This really shouldn’t be a problem on neighborhood streets, or any street for that matter, as long as runners and drivers can coexist.
The main issues with this coexistence: runners who don’t move onto the sidewalk (or at least move close to the curb) when a car is approaching, and drivers who are so distracted by their electronic devices and/or hell-bent on flying around town at dangerous speeds.
It’s really the same argument as cyclists vs. drivers. Those who don’t follow the rules screw it up for everyone else.
Bottom line? Pay attention and be considerate, whether you’re on two feet, two wheels, or behind a steering wheel.
+1
Well said, Bulldog. I am a road runner also. This is mostly because of one too many trips and falls on uneven sidewalks. But I always move out of the way when my safety is compromised.
I don’t get it.
Just yesterday, a guy biking on Howard near Thinking Man, going about 5mph.
There is a perfectly good Path for biking on the other side of the road.
I understand the spandex crowd likes using the street b/c the Path can get gummed up with recreational users, but this guy was not going anywhere fast.
At the very least, please wear white at night. About thirty years ago, my then boyfriend and I were walking (on a sidewalk) and a driver ran off the road, hit him, and dumped him off the hood about 50 feet beyond. I don’t condone the hit and run coward, but it was Hallowe’en and we were dressed as beatniks, in black from head to toe. Not the smartest choice for a romantic stroll in the wee hours.
Book festival news: http://decatur.patch.com/articles/former-outwrite-owner-takes-decatur-book-festival-post
Guess I can’t hold news anymore.
It was on NPR this morning…
What is this “NPR”? Is it that tire place?
Not this kind of news you can’t. I’m guessing that at least three-quarters of your target demographic heard it on WABE this morning.
Just to clarify, I am NOT strixxvaria. We apparently just listen to the same morning radio and decide to comment at the same time. I use my other two DM aliases for much more fun and exciting things than a silly little book festival…
WANG!!!!! (shakes fists at sky)
Sorry, DM. For reasons that are probably kind of obvious, we gave it to the AJC first. Once that was live last night, WABE came a-callin’.
I heard/saw it yesterday too. I just am trying to cover up that I forgot to post it last night.
Anyone know of a good dermatologist?
Richard Detlefs. Office is on Peachtree just north of Shepherd Spinal Center (& across the street).
Georgia Dermatology Associates on Clairmont Rd just before NDH has some good drs. I’ve seen Holly Hanson and Damon Mauldin. Relatively easy to get an apt., easy to park, not too far away.
Yikes! Wahoo Grill got a 70 on their health inspection last week. Dislike. http://atlanta.digitalhealthdepartment.com/_templates/22/Food/_report_full.cfm?fsimID=378611&domainID=22
Barely passing health inspection score for bbq, falafel or Buford Highway taco stand = YUM!
Barely passing health inspection score for seafood place = I’ll have the salad!
hah…the salad was one of the things busted. Cutting tomatoes with bare hands…and what’s wrong with that if the hands are clean?
If you read the detail in the inspection report, there are a few violations that seem problematic, but the rest are things like using the hand washing sink to fill a pot of water.
Does the style of architecture common for new buildings in Decatur have a name? Stuff along the style of the 4-5 academy, for example?
McCraftsman? McPrairie?
I call it Collegiate Brick.
I don’t know if there’s a common style among all our new buildings but the 4/5 Academy style is what’s known academically as “Via-Committee.”
Hot Dog Moderne?
I checked out the new pet food store in the strip just down from Homer Simpson plaza last night. They have a nice selection including my favorite brand of chicken feed, and the owner was very enthusiastic, friendly and helpful. Puppy Bad Example was very happy with her beef trachea. We are happy to have them in the ‘hood.
I can’t work out where it is…can you clarify?
Yay! Mrs. Arriba was happy with meeting the very friendly owner there as well while buying their organic chicken feed.
Strix – it’s on the corner of Mead and College near the RR crossing – a small retail building that used to have a blue awning.
Thanks!
Can anyone recommend a person or company to install a wall mounted flat screen TV?
As many of y’all know, the wonderful doctors Doyle and Goo are no longer at CorrectMed. CorrectMed is enforcing a noncompete clause that prevents them from establishing a practice in Decatur. There’s a story in Patch today that explains a bit more and a petition you can sign to help us put pressure on Correctmed to waive the noncompete.
Thanks!
http://decatur.patch.com/articles/parents-complain-about-loss-of-pediatricians
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-our-pediatricians/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=system&utm_campaign=Send%2Bto%2BFriend
Don’t non-competes exist for a reason. In this case, so Docs don’t join a well established group without having to worry about the overhead, build a client list, and then bolt to go out on their own.
That’s not what happened in this instance, though. CorrectMed is no longer offering primary care pediatrics, nor do they offer a pediatric urgent care specialist, so there’s nothing to compete with. I understand there may be bad blood between CorrectMed and these doctors, but they are denying families access to their doctors–without notification–and that is bad for our community.
Let’s not forget that the Drs voluntarily entered into the agreements and were compensated for them. Also, if CorrectMed hadn’t funded the renovation and opening of the office, we never would have been introduced to the Drs. Why should the Drs. get a windfall from someone else’s investment? Besides, we are all free to still use the Drs., but we have to drive a little further.
Keith,
In this instance, CorrectMed’s Decatur location was not established; it didn’t even exist. It opened with Dr. Doyle and Dr. Goo as the doctors and grew due to the care they provided. This is not a case of the doctors “bolting” with a client list; they were let go by CorrectMed as it changed its business model.
CorrectMed did not reach out to patients’ parents to inform us of the changes and allow us to make our own decisions about our children’s care. Dr. Musso then added insult to injury by responding to e-mail inquiries with a form letter and by not responding to telephone calls. At this point, the non-compete should be waived.
Dawgfan, I am very disheartened by your description of this as a potential “windfall” for Dr. Goo and Dr. Doyle. It is my understanding that they entered into the agreement in good faith, and that CorrectMed made a business decision (Dr. Musso’s description of the events, not mine) to let them go. Again, this is not a situation where the doctor used CorrectMed’s investment to get a foothold and then left with a client list. If anything, CorrectMed has benefited from the enormous goodwill and reputation gained by Drs. Goo and Doyle and has now let them go while continuing to capitalize on that reputation.
I’m not saying that non-competes should not be enforced where everyone has agreed to the terms, but here CorrectMed doesn’t even have an actual pediatrician on staff anymore from what I’ve heard. That last bit is what galls me the most. I’ve not heard ANYTHING from the practice except that they “are pleased to be able to continue to serve the Decatur community.” Um, no thanks.
Interesting that Selig has given up on Walmart as the anchor tenant for their downtown Athens project. Their reasoning? “The newest plan is based on community feedback.” Ducks, run for cover…
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/morning_call/2012/12/walmart-nixed-in-80m-downtown-athens.html
Michael, no need for duck & run over a bit of sloppy reporting– get on back in here! :0)
Walmart’s no longer in the mix for the planned Athens project AND the new concept drawing does reflect community input, BUT Walmart didn’t exit due to community input. Here’s the Athens coverage on it (Flagpole’s editor Blake Aued was one of the key ABH reporters covering it back when it was a hot story, and what he’s written is spot on):
http://flagpole.com/news/2012/dec/12/loop/
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-12-12/developer-nixes-walmart-continues-downtown-athens-project
I understand it is private property, but is there anything that can be done to clean up the park of misfit toys? It’s really quite ridiculous and quite trashy looking.
That park is beloved by many. I’ve never considered it trashy.
The park isn’t trashy at all. It’s a great park. But it looks trashy with 50 toys strewn all over the place. Seems like there should be a shed or something where the toys can be stored.
Even if you were volunteering to head up the building committee and donate the funds, I doubt a shed would do much good. The park gets tremendous use, from sun up to sun down. One kid drops a toy, another one picks it up. The expectation that the kids will all put the toys away when they’re done, and that they’ll stay neat and tidy all day isn’t a very reasonable one.
Let’s at least clean it up at night? Well who would do that? The last parent to leave the park should put away 100 toys while trying to keep and eye in a squirming kid and hurry home to make dinner?
I love the toy park. And I love the church for letting it stay there instead of selling the land for a hefty sum and letting a developer build a Starbucks there.
Yes, either the child or the parent whose child used the toy should put it away. Or the church should have an employee return and put away all the toys. Either that or not provide the toys to begin with. What does it teach our kids if they can play with a toy without putting it away?
Multiple children shot dead in Connecticut elementary school. Will there ever again be a time when mass shootings are rare in this country?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school.html?hp&_r=0
Something has to be done about accessibility to guns in this country. Quickly.
Agreed. Had teachers there had access to a gun, there would likely be fewer dead today. An absolute tragedy.
“Had teachers there had access to a gun, there would likely be fewer dead today. An absolute tragedy.”
If this nutjob had no access to a semi-automatic weapon, there would likely be ZERO kindergarten children DEAD today from said weapon. Seems the better scenario to me.
Exactly, Brianc. A friend wrote a thoughtful response to this kind of thinking in his blog today: “If we’ve reached a point where we’d rather have more crossfire in school hallways than maybe limit access to guns even a little, then we have no hope. I’ll go one better than that, actually: if we’re that far gone, then we don’t deserve hope.”
After the Aurora shootings, I remember commenting to my wife that it would take small children or elderly being massacred by a gunman before any politicians had the guts to even talk about limiting gun access. Well, sadly, it’s happened.
It’s events like Aurora and Newtown that get all of the attention, but it’s the tens of thousands of one-off killings attributable to gun violence in the U.S. that are the real justification for gun control. The Walrus is right about one thing: Crazy people are going to assert their will no matter what. Gun control could certainly have made it harder for this guy to obtain the tool he needed to end so many lives, but in all likelihood someone who has reached his level of insanity would find a way to hurt people no matter what (though without access to a semi-automatic weapon, it’s likely he would have hurt far less). It’s the preventable incidents — the thousands of situations where if the gun was removed from the equation cooler heads would have prevailed, or an idiot would not have been as emboldened to use violent force — that I find most troubling. Add those up and they equal hundreds of these massacres and could be far more easily prevented with intelligent, enforced gun control measures.
Good point Lump. The issue then becomes the balance between the lives saved by guns vs. lives lost. With more gun control, i see that divide becoming very large, and not in the positive direction. Not sure if we can say without the access to guns, less lives would have been lost, though (re: today’s events). What if this nut had built a bomb?
“If this nutjob had no access to a semi-automatic weapon”
Unfortunately, we live in reality. Never going to eliminate guns. Not my words:
People intent on breaking the law against murder are not likely to respect a law against possession of firearms. The only people restricted by gun laws are law-abiding people. This point is so obvious, one wonders why some deny or ignore it.
The criminal, unfortunately, chooses the time, place, and manner of his crime. I don’t like that rule either, but that’s the way it is. Criminals aren’t irrational, so they tend not to pick victims standing near cops. When you are attacked, calling 9-1-1 will do little good. For the record, the police are under no legal obligation to defend you. The courts have spoken on this—not that your survivors’ ability to sue the police would bring much comfort.
The upshot is that, high-flown political theory aside, no one can truly delegate his or her right to or responsibility for one’s own self-defense. Ultimately, you are the only one who can look out for your safety, because you are only one who is with you 24/7 and therefore the only one you can count on when the criminal targets you. That’s just a fact. Another fact is that while guns are used to take innocent life, they are also used to protect innocent life. The numbers are in dispute—ranging from 100,000 to over 2 million times a year—but no reasonable person can doubt that people use guns to prevent violent crime, often, if not usually, without firing them. Gun opponents downplay this by distracting us with dubious statistics on how often criminals disarm and kill their victims or how often guns are used to escalate arguments over card games and fender benders. The fact remains: Guns save lives.
Many people don’t appreciate this because most such incidents are not reported to police or the news media. Moreover, the national media are uninterested in defensive gun-use stories. Local news outlets pay attention when an elderly person or shopkeeper uses a gun to thwart a would-be criminal, but the national media, which give wall-to-wall coverage to mass shootings, apparently have no time to report life-saving uses of firearms. No wonder some people believe handguns are only tools for criminals.
“Unfortunately, we live in reality.”
A reality that we create and can change. The reality of America when it comes to gun violence is ugly and getting uglier. Yet we can’t even discuss restricting assault weapons. The Second Amendment isn’t any more absolute than any other parts of the Constitution.
did you just imply that the person who carried out this act “isn’t irrational”? will you say anything to just to win an argument?
Ben, first off, if you had read properly I stated that those were not my words. Second, yes, usually people who do mass shooting go to areas that are not heavily populated by other people with guns. That is what was stated to be rational. Way to completely miss the point though as a way to win an argument.
i didn’t misread. in the context of these acts you trotted out a quote suggesting this fellow had some rational endgame in mind. i’m not arguing with you. that would serve no point. simply trying to better understand if that’s what you meant to say. and now i do.
Yes, if the nutjob’s endgame was to kill as many people as possible, it is rational to do so somewhere where no one will likely have a gun. You can have an emotional response to that all you want, but that is reality.
I’m sorry, but setting aside the ridiculousness of pretty much every other point you’re making, any school that equipped its teachers with guns to defend against the potential incursion of a crazy gunman would instead be far more likely to expose itself to the far more likely scenario of a child getting a hold of a gun.
While we’re at it, allow me to throw acid in your eyes to demonstrate how you are at fault for not wearing goggles all the time.
Two guns do not equal peace, and the second amendment does not trump common sense.
Unfortunately, facts are tricky things and they do not back you up.
In areas with looser concealed carry laws, gun crime is lower than elsewhere. In areas with very strict guns law, gun crime/violent crime is higher. Since England implemented its strict gun laws, gun crime has skyrocketed.
You can have an emotional response to these events all you want (and i do as well), but that doesn’t change facts. The facts do not support your contention that stricter gun laws will result in fewer gun deaths. They just don’t.
You’re selecting of the facts is, of course, selective. I could trot out plenty to prove the opposite, but I’m sure you’d find mine just as selective,
More guns is not the answer. And there is absolutely no reason that anyone other than police and military personnel should have access to an assault rifle.
I am trying to picture how that would have looked in my elementary and high schools. Sister Bernadette (2nd grade) could have carried a small pistol, she was good close in. The Mother Superior (4th grade) would have done well with a sniper’s rifle. She always knew what was going on at a distance. Sister Mary Honesta (8th grade) should have had nunchuks hanging off her belt alongside the rosary beads. She was fierce with us young teens. Mrs. Moore (3rd grade and our only lay teacher) could have handled hostage negotiations–very sensible. I would assign the automatic weapon to Sister Adele (7th grade.) “Kill em all and let God sort them out.” The young and lovely Sister Edmond (6th grade) could have secured a LAWS rocket in her piano and lured the gunman in while we were singing Tantum Ergo. In high school, I would nominate Sister John Norton for mixed martial arts. She once picked up a girl in geometry class, desk and all, and hurled her into the blackboard. The beauty of this defense is that the weapons could have been hidden within the Sisters’ voluminous habits. Plus, we had an alligator infested canal that ran along the school boundary. The Sisters would have called it a prayer period and not have bothered the parents about it.
Wow – making the death of 20 children a joke. How insensitive can you get? I am disgusted.
Where is the moderation? This is beyond offensive.
Oh. I’m sorry, s. I did mean to offend, but you are right, it’s probably too early for a satirical response. The target for my satire was The Walrus, who I like and respect despite his persistent wrong-headedness. My thinking was that the idea of arming the teachers was a comment that could only be answered by ridicule. Jonathan Swift was a genius; me, not so much. DM, if you wish to delete my comments for being too cruelly or too crudely pointed I won’t mind. Your house.
I am sorry. I overreacted. This tragedy was so upsetting and disturbing. I see that your response was satirical but don’t have it in me to laugh at anything related to this horrible event.
Please simmer down. Parker’s is a sane and appropriate response.
Please lay off the condescension.
That is the most ridiculous statement and one that I’m really getting sick of hearing. You have no idea what would have happened! More children could have gotten killed as a result of a teacher firing at a crazy person. Did you ever stop to think what that could have created? More guns is not the answer.
Nope. Never stopped to to think about it. I just talk out of my ass. Of course I do. You also don’t know what would have happened if some well trained teachers had a weapon. Think about if some student at Virginia Tech would have had a gun. Yes my belief is that less people would likely have died. What if just one person had a gun at luby’s diner? I believe less people would have died. The shooting at Appalachian State ended because students had a gun.
What will the response to this be? School districts will ask for more police presence at schools. Why is this? Because they carry guns! I’m not saying that any ole teacher should have a gun. I’m saying that they should have some teachers volunteer to go through extensive training and then be allowed to carry. What is crazy about that? I know this elicits emotional responses from people. You can get nasty with people just because they have a different viewpoint. You can parody. It doesn’t change the facts. Emotional responses to something like this usually does not lead to positive outcomes for anyone. People keep talking about assualt rifles here. One was not used in this instance, nor have i offered any opinion on them. Btw, Connecticut has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
Shut up. Just shut up. Please shut up. Do us all a favor and just STFU.
AMB- NOT cool tellin’ Walrus to STFU. Fume, argue back, or skip past Walrus’ comments if you just can’t stand it any longer. Maybe, just maybe, if we hear Walrus out, we’ll end up with bits of understanding to build upon.
Well done. We both want less deaths at the point of a gun. We clearly have different views. Good job expressing yours in a productive way.
No “expressing opinions today.” Go sit in your dark dank world, pull out your tiny asset and contemplate that while the rest of us think about daily arming insanity. Otherwise, STFU.
Very opened minded and tolerant of other views you are. What are you, a conservative?
I’ll say it again: More guns is not the answer.
It really is time for this madness to stop. This is not an emotional response. This is a rational response. What will more guns do for us as a country? Present more opportunity, that’s what. Weapons, especially guns, are far too accessible. If we can’t ban guns, then we should make it as hard as possible for someone to obtain one. 100 hours of safety and education. Permits. Yearly background checks. Storage rules and regulations.
As for your scenarios: Say the teacher had a gun and fired back. What does that do if the shot is not effective? For one, it creates the possibility of additional lives lost and/or a hostage situation with an entire school inside.
Say someone at VT fired back. How do students distinguish between the perpetrator and the “peacekeeper?” They don’t. Other students pull guns and guess what? Everybody is pointing a weapon at somebody else.
Schools will likely ask for greater police presence, as you suggest. And why? Because they are professionals trained extensively in safety and security. They also know how and *when* to use a weapon.
What scares me the most is that we’ll talk about this for a week, nothing will happen as a result, and then another incident will occur.
It really is time for America to wake up and put appropriate measures in place. It’s disappointing and disheartening that some in our country think the answer to these tragedies is more guns.
Appreciate the reasoned response. We will have to agree to disagree.
It might not be an emotion response but it is a narrow, reactionary one. Why does anybody think that someone who’s willing to kill a couple dozen small children is going to be deterred by any gun law?
One step further, even if you had suddenly blinked every gun out of existence last week, do you really think this guy would have just gone for a walk in the park instead?
I’m betting he would have had a plan to steal a hummer, weld a sharpened steel plate to front and plow around the playground. Or load up a rental truck with some incendiary materials (all of which are unregulated and perfectly legal) and drive it through a wall and detonate it.
No regulation, legislation, or ban is going to stop a mentally unstable person from killing a bunch of people if that’s what they are determined to do.
And for the record, I hate guns. My 13 has never been allowed to own or play with a toy gun. So many of you are staunch advocates of eliminating guns, but let your children run around pointing guns (fake) at each other their whole childhood. We teach our children that guns aren’t toys, but let them treat them as such on a daily basis with toy guns and video games. The problem is not the gun, but the culture of violence we have created in this country.
I mostly agree with you on this. The culture of violence is the real problem, but the easy access to guns compounds the problem.
Another issue that is difficult to talk about is mental illness. It is far more difficult to commit the mentally ill against their will than it used to be. Though that may be a good thing, when you combine guns and mental illness there is certainly the potential for disaster. Japan, where gun ownership is rare, requires proof of mental fitness before issuing a gun permit. Probably wouldn’t be accepted here, but it’s worth discussing.
I am not going to come down on either side of this issue on this blog, but just wanted to make a point. The reality is that there are millions of guns in this country. Last I heard, the estimate was around 270 million, with over 40% of households having at least one gun. That’s a whole lot of guns, and my point is, the horse has already left the barn.
While you can argue that regulating the sale and purchase of guns may have an impact on new guns entering the system, the sheer number of them currently in existence makes managing those impossible.
So what’s a practical, legal, and enforceable answer to preventing tragedies such as the Connecticut school shooting? I have no idea, and neither does anyone else. Statements like “ban all guns” and “every law-abiding citizen should carry a gun” are too black-and-white for such a gray area.
Of course it’s not a simple issue. But we should at least be able to talk about the issue. If I had magic powers, I’d make all guns disappear and amend the Constitution. But just because I can’t do that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything. I’m not yet ready to concede that America is a violent, ugly place and leave it at that. Bob Costa caught hell in some quarters, but he’s right that we have a problem with the “gun culture” in this country. I’d argue that we have a problem with a “culture of violence”, period (including the sport Costas was covering) and that it’s predominantly a male-created problem. How do we change that?
You are right. We do have a culture of violence. I wish i had the answer to your question.
Why give up on the long term?
Imagine what happens if new guns are banned, as opposed to existing, lawfully owned guns taken from owners — which seems to be what most people mean when they talk about gun regulation.
The market takes over. Guns used in crimes and collected by law enforcement are taken off the market. Existing guns become more valuable. Owners are reluctant to sell something they can’t replace with a newer, better model. Collectors search for models they need to complete their collection. People lock them away to protect them from theft and damage. They become something to display and admire and use only occasionally. The price always goes up.
It could even be done with a pre-defined deadline. Let the manufacturers crank out as many guns as they can up to the final date. From that point on the numbers begin to diminish. In the long run guns would become too precious for this kind of madness.
If this concept worked then nobody would ever have any illegal substance or item.
History shows that this approach hasn’t ever worked for anything, anywhere.
I don’t pretend to have answers, but I agree with some of you that the place to start is by talking about it, and insisting on rejection of the false dichotomy–the notion that our only choices are to ban all guns or encourage everyone to carry one everywhere. Those are not our only options. We can decide to regulate different types of guns in different ways; to impose different restrictions on different people, e.g., mentally ill individuals, felons; to universalize laws that will primarily protect against accidents and domestic crimes of passion, e.g., trigger locks, safe storage requirements. What we need to do is get the firearm manufacturers’ lobby OUT of the conversation so that we the people can confront this issue head-on and make some sane decisions that are consistent with our freedoms, including the freedom to send our children to kindergarten without worrying they’ll be mowed down by semiautomatic pistol fire.
So tragic. My heartfelt prayers go out to their community.
Just saw this and feel nauseous. Thank you CSD for keeping our safe, small schools locked. It wasn’t that long ago that Clairemont had parents take turns doing doorperson duty until a buzzer system was installed. As much as my kids complain about not being able to get in back or side doors of their schools, I want every door locked while they are in there.
As someone with twins in the CSD system, I’d like to believe you, but this is a false sense of security. Someone walks up to the door and they are buzzed in. How would that in any way prevent a tragedy like this other than to delay it by .5 seconds as the gunman waited to be buzzed in with a concealed weapon then went along his merry way? Making folks buzz in and sign in is helpful in terms of complicating attempts at kidnapping and the like, but it ain’t gonna do jack squat to deter a crazed gunman.
I remember a much laxer time when school doors weren’t always locked and buzzers didn’t exist. I agree that a buzzer is only a deterrent, not full protection. But our school receptionists do not blindly buzz everyone in. Unfortunately, in this case, the shooter was probably known to the staff because of his mother so might have been let in.
Our schools do have protocols to prevent strangers getting beyond the door or front desk and they do keep certain folks out, e.g. those with court orders to stay away from certain children. They also have rehearsed plans for how to handle a shooter or other danger in the building. For good reasons, they do not share the plans and strategies widely, but they have them. And I’m grateful.
Can anyone post contact information for Frank — the lumberjack that slabbed the pecan and walnut trees this past year? It may never have been posted but in any case, I can’t find it through search.
Also, are the new slab tables at Twain’s from one of these trees?
The Marlay pecan tree guy with the saw: Frank Summers
Breakfast with Santa tomorrow: do we need to be there at a set time (8:00 is listed on website–yikes) or can we roll in at our leisure?
I’m wondering if I’m being gullible and this is a set-up. This topic comes up every year. But, at the risk of looking foolish, here’s my spiel:
- Santa arrives EXACTLY at 8 AM on a firetruck so you CANNOT be late if you want to see that. It tickles my fancy that Santa comes on a firetruck with firefighters and all so I wouldn’t miss it.
- It’s not a bad idea to buy tickets online. I think this event has occasionally sold out.
- If you drive the event, you need to allow an extra 10-15 minutes to park because of all the families converging on one building at once. From experience, it’s no fun running from the parking deck behind Mick’s all the way across Clairemont, dragging two kids, just as the siren of the rapidly approaching fire truck starts……….. And it’s a long run from the sidewalk in front of the hotel all the way back to where Santa arrives.
- In addition, you want a good table for your brood and whoever you are meeting. Don’t think you’re the only one plotting that. So I recommend a 7:30 AM arrival. That way, you have plenty of time to park, buy/hand in tickets, find seats, get out to the side of the building in wait for Santa. Bring lots of sweaters and coats you can use to block off your seats plus an adult to guard them. Even nice parents act pretty desperate when Santa is involved.
- Strategize whether you want a table next to Santa or one next to the entertainment or one next to the door that leads out to the buffet area. Ask the ticket collectors what kind of entertainment will be offered.
- Sitting on Santa’s lap: recommended unless your child is terrified of Santa because usually a token prize and Polaroid picture involved. To avoid a mind-numbing and whine-inducing long wait in line, strategize whether you want to be first in line or last. You can be first in line by racing back to the Santa line while Santa is still descending from the firetruck and milling around. The other good choice is to race to the buffet line first instead, have a leisurely meal, enjoy the entertainment, and then get on the line once it dwindles. I’ve never seen Santa leave before all children had a chance to tell them what they want.
- If you want to fit in as a traditional Decatur parent, wear a Christmas sweater (female) or Santa hat (male). The downside of doing this that you will look like everyone else and your children might not be able to find you.
Of course, this is the first year that Santa has come to the Courtyard Marriott instead of the Holiday Inn so perhaps the game has changed………
Promise, I was not setting you up… I didn’t think to search archives. I kind of wish I had… I am now rather horrified.
Uh oh. Did I make this seem more like a competitive event than a fun one? It really is fun, especially because you always see lots of folks that you know, very hometowny. It’s just that I’ve done it for so many years that I have it down to a science, maybe too much so. Don’t let my compulsive strategy scare you off. I find it more relaxing to show up early at 7:30 AM so there’s no stressing about whether tickets or parking spaces or tables are left.
And the Christmas sweater and Santa hat really aren’t mandatory. In fact, the less Southern Decatur becomes, the less you see them. Just be aware that Santa does arrive at 8 AM sharp. I doubt that tradition will change.
Didn’t have the energy to read through all of this yesterday, after everything that happened. Now that I have, I’m quite dismayed that in a time of great tragedy we just push each others buttons and turn on each other.
We’re done here.