Quarantine, Laws

New Jovian Thunderbolt proposes an interesting scenario.

The quarantine starts now, and lasts until Groundhog Day. Yes, 90 days.

Electricity, water, and gas supplies will be sporadic. For instance: the water may go off on day 2 and never come back, or it may stay on a week, and go off a week, that sort of thing. Sewage is not a problem.

Go ahead. Game it out. See what happens. Read the whole thing for the whole story.

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In other news, I picked up a new-to-me Kahr PM9 yesterday. (PM9094, specifically.) I traded away my S&W 242, which was a neat gun but wasn't "doing it" for me. The trade involved a drive to Albany and back - about seven and a half hours round-trip - but was still cheaper than paying transfer and shipping fees on both ends. ($50 bucks in gas instead of two $25 transfer fees plus $25 shipping on my end, and same on the other guy's end.)

We met at his range, gave each gun a going-over, shot our prospective trades, and shook hands. Then we each left with a new-to-me gun.

I'm sure there will be people wringing their hands and whinging about the "loophole", and that we're not doing background checks, and neither of us is a licensed dealer.

Guess what? New York has some of the most draconian laws in the country when it comes to handguns. In order to possess a handgun, you have to have a permit. In order to get that permit, you're getting a background check, with references.

Each time I purchase a handgun, I receive a purchase coupon that has to go to my dealer (or the person I'm buying the gun from). This coupon is provided and signed by the judge in my county.

The guy I traded with had to give me a coupon too. I saw his pistol permit. I'm reasonably sure he's not a prohibited person, and there's no damn "loophole" there. So wring your hands, whine, complain that there's "there oughta be a law" - but realize that there IS a law, and the law-abiding are following it.

There doesn't need to be another law, there needs to be enforcement of the existing laws. You commit a violent crime, you go to jail or prison. Period. Not probation. Not paroled in a fraction of your sentence. What is the purpose to sentencing someone to multiple life sentences - served concurrently - and then paroling them in twenty years? No more concurrent sentencing, no parole for violent criminals. Seems easy, doesn't it? (Yes, we would have to build more/bigger prisons. Or maybe parole some of the non-violent-crime inmates...)