Excerpt from Scott Gates;
<snip/>
< Maybe it was just an illusion of safety, but I was allowed freedoms that
I wouldn't THINK of
< letting my child try today.</snip>
I too enjoyed wide freedom in my youth.  A big part of that was due to
people knowing and caring about each other.  In our neighborhood/town, most
everyone took on the responsibility of "keeping tabs" on what was
happening.  They watched, and watched out for, the kids, the elderly, those
in need.  A parent could make a couple of phone calls and know just where
the kids were and what they were doing, good deed or mischief.  As kids, we
regularly checked on the "old folks" to help with little things, mowing
lawns, pulling weeds.
Seems now the cliche "don't want to get involved" attitude is predominant.
As long as they leave me alone, they can do what they want.  I perceive
that parenting (applied) skills have diminished also.  I was taught the
importance of respecting others and their property, beliefs and situations.
(Bypass the soapbox)  The retiree community has increasingly sequestered
themselves into safe havens, dropping another link that played a strong
part of the community safety and freedoms.  Looking back reminds me that I
need to focus on the role I can play in recreating a safer and freer,
participative environment in my current community.

Excerpt from Christian Lheureux;
<snip/>
< You guys in the States in the 50s-60s had minimal or even no gun control.
< AND you lived a safer life. Of course, this is true. NOW you've got some
< measure of gun control, AND you live a less safe life.<snip/>

This also played a part in youth.  I believe a safe estimate for our
community (rural Colorado) would have been 80% of households contained
firearms.  I don't remember any disputes being settled with more than harsh
words and time, or the occasional legal recourse.  There was one shooting.
A peeper had put the town into a heightened alert.  He showed up at the
mayor's house, looking in his daughters window.  A shotgun blast out the
window and no more problems for the next 15 years I lived there.  The
perpetrator had a few lead shot pulled from his scalp before his trip to
the hoosegow.  A similar situation today would likely result in the home
defender being arrested for unlawful discharge of a firearm, followed by a
civil suit by the peeper.
Hmmm. . . Now how do I get back to that positive focus??


Eddie "sadly back to reality" Hopper
. . .

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