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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Albert DeMagnus, the 74-year old founder and CEO of Computer Management Services, Inc. was stabbed to death during a home invasion.
When Deputies responded to the home at approximately 2:30 a.m., they found DeMangus with a stab wound. He was taken to Piedmont Fayette Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The homeowner’s wife told authorities three men demanded cash and jewelry before taking the victim’s gray Lexus and leaving the scene. That’s when she called 911.
Deputies spotted the Lexus near the scene of the home invasion, Babb said. The stolen car crashed in the area of Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard and Bradley Drive and two men ran, he said. Deputies and Fayetteville police officers found located both men.
Jeffrey Lee Wallace, 22, of Atlanta, and Kavion Wyzeenski Tookes, 21, of Decatur, were both arrested and being held Friday night at the Fayette County jail.
One suspect remains at large.
DeMagnus' firm, Computer Management Services, Inc. (CMS) is an Information Technology (IT) augmentation firm that provides IT services to Fortune 500 Companies, the Federal Government, and State and Local Agencies.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aiwarrior on Saturday June 24 2017, @03:35PM (48 children)
What an asinine mindset.
If the victim had reached for this hard-on shotgun of yours maybe the villains would have reached for their own, and with the shotty spread the wife would also have died in the process.
Now, I will tell you what is the best way to save what is most precious, lives: Give the fuckers whatever they want and hunt them down on your terms. Here you have discretion on the application of violence if your sociopathy so inclines you. They were caught after all.
Now you may say: "ah but what if giving the monies was not enough and they were just murderous villains? Wouldn't the 12 gauge help?" Well against 3 men, good luck on not getting everybody killed.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 24 2017, @03:48PM (1 child)
You mean I'm not Clint Eastwood? :(
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 28 2017, @05:18PM
It would be really nice to have as script, and stuntmen, and know you are going to win no matter what insanely stupid action you take.
Anybody seen John Wick 2? ;)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 24 2017, @03:58PM (24 children)
"What an asinine mindset.
If the victim had reached for this hard-on shotgun of yours maybe the villains would have reached for their own, and with the shotty spread the wife would also have died in the process."
.
.
If the perps had a shotgun they wouldn't have stabbed the guy.
If you weren't an idiot this would have occurred to you.
Any expert on home defense knows a shotgun is the best tool for the job. Just because you're an idiotic clueless knee-jerk liberal doesn't mean the rest of the world is going to conform to your childlike worldview. So take your bullshit opinion and shove it up your ass, little boy.
(Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Saturday June 24 2017, @09:23PM (23 children)
+Informative?
Ah, I understand now! Shooting must so common in USoA that nobody is alerted by a gun shot - burglars are likely to carry and use one, no need to care for silence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 25 2017, @12:17AM (21 children)
"Shooting must so common in USoA that nobody is alerted by a gun shot"
.
.
You obviously don't understand the sort of scum who commit these crimes. They aren't going to worry about making noise or stealth. They STOLE the victim's car and proceeded to drive it like idiots, which led to them getting caught. And you actually believe they would have been concerned about the noise from a shotgun ?
Your post makes it sound like you think you know better than other people. I promise you that is not true.
(Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Sunday June 25 2017, @12:27AM (20 children)
(somebody just loves to state the obvious)
On the contrary, I'm trying to understand how US got so fucked. It's alien to me, doesn't make sense at all. And I'm not alone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Insightful) by KGIII on Sunday June 25 2017, @01:21AM (15 children)
If I may?
I'm American but I've probably been in, or near, your country. There's a small chance you were grateful I was there - but probably not if you're online and on Soylent News. That means you're probably not brown, in the sub-Saharan, and white. It also means, well, you're probably not an American.
You're right. You do not understand. Would you like to, or are you bloviating? I will assume it is the former.
The US is just like every other country, in that it has people in it. Unlike many, it has people across a whole swath of the people-spectrum. In this country, they come in all colors, walks of life, and religions.
And, frankly, they're fucking insane. No, I'm not kidding. A good half of my country is retarded. I'd probably put at about 70% of them being straight up idiots. I don't think you understand.
For whatever reason, we're not that bright. We will fucking stomp your face into the curb, and giggle while we steal your car and rape your cat. That number is probably only like 1% - probably... We've got about 1% of our idiots in prison - sometimes, I think that might not actually be enough.
See, we elected Trump. Our other option was Clinton. We have protests in the street, where they declare Trump is Hitler, and set shit on fire. And a bunch of angry right-wingers, some of who are racists, go over there and punch them in the face. To be fair, it was the left that threw the first punch - but you have to go back a bit. See, they did it on television, live.
They're fucking idiots. I don't know what else to tell you.
Chances are, you live in a country with a fairly heterogeneous population. We don't have that. We don't even have the ability to agree on anything. We don't talk. We yell. We're fat, loud, and stupid.
I am sincerely sorry but you simply don't understand.
Here's the thing, we're proud of it. Fuck with us, we''ll stomp your face into the curb. We're America, we'll do what the fuck we want. There's really not a whole lot you can do to stop us. Yeah... We've probably got active duty military right there in your country. There's a really good chance of that. If not, we've got a carrier group that can be there in three days. Sit down, shut up, and watch. We're gonna go straight retarded.
It's gonna be spectacular. Sorry, we may ruin the planet, but that's not really my fault.
And the people who would break into your home, kill you, and steal your car? They are WORSE than that.
Now do you get it?
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday June 25 2017, @02:00AM (14 children)
No.
That's the bit I don't understand.
1. if you are truly right (and they are true idiots), how come their concentration is higher than in other parts of the civilized world?
2. if you were speaking metaphorically and they only behave like idiots (but otherwise they are not intellectually disabled), how the sane population abandoned them and let them slide into this state? Where was the society (in the "living in common and acting as a community" sense of social) and what was it doing in this time?
(the rest of your post just states behaviours and no explanations)
Such cases of unhinged people happens from time to time in other parts of the world too.
However, most of us understand that's part of the risk of living in this world and do not try to extract principles from anecdotes, only the fight between ourselves over those "principles" ("faith" would be a more appropriate term than "principle")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Sunday June 25 2017, @02:47AM (6 children)
We are insane and idiotic.
We get mad if a State does something like put up cameras to watch for uninsured cars. At the same time, we fucking hate criminals. Except, we're all kinda criminals - we all break the law, on a regular basis. Well, probably not all - but I bet the vast, vast majority do.
Why? My guess is it's a sense of entitlement mixed with a whole lot of differing cultural values that makes us have issues identifying with one another, except in times of strife - and maybe not even then.
The US is fairly unique in its makeup and liberties.
I guess, when you throw a ball - it takes the path it takes because it has no other choice. It's just physics.
In this case, when you smash a bunch of disparate groups together, give them a variety of liberties, and then mix them up in individual fiefdoms that are known as States, you get this.
If I knew how to describe it better, I'd probably have a solution. I don't know, we've batshit insane. We are a collective bunch of morons, armed to the teeth, independent(ish), petty, aggressive, and insane.
We've kinda been like this since day one, actually. This is not exactly something new.
Here.... The Marines are older than our country. Nov. 10, 1775, we formed in Tun's Tavern, PA. Now, eventually some pirates in the Middle East took some of our countrymen hostage. They sent these Marines over there to kick there ass - which they did. Then, because it was such a success, we had a president (against the law - and using stolen budget monies) go back over there and kick their ass a second time. Now, they hadn't done anything new - we'd already recovered the hostages and kicked their ass. But, we went back and did it again.
This was pretty much our first action as a nation state, after the Revolutionary War.
We have never been sane. We have never been civil. We have never been all that bright. We have, on the other hand, had a whole lot of drive and motivation.
Take that, mix in rich and poor, mix in all the faiths, mix in all the colors, and then throw in drugs, alcohol, and firearms. You should probably throw in fast cars, loose women, and dynamite - we kinda like to party.
And that's how you get America. It's broken. It's not right. It is what it is.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday June 25 2017, @03:31AM (5 children)
Thanks. At least that's something that should cut my appetite to understand you (all): in a chaotic system, explanations aren't possible (if there's a pattern at all, only statistics may help).
Pedantic, I know, but... motivation implies purpose and drive implies destination.
Perhaps "frenzy and amok" fit better your description.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Sunday June 25 2017, @03:42AM (4 children)
Oh, no... We have a purpose and drive. We have it in spades. However, we are all running in different directions. It's like a mad house full of meth addicts. Mix the movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest with the movie Spun, throw in some Drug Store Cowboy and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - and that's the more sane half. Like 30% of us are on some sort of mental health related prescription. We do more drugs, legal and illegal, than the rest of the world - in some case, more than the rest of the world combined.
Yeah... And we drink quite a bit, but we don't hold that record. Also, we have guns and income disparity. We have glorified gang culture. We have crazy religious bastards. We have fucking televangelists that are insanely wealthy. We have Trump as our president. Also, we have a huge fucking military. We are kinda idiots and certainly not rational.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 25 2017, @11:34PM (3 children)
You don't speak for anyone in the US but yourself.
And you don't do a very good job of doing that.
I KNEW you were stoned when I read the bullshit you wrote earlier.
If you think the US is such a fucked up place, get the fuck out, we don't need you. I expect your ex-wife could tell us a lot of stories about your intoxicated ravings and your propensity to behave violently when you think you can get away wth it. No wonder she left you.
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Sunday June 25 2017, @11:40PM (2 children)
Nice try. Unlike you, I can leave. Unlike you, I am welcomed elsewhere.
Your silly biases are also wrong. I am never violent with her and it was I who filed for divorce. Sheesh. Do you get all your views from tabloids?
I would also like to remind the viewing audience that, unlike you, I actually served this country. You're welcome.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @05:40AM (1 child)
"Nice try. Unlike you, I can leave. Unlike you, I am welcomed elsewhere."
You don't know a damned thing about me, you stupid sack of shit.
But I know something about you. I know you have something wrong with you that makes you think it is ok to insult your fellow Americans, when you don't
even know 99.9% of the American public, so you cannot speak with authority about what Americans are or are not.
You're just a miserable malcontent dope smoker living in the woods, and you're bitter because you're alone. The truth hurts, doesn't it, asshole.
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Tuesday June 27 2017, @04:33PM
You poor, poor AC. I feel sorry for you. Is there something I can do to make you feel better about yourself?
I'll try - you can take from this what you want.
I have a lovely girlfriend, a wonderful group of friends, and a large variety of activities that keep me engaged and happy.
And yes, of course I can insult my fellow citizens. It's absolutely acceptable to do so - in fact, I have a right to do so. You appear to be in the 70% that I quoted. You are rapidly working your way to the 30% that I quoted. Those are unfortunate places to be but, more often than not, people put themselves into those categories. I don't know why you do so - it's not hard to be reasonably intelligent and to be willing to discuss things in a reasonable tone.
And, unlike you, I've traveled - extensively. I've been in your State - multiple times. There's a very, very small chance that I've never been in your State (there's only one that I've not been to and you don't live there). The rest, I've been to more than once - and spent some time there, in the vast majority of them. I may even know your State better than you do.
So, yes... Yes, I know Americans. They're lovely people, they're just not that bright and not that sane. Some are a combination of both.
But, if there's something reasonable that I can do to help you be happy with yourself, you let me know. Okay?
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday June 25 2017, @01:15PM (6 children)
I imagine you have a similar level of idiots and whatnot, but they live in the neighborhoods they would be shitting in (high internal migration rates seem to contribute to the problem since bad actors can move on after committing a bunch of crimes). And law enforcement just might take their job more seriously than they do in the US.
Further, what is there to understand in this situation? Some sociopathic idiots want bling so they go the easy route and rob a rich guy who dies in the process. Not much that needs to be understood actually.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday June 25 2017, @01:44PM (5 children)
Not 70%, no (read the post I was replying to).
This much I get. What I don't get:
1. how come someone infers the rich guy didn't have a shotgun or that owning a shotgun would have helped
2. how come someone else can assert the attackers had a shotgun themselves
And both of them seems to be very sure what they are saying is probable, with nobody on the thread questioning those assumptions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 25 2017, @11:46PM (4 children)
"1. how come someone infers the rich guy didn't have a shotgun or that owning a shotgun would have helped"
.
Because the shotgun makes it possible to kill the intruders before they kill you, assuming your alarm system ( which any rich guy in the US would certainly have ) alerted you to the home invasion. How would you protect yourself from three violent attackers, you stupid shit ? Would you say "please don't hurt me ?"
.
"how come someone else can assert the attackers had a shotgun themselves"
.
Because those making the assertion are idiots. If the perpetrators had a shotgun, they would not have stabbed the guy, they would have shot him or used the shotgun to bludgeon the victim. The reason a knife was used is that a knife was the only weapon available.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday June 26 2017, @12:00AM (3 children)
Nice reserve that assumption. If the alarm system is that good, why didn't it call immediately a security agency hired for monitoring.
I mean, look, I have an alarm system installed at home, and I'm paying around $400/year to such a security agency which should be at my home in 30 mins after the alarm triggered. Is it such a big deal in US?
The way I see it, this is the same level of idiocy as assuming the guy didn't have a fire arm - be it shotgun or any other kind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @05:51AM (2 children)
Some day you're going to insult the wrong person, and they might just decide to teach you a lesson about manners.
In any case, you're not American and you don't know what Americans are really like. So your opinions mean nothing. You found one poor slob ( the dope smoker from Maine ) who is ready to cooperate with you that Americans are bad people. All that says a lot more about the dope smoker from Maine that it says about Americans.
Come to the US, and meet some people, and you will discover Americans are not at all like you seem to imagine they are. Sure, there are some bad people in the US, just as there are everywhere else in the world, but the average American is a good person and not at all the jerk that that idiot from Maine seems to believe they are.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday June 27 2017, @06:29AM (1 child)
Pray tell, is there anything insulting into my posts? I said: "You Americans react so unusual compared to the rest of this world, you are like an extraterrestrial alien". Yes, that's a statement of an opinion. Is it an insult?
Maybe I'll overcome my repulsion to go towards the plane with my shoes in my hand and do it someday.
However, I almost feel insulted by that request, even more so because I see it as serving no purpose other than security theater.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 28 2017, @05:37PM
FWIW,
As an American and not the previous poster, I didn't get his post either. I even re-read your post thinking I must have missed something at least slightly insulting, but nope. It was reasonable and conversational. I guess, just ignore the trolls.
PS, I find going through the airport here to be useless, frustrating, and humiliating. I think it reflects a societal loss of respect and freedom between citizens and between the Government and its citizens. I'm sure you would enjoy visiting many places here, but I wouldn't blame you at all for not wanting to go through that abuse.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 25 2017, @11:26PM (3 children)
"On the contrary, I'm trying to understand how US got so fucked. It's alien to me, doesn't make sense at all. And I'm not alone."
-
-
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It's not just the US which has problems, as anyone with a reasonable knowledge of the world is aware.
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You're displaying profound ignorance regarding the history of the world, or stupidity, or perhaps a combination of the two.
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France has had many problems with immigrants and problems with Islamic extremists. Ask any native French person how thrilled they are to have hundreds of thousands of people living in France who would like to burn the country to the ground.
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The U.K. has had more than its share of trouble, with Islamic terrorists and also the IRA.
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Perhaps you have heard of "The Troubles" in a place called Northern Ireland ?
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And there's Africa, home of lovely spots like Somalia, where there are plenty of people who are ready to cut your throat to steal whatever it is you have.
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How about South Africa, the former home of Apartheid, and the place where they put a car tire over your arms and set it on fire. They call that a "necklace". Are
we really supposed to believe the US is somehow more "fucked" than a place where people do that ?
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The former USSR, home of purges which sent millions to their deaths. Have you ever heard of The Road of Bones ? If not, Google it.
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Japan ? Home of Aum Shin Rykyo. The country which was responsible for the rape of thousands of Chinese women during WWII. Lovely stuff.
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Bottom line : no intelligent person would even try to make the claim that the US somehow has a unique status as "fucked" in the world today. Such a statement is so absurd it is comical.
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The world is a place where bad things can happen. But it is also a place where good things can happen. There is no place which is totally free of bad stuff,
nor is there a place which is all bad, nor is there a place which is all good.
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If you don't like the US, it doesn't matter. The US doesn't need to apologize to you or anyone else, and if you don't like what the US is, don't come to the US. It's funny, though. For some reason millions of people are still trying to come to the US to live. I guess they didn't get your advice. Or more likely they have a more balanced and realistic worldview than you do.
If you don't like the US, stay in your own country. And take your opinion of the US and piss off, because we in the US, who literally saved Europe from the clutches of Nazi Germany, know the US is neither a perfectly good place nor a perfectly bad place, just like most of the rest of the world.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday June 26 2017, @12:02AM (2 children)
How about all the other countries which doesn't seem to have the same level of problems and, when they have the occasional such troubles, are not overreacting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @05:56AM (1 child)
"How about all the other countries which doesn't seem to have the same level of problems and, when they have the occasional such troubles, are not overreacting?"
The above is just your opinion. I happen to know that France and Germany both have ultra-right wing factions which would like to exterminate immigrants. This can be verified by multiple sources, both government-based and independent.
You cite only your opinion as some sort of "proof" that things are a certain way. You've convinced me you're a troll and a fool, and I'm not wasting one more second of my time on you.
(Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Tuesday June 27 2017, @06:23AM
Really? Well, seems like an opinion backed by reality - I'm happy to hold such an opinion.
Greece [wikipedia.org]? (neighboring Turkey, heaps as Syrians transited)
Portugal - not even having an entry in Wikipedia for terrorism? (close to Morocco)
Italy [wikipedia.org]? (on the path of Lybian refugees)
Norway [wikipedia.org]? (terrorist attacks without overreaction)
Sweden? (one terrorist attack [wikipedia.org] no overreaction)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Monday June 26 2017, @01:31PM
Depends on the neighborhood, but yeah pretty much. Not that gunshots are so common, more that they're not common enough for anyone to assume it's actually a gunshot. Fireworks are very common everywhere I've ever lived though, particularly around this time of year but there's always some asshat setting them off in the middle of February too. Of course my experience includes a rural area with people hunting not that far from the house, and a more urban area where a few people HAVE been shot nearby, so probably some of those "fireworks" WERE actually gunshots, but I certainly wouldn't know the difference...
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Saturday June 24 2017, @04:00PM (4 children)
Give the fuckers whatever they want
Um...no. Look at what happened in this case - that's what the victim did, and he's still dead.
If someone breaks into your home while you are there, you must assume that they intend to kill you. They don't want witnesses behind who can identify them. They'll steal from you and leave you bleeding on the floor.
What you do in this situation depends on you, but you really only have two choices: hide or attack.
Hiding is a genuine option: if you cannot face violence, if you have a house full of children, etc. However, it requires a room in your house, which you can reach while retreating, with a door that cannot be kicked open. Get there, get your family there, and hope that the criminals aren't determined enough to go get tools before the police arrive. You might want to make sure that there is a working phone in that room, in case you don't have your cell phone with you.
Alternatively, the best defense - indeed the only possible defense - is offense. They don't care about you. You cannot afford to care about them. They are used to violence, you are not. They probably outnumber you, which means that you cannot afford to "fight fair". Whether you use a firearm, a baseball bat, or a ballista - it doesn't matter what - you must attack. They will not be expecting it, which gives you a brief advantage of surprise. If you hesitate, if you warn them, if you threaten them - you have already lost.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday June 25 2017, @08:32AM (3 children)
"a door that cannot be kicked open."
For the sake of clarity, we should touch on what that means. Personally, I've never seen a door in a residence that would slow me down very much, if I actually wanted to get on the other side of it. A door that can't be kicked in requires a solid wall, first. (Imagine how embarrassing it would be, if you had a really secure door, but a shotgun blast and a couple kicks opens a hole in the wall big enough for Godzilla to walk through!) Specifically, a concrete wall. No, cinder block won't do - it's gotta be concrete. The door has to be a fireproof security door. The door must swing INWARD, so that the intruders outside the door can't simply remove the hinge pins, and move the door out of their way. Best if the door frame is put in place, the forms put up, and then the concrete poured, embedding the door into the wall. Second best, pour the wall, mount the door frame, then pour grout into the empty space between the doorframe and the wall. Once the wall and the door are in place, you DO NOT rely on the door latch and a deadbolt. Instead, you put a drop bar on the door. Most of the stuff I'm finding on the internet shows rather flimsy wooden bars, utilizing cheap hardware. This one isn't bad - http://www.midlandhardware.com/185579.html [midlandhardware.com] Don't use a cheap pine 2x4, either. Invest in a nice oak, or even steel bar. 1/4" 2x4 channel iron is pretty damned hard to kick in.
(Score: 2) by t-3 on Sunday June 25 2017, @08:23PM (1 child)
Ghetto kickdoe stopper: Nail down 2x4s in a T behind the door. You can buy setups that work similarly at some hardware stores. Unless your crossbar is anchored REALLY fucking well it will be pulled out of the wall just as easily as the door is kicked in.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 26 2017, @07:46AM
Mmmm. We built a concrete wall, remember? Yes, my anchors are anchored pretty securely. Alright, I didn't specify, but I'll do it now: We use 1/2" embedded bolts for anchors, 4 bolts in each of the bar holders. I did specify that those specific bar holders were "not bad". They aren't as heavy as I was looking for, but anchored into concrete as I have specified, you're not going to just kick them out of the wall. They'll stop the average police squad using their cute little battering rams.
The two 2x4's nailed to the floor will slow people down, if the door is solid. But, you better think a little more 3 dimensionally. What good is it to stop the bottom of the door swinging, if I can kick the panel out of the door? Nail down your two 2x4's, then put an upright, and a brace from the top of the upright, down to the rear of your "T". That will help some.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @05:55AM
You have that backwards. It is not how a door to a TOP SECRET//SCI//SAP room is secured. Something good enough for that is good enough for your safety room.
The door frame prevents kicking the door in.
Removal of the pins from good-quality hinges is not so easy. There is a side pin/bolt/screw that locks the main one in place. You can only get to this while the door is open.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 24 2017, @05:15PM
"What an asinine mindset."
*
*
*
Not nearly as asinine as hoping for reasonable treatment from those who would invade your home.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by KGIII on Saturday June 24 2017, @05:24PM (11 children)
Hmm... I'm not actually sure if this post is worth the effort. That's not actually meant as a pejorative. You have used logic, of sorts, to come to your conclusion. It is not my job to change your views, nor do I care to.
I do feel a different view needs to be presented. I'm not entirely sure how to articulate it concisely. I will try for brevity, but this may be a bit long.
By now, those who don't know me from the Green Site - and other tech sites - should be aware of several things about me. I'm pretty non-violent, I don't hate, I spent eight years in the Marines, I live in Maine, I hunt and fish, and I own a shitton of firearms.
I'd like to dispel a notion that you may have. I am not a gun nut. No, I don't want to hurt anyone. I've fired my weapon at living people and that's something I live with, every day. If the government asked, I'd probably turn in all my firearms - and then move.
I am not free because I am armed. I am armed because I am free. No, I don't think there will be a revolution, I don't want to overthrow the government, and I sure as hell don't belong to a militia. I am not even a member of the NRA. In fact, I donate regularly to the ACLU.
I support reasonable restrictions on the right to own firearms. Namely, crazy fuckers shouldn't be allowed firearms. However, they're going to get them. That's just reality. No, no number of tragedies is going to make me change my views. Appeals to emotion are silly. I will turn my firearms in, if there's no other way, and then I'll leave. If you're curious, I'm also a Canadian citizen and have ample financial means to relocate.
Now, there's enough background...
Some folks just need killing. A firearm is the best method you have available. The right to preserve your life is important. The ability to preserve your life is invaluable.
Largely, the problems stem from a lack of education. Yes, even the criminal problem is often due to lack of education. Even the accident problems are due to a lack of education. The only rational solution is to accept that we're not going to get rid of firearms and to give people education. I'd suggest firearm safety classes being taught in elementary school and then refreshed every few years to be age appropriate. The safe way for children to handle firearms is for them to simply not touch them.
If you own a firearm, the onus is on you to get an education and to maintain your skills. This requires practice. Rights come with obligations. A firearm owners is inherently obligated to use and store their firearm in a safe manner. I'm even willing to accept that reasonable tests be given that ensure knowledge of safe operation/storate of each firearm owned. Again, I'm not a 'gun nut.' I think most 'gun nuts' shouldn't own firearms without further education - which is not actually memorizing a bunch of video game stats.
Let's go a bit further, shall we?
In my State, I don't even need a permit to carry a concealed weapon. I have my permit, but that's for reciprocity in other States. We haven't needed a permit for a couple of years now. Do you know what the firearm violence trends are doing, now that we have that law? They're progressing at the same rate they were prior to the law - which is not a whole lot. Why? We all own firearms. We're used to them. We're educated in their safe operation. We don't see them as toys and we don't view them as magical devices. They are, for us, tools. Yes, a firearm is a tool.
If you want to preserve your life, there's no better tool than a firearm - at least commonly available. I mean, an A-10 would be nice, but that's rather impractical, However, it doesn't end there. If you want to maximize your chances, learn to use it properly, store it properly, and ensure your family is aware of any plans you intend to implement in an emergency. This does require effort.
I live a long, long ways from a little village and even further from a city of any size. I'm in an unincorporated township, and an emergency response is going to take ~45 minutes to get here, and double that if the weather is poor. Fortunately, the odds of someone breaking into my house are pretty much nil. The odds of someone trying to hurt me are even lower. I don't usually carry a firearm, unless I am hunting. I have one firearm that's not in a safe. I have no children living here, as they are now both adults. The odds of me being harmed by my own firearms are even smaller than the odds of someone trying to harm me.
To be honest, if you pointed a firearm at me - I'd probably laugh. Why? Well, if you were pointing it at me, you already screwed up. You should have shot me when I wasn't looking. That means you're not going to shoot me. On the other hand, if you're pointing it at me and you're shaking/nervous, I'm gonna be scared shitless. Why? It means you have no fucking idea what you're doing and may just shoot me by accident. Firearms aren't inherently scary, people are. Firearms are just inanimate objects that are used for a variety of purposes.
Now, I realize there's a lot that's only tangentially related to your post. I just figure I'll put it all out there and you can see a different perspective.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 2, Disagree) by frojack on Saturday June 24 2017, @06:35PM (3 children)
FAIL.
Self defeating post, because TL:DR.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Saturday June 24 2017, @07:05PM (2 children)
LOL I could go on for hours. ;-)
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 24 2017, @07:27PM (1 child)
"LOL I could go on for hours. ;-)"
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Best not to confuse quantity with quality, son.
Your original missive didn't really address specific points made in previous posts. If you goal was to tell us your position on guns, fine, but all that stuff about how you'd deal with a gun being pointed at you was not even remotely germane to this discussion. Maybe you were stoned when you were writing it, that would explain it. BTW I did read it all. Anyone who thought it was too long to read has the attention span of an amoeba.
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Saturday June 24 2017, @08:28PM
If you'd read it all, you'd know I mentioned that some of it was only tangentially related. My goal wasn't to change minds, but to give a different perspective. You're welcome to dismiss it. It bothers me none.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Saturday June 24 2017, @08:38PM (4 children)
I just modded you up, as you make some interesting points and that's worthy of note.
However, I will take issue with one of your statements:
I disagree. If you want to preserve your life, there's no better tool than *your brain*. Those are pretty commonly available, perhaps even more common than firearms. However, it's an open question as to whether or not any particular human is proficient at using such a tool.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Sunday June 25 2017, @12:21AM
I don't think I'd call my brain a tool. You can, if you want.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 25 2017, @12:25AM (2 children)
"If you want to preserve your life, there's no better tool than *your brain*."
.
.
You sit in your house unarmed while it is being invaded by thugs who don't have any compunction about killing you, and see how using your brain helps you survive.
Do let us know how it works out. Of course that may require communication from the next world, but we'll have our Ouija boards ready !
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday June 25 2017, @03:20AM
A brain can conclude that the rate of violence in the area means that the investment into a more secure door and windows is a good idea. Additionally a perimeter alarm could be useful to get a head start.
So when the thugs come by, you will know in advance and they will hardly get inside.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday June 25 2017, @01:22PM
You still have three options: flee, hide, and arm yourself for some sort of ambush/counterattack. Brain helps with all three.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday June 25 2017, @08:05AM (1 child)
"Rights come with obligations."
You could have shortened your post to that one sentence, and some few of us would have understood it. But, the verbiage that accompanies that one sentence is necessary to help other people to understand it. Unfortunately, a lot of people will never understand that one short sentence, no matter how much time and effort you spend on them.
Sometimes, I wonder if they even teach civics classes in school anymore. It seems that fewer and fewer people understand that all of your rights are accompanied by responsibilities.
Those who won't fight for their freedom are undeserving of freedom. Those who won't learn the proper use of a firearm are undeserving of firearms. Those who won't learn to be responsible speakers, don't deserve the freedom of speech. On and on it goes. About the only place where we see this concept driven home, is with driver's licenses. Those who won't drive responsibly eventually lose the privilege of driving.
Oh yeah, privileges vs rights. A lot more people understand that privileges can be revoked, than there are people who understand that rights can also be revoked.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by KGIII on Sunday June 25 2017, @08:33AM
No. They don't teach civics. They teach Social Studies, which isn't really the same thing.
When I retired, I spent some time at UMF, teaching mathematics. They had normal rote skills and had memorized many things. They'd never been taught critical thinking, civic, or how to learn. We had many spirited discussions and good times. We learned more than mathematics.
Alas, too many students and too little time. As I was retired, I'll be damned if I will put up with that level of frustration. The kids were great and eager to learn, once engaged. They aren't dumb. They are not failing us. We are failing them.
One might say we have the responsibility to give them motivation to engage their intellectual curiosity. After all, we had the right to breed them.
Meh... Just some mental bubblegum.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
(Score: 3, Informative) by frojack on Saturday June 24 2017, @06:21PM (2 children)
So you've never actually fired a shot gun, or even seen it done except on TV drama shows then?
In a house, you will never have a target distance that will allow any significant spread [ggpht.com]. (Bird shot).
With buckshot, its even less:
5 Yards [shootersforum.com]
10 Yards [shootersforum.com]
15 yards [shootersforum.com]
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday June 24 2017, @09:09PM (1 child)
Yeah, was just about to point this out. I bet that guy's only exposure to shotguns was in 8-bit overhead-view cowboy games.
A shotgun is not a Claymore mine!
(Score: 2) by KGIII on Sunday June 25 2017, @01:27AM
I fully admit that I'm trolling. ;-)
You were in the Air Force. Like you know anything about mines or shotguns. Sheesh...
I know, you played with them on your simulator?
Don't worry, while you were doing that, the rest of us were laying out the red carpet for you. I mean, you had to have someone to make a runway. ;-)
(I'm almost, sorta, maybe - just a wee bit - sorry. I just can't help it. I blame weed. Also I blame the fact that you were in the AF.)
"So long and thanks for all the fish."