Myths right, wrong
Christmas season is here again with excitement, shopping and the release of Hollywood movies expected to benefit from the holiday spending spree.
This year, there is a new movie about the killing of Osama bin Laden.
That’s appropriate since bin Laden has taken on mythical proportions for our national identity, almost like Santa Claus represents Christmas. Santa Claus’ mythical quality is that well, he’s a myth. Bin Laden’s is based on the fact that he denied the 9/11 attacks, was never accused of them by the FBI, and is now unavailable to tell his story.
On Sept. 16, 2001, CNN quoted bin Laden as saying, “I would like to assure the world that I did not plan the recent attacks, which seem to have been planned by people for personal reasons.”
In 2006, FBI spokesman Rex Tomb said, “The reason why 9/11 is not mentioned on Osama bin Laden’s Most Wanted page is because the FBI has no hard evidence connecting bin Laden to 9/11,” and, “Bin Laden has not been formally been charged in connection to 9/11.”
In 2008, Time magazine’s intelligence columnist, former CIA officer Robert Baer, doubted the authenticity of a video that claimed to show bin Laden admitting to the attacks. He suggested that bin Laden was already dead and wrote that “President-elect Barack Obama has no real choice but to revitalize the search for him, if only for political considerations.”
Myths are powerful, but they usually get the facts wrong.
Roger Carpentter
Farmingdale
NRA member: Enough
I have written this letter several times in the past. But now, to the question of “When is the Time?” (to address the gun violence issue), my answer is “What more does it take?”
All of the mass shootings around the country have had two common denominators. Mental health issues and high-capacity gun magazines.
Since our Congress won’t even vote for regular health care, (Obamacare) the probability of having increased mental health care in our country right now is about zero.
Restricting the ownership and use of high-capacity magazines is doable. Gun law restrictions passed in 1938 restricted ownership of sawed off shotguns, machine guns, bazookas, etc. High-capacity magazines can be, and should be, placed in that category.
My deer hunting rifle is restricted by law to five rounds. The duck shotgun is restricted to three rounds. The expired Brady Law restricted all magazines to 10 rounds. I was OK with that.
I fully believe that the 20 or 30 round clips should be restricted to military or police use.
The excuse given that “we the people” need our military style weapons to overthrow “tyranny” by the federal government is too far from reality. In my lifetime, we have used our vote to change the government and I can’t see that changing.
I would gladly give up my right to own high-capacity magazines if it saved a single innocent life.
Larry Ferrell
Gun Owner, NRA Life member
Newport
A moment of silence
So many people on Facebook have been wanting to show their love, support and grief with Newtown, Conn., on a larger scale but didn’t know what to do.
After President Barack Obama’s speech, I felt that I needed to at least make an attempt to bring the nation together to show this town how much they are loved and supported without any political, religious or personal agenda.
I created the event “Newtown, CT Moment of Silence.” The event has people posting silence in parenthesis (SILENCE) as their Facebook status at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21.
I strongly believe that it’s about time that we the people take charge and start rebuilding this country from a standpoint of treating others how we wish to be treated. I do not want my son and the next generations to be fostered into growing up in a fear-based world, but in a love-based world where we don’t label, we do care about each individual and as my son puts it, we all get along.
I know that it won’t happen overnight. I know that it won’t happen due to a loving gesture to a grief stricken town, but it needs to start somewhere. I hope that you feel the same and can somehow help promote this.
Deborah Jewett-Chretien
Holden
Mr. Carpentter, put down that right wing Kool-Aid and watch the video in which Bin Laden admitted responsibility of 9/11, listen to the FBI reports that confirm his involvement, and thank President Obama for bringing him to justice.
Mr. Ferrell, thank you for your honesty. No gun owner should have the kind of magazine clips that Lanza used.
Hey where is my half Mr/Mrs.generosity .
My Medicare and Social Security taxes will subsidize you through your lengthy retirement. Be sure to thank me each time the government check arrives or the government pays for your Viagra.
So you are only generous with other peoples money, the truth is finally revealed .Thanks for fessing up.If I was as smart as you I would have figured that out about two” weaks” ago,poor simple me duped again.
Rest assured my tax dollars will continue to support you. Rest assured those dollars were originally mine. SSA and Medicare will confirm that you are eligible: I would rather have the government run these assistance programs for you with my money.
I did not know they taxed welfare benefits.
I’m sorry. I think I paid my Medicare and social security taxes for 53 years. How do you come into it?
Both programs are pay as you go. Current retirement benefits are paid by current employees. Depending on your income level and health, you may be receiving far more in benefits than you paid in taxes. Your employer matched your tax payments, as well.
I don’t believe you answered my question. How are YOU paying for MY social security and medicare when I paid into it for 53 years?
While you were working, your social security taxes paid for the retirement benefits of people who had already retired. Now that you are retired, I and every other working stiff are paying for your retirement benefits. That is the meaning of a pay as you go system.
So you’re saying I haven’t payrd my way and am leeching off you, right?
I am saying that we are all in this together. Every one of us both helps his fellow working American and depends on his fellow working American. Think of it as E pluribus unum.
Where did this come from?
I’d be happy to follow the same gun laws as the presidents security detail.
What do you have planned?
Or israel? Ask the trendy yuppies if they want to disarm Israeli citizens…
They are part of an organized militia. When you join and put yourself in harms way you can have a gun.
So when you attack the president – what?
Bin laden NEVER admitted 9/11 was his action! Dick Cheney is on radio stating as much! Duped by corporate media much? Obama didn’t do a thing by the way. Bin laden died years ago. Robert Baer, Steven pieczenik, Madeline Albright, et al admitted as much. You find the most wanted terrorist in the world and kill him dumping his body at sea? Haha.ok.. I have some ocean front to sell you in eustis too… You do realize the hyped ” situation room” photo from the bin laden farce was staged right? Hillary saying she was sneezing, not acting shocked? Wake up
Obama? Laughable. This guy has the blood of hundreds of women and children on his hands. His sandy hook speech rings a bit hollow. Nothing short of mass murder.
I can’t stand Alex jones bu this video is right on. I dare you to watch it all.
Skip Alex’s rant and start at 4:15
http://www.infowars.com/obama-orders-children-murdered/
“Surprised by the ease in which this FBI spokesman made such an astonishing statement, I asked, “How this was possible?” Tomb continued, “Bin Laden has not been formally charged in connection to 9/11.” I asked, “How does that work?” Tomb continued, “The FBI gathers evidence. Once evidence is gathered, it is turned over to the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice than decides whether it has enough evidence to present to a federal grand jury. In the case of the 1998 United States Embassies being bombed, Bin Laden has been formally indicted and charged by a grand jury. He has not been formally indicted and charged in connection with 9/11 because the FBI has no hard evidence connected Bin Laden to 9/11.”
Didn’t Bin Laden get a face lift and a skin darkening and reappear as Barack Obama? Has that theory hit right wing world yet? If not, why not spread that myth?
Myth? Nope. Madeline Albright, Robert Baer, Steve pieczenik, et al confirm what the CIA and the intelligence community knew for years…here’s a hint as to why you need to me proactive with any ” news” today. The military industrial complex owns the ” news”…
Your laziness has cost me…wake up
But I’d believe this one: supposedly the most wanted terrorist in the world was living next to a military base for years. And no one ever saw him. Never mind his height..so, after years and years we find him. We capture him, bring him back to the states, and interrogate him…wait wait, sorry. I meant, a seal team raids his super secret compound, kills him, and decides to dump his body at sea. Upon leaving half the seal team is killed. Others die shortly after.
Yeah, that sounds realistic. Makes a lot of sense….hahaha
Get the hydrophobia test ASAP.
Let me guess..a “liberal” who was vehemently against water boarding when W was in office? That sound like you? And now, you condone and even cheer drone strike!? Right? Never mind that for every drone target hit fifty civilians die. Mass murder is what I call it. You are aware of the HUNDREDS of innocent women and children obama has murdered, er, I mean, they are “collateral damage”….sound about right?
If you care to try and make a real argument go ahead. We’ll alll wait. But my guess is that all your capable of are glib one liners and empty regurgitations.
I don’t engage in arguments with people who think the earth is flat, President Obama was born in Kenya, or George Bush plotted the 9/11 attack. This is because I don’t suffer fools lightly.
I happen to have friends who speak Arabic and understood Bin Laden’s videotape in October of 2004 in which he admitted responsibility for 9/11. His taking credit for this can no longer be denied. That you put more faith in Dick Cheney than you do in what our own eyes and ears tell us is sad.
Haha, yeah, ok, good for you. Speak for yourself by the way—“our own eyes and ears”. Whatever. It seems to me believing the bin laden story is accepting the biggest conspiracy theory since 9/11. Nothing in that fairy tale adds up. At all. That is if you apply some critical thinking. Seems you just digest whatever they tell you? Unbelievable.
Rather than explain all the facts that don’t add up how about you do your own research? Get back to me when you figure out why the most wanted terrorist on earth was executed rather than detained and questioned?..dumped at sea..hahahahaha..ok.. Just follow the story line. Absurd. By the way, there never was a link between bin laden and 9/11. None. Cheneys view? Kinda important since he was running the war and the hunt. Ignore that one though. Or the FBI statements.
But you’re too clever to believe that conspiracy garbage.
War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength
Wait a second..you believe in a system that produces a Nobel peace prize winner who has the blood of hundreds, if not thousands, of women and children on his hands? who, the morning after he was elected dropped a drone bomb killing civilians? are you serious? Who has intensified his attack on our civil liberties more than W? Ndaa? bradley manning? invoking executive privilege to get out of fast and furious? Etc. etc.And YOU don’t suffer fools lightly huh? My god……..
Watch the Obama murders children video yet? Didn’t think so. Why challenge fantasy land ?
Wait, right wing? Who are you talking to? I don’t play rigged games. Right wing? Oh,I get it, you are a “liberal”? Right? Hahaha. Ok…wow, the dualistic paradigm. Keep dumbing em down.
“…put down that right wing Kool-Aid.”
What’s right wing about the facts?
“…watch the video in which Bin Laden admitted responsibility of 9/11.”
The letter describes the problems with that video, in the opinion of an expert.
“…listen to the FBI reports that confirm his involvement.”
Which reports, exactly?
Mr. Carpentter, read the 9/11 Commission report.
ryanrobbins, read this book:
The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions And Distortions
by David Ray Griffin
http://www.amazon.com/The-Commission-Report-Omissions-Distortions/dp/1566565847/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1356100646&sr=8-5&keywords=david+ray+griffin
Mr. Ferrell If you don’t have a problem with it I guess that just settles it.I don’t have a problem with people voicing their opinion as long as it goes along with what I believe so lets just change the first to suit my opinion only ,that would be ok with me so that should settle it .
Huh?
Larry, the FBI admitted that the Clinton “assault weapon” ban had no measurable effect on violent crime. You say that you would gladly give up high (standard) capacity magazines if it saved a single life. The thing is, it won’t. Timothy McVeigh didn’t need firearms, he used fertilizer. You bring up the Brady law and the 1938 law, but did crime rates decrease because of them? You mention police and military, but if these rifles are only useful on a battlefield, then why do police need them? In fact, why does the president get to have fully automatic rifles to protect his family, but I shouldn’t have a semiautomatic to protect mine?
D. Jewett-Chretien: Good letter.
L. Ferrell: Bravo! great letter.
Larry Ferrell: Really good letter. You personify a gun owner who thinks of the greater good, knowing you will still have any gun power you require for your needs . Yours is the rational point of view.
Mr. Carpenter, Huh?
Mr. Ferrell: Nice that you could do without those high capacity clips, and many others probably too, but I don’t think that would change anything. Outlaw guns and people who wanted one would still get it one. We don’t really need any new laws.
Ms. Jewett-Chretien: It’s a nice gesture.
Everyone keeps thinking that making high capacity magazines is going to keep someone from using them to commit a crime. You people need to wake up and smell what you’re shoveling. It’s already illegal to kill someone so do you honestly think that a person intent on killing others is going to pause when it comes to deciding to illegally loading a magazine with 11+ rounds?
It is really easy to adapt magazines to take more rounds. This whole thing is about more than 20 round clips.
Many countries have effective gun laws.
Does anyone in this country apply critical thinking anymore? And what about the lamestream media coverage of sandy hook? My god, you’d think it’s all about guns guns guns cause that’s ALL they are selling you. And indeed selling they are.
What about the myriad inconsistencies? Second shooter emerged from the woods, where IS he? Who is he? Come on..it was Adam it was Ryan the mom was dead at school no she was at home the father was killed no he wasn’t the bushmaster was in the car not it wasn’t forced entry into school no he didn’t, etc etc…come on folks!!
Demand the truth! Just because anderson cooper is on the scene doesn’t mean it’s true.
How does a kid with aspergers on serious mess pull this off? the accuracy needed, etc…hmmmm
And what’s that you sayZ. His father is involved in the libor scandal? So was the aurora co., shooters dad? Wait a second…..( true by the way)
Demand more. Things are not as they seem
Aspergers had nothing to do with this. However, a child with this diagnosis could very well have accuracy.
Nothing, huh? And what medications was he on? And, they had nothing to do with it either, huh?
Believe everything you’re told?
I actually have 3 degrees. One in Mental Health and Human Services, and 3 highly qualified teaching certifications. Two in Special education. I also have a child with Aspergers. The diagnosis is not part of a violent tendency however it is common for people with it to be highly specific in certain areas. For instance shooting 3 pointers repeatedly or high achievement in Math skills with an inability to read or comprehend. Sorry I didnt answer fast enough for you. I was teaching. Have a wonderful holiday and please stop stigmatizing people. What this man did was sick. He was deranged and there are no excuses.
Yeah, whatever….
Since you seem to know everything, please, inform us of the libor scandal and the connection to the shooting. And, please, tell me what happened with the guy dressed in camo who came out of the woods and as he passed by parents said ” I didn’t do it” and was put in a police car. What was his name? What was he doing in the woods? Why no report on him?
Your rants are very difficult to interpret. What media reports are you going on?
Ho Ho Ho Roger.
Mr Ferrell – Thank you.
Larry Ferrell: You are a shining light of common sense. I am glad to have met you one time.
Mr. Ferrell, thank you for your very good and heartfelt comments. If we can’t use a weapon to hunt deer under Maine laws then we shouldn’t have it at all.