Happy 4-20 Everyone!

Last week, I awoke at 5 am (that’s right folks, sometimes when I forget to link to something or have a typo, please bear with me and remember that I generally read the paper and respond before the sun comes up.) This particular morning, I hopped on my high horse (I like to call her Amanda) and spat out a few reasons why I considered guns to be bad. This is in direct opposition to a more common American theme, in which guns are thought of as good.” I got some feedback. Some fair and balanced (Five For Fighting, whoever you are, nicely done), some not at all. To Joshua Shelly, whom I applaud for publicly stating his opinion, I applaud nothing else. In my statement, I tried to place myself in the shoes of someone trying to obtain a firearm without a background check and realized I’d have no clue how to do so unless I went to a gun show. Shelly explained to me, If you want to get a gun the “Ghetto way” all you need to do is slip a homeless person a 5 spot and ask him if he knows anyone. Chances are he smokes crack, and his crack dealer will know exactly where to go. Carrie Bartkowiak, who stuck more to logical argument wholly oppositional to my own, attempted to make my position about government control. She asked why those of us in opposition don’t just do something on our own without getting the government involved. Later in the week, one of my lifetime personal goals was fulfilled when Friday IYRTP columnist John McManus linked to my piece and called it “moving.” To these and the rest who responded, in the immortal words of Jules Winnfield: allow me to retort.

The good kind of guns.

Shelly: To stereotype the ghetto keeps the ghetto down, friend. This applies to guns, crack smoking, and pretty much everything else you may think regarding the disadvantaged among us.

Bartkowiak: I’m so sorry you’ve experienced violence firsthand. However, your suggestion of banning all potential murder and maiming weapons might not work. Knives, bats, and pencils are all used in daily, non-violent activities (cooking, little league, illicit 6th grade love note passing) to the extent that we cannot abolish them, I’m afraid. I figure you know this and were being facetious. Guns serve no life-enriching purpose other than violence (I’m leaving hunting out of this specific comment, as I think there’s wiggle room there.)

Nowhere did I say guns should be abolished. They can’t be. Hunters and Civil War reinactors would freak. But seriously, all I said was the idea of having gun shows follow the same regulations as traditional retail firearm outlets sounds like a good idea. Making the purchase procedure of something that powerful and lethal the same across the board is common sense, not communism?

Just yesterday, a kindergartner in Texas brought a gun to school and accidentally shot three classmates. Luckily everyone survived. Also, as the initial story was in response to the upcoming anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre, I’m also linking to a well-done, balanced, and inspirational piece on those who survived (all graduated!)

4/20 Buzzzz

Legalization is wanted.

Moving on from my hippie child guns-are-bad rant, I’m going to further the stereotype and wish everyone out there a Happy April 20! Somehow I’ve ended up getting this most wonderful day of the year at IYRTP two years in a row, which is certainly a higher power at work and not merely coincidence.

Currently there are bills to legalize marijuana or politicians speaking out in support in Maine, Florida, and Oregon, among others.

PEW Resesarch Center just released a graph showing continuous growing support of legalization since 1990.

C’mon Cooch! What say you? Legalize it 2012?

Spank That!

Henry Allen Fitzsimmons, owner of Envy Bar and Grill on the Va Beach strip, is being held without bond on charges he wouldn’t allow two young ladies to leave his hotel room until they agreed to be spanked. Come on, dude.

Ride That Bus, Then That Train?

The Daily Press is reporting HRT bus ridership is way up, bucking national trends which say bus ridership is in decline. Just last week, I was, admittedly, a little discouraged about light rail. It’s late, it’s expensive, it’s not going to go to Virginia Beach or ODU. I read in Veer (sorry, no online link that I could find) that the old Norfolk trolleys followed Granby Street from downtown by Hell’s Kitchen all the way to Ocean View and was immediately caught up in the “what if” of that happening again. I mean, a lot of people live within walking distance of Granby.

So hearing that our population is, in general, more open to public transportation than other areas gives me hope that the “little train that could,” will. Ridership equates dollars which equates expansion. HRT’s chief of planning and development, Ray Amoruso, reasons that rising gas prices have something to do with the estimated 1 million additional riders over last year.

To that, I respond with a heck yes! I don’t particularly enjoy the expensive fill-up every time I’m at the pump either. However, it makes me think longer about whether I even *need* the car. Can I walk or bike there? Can I wait until I need to do several errands and only make one car trip? Can I take public transportation? If all environmental or community reasons to reduce vehicle travel won’t be listened to with any seriousness, I’m glad to see cold hard cash making a dent in all this pollution.

Park Place Update:

Local LEED builders GreenBuildIt have officially launched their new website. Off the success of their first green home in Park Place last year, this Friday, they are hosting Not Your Usual House Tour 2.0, showcasing the second green home they’ve built (and sold!) in Park Place. If you’ve been reading about this historic, friendly, in-need-of-help neighborhood but haven’t ventured out to see what it’s all about yet, this is the perfect, perfect opportunity.