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[josephbr911]

Guns opinion in wake of recent mass shootings

The opinion of ONE gun owner / enthusiast:

Sorry if this is a bit rambling / not well edited; a lot to talk about.

A few things about me:

· I am a gun owner

· I own a gun store (meaning I buy, sell, transfer firearms on a daily basis)

· I own numerous firearms (including “assault rifles”)

· I have an Ohio Concealed Handgun License (CHL) and frequently carry a concealed handgun.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way… what do we do about gun violence in the USA and what do we do about mass shootings in the USA?

I don’t have the answers but I do have opinions.

First off, a few words about the NRA. I was once a member of the NRA. In short, a few of the clubs I was a member of made it advantageous to be an NRA member. Shortly after, I got real tired of their never ending requests for more money and rhetoric (I.E. Hillary is gonna take all our guns!). I lasted about a year until I couldn’t fucking stand them anymore. And to be clear (in my opinion): The NRA doesn’t give a fuck about guns (at least that isn’t their primary concern). They care about money. Plain and simple. They fan the flames of gun confiscation by the Democrats to bolster their membership dues. If they don’t have a “Gun Grabber” to paint as the villain, they don’t have a reliable income source. They primarily care about money. And they are the #1 block to any new gun legislation.

On the note of gun confiscation, it’s a fairy tale. There are 400 million guns in our country. Think about that number for a second. Let’s say we snapped our fingers and said “hey any civilian owned gun is now banned. You’ve got 30 days to turn it in or you’re a felon.” How would that turn out? Sure, many people would turn in their restricted firearms, but what about the people that wouldn’t (and trust me, there are people who wouldn’t, not to mention criminals who don’t give a shit about the law)? Military and police going door to door to take possession of pistols, rifles and shotguns from people who don’t want to give them up? I can’t imagine many military / police personnel signing up for that job. Point is, when the NRA tries to make the case that the DEMS WANNA TAKE ALL OUR GUNS, I just don’t see it as a feasible option.

What I’ve seen on the news over and over again recently is anchors saying something along the lines of “If you want to hunt a deer, that’s fine. But let’s get these assault rifles off the streets.” What they’re skipping over is that the 2nd amendment wasn’t about deer hunting. At its core, and what the hardcore 2A crowd keeps repeating is, it was about enabling the governed people to have the same fire power as the government to prevent a tyrannical takeover. That said, let’s be realistic here. Who in their right mind thinks that an AR-15 would prevent a tyrannical takeover? One of the funniest quips I’ve seen was essentially this:

· How dare Colin Kaepernick kneel and disrespect our flag and the troops?!?

· BUT: We need our AR-15s in case we need to shoot the troops!

If the government were really intent on killing its civilians, they’ve got better tools than AR-15s. Fuck, Trump probably has a drone circling over me right now for typing this.

Let’s talk about the AR-15 a bit. My wife asked me why they’re so popular (and they are). From a purely objective viewpoint of it as a weapon, it is a fantastic rifle. It is light weight, reliable, accurate, shoots a very lethal cartridge, has very little recoil, holds a lot of rounds, is fast to reload, and is highly customizable to suit the users need. People use them for all kinds of things, including recreational shooting, home defense, hunting, competition, and yes, shooting up large groups of people.

I own one. To be honest, I don’t even really like it that much. I have it because I use it roughly once a year in 3-gun competitions. Beyond that, I don’t know the last time I’ve shot it. Whenever I take it out to the range I get bored with it pretty quick. Mostly because they are boringly reliable and accurate. I personally like older stuff and wood/steel rifles; they’re more interesting to me.

So the big question: Does any civilian really need an AR-15? My answer would be no. You can defend your home without one, you can hunt without one, you can recreationally shoot without one, and if the government decides to kill us all, we’re fucked regardless of what rifle we have. Conversely, if I wanted to shoot up as many people as fast as I could, I would grab an AR-15. There is a reason it’s the popular pick of these deranged fucks. Personally, if mine just disappeared, the only thing I’d really be upset about is losing a small investment. BUT what the NRA and their cronies will do is cherry pick the super super rare instance of someone defending their home from multiple invaders with an AR-15 (statistically, I’m more likely to get a date with Kate Upton) and scream, “SEE!!! We NEED these to protect my children from these THUGS!” The NRA sucks.

So what could possibly curtail the never ending cycle of mass shootings?

The 2 most commonly proposed pieces of legislation after these shootings are Universal Background Checks and an Assault Weapons Ban.

Universal Background Checks

A quick myth to dispel first: Whenever you purchase a gun from anyone holding a Federal Firearms License (FFL) (like my shop or any other gun shop) you MUST fill out a form 4473 and undergo a background check. Depending on the state, there may be a waiting period, additional requirements, limits on purchases, etc… but you ALWAYS need to undergo a background check. That INCLUDES online purchases. You can purchase a gun online, but it needs to be shipped to an FFL holder, who will receive the item and have you fill out a form 4473 and undergo a background check. That background check goes to the FBI and their NICS department (National Instant Criminal Check System). Now, the NICS is deeply flawed and needs attention, but that argument is for another day. Also, the holder of the FFL has FULL DISCRETION on whether they want to sell / transfer a handgun or not. I’ve had people who had passed their background check with flying colors, and I didn’t let them have the gun. It hasn’t happened often, but the warning signs are pretty recognizable. Oh man, I have stories.

The idea behind Universal Background Checks is to require background checks between private individuals. By law (at least in Ohio), a private civilian may sell/buy a gun to another private civilian with no background check required, cash and carry. Technically, you’re supposed to verify the age and residence of the buying party, plus not know or suspect that they’ve been convicted of any felonies, misdemeanors of domestic violence, etc… but I know this isn’t done 100% of the time. The majority of these transactions happen via websites like armslist.com, which is essentially craigslist for guns. If Universal Background Checks were to become the law of the land, you couldn’t legally do this anymore. Both parties would have to meet at an FFL holder (like us) to have the gun logged in, paperwork and background check done, and transferred.

Would passing of this legislation prevent gun violence? Maybe, although probably not much at all. Unfortunately, many people who want to obtain a gun for illegal use will either find other means of obtaining one illegally, or (as we’ve seen many times recently) buy one legally, because you’re not a felon until you shoot up a WalMart. I’d like to see this legislation passed, because, selfishly, it would lead to more business for my shop. We’ve had private parties meet here in the past to sell firearms and have us do the paperwork, which we charge for. They’ve done it not because it was the law (it isn’t, currently) but because they’d feel better about selling a gun to someone who has passed a background check. If this law were to pass, I’d get more business like that. I’m greedy. If it helps curtail some gun violence, even better!

Assault Weapons Ban

Ahhh… the big one. While the language varies on what is an “assault rifle”, they’re pretty much encompassing AR-15s, AK-47s, and similar rifles. Would a ban on these reduce the amount of mass shootings, or at least reduce the body count in these events?

Yes.

As mentioned before, there is a reason this is the chosen weapon of mass shooters. The gun was designed to shoot and kill the Vietnamese rapidly. And it kills innocent humans quite effectively. Excuse me for being morbid for a second, but a wound from the cartridge it shoots (5.56 NATO) is devastating on humans. It is a very small projectile, but it’s going at such a high velocity with so much energy that when it hits tissue, it breaks up and tumbles, which essentially turns any tissue around it into pink goo. When victims of this round go into the ER with an abdomen shot, there usually isn’t anything the surgeons can do. There is nothing left to reconstruct or repair.

And you’ve already read my opinion on why I don’t think anyone really needs these.

“But Joe, criminals will get their hand on guns anyway! They don’t obey laws!”

· True, but why not remove a legal avenue to obtain these and make it a little more difficult?

“But Joe, there are already millions of ARs out there already!”

· True, and as mentioned before, I don’t see a neat and tidy way of rounding all those up. Hell, grandfather them in. Most of these shooters use newly bought rifles anyway.

“But Joe, look at Chicago! They have the most restrictive gun laws in the country and their murder rate is out of control!”

· Very true, but let’s look at this rationally. Sooooo many of the murders in Chicago are drug/gang related (i.e. criminals that don’t give a fuck about the laws). Now, I’m not saying that people who are drug dealers / gang bangers deserve to be shot, but when you’re in that sect of life, it is a known risk. People shopping at WalMart on a Saturday or going to a bar in Dayton on a Saturday night certainly do not deserve to be slaughtered.

And that’s the fucking difference. I keep hearing about “oh mass shootings are just a drop in the bucket of all gun murders”, and that’s true. But these mass shootings are the slaughtering of unaffiliated, innocent people. And it is heartbreaking. If one of my children grew up to be a shithead and got involved in gang/drug shit and got killed, I’d of course be crushed, but at least I’d have answers. But if one of my kids or family members got gunned down for no fucking reason, I can’t even imagine how I’d feel. So if banning the new sale and manufacture of assault rifles can spare one more family of the unimaginable heart break, I think it’s worth a try.

Of course this is my opinion, which doesn’t matter. As long as the NRA keeps getting their bucks by fanning the fear flames, and they keep sending Mitch McConnell a lifetime supply of Turtle Wax, nothing will change. Go vote, and maybe something will change.

-JR

[josephbr911]

Cherish your father

So last weekend we spent the afternoon at my sister and brother-in-law’s house to watch the Buckeyes.  They had a very tough matchup against Tulane which went down to the wire (kidding). 

Anyway, while we were there we snapped this pic of my father, myself, and my baby boy Sam to get a 3-Generation-Of-Reamsnyder-Men Picture.

Looking at the picture after the fact made me a little sentimental and appreciative of my father, and made me aspire to be like him for my boy.

I’m not going to give you the whole bio on my dad but just a few bullet points and a quick story.

Here are the non-shockers:

He’s always had unconditional love for me and my family

He’s taught me about cars and handy work and how to play the guitar and all the other stuff dad’s usually do (he even took piano lessons with me when I was in 4th grade, which means he had to play recitals as a 40-something in front of a bunch of children!)  He killed it, by the way.

Occasionally we go shooting together, we’ve raced cars together, we’ve gone to football games together.  Again, nothing shocking.

But here’s the quick story that I’ll never forget:

When I was ~28 years old I was out on the town for CInco De Mayo on a Saturday night with some friends on OSU campus.  Anyone who knew me back then doesn’t have to stretch their imagination to envision that I got drunk out of my mind.  I ended up getting arrested for public intox.  I’m talking put in the cop car, off to the drunk tank, processed and cuffed into a van down to Pike County, and tossed in jail awaiting a hearing.  Nothing like being hungover in jail with a bunch of rude dudes...

Had to spend approx 18hrs in lockup.  My wife (then fiance) was kind enough to post bail so I could go home Sunday night before my arraignment on Monday (no, she was not thrilled).

Anyway, the point of this story is my dad.  After I was released Sunday Evening, I was out in the parking lot waiting to be picked up.  I knew my Mom, Dad, and finance were coming to get me.

When their SUV pulled up I walked towards it, and the first thing my dad did was get out and give me a big hug.  He didn’t say a word.  I knew they were all so mad at me but his first instinct was to hug is son.  To this day I can’t think of a gesture in my life that has meant more to me than that hug.

So thanks to my father for being a good father, and I hope all you other dads out there can draw a little insight from my short story.

Be a good dad like mine.

-JR

[josephbr911]

Weekend project done. Got to practice woodworking AND soldering AND electrical! I’m good at one of the three. And our old caveman chandelier is GONE finally.

[josephbr911]

Hatred and racism are alive and well

Not that that should shock anyone who has heard of the internet. So we had another (the United States worst ever, actually) mass shooting today. This post is only partially related to the Vegas shooting, but a few things to get out of the way: Yes, it was awful. Yes, it certainly struck a chord with me (beyond the obvious human being level) in that I own and operate a gun shop, so there’s some conflicting feelings there. No, I don’t have any answers about how to stop this endless stream of shootings. Basically, even if gun sales and manufacture were outlawed, there are still ~400 million firearms in the country. Good luck gathering them up without triggering a civil war. I know that may seem ridiculous but trust me, I’ve been in the business long enough to know there are a LOT of people who would rather, well you know… “From my cold dead hands”. Anyway, the shooting obviously churned up plenty of talk around the shop about gun control, future implications, how it might impact our business, etc… So I’ve got two customers in there at the time as we’re talking about the day’s events. One is a regular who is just browsing, the other is this (initially pleasant) old fart who was picking up a shotgun we cleaned for him. As we’re chatting, old fart decides to interject and make it known (and I’m quoting him exactly, kinda hard to forget), “If they wanna collect the guns, those fucking niggers can come and get them one bullet at a time. I’ve got enough rounds to stack their fucking bodies up in my yard.” I’d love to tell you that I promptly informed him that we didn’t want his business if he wanted to carry on like that and show him the door. But unfortunately I’m the kind of person who avoids confrontation at length, and I was so shocked that someone would air that kind of opinion in public, that I just forced an awkward smile and moved on with daily operations. Maybe I should have invited my gunsmith, Nate, up front to hear his thoughts on this old guy’s opinion. Nate, an upstanding black man who happens to be a Marine combat veteran. That would have been entertaining. Anyway, anyone who knows me knows that I’m no prude to naughty language and am fully capable of my own asshole opinions. The point is, where the fuck did these comments come from? What did race have anything to do with what we were talking about? Why did this guy feel the need to interject his own hatred and racism into our discussion on gun control? At a time when Americans should be mourning shattered lives and grasping for any common ties of humanity, we’ve got people like this who let those kind of words fly in public, unprovoked. Now, what this guy said is simply that, what one guy said. Not necessarily the collective beliefs of old guys, white men, gun owners, etc... but it still has to make you a little queasy that in the wake of a tragedy there are people who prefer to promote those kind of opinions, even when no one asked. In the coming weeks there will be plenty of debate over gun control. Some of it civil. Most of it likely not. But how can we honestly hope to change for the common good when we still hate each other?

[josephbr911]

Build Something!

As many of you know, woodworking is one of my hobbies (chores if my wife makes me do it). In the grand scheme I'd say I'm certainly an amateur, but I've still built things that I'm proud of. And whatever your skill level may be, it can be such a rewarding endeavor (not to mention a money saver). Anyone's who's relished in the sweet smell of fresh cut cedar or had their eyes open wide when they apply that first coat of stain and watch that grain come to life knows what I mean. It just makes you want to make more. Whether they're trinkets or decorations or furniture, my house or other people’s homes are starting to get littered with products of my wood shop (garage).

Whenever I build something new, I inevitably get asked from others one of two, if not both questions:

1. Can you make me one? (Quick answer: Yes, if you help out, supply (or pay for) materials, and provide the beer.

2. How did you get started doing this (and how can I start doing this)?

I'll use this post to answer question 2 and hopefully get you on the path of making some sweet sawdust of your own!

A. Get some tools and supplies. When possible, get power tools. Power makes the world go round. NOTE: I'm only going to list building tools and supplies. Finishing supplies is a whole other can of worms.

Mandatory:

Wood -- Duh. I have found that all kinds of beautiful things can be made out of cheap construction timbers (knotty pine) with a little finesse.  Birch plywood is great for large panels and looks beautiful with stain.  MDF is also a great material for large panels, but you can’t stain it (gotta paint it), you better pre-drill your screw holes, and it makes a awful mess when you cut it.  Cut it outside and wear a mask.  Beyond that, you can spend as much as you want on higher end boards like poplar, oak, maple, walnut, cherry, etc... but prepare for a little sticker shock if you need several board feet.

Tape measure and speed square -- these will let you accurately measure out and mark cut lines. The speed square can also be used as a handy fence to make quick and straight cross cuts with a circular saw.

Hammer and rubber mallet -- uses of the hammer are obvious. The rubber mallet is very handy for "coaxing" tight pieces into place without marring them.

Safety glasses, ear protection, and shop apron -- self explanatory.

Clamps, clamps, and more clamps -- a woodworker can never have enough clamps. You can get a lot done with a variety of sizes of bar clamps, C clamps, and spring clamps. To save some dough, pick up the cheapies at Harbor Freight. I've got tons of them and they've served me well. Seriously, get a lot of clamps.

A supply of wood glue and nails/fasteners -- TiteBond II is the glue you want. Just always have some on hand. The fasteners will accumulate as you buy more for specific projects.

Cordless Drill/driver -- Any homeowner should already own a decent one. Bonus point if you pick up an impact driver. While not necessary, an impact driver makes driving large screws a breeze and makes stripped out heads a thing if the past. Once I used one I wondered how I lived without it.  Of course with these tools you'll need an assortment of drill bits and driving bits. They can be bought in affordable kits. In my experience, Ryobi bits suck.

Circular saw or Jig Saw -- A circular saw (go corded to start out) is very versatile and can perform a variety of cuts... except curved cuts. A jig saw excels in making curved cuts in thinner materials and smaller, more intricate cuts (good for arts and crafts). I'd start out with a circular saw and perhaps add the jig saw as funds become available.

Power Sander -- Some may argue this is optional, but F that. Life is too short to sand shit by hand. Get either a pad sander or random orbital sander and a variety of sanding disks or paper. 80, 150, and 220 grit (or close to those numbers) should cover 98% of your sanding needs.

Cold beer and tunes -- what fun is working in the garage without a pop and Metallica in the background?

Optional:

Kreg Pocket Hole Jig -- I suppose this is one of the "optional" items, but seriously, just spend $100 and buy the K4 system. It is basically "wood joints for dummies". Ask anyone who owns one and they'll echo my sentiments. I wish I'd have known about it when I started woodworking. it allows you to easily fasten pieces together with a fairly strong joint while skipping complex wood joining methods.  Buy it.

Miter saw AKA chop saw -- A chop saw will make fast, accurate, and repeatable cross cuts all day long. It can also make angled cuts (either miters or bevels, and both at once). Most simple 10" saws will cleanly cut up to 2x6s and 4x4s, but you'll need a 12" or sliding saw to cut larger pieces. I have a 10" and it's plenty for 95% of what I want to do. While very handy, I would not get only a chop saw and skip the circular saw. Get the circ saw first (it can perform more tasks) and add a chop saw when your ready.

Router and variety of bits -- a router is what can really take your finished projects to professional looking. While a router can perform many tasks, I mostly use it to put a decorative profile on the edge of pieces, like a table top. A simple round over or chamfered edge make your projects look finished. While you can buy a fire-breathing router with a table, I've been plenty satisfied with a "trim router" that accepts 1/4" collet bits. Getting a plunge base with it will further enhance its abilities.

Shop vacuum -- Cutting wood makes a damn mess. If you want, I suppose you could get by with a broom and dust pan, but a capable shop vac makes life easier. But which one? My answer is simple. When you're browsing the selection at your local Home Depot or Lowes, get the one that costs $100.00.

Nail Gun -- If you already have an air compressor at home (for filling tires, basketballs, blowing things off, etc...) you’re halfway there.  I picked up an open-box 18ga brad nailer off of Amazon a while ago.  It is awesome for tacking on small trim pieces and barely leaves a nail hole.  Highly recommended if you can swing it.

Advanced:

Table saw -- while many say that a table saw is the heart of any wood shop, for most of us it isn't going to be an early purchase or practical. I've been fortunate enough to have anytime access to one thanks to my neighbor (thanks Lloyd!) and recently picked up a small one from a garage sale. They excel at rip cuts and are extremely versatile. With certain sleds and accessories, you can do almost anything on a table saw. But they can be pricey and can take up a lot of room.  If you have extensive rip cuts that you need done but don’t have a table saw or they may be too big a task for your circular saw, ask the friendly faces at Home Depot or Lowes to make a cut for you.  When you buy lumber you’re allowed two free cuts per, and you can usually sweet talk them into more.  Just leave them a nice review.

Planer -- This machine let's you control the thickness of your materials. Very nice for if you're making a table top out of multiple boards and want to ensure they're all the exact same thickness, among other things. They can also remove surface imperfections and leave the planed surface clean and almost finish-ready. They also make one HELL of a mess. Use it in your driveway with your shop vac on hand.

There are of course more advanced tools you will see in professional wood shops, but I'm not trying to cover that full scope. This is for the hobbyist.

B. Get a plan. Some people are good at throwing caution to the wind and cutting wood and slapping shit together. I am not one of those people. Thankfully we live in the age of YouTube, Pinterest, and websites like Ana-white.com and rogueengineer.com . There are all kinds of plans and projects on these sources with materials lists, cut lists, finishing tips, etc... Even if the project isn't to your scale, you can always crunch the numbers and adjust to your needs. Brush up on your fractions. I have a little notebook where each page is grid paper. I like to sketch out projects to double check my measurements and make sure the math adds up.

C.  Don't be afraid to make a mistake. You learn by doing and you learn from your mistakes. I get better with each project by learning from my previous mistakes. And for the most part, wood is cheap. Of course, by this I don’t mean throw caution to the wind when it comes to safety, which brings us to...

D.  BE CAREFUL!  Power tools are dangerous.  Hell, regular hand tools can be dangerous.  I have a few scars to prove that, but thankfully still have all my fingers.  In my opinion, two tools you should have a healthy fear of are the table saw and the router.

E. A few tips I’ve learned over the years:

“A little putty and paint makes a carpenter what he ain’t”.  A sander, some putty or filler, and some paint can fix a lot of boo boos.

A sharp knife is a safe knife.  Too true.  If you try to force work pieces against dull blades, you are greatly increasing the risk of something slipping and sending that blade into your fingers.  Keep your tools sharp.

If you have access to some of the advanced tools like a planer and table saw, you can make good use of salvaged wood (just watch for nails!).  For example, the trestle coffee table pictured towards the top of this post was make exclusively from wood I found behind a dumpster.  That's right, I was dumpster diving.

Work with a friend or neighbor if possible.  It will lessen the physical load, give you another set of hands, and put two brains together when trying to solve a problem.  Besides, who likes drinking woodworking alone?

That's all for now.  Have fun making sawdust!

-JR

[josephbr911]

Uh oh… here comes a religious post!

So if you don’t want to read the linked article, I’ll summarize:

Beauty and the Beast director reveals that there will be a “gay moment” in upcoming film. Alabama theater owners states that, in light of “gay moment”, which they haven't even seen, that they are banning the movie at their establishment, because, you know, Jesus.

Yet another instance of someone disguising their own hate by citing the Bible. What would be so refreshing is if this person for once said the truth: He won't show this movie because he hates gay people.

Why can't he man up and own it? Why can't he and the no-cakes-for-gays bakers and the no-flowers-for-gay-weddings florists just once admit it? That they hate gay people. Aren't they doing the Christian community as a whole a disservice when they cite the Bible as the only reason for their gay bashing?

I'm not a religious person and won't pretend to know the details of the teachings of the Bible. But I have plenty of friends who are Christians and I believe are genuinely good people. To those of you I ask, when you read stories like this, doesn't it piss you off? Don't you feel that assholes like this theater owner are painting Christians with a broad brush?

Maybe there should be some #HaterShaming from within the Christian community. Wouldn't that get the message more effectively to this guy than from the typical leftist sources?

Hey, I'm no saint. Sometimes I say hateful things because..... drum roll....... sometimes I'm an asshole. See? Wasn't that easy?

This problem spans more than homophobia. Imagine this scenario: The next time some prominent white celebrity gets caught saying the word "nigger" on a hot mic or whatever the case may be, wouldn't it be refreshing if instead of the tired out, teary eyed "I'm not a racist" press conference, they said, "You know what? I guess I am a little racist and you guys caught me red handed. But I'm going to work on it and try to make myself a better person." ? Wouldn't that be more conducive to true progress as a society?

Like I said, I'm not a religious person. I'm not a Christian, I'm not a gay person. I have no dog in this fight. But as someone who's just tired of reading stories about people like this theater owner, let me say this. I don't like him or his dumb drive-in movie theater because he's not man enough to say that he just hates gay people.

EDIT: I do have a dog in this fight. I can't wait to see that movie. And I might be gay for Gaston. Till next time!

-J

[josephbr911]

[josephbr911]

This latest table found a home with @lbrownrut . Hope you guys enjoy it!

[josephbr911]

Preview of our refurbished TV stand. Few more poly coats and we'll put it together. #ForYourBrasement

[josephbr911]

Untitled

For those of you who don’t know, I manage (and partly own) a small gun shop here in town.  For the most part (I’d say 99.9%), this profession has been a very positive experience.  I’ve made friends, met a lot of great people, enjoyed plenty of shooting competitions and outings, and have felt a lot of satisfaction from teaching various courses that we offer.

We had a 0.1% incident this week.  A young woman (we’ll call her “Sarah”) came into our shop looking for a handgun for home defense.  My coworker and I asked all the usual questions to help find her the right product to meet her needs.  As a first time gun buyer, she had questions about how to load, fire, unload and handle the gun in a safe manner.  Hardly out of the ordinary for any first time buyer.  We were happy to give her our gun safety and handling 101 course, as we have dozens of times.  I told her about some of the courses we offer, and how she should consider some firearm training.  She seemed intrigued. 

Sarah was pleasant, polite, friendly and charming.  After she checked out and left, my coworker and I talked about how pleasant she was, and how pleased we were that more and more women are electing to purchase firearms and exercise their right to self defense.  We were exited to have a potential future student.

The next day a detective from the sheriff’s office in her county called me at my shop.  He informed me that after she left our shop, she drove straight to her apartment but never left her car.  Instead, she loaded the gun, stuck the barrel in her mouth and killed herself.  The reason he was able to contact me so quickly is that the firearm invoice from our shop, plus the gun case, ammo, etc… was still right next to her in the passenger seat, right where it was when she left our shop.

I met with the detective the next day to review some security footage, tie up some loose ends, and help him solidify his timeline.  The detective informed me that when he notified Sarah’s family, while they were of course sad to hear the news, they also were not surprised.  Apparently Sarah had long battled Bipolar Disorder, depression, …..

My first thought was “why the fuck didn’t the background check catch this?”  I conducted the check myself and she passed with flying colors.  Truth is, the procedures in place for reporting mental illness and organizing that information into a useful database for use in a background check are a fucking joke and badly need overhauled.  But I suppose that’s a topic for another post.

As the owner of a gun shop, its always been one of my biggest fears that I’d one day learn that something I sold was later used to hurt someone undeserving of harm.  Even though I knew that sadly that day would likely come, it doesn’t help prepare you for the gut wrenching feeling.

I don’t feel guilty and I’m not seeking sympathy.  Neither Sarah nor I did anything illegal or unethical in the sale.  I guess I’m just sad.  I’m sad that someone younger than me (I’m 31) has had their life cut short. I’m sad that someone now has to bury their daughter.  Even though I knew Sarah for a mere 45 minutes, she had left a positive impact on me, and now she’s dead.  I mean, I fucking showed her how to load and fire the gun, and then profited off the sale.  That’s going to be a bitter pill to swallow, but it pales in comparison to what her family and friends are going through.  I’m not even sure why I’m fucking writing this, its just stirring up that same feeling in my stomach.  Maybe it helps to put your feelings down on paper.

If you read my first blog post, you know that I had (and still do have) my own battle with depression.  I’m not suggesting that my personal situation is anywhere as severe as Sarah’s may have been.  I’m actually quite happy right now; I take the prescribed cocktail of medications, I love my wife, I have a beautiful baby girl and a job I love.  I just didn’t love this week.  If you know someone battling a mental illness, let them know that there is help out there and there are people who want to help them and can help them.

I suppose if there is anything to take away from this story… take an extra moment to hug your wife, your husband, your kids, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your friends….  Life is fragile and finite.  Tell those people you love them and live your moments together to the fullest.

-J

[josephbr911]

Look what Ash and I built! A ten (!) foot fuckin table! Planter boxes for ice/beer with wood lids when not in use. Come help us break it in! #fueledbynattyandpinkfloyd @ashleytarney

[josephbr911]

USA!

[josephbr911]

Sneak peek of the next decoration that #MeJulie has commissioned. #USA ! #USA ! @ashleytarney

[josephbr911]

About to box up another for a loyal customer. I can personalize a 6-pack tote just for you! And much more! Check out my Etsy shop JBRWoodCrafts and see if there's something you like or request a custom order. Worst thing I can say is no. FYI if you would like to purchase something and skip the shipping (local) just let me know so I can adjust the listing. Thanks for looking and thank you for supporting local craftsman! Tell tour friends!

[josephbr911]

This record is about as old as I am. And it is excellent. Waaaay back when the idea of an album had some meaning. #Metallica

[josephbr911]

I opened a shop on Etsy. Go to www.etsy.com and search for my shop "JBRWoodCrafts". Please tell your family/friends!

[josephbr911]

How To Spot A Pervert 101

Time to get serious.

Are you a pervert?  Well guess what, bitch? I’m on to you. I’ve spent a very long time basically zero time researching perverts, their behavior, and their trends.  I am now an expert and I’ve got you in my fuckin crosshairs.  I’m going to identify a couple of perv behavior patterns, and if you answer yes to any of the following questions, well, you best pack your bags and run cuz THA DAWG (me) is coming after you.

Question 1: Do you sleep on your belly?

Don’t even get me started on belly sleepers.  You and I both know this shit can’t be comfortable.  How can you even breathe with your face mushed down on the mattress?  There is only one single reason why someone would sleep like this: They are a PERV that imagines the mattress beneath them is a little kid and this is how they would mount said child.  Fuckin gross.  Don’t believe me? Watch a belly sleeper in action.  They mildly thrust, groan, and whisper while dreaming their naughty dreams.  I’ve seen it.  It’s science.  If I EVER catch you sleeping like this I’ll cane you in the small of your back.

Question 2:  Do you eat yogurt? Like, ever?

No explanation needed, you filthy bastard.

Question 3:  Are you a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Penn State Nittany Lions football team?

You sons of bitches.  If you answered “yes” to the first two questions, there is at least a slim hope of rehabilitation.  But if you are that measly of a human to stoop to worshiping these banana heads, I can’t help you.  You simply must burn.

Where to begin? Well, if you support the Steelers, that tells me that you also support Bunjamin, who:

Enjoys forcing himself on women (probably little children too).

Has his bodyguard gorillas block women (and children, probably) into the bathroom with him while he feast on their flesh.

Doles out shots to drunk bimbos while speaking in an Indian accent. Scratch that, that’s actually pretty funny. No negative points there.

Rocks a “I’m a rapist” hair cut and stubble to his all important “I’m not a rapist” press conference.

Escaped criticism by employing the “Ray Lewis Defense”, AKA just replying to all inquiries into your troubling past with “I’ve found God”.

That’s a fine character with whom you’ve associated.  But hey, he’s found God so it’s cool.

But then there is The King Pickle Tickler himself:

This is Penn State football.  And you are a fan of Penn State football. Penn State football members went out of their way to protect this guy and to make sure this guy could go on to enjoy his time tickling little boy’s pickles and blowing on their bellies.  I’d rather hang out in Detroit on 8-mile than join The Second Mile.  This dude is seriously gross, and so are you.  I don’t even have kids, but if you are a Penn State fan, you DO NOT get an invite to my next party because I don’t want you or your dirty dick anywhere near my house.  If you wanna play “hide the hot dog” with a 9-year-old of your choosing it’s not gonna be on my turf, ya dingus.

These two teams suck anyway.  So the only logical reason anyone would actually root for one of these teams is that you love the forbidden pleasure that is pedophilia.  Bane should have blown up Happy Valley while he was at it.

————————————————-

There are more ways I can spot your perverted self but I’ve got to keep some of my tactics secret.  In the meantime if you are a righteous non-tickle monster like myself and spot someone who fits this profile, do society a favor and deal out some sweet street justice.  Together we can keep our cities clean.

Stay thirsty,

JR