new thread
I was just wondering if anyone here has ever thought of/tried to dress lord of the rings'esque during everyday life? You know the whole cape and hood bit. Is it even legal to walk around like that? I was thinking about it but .... I need to get myself a sword, j/k :)
Well I always wanted to get a suit of armor from ebay but then again I aint got 800 bucks heh. My friend told me that we'd get arrested if we wore it. I dont see anything illegal in wearing a suit of armor or a cape and whatnot. It actually looks pretty cool...
There's a gentleman who lives down the road from me here in Asheville, NC, whom I see walking up the street everyday dresses in a long, maroon garment with a hood, carrying a walking stick. Definitely very medieval. I'm not sure if he has long hair, as it's always covered by his hood, and I've never had the opportunity to talk with him. I never see him stopped anywhere long enough to strike up a conversation; he's always just walking.
Cheers,
Jeremy
Perhaps nobody else can see him......
if I could get away with it I would wear a loincloth as every day wear
I was just wondering if anyone here has ever thought of/tried to dress lord of the rings'esque during everyday life? You know the whole cape and hood bit. Is it even legal to walk around like that? I was thinking about it but .... I need to get myself a sword, j/k :)
I've never done it, but I've thought about doing it.
Thing is, I guess if I had to make it myself it wouldn't look nowhere as cool as in the movies (cause I ain't got the same sense of detail for clothing)
If I had the stuff, then I propably would wear it in public, just for kicks.
Picture Purged
My ren. outfit is extremely comfertable, and I'll wear it around the house or to taco bell or just wherever occasionally. In America, as long as you can see the sword (not hidden in your cloak or anything) and you're not taking it on to property that is explicitly labeled "weapons free"(like a school) it is legal. I love that in America we have the right to "own and bear arms".
My friend Daniel wears his homeade armor out in public every now and then.
God bless America, you just made me realize I can bring my Enfield with me when I want. (1853 Enfield musket)
At risk of dragging the discussion off topic - The right to bear arms (2nd Ammendment right?) This has got to be the most pointless and unnecessary part of the US constitution.
Lets face it the law was written a couple of hundred years ago, mostly cos the country was so damn lawless and poorly policed that you had to have a gun to protect yourself otherwise you'd robbed and shot at every turn.
This has now changed... Your country is incredibly well policed, crime rates are dropping all over the country (though fear of crime still increases) Isn't it time that rather than hanging on to your trigger happy right to turn yourselves into a G.I.JOE that you turned over this pointless piece of legislation and made your country safer by having fewer weapons on your streets?
Or at least that you legislated and controlled gun sales and permits so that you knew who had what kinda arsenal.
That way there's a good chance 9/11 would never have happened cos the terrorists that crashed the planes wouldn't have been able to walk into a store and casually and untraceably buy an Assault Rifle.
Nor would they have been able to pop down the local shooting range and work on their target practice, before calling in at WalMart to buy a few extra rounds of ammunition and then using these guns to hi-jack the planes.
Here's a scary stat for you Gun Lovers:
Each year on average over 10,000 Americans are killed in Gun related homocides. In Britian Less than 100. Guess who has the tighter guns laws? Heck only a fraction of our Police force carry guns... We call the ARU's (Armed Response Units) and they are the most highly trained armed police in the world.
Time to rethink the 2nd Ammendment I think....
Not so sure about your statistic here. . .what's the population of Britain vs. the US? How many total homicides from knives, clubs, etc? If someone wants to kill you, they don't need a gun
Says who?
Yeah when da' devil gets frostbite! ;)
The population of America and Britain er I think you guys are at about 300 Million, were at 60 million so if you guys have a normal gun homocide rate then we should have had at least 2000 homocides.
My Source is the film Bowling for Columbine, you might remember it won an oscar for Best Documentary, you may also remember the fat bloke (michael moore) who made the films screaming "Shame on you George W Bush! Shame on you!" when he accepted the award.
In the words or Michael Moore:
Are (you) a nation of Gun Nuts or just plain Nuts?
Gimme one good reason against tighter gun controls.
But email me cos we are way off topic: david@sortedsites.com
Reappealing the second amendment would clear the way for Bush to take total power over the United States. You do have a right to bear arms. YEs I would like to know the Total Homicide rate in London vs Chicago I bet you London's while be lower is still not that far removed from Chicago's
Actually Bush is pretty big proponent of the 2nd ammendment his campaign was funded in no small way by the NRA.
I don't think the 2nd Ammendment is a civil liberties issue, in civilised society there is no need to carry a gun. What are you going to use a gun for besides shooting someone?
Again we're way off topic, mail me if you want to debate this, but also check out my web site I'll be posting an essay on why tighter gun controls would benefit the USA very shortly.
Im guessing you saw bowling for colombine? Yea I do agree people shouldnt be carrying guns around with them. To be carrying a gun in a city is just asking for trouble.
If anyone cares you can read my thoughts on the topic on the following web site: http://www.deceptikons.com/2ndAmmendment.asp
Yeah I saw Bowling for Columbine, quite inspring.
While I ageee a civilised society would be better off without any guns, banning guns would take the guns away from the law abiding citizens and put them only in the hands of Criminals. Look at England while there are not that many deaths from Shooting there is a fair amount of stabbings and clubbings. I even heard people started fighting with swords again after the guns were banned.
I agree. Since govenment always has failed to remove illegal drugs from the streets, they could never get guns out of the hands of criminals. Maybe most criminals support banning guns so law-abiding people would be easy meat for robbery?
I don't know about the UK but a nationwide ban of guns in the US would spur an underground Mob organization just like during prohibition. And I have to say most Americans would sympathise with them. I don't feel safe walking out my front door because some could stab me or shoot me in the middle of the night it is better to be armed with some thing be it handgun, taser, peppar spray. Me personally I don't go out armed but I get very paranoid when I do not go out armed. And I live in a relativly safe city.
When will you guys realise that you are a lot safer than you feel? American Paranoia has started two conflicts since 9/11 and our lame lap dog of a Prime Minister has followed you in just to stay cosy with his mate Dubya.
In 2002 your chances of been killed by a terrorist attack in the USA were ZERO - in 2003 ZERO - in 2001 even with the WTC attacks only 1 in 100,000.
Equally on your streets your safe! The gun related homocides involving "real criminals" tended to be within Gangland battles. Ordinary civilians were rarely caught up in it. In contrast there were much more civilian deaths involving guns whereby an otherwise "law abiding" person had access to or got hold of gun and shot someone else.
Unless you are convenience store clerk you are very very unlikely to have someone walk up to and stick a gun in your face and try and rob you.
Instead its more likely that someone will pull a gun on you in a fit of road rage because he thinks you cut him up!
I don't expect your nation to come around to this anytime soon. You are in love with your guns. But maybe if you keep shooting each other at the curren rate, 1 person every hour (and that's just fatal shootings.) You might eventually wise up. For me I just think anyone who is Pro-Gun is insane. I don't care how unpopular that makes me, your guys are nuts I really wish you would listen to yourselves.
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Anyone thinking of robbing a convenience store has to worry that maybe someone else will walk up and shoot him. The fear that the "good guy" may have a gun often prevents crime.
Someone that irresponsible shouldn't have use of a car.
Sounds prejudicial.
Tosh! - fear of the good guy stops nothing.
Er... But they can buy a gun.
Probably, but in the time taken for you to reply to my thread (if figures hold) 10 Americans have been shot dead on home soil. Knock yourselves out.
Americas population is only 5 times larger than Britains, our societies very similiar in terms of consumerism and cultures, afterall 200+ years ago you were a British Colony. But on this side of the pond no-one has been shot. Our Gun related Homocide rate is 5% of yours and we have Organised Crime & Street Gangs too. Can you really argue with these figures?
That's a reason why we feel a need for armies, police and the right to own a gun for self defense.
Yes, legal or not. Usually people with criminal records are not allowed to buy or keep guns. And should get longer sentences if they use a gun to commit a crime such as robbery.
I always figured the Homocide rate is about 5 to 10 time lower in Europe than the USA. The cultures don't seem the same in the way people treat each other. I often wonder if I should leave the USA to find a place where people care about each other instead of hate each other. I believe the homocide rate in the USA would still be a problem with or without guns.
So you make yourselves untrained vigilantes... that makes sense! You're also arguing against your own point.
But we're talking about "law abiding" citizens who in a fit of frustration gets annoyed and pulls out a gun. Not hardened Criminals. Yet your whole arguement for having a gun is because hardened criminals have them too... your arguing in circles Tim.
Nope your homicide rate is 20 times higher. Hate is a big part of the problem, but in Britain we hate too, we hate immigrants, asaluym seekers, our government, our football team, we have the same paranoia. (We backed Americas War on Terror didn't we?) The fact is our hatred is nowhere near as destructive because we don't have ready access to guns.
Brits have shown themselves equally as capable as murder as Americans, we just don't have such easy opportunities. Look at Dumblain... this was our equivilant of Columbine. Only we banned hand guns outright... you protected your civil liberties by leaving laws unchanged so the whole fiasco could happen over again.
You can argue this point all you like but its clear to me that you have such an emotional attachment to lethal weapons that you'll never surrender them, inspite of the fact there is no good reason to have them. Honestly I wish you could look at this from a European perspective. We don't have guns, and we are not afraid. You have guns and naturally your scared witless. Our social problems are so simliar yet without guns our has managed to stay under control, with guns yours have spiraled and your even more afraid.
Fear is America's biggest Enemy, not Al Quaida, Public Fear allowed your government sign aways half of your civil liberties with the Patriot Act. Public Fear allowed George Bush to further Corporate Americas Financial interests in Afgahnistan and have a bloody good go at the same in Iraq. Public Fear keeps you guys tucked up safe with your gun. And this same fear allows kids to blow each other way. Honestly I'm really saddened by this, because I have never met an American I didn't like, and I really don't want to see any more you guys dead.
What Europeans don't have, is America's government. If you did, you would realize that on this side of the pond, fear is our friend. [grin]
No. Vigilantes are murderers; they are not activing in self defense.
Then if you have a temper problem, then please don't keep any guns in your possession. Part of preventing crime is to stay out of situations where you may feel compelled to commit a crime.
Er No Actually our homocide rate is very very low.
Banning Guns certainly doesn't put them in the hands of criminals, the criminals have guns whilst they are legal. What it does stop is people getting hold of guns easily and blowing people away on the spur of the moment or because they are pissed off and stressed out.
The fact is inspite of what you say about "law abiding citizens bearing guns" There are very few lawful ways to use a gun, guns make criminals out of ordinary people. Most of the disaters that have happend in recent American History result from legal gun ownership:
Banning Guns would have stopped Columbine, the weapons used there were legally owned.
The gun used in the assasination attempt on Regan, Legally owned.
The more difficult you make guns to get the less likely a law abiding citizen is to become a criminal.
If you don't feel safe in the streets without a gun, go down your local police station and ask them how many armed muggings were reported last year?
Compare this to the population of your town and you'll get an idea of how likely you are to be robbed at gunpoint.
But hey I don't live in your country, it wont be one of you trigger happy morons blowing me away, it'll be someone YOU love.
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Sorry about no n/t post there. I merely wished to state that walking in a city with a gun clearly shown is not asking for trouble but anybody who goes after you is the one asking for trouble. All you have to do is pull out your 1853 Colt Navy revolver and not shake, quiver nor make a wierd face. One must be calm, collected and stone faced and any threat will almost always disolve it's self, though should you still be further provoked or attacked then shoot them in the knee, disable. Killing will be the last resort. And with the idea of Switzerland going on, well if every single person has a revolver on them at home and in public then anybody who goes to rob or maim is really in trouble because they may have a gun but the other person they're robbing might have some system that wakes them up in time to be prepared for an ambush. Anywho, to sum all this up...I opened up one hell of a can of worms.
I have seen someone draw a gun on someone else only once, and it was a pitiful sight. It was the owner of a gas station, and he thought someone was trying to get away without paying. He was mistaken. They were pretending to leave someone behind and drive off without him.
Bloody silly behaviour to be sure, but for that he was at least considering shooting them. And there I was, standing filling up my car, considering whether to drop the hose and run, or whether if I did the moron might take a pot shot at me too. And we were all standing on top of huge tanks of inflammable liquid, ready to be ignited by a spark.
He acheived one thing at least. I never fill my car up there anymore!
The 2nd amendment is alright in theory, but then there are morons who think it would make sense to shoot someone for leaving without paying, whilst risking blowing everyone up. Some people are way too stupid to own guns.
And then there was the couple I knew who kept a loaded rifle in the hall cupboard, within reach of a toddler, who actually got hold of the rifle while I was there. I'm not making any of this up!
Brandishing a fire arm and making threats are considered crimes.
The laws are finally starting to see the problem of IRRESPONSIBLE gun ownership. In cases where a child is allowed to use a gun, the parents and gun owners would be held responsible.
Too often the politicians polarized the issue accomplishing nothing: one side letting guns be everywhere and other side taking guns from law abiding people only to let criminals produce, distribute and use guns.
Even if he thought he was being robbed?
The child was two or three years old! If he had managed to actually use the rifle, we would have more than that to worrry about!
I pretty much agree. I used to like to shoot paper targets with a pistol, so I am not really anti-gun. Maybe owning a gun should require an IQ test, LOL! Seriously, though, a test on gun safety would be a good idea.
Often that is to be determined in court. The courts look at laws that protect the person thought to be committing a robbery; and laws are looked at that allow the gas station owner the right to self defense. This would limit one's ability to brandish a gun at anyone, even if the suspected shoplifter was wearing a sword like the people in the movies.
I knew he was an a*s*h*le, I just didn't realise it might be considered a crime!
I think to kill someone with a gun is cheating! How easy is it to turn around and take the little it of effort to blow someone's head off, provided you've got the nerves to do so?
I am not good in history by far, but I remember reading somewhere that in one medevil war, the pope banned the crossbow twice because a young inexperienced person could kill a much more experienced and older opponent, which is not fair, it should be a fair match, where the weakest person has to die.
We are just striving for power we do not have by having guns, playing with fire.
If I had my way, we would all be fighting with swords, and only allowing vurnerable people to use guns. It's pretty fair to me, although I don't think it would work out somehow!
Fighting with swords again eh? While I'll agree it's an enchanting, romantic idea, it is also very misguided. Do you really think that YOU would be safer with a sword? You do realize that against very large men well-trained with swords you would be even MORE vulnerable that you are in todays world? The simple fact of close quarters melee fighting is that -usually- the bigger, meaner, stronger guy wins. I don't think that is you. Or me, for that matter. In a world of swords, genes, heredity, training, physical strength, and size are the greatest factors in your survival. In a gun world, you can be big, small, fast, sneaky, agile, dexterous, more cautious, or just plain better-prepared. I think I'll take my chances in today's world.
At least we all agree on long hair!
Whether that is true or not, you have hit upon the REAL reason for the Second Amendment. The American system of government is built upon distrust. We have three branches of government because we don't trust any one of them too much. And if those three branches do fail us, we've got the Fourth Branch of Government - our guns.
The 911 terrorists hijacked the planes with box cutters.
And if you take guns from high school students, they will commit mass murders with motor vehicles. It happened in Santa Barbara a couple of years back on a crowded street. You can kill a lot of people with a pickup truck at a high school football game, in case you really hate jocks. That was who the Columbine kids were angry at.
The solution is to deal with the underlying causes of hate.
How true that is, Bill, people here in America need a change of attitude. Absalom
That's certainly true... Fear and paranoia a big part of the hate thought. Canada seems pretty liberal with gun ownership too, and their homocide rate is much lower than the US. They are obviously more relaxed.
I don't want to come across as saying all americans are stressed out paranoid nutcases... (only your cabinet *wink*), most of you are pretty down to earth people. But you guys certainly don't need more guns whilst you're so edgy and hateful towards one another. Its too easy to shoot someone and you guys are shooting each other at a frighteningly alarming rate. And with Iraqi Militia Men taking pot shots at your boys in Falluja, personally I don't think you need this kinda problem at home.
Besides I like you guys... please stop shooting each other.
See this article:
http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/nether_fictoid9.htm
That is quite interesting. I have heard that Switzerland also has a low homicide rate. I have read that every able bodied man there between 18 and 60 years of age is REQUIRED by law to keep a government supplied machine gun and a large supply of ammunition in their home. No one would dare try to rob a house with a machine gun inside. The moral of the story is that gun ownership does not always equate out to a high homicide rate. I don't claim to know all the answers to the rampant homicide rate here in the states but I just thought I would share this. Absalom
We have the largest percentage of our citizens in jail than any other country, too.
We've chosen to be a "free country". Sadly with a lot of people, if you give them too much rope, they will hang themselves with it. Rather than restricting freedom, we need to force-feed-teach the responsible exercise thereof, methinks. Number one on the list is respecting other people. Conquer that one, and we'd solve most of the world's problems, including the one we have of being harassed about our hair.
Methinks Bill would make a good President...
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The reason the 2nd Amendment was written was so the public could create armed militias to protect themseves against the possibility of a future overbearing government.
That law exists to keep the government in line, in case the government becomes the criminal.
It's very valuable.
Just what I learned as a history major...
JE
Is that a picture from an SCA event? I'm a bit curious if it is, would you email me privately?
