[at-l] weight/use efficiency & Guns

[DTimm65344@aol.com (DTimm65344@aol.com)]

sAunTerer -

Your right.  Things have changed in this country.

When I was a kid in small town America in the early 60s, I would disappear 
for the day to play with friends or to wander in the woods and my mom 
wouldn't worry (she knew I'd be back by dinner).  We used to leave the doors 
unlocked.  Not many folks in big or small town America can (or think they 
can) do that anymore anywhere in America.  I miss that.

The biggest change from when I was young and now as regards people's 
attitudes towards things is the flagrant abuse of traffic laws.  And no, I 
don't want to start a thread on that - I want to talk about hiking, dammit!!!!
!  However, on my daily commute to and from work along an aggregate 30ish 
miles of the Interstate 95 speedway in Delaware, I drive the speed limit 
(right on the numbers, whatever they are).  I pass an average of two cars a 
day in that trip and an average of 600 cars blow my doors off racing by at 
anywhere from 5 to 30 miles over the limit.  I counted to get these numbers 
across about a month's time a couple of years ago and it's pretty consistent 
day in and day out.  At a recent public meeting sponsored by a civic 
organization on whose board I serve, several members of my local community 
complained to state, county and local law enforcement representatives that we 
need more police (State troopers) to control the speeding on Interstate 95.  
At least two of those complaints came from people whom I know and who 
routinely blow the doors off my car on the way to work - guess they meant we 
need to pull over the folks from Florida passing through on the way to New 
York (or vice versa).  I commented (citing my unscientific but pretty telling 
statistics) that as long as 95% of America (and I'm guessing that's low) 
doesn't give a damn about the speed limit, we have plenty of State troopers, 
and perhaps too many.  No point in wasting time there - they should spend 
time on other duties.

You're right, most people don't have respect for things they generally used 
to have respect for.

Black&blue

In a message dated 01/30/02 8:49:20 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
saunterer@jimbullard.org writes:

<< Yes, something in this country changed since those days but I don't quite 
 sure that removing weapons from the schools didn't cause it.  Those laws 
 (and others) were a reaction to more subtle changes that took place in the 
 attitudes of people.  Too many people just don't have any respect anymore 
 for anything.  I wish I were wise enough to point to a way to change the 
 attitudes back, but sadly, I'm not.
 
 sAunTerer >>