Car jacking in Maine (Portland: high crime, theater, live)

[Portmoresby]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I was homeported in Scotland for eight years, owned a home and lived there for three years.

I was stationed in Italy for three years.

I have been to Spain, France, Austria, Greece.

I have served in the Kosovo region killing Christians.

I have never observed your region of Europe, the region without crime. I would like to visit such a place one day.

If you came from a place in Europe without crime, I would sure like to visit that place sometime. I rather doubt that folks living there today would agree with your memory of their crime rate.

I grew up in Austria, in fact. Please do look up the crime rates there. They are very low. Maybe they have gone up since I moved here, but there was very little crime when I lived there.

[dmyankee]

Originally Posted by Portmoresby

Okay, I guess people are more reckless in New York than in Maine (file that under 'duh'). The situation is reversed in New York. I'm pretty sure cops want to see less guns on the streets here, no matter in whose hands. The tougher gun laws issue is a tricky one, people in rural states are far more in favor of guns than in urban areas. I grew up in Europe where NOBODY had guns in the house, or very, very few people. And there was no crime whatsoever. And I grew up near a big city, too. That is part of the reason I feel so strongly about not having a gun in the house.

Oh yes!

Let's be more like our European friends!

Drive by shootings in Maine are rare, because we shoot back!

[mainewannabe]

This is Tampa every day. Frankly, though, NO ONE here is really FROM Tampa anymore. .... AND, the ones that ARE here from original tampa are proud of and support this crime cause it cleans the folks our of the property they want to develop. That's all through florida. It's sad and hard and it makes me sick. You and I can figure out how to keep warm long about the same time. We're steeling ourselves right now for how people will kinda look the other way (we hope) while we try to figure it out .....

Originally Posted by Abbymoulton

I haven't said much lately, BUT...this one I just couldn't stop myself. You heard of this "all through the state"? Crime in Maine is far from a big problem.
I logged on the the Florida site this AM and the First three threads are
"WOMAN, 8 yr. old girl found dead outside mall."
"Man sets 2 women on fire during robbery"
"crime/gehtos in Tampa"

I live in Naples, Fl. (for 5 months and 10 days more) and our news reports murders, robberies, car jackings, kidnappings and bodies found news reports EVERYDAY and no one is ever surprised or shocked about this.
MAINE. HERE I COME!!!!!!!!

Count your blessings and REMEMBER...... "There is only one reason the grass is green here..........more S__T.

[mainewannabe]

Originally Posted by Bydand

OK you can stop now. BOTH logic and the Constitution in one post. You are making the rest of us look bad. Good post, I would give you rep for it, but I have to spread the love first it says.

Well, for some reason I missed Zymer so it allowed me to give him some love. Or her. (sorry ..... I always thought him but just in case)

I agree.
The constitution was ... nearly flawless when conceived and IMO is flawless as it's going to get.

Was it someone on here who quoted whomever said that democracy was the worst form of govt except for every OTHER form of government?

[mainewannabe]

Originally Posted by Portmoresby

That's a horribly outdated, short-sighted and paranoid statement.

Portmoresby, with all due respect I don't think those three words can be used as like adjective/adverbs in the same sentence.

But to each his own.

Just seems a short-sighted person can't BE paranoid. They wouldn't know any better. Out dated would be too far back for a short sighted person to see. Not trying to be funny or mean ... just doesn't make any sense IMO.

[mainewannabe]

Originally Posted by 7th generation

Having higher rates of gun ownership is likely to reduce the rate of violent crime. When guns are banned, there is low gun ownership amongst law-abiding citizens. Thus, the criminals know that they are the only ones who are armed. Time and again, when places have banned guns, rates of violent crime and burglary have skyrocketed. When law-abiding citizens are disarmed, the criminals are free to terrorize the public with no threat of consequence

I don't know for a FACT but have been told that Kennesaw GA has the lowest crime rate nationally and a 0 murder rate. Gun ownership is mandatory or strongly encouraged. Again, so I was told. On the other hand Canada is quite safe in most places and handguns are illegal. Seems to e if I were a criminal I'd get by right fine without a handgun.

I believe in civil rights and liberties and if a person wants a gun and isn't otherwise prevented from owning one I think they should be safely kept and carried. No reason for not doing so.
And, I have read the same thing as you. No guns for me mean that I am vulnerable. Isn't that sad?

I'm more the plowshare type but you really don't want to come up on me and threaten any part of me or anyone I love. So --- there are many things I don't like but common sense and love for fellow man teaches me that along with the good comes the bad.
I don't like guns. Guns are a tool. Therefore guns are necessary.


You have to always look at the larger picture to embrace your common sense. I'd like it if the whole world were weapon-free but I'm not in charge. LOL.

Then there'd be some would want to ban rocks.

A long way of saying: I agree !

I've rarely felt I needed a gun for protection but there was a time I did and then went right out practiced and bought. No reason to be foolish about a tool. We grew up in the country where you didn't lock your door .. one night a man came on our porch who had been shot by someone in a card game a few miles down the lane ... he was hurt and not trying to get in and begging for help and my mom said you stay right there and we'll call for help but don't you try that door or I will shoot you through it.

Guess she was planning on using a water-pistol.

Lesson learned.

Bad things happen to unprepared people.

[mainewannabe]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

And yet a statement of which I whole heartedly agree with.

Little ole' short-sighted and paranoid [yet historically accurate] me.

lol . yeah. again with the reputation. you'll have to take my word for it. I can't give you any but it's deserved. LOL

[mainewannabe]

Originally Posted by Portmoresby

Gun laws should be tougher overall, for law-abiding citizens and criminals, of course. It is very, very difficult to own a gun in New York City and the crime rate is relatively low and crimes are confined to certain areas for the most part. I think it would be far worse if many law-abiding citizens here (NY) would be allowed to have guns. Of course Maine is a bit different. I don't think the fact that a lot of people in Maine own guns is what keeps crime down. In fact, I'm sure a lot of domestic violence is committed with firearms kept at home, although I can't back this up with statistics. Also, look how often kids shoot themselves playing with guns they find at home (sure, they need to be locked up, but still....). Once is too often, IMO. I would NOT feel safer with a gun in the house, I would feel less safe. This is true in Maine or New York. I think the police do an adequate enough job of protecting law-abiding citizens and I'm sure police in most parts of the country would rather see fewer guns owned by law-abiding citizens.

whoa I wholeheartedy and respectfully disagree with every statement you made save that last half of that last sentence ...... I'm sure police in most parts .......

You bet your bp on that one. They'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to have all the control.
NOT all of them. There are some fine men and women serving.
Unfortunately, Tampa has lost most of their ethical lawmen. And, that's very sad and dangerous. I can't provide a link to this. This is common knowledge in our community amongst those who have lived here longer than a few decades..... it's very sad to observe this ...

[mainewannabe]

forest, not for the first time ... it would be WONDERFUL to have about five hundred more of you. Per city. LOL or something .. LOL.
With the rise of Blackwater and other mercenaries it's more important than ever to keep the citizens armed. If I were a cop I wouldn't want to be out there alone ....
Locally we do not have this wonderful attitude. Things are different here in Florida in many parts.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I am a member of the F.O.P. [Fraternal Order of Police], one of the two LEO unions in the USA.

I worked for six years doing LEO duties, and when I retired I was a Shift Commander in a Police Department in charge of a shift of forty Military Police Officers.

I maintain contacts within the LEO community, I attend F.O.P. meetings and conventions. Although I currently hold no office within the organization.

I disagree with both of your statements.

I do not think that: "Gun laws should be tougher overall, ..."

And I do not know of any LEO who "would rather see fewer guns owned by law-abiding citizens"

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by mainewannabe

forest, not for the first time ... it would be WONDERFUL to have about five hundred more of you. Per city. LOL or something .. LOL.

Thank you.

... With the rise of Blackwater and other mercenaries it's more important than ever to keep the citizens armed. If I were a cop I wouldn't want to be out there alone ....

I agree that being a LEO out somewhere by himself and isolated is 'bad'.

However I do not follow the link between that idea of the growth of Blackwater and 'Executive Outcomes'.

To my understanding Blackwater and 'Executive Outcomes' are very professional groups and fairly good at self-policing. They really are not a threat to stateside LEO.

... Locally we do not have this wonderful attitude. Things are different here in Florida in many parts.

Florida is a different culture.