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I'm sorry but I just don't believe that more welfare-like programs are going to solve the issue of gun violence in the inner cities of America. We have been financially supporting people for decades now and if anything, it's just getting worse. I think we've created a system of dependency and fraud where you have millions of people that are healthy enough to work but choose not to because it's too easy to survive without a paycheck. I'm in favor of helping people with drug addiction and mental health issues but giving them a monthly check to continue being a non-contributor is the wrong approach. I also don't believe that poverty alone is the reason why certain neighborhoods are full of gun violence. If that were the case, every trailer park in America would be a death trap.

So as a therapist, I wish we still had mental hospitals; a short history on why we don't anymore. In 1955 there were 559,000 people in mental hospitals in America. (Would be over a million in today's numbers.) Through the late 50s and early Sixties, a trend called "deinstitutionalization" started in mental health. This trend was aided with the first psychotropic drugs that lessened the need for inpatient. In 1963 the "Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act" went into effect to build between 1,500 - 2,500 community mental health centers to get patients out of the hospitals and into community care. By 1977 only 650 centers had been built. In 1981 the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act shifted funding to the states in the form of block grants and states decided to spend more money on community mental health rather than hospitals, so it is from the early 80s we began to have more homeless mental patients on the streets. The lack of institutionalization plus the reality that you cannot force someone to get or stay on medication makes it difficult to treat the pervasively mentally ill.

I don’t see how getting people more permanently hooked on the government tit will solve anything.

I remember the article and map. Approximately 80%+/- of murders occur in 2% of counties. The 2% of counties all contain poor inner cities. The problem is socioeconomic. The solutions will be socioeconomic.

It was brought to my attention today that you can view 360 degree photos from within Chernobyl on Google Maps. It's fascinating. Just drop the "Yellow Man" on any of the small circles in the area: https://www.google.com/maps/search/chernobyl/@51.3889103,30.0953911,15.27z Such as: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.3894142,30.0998906,3a,37.6y,296.24h,93.04t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMcivCT_eEAhr9ci-WXl9AHOcsrk9T_p-Fo9kM7!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMcivCT_eEAhr9ci-WXl9AHOcsrk9T_p-Fo9kM7%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya96.37193-ro-0-fo100!7i11878!8i5939

Boots on the ground; 22-25 lb pack on the back. I hike at least once a week in mountainous terrain. Average hike is 15-20 miles. Being in shape, able to carry weight and navigate keeps me feeling "prepped". Up to 422 miles in 2021; had over 1300 miles last year. Keeping a new stat: we've climbed over 65,000 feet this year.

The Senate has 50 dems and 50 republicans, a tie that's broken by the cackling VP Harris. But it takes more than a simple majority to break a filibuster, which is now nothing more than a procedural action. So even with their 51 votes in the Senate the dems don't have enough votes to pass DC statehood, an expanded SCOTUS, or, I hope, gun control. The house can pass all the loony crap they want to, but it has to get past the Senate to become law and so long as the republicans stick together they can block legislation. It's much more complicated than that, of course, but in a nutshell, there you go.

They need some wiggle room to accommodate subtle differences between cartridges and the effect of heat.

I hope we're starting to see the end of the madness. I'm seeing more and more in-stock ammo, but still at elevated prices (like .70+/rd FMJ 9mm). Here's hoping the supply is catching up and we'll see some declining prices over the next few months.

Tomayto-Tomahto If UBI isn't a form of welfare, I don't know what it would be called. I'm assuming the thought is that if we lift people out of poverty, it will help with the violence? I just don't believe there will ever be a cure for poverty for the same reason that you have so many lotto winners than end up bankrupt. Some people are destined to be poor. It is unfortunate. If you give them $2,000/month, they will soon be demanding $4,000. Actually, there might be a cure for poverty, but I highly doubt it's more government. In fact, I would bet that if we had fewer of these programs to fall back on, people might actually be forced to improve their situation. As someone that has had a macabre fascination with the federal deficit I just don't see it. I don't buy the idea that rich people alone can pay for all these programs. Even if we had the money, I have serious doubts that throwing cash at poor people is going to keep them from killing each other.

I am sure this will be seen as Racist by some, but why don't we see the same level of shootings in other "poor" areas. There are plenty of poor areas in the US. The "socio" is more of a problem than the "poor".

Like this a million times, hits the nail on the head with 10 pound hammer!!!

God Bless him and may he Rest In Peace. Most folks don't waist a minute on the old guys, think nothing of them. Stop and talk to them because at one time they were probably 100 pound men that had more grit than all these damn liberal kids we are raising today combined. Hell living to be 100 takes a pretty tough man.

I wish I could find the article again, but I saw something a while back that showed an insanely high % of total murders in the US occurred in just 3-4 counties.

I am so proud when our state and country honors men & women like Mr. Coolidge. They endured things no human being should have to. We are losing these WWII vets at a pretty high pace. My wife has an uncle that will be 96 this October and served in the Navy in the Pacific. These old soldiers are some gritty fellows I will tell you.

Up until the most recent "scare" I have never had an issue with anyone doing what they say they are going to do on TGO. Recently I have had a no show (guy is gone from TGO apparently), and an issue where someone has offered up a gun I was looking for then broke off communication completely when I asked for a price. I guess its the times now. I was raised to do what I said I was going to do when I said I was going to do it. I have passed up higher offers on guns and accessories after I had verbally committed to a deal with another person, even on Armslist. Its the right thing to do. Sorry just venting a little.

What many people fail to realize is that there are quite a few people in these crime ridden areas that have more money than they know what to do with. Many of these gang bangers and drug dealers carry rolls of cash and probably spend more in a year than I have in my entire retirement savings and investments. So how is a few measly dollars, from the rest of us, going to solve anything when they are the source of much of the crime? This their way of life, a source of power, a position they will be most reluctant to let go of. As to the shooting, why is it that many of these shooters have had multiple contacts with authorities but are still out on the street?

I can walk long distances all day but can't imagine running! That would kill me. Have you heard of the Barkely Marathon here in TN? It's a crazy mix of both. https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a26750827/barkley-marathons-faq/

Don’t count on it. We’ll never see prices like 2-3 years ago again.

I watched a documentry on this place. The wild life is bouncing back but some have bad defects. Some wildlife even adapted to live within the radiation.

To be honest, I'm getting really damn annoyed with the entire thing. The BLM march over the weekend didn't help my mood. People were holding signs demanding justice for the kid that brought a gun to school. I don't understand it. Meanwhile we've had god knows how many other black people killed this year by someone other than police and the same community hardly reacts. Have you ever looked at the unsolved homicides on KPD's website? You'll notice a trend. https://knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/police_department/criminal_investigations/unsolved_murder_cases

Finished the lower build for the .223 Wylde barreled upper. Started with a standard carbine stock, but after testing it out I don’t think the buffer/spring were quite right for the rifle length gas system. Thanks to KahrMan I added a full rifle stock and ended up with this.

That is awesome especially for a dog in their teens! I couldn’t log that many miles myself. I have in past years done 5k’s, 10 milers and a couple half marathons. But I am a bit older now. I did go 5.5 miles a week ago. But none of my miles are in the mountains with a pack. My hat is off to you both!

Thread has drifted, but police say the two rifles he used were legally purchased. Didn't specifically say from an FFL but that seems to be the assumption. - OS

I like to hike, but don't get to do it as much as I'd like. I'm also much more of a day hiker, my feet won't tolerate 20 mile days. It's also getting toward the end of hiking season... too many bugs, snakes, and people.

I understand politics is a forbidden topic on this forum, but I just can’t let this post go unanswered. What you are proposing is communism in it’s purest form. Since it hasn’t been successful anywhere in the world ever, I consider it a fool’s errand to give it a go in my country.

Yeah, I love being outside and moving through the forest and Tennessee is the best place to be! It may seem pointless (and painful), but there are so many benefits. My dog in the avatar climbed over 3000 feet and went 17 miles yesterday and she is just about to turn 13.

That’s a lot of miles! Definitely a good exercise program!

Have any links to this research? I’m fresh out of entertaining reading material.

I used to go on Volksmarches in Germany regularly. Most were from 5-20 kilometers, usually on easy terrain, but went on a 40 kilometer Polizei Volksmarch once. Wasn't prepared for this one at my advanced age, lol. (I was 38) Participants were all police officers, mostly German civilian, but also American and German military well. This one was on roads, in towns and in country, wooded trails and in places required the use of hands to help pull you up steep inclines. By far, this one was the toughest volksmarch I had been on. I was the oldest on our team, and no matter how much I wanted to drop out, there was no way I was going to not finish! Didn't set any records but I finished. Couldn't do it today. One interesting part of it was that when we wandered through a small German town, there were german women out on the streets offering free grapes, cheese and glasses of wine for us as we walked through. They support their police, lol.

Yes, it is related to socio-economic issues and thus Universal Basic Income and Healthcare (physical and mental) need to be more fully discussed, then. It's just like with the drug problem, where it turns out that offering treatment options rather than punitive measures result in major savings. It's actually cheaper to offer proactive measures than reactive ones!

I wouldn’t doubt it and I bet Shelby County would be one of them. Oddly, Memphis has much less restrictive guns laws than Chicago, but both are rampant with crime. Gun control is irrelevant.

Obviously, Democrats will use this event to argue for more gun control. Meanwhile, they ignore the weekly mayhem in Chicago, where strict gun laws are the rule. A friend showed me this Chicago crime tracker website yesterday. Memphis needs something similar. http://heyjackass.com/

Lots of flowery words I could use here, but I'll just leave it at what Dirtshooter said so well. Rest In Peace, Mr. Coolidge, with the thanks and respect of a grateful city, state, and nation.

I meant a state mandate. I'm in KY. Here's my shirt...

I really like your revolver, shoot it and enjoy it. My two oldest guns, that are in shootable condition, are both .22s, one is a pump made in 1909 and the other is a single shot made around 1935-37. I don't shoot them as much as I use to but they do get out a few times a year. Till I knew better I even shot high velocity ammo in them but have switched to standard now. They were my first 2 rifles given to me by my father.

I thank my English teachers for making me reaf Huxley, Orwell, and Bradbury. It still needs to be required reading today. Now more than ever!

Maybe wearing three masks will tackle this problem too. Oh, and lets increase the social distance to what?, 50 cal max range

I don't think they care. Anything over 10 rounds=evil.

That was a good read. Thanks for sharing. Some well thought out ideas there. Despite our differences here, I think we all agree with his final statement (quoted above).

Well, if I was uninformed on a matter and looking for answers, I’d find someplace where I could ask the question and folks might be informed enough to answer. It’s why I joined a forum centered around vinyl record collecting when I had some gear questions. It’s why I just joined a discord server centered around the ATAK/CivTAK software. I hope he sticks around and learns and gains a greater understanding of why things happened the way they did.

I agree with @No_0ne. Once available, try as many brands as you can, in the bullet weight of your choice, for reliability and point of impact with your sights, on your chosen gun. The twist rate of your AR (5.56) should direct you to bullet weight ranges. I have a preference for Federal handgun ammo. But Federal, Winchester, Speer, Hornady, Remington (and several others) make quality ammo. Maybe they'll be readily available again... one day.

They have serious thorns.

I understand the concerns, but our current method of dealing with the mentally ill by allowing them to end up on the streets until the commit serious enough crimes to warrant prison time isn’t working. As a society we shifted the responsibility of dealing with the mentally ill from medical professionals to police. That’s been terrible for everyone. The sick most of all.

I’ve met some fine people trading here that I never would have met otherwise.

I'm well on the chubby side and carry a P365 in an Alien Gear IWB holster at 4 o'clock. It's so comfortable that I never really feel it there. IMHO if you're going to carry, then carry. The reality is that you won't get to choose when (hopefully and likely never) you need to have it. Better to be looking at it than looking for it. The other obvious piece is regular training and drills with your setup so you can draw from different positions and engage targets in different directions.

yea I agree, like I said just venting a little. I'm not going to travel anywhere for anyone that hasnt been here for at least a year anymore. I guess anything I sell from here on out will have that stipulation.

I do not think the TGO is changing. But I am a little wary of a new member with zero posts and zero feedback. However, there was a time that we all were in that boat.

I would pay money to see that!!!

Larry Potterfield has mastered the art of separating me from my money on many occasions. As for the shipping, they don't seem to be any higher than anyone else for UPS Ground. They've tricked many a customer into thinking they are getting UPS Ground when they select UPS Basic, which is the Surepost xsubsailor mentioned above. I almost always avoid their free shipping unless I just don't need it anytime soon. The free shipping is often UPS Mail Innovations, which will get you your stuff in three days or 30 days.