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Baby Boomer Going Like Sixty

Baby boomer man humorously looking at mid-life, retirement in Costa Rica, and memories.

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Adios Costa Rica – Hello USA – The Gun Control

Baby Boomer Going Like Sixty Posted on November 12, 2017 by goinglikesixtyNovember 12, 2017

I’ve changed my position on concealed carry handguns in the U.S.

The more qualified, knowledgeable, and responsible people who carry handguns, the better.

Shortly after our move to Atenas, Costa Rica, a gringo shot and killed a tico home invader who was physically threatening a friend of the gringo.  It was VERY unusual because guns are strictly controlled in Costa Rica and therefore gun violence was very rare.

Word has it that after the gringo shot and killed the home invader he was treated like a conquering hero.  He couldn’t go into a coffee shop or bar without somebody buying him a drink.

He was a qualified shooting instructor. He knew how to handle a handgun. The only people injured were the bad guys. There was no way the local cops could have responded as efficiently and effectively as he did.

We need more people like him in the U.S. to protect those of us who don’t carry (or have every fired) a handgun.

Jerry Patterson, the man who wrote the laws that allows Texans to carry a concealed handgun, convinced me that every citizen in the U.S. should have the right to carry a concealed handgun.

He always carries a concealed handgun.

Does he need it?

In a podcast on The New York Times podcast, The Daily… he said…

“No, I don’t think I’ll every need it, but you know what, …I don’t think I’ll need the smoke detector in my house…”

He explains, that if you make a decision to carry a handgun, you need to commit to carry it all the time.

He says (and I agree) there are no safe spaces in America. He started feeling this way after the mass shootings in Colorado Springs, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Las Vegas,  Sutherland Springs. From a small town church to a concert of thousands, there are no more safe spaces.

He uses the comparison of a guy carrying a wallet. If you don’t carry it one day, it feels odd. And the day you need it, and don’t have it… therefore a commitment must be full.

He was motivated by the Luby’s restaurant mass shooting.  A young chiropractor was taking her parents to the restaurant. At the time, it wasn’t lawful to carry a handgun in Texas, so she left her gun in the car, instead of in her purse where it normally would have been. She feared she would get arrested for carrying a weapon and lose her license or even go to prison.

When the gunman opened fire, she thought:  “I got him.” She reached for her purse and realized the gun wasn’t there. She watched him kill people. Including her parents.

Could she have shot and missed? It is possible her gun would have jammed? Sure, she says, but she also says she has shot and hit much smaller targets further away.

But her government took away her right to try to protect her family.

Here’s the key point… you can’t confiscate every semi-automatic firearm in America. It’s impossible. There are 5 million ARs. So what to do?  Change the dynamic.

In every single instance of the mass shooting there was one common thread, the shooter was in COMPLETE control. Calmly walking around killing people.

Patterson says the first time you change that comfort zone of that killer, the first time you return fire, the dynamic changes!

Downsides:

  • You may get killed,
  • you might shoot an innocent bystander,
  • the cops might shoot you.

But it’s a last ditch maneuver. It’s not a perfect solution, but I’ve come to the conclusion that we are at the place where a “last ditch” maneuver is the only one left.

So that’s the point at which we find ourselves. There are not enough cops or security guards on the street to protect us. We can only hope that qualified, knowledgeable, responsible citizens will have concealed carry handguns to change the dynamic and make the next mass shooter think twice before unloading a weapon on innocent people.

If you want to hear the complete interview, it’s here:

Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017

 Jerry Patterson, who wrote the 1995 law that gave Texans the right to carry concealed weapons.

https://www.nytimes.com/podcasts/the-daily

It starts about 8 minutes in.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Baby Boomer

Adios Costa Rica – Hello USA: Comparing Rainy Seasons

Baby Boomer Going Like Sixty Posted on October 12, 2017 by goinglikesixtyOctober 12, 2017

Setting aside the Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, I’ll take Florida’s rainy season over Costa Rica’s any día de la semana. (day of the week)

It’s a helluva lot hotter and more humid in southwest Florida at sea level compared to the central valley of Atenas Costa Rica at 2400 feet elevation.

But the rains in Florida are quickly pass-thru pop-up thunderstorms. All day rains are rare. In Costa Rica during rainy season you can count on an afternoon rain that can last from a downpour that lasts a few minutes, then slack off to a steady rain that will last an hour or so. Then the clouds will move in and turn the sky grey for the rest of the day. And since sunset is 6:30 p.m. that means the day is done.

Everyday. For months. It will rain everyday.

In southwest Florida, it may rain like crazy for a few minutes, but once the storm moves through, the sun comes out (thus raising the humidity to ridiculous highs.  The “real feel” (summer wind chill) will top 100 regularly.  But it won’t rain everyday.  As a matter of fact, we have had to water plants from time-to-time because of 3-4 days without a drip.

I prefer the Florida rainy season… hate the humidity but love the sun. AND… Costa Rica rain is COLD.

 

Posted in Moving from Costa Rica, Rain

How Mentally Healthy Are Members of The Extreme Left and Right?

Baby Boomer Going Like Sixty Posted on October 6, 2017 by goinglikesixtyOctober 6, 2017

It seems like you either love and fully support the Trump administration with no questions asked or you cannot stand the sitting commander-in-chief no matter what he does. It is true that President Trump is a polarizing figure, but what isn’t known is why he seems to elicit such a strong response from supporters and dissenters from all over the world. So, what makes someone who was formerly a moderate conservative suddenly become anti-liberal? And why are some liberals doing everything they can to get Trump impeached and the current members of the White House fired? A masters of social work online degree holder from Rutgers Online may know what’s behind these extreme thoughts.
Citizens Support Those Who Uphold Their Personal Interests
If you have been struggling to afford medical care and you need continued treatments to fight cancer, stabilize your blood sugar levels, or simply live a pain-free life, then the healthcare debate is important to you. On the other hand, if you’ve been working multiple part-time jobs because full-time employment isn’t readily available where you live then you want to see corporations get incentives for creating new jobs. Maybe you have a family member who has been discriminated against for being transgender and you feel as though unisex bathrooms are a basic human right. Whatever side of the coin that you stand for, remember that everything is personal. Extreme leftists were likely highly unhappy during Obama’s presidency, as they saw changes take place in the country that they did not like and had no control over. Likewise, people on the right are seeing Trump undo all of the ‘good’ that Obama put into place.
Social Media’s New Political Standards
No other president has used social media quite like Trump. It may have been daring, but having the president take to Twitter to express his feelings about everything from Hurricane Irma to North Korea has kept citizens fully informed of his feelings. His most ardent supporters can expect to see messages from the president at 5 A.M. or 6 P.M., and either way they are ready to spread the word and give him a big boost. Likewise, those who are not keen on the president don’t waste any time ripping into him.
A Buffer for Other Issues
Members of the extreme left can be anarchists or disenfranchised moderate liberals who never believed that an inexperienced presidential candidate would actually take the ballot. Both sets of these people are mentally sound, but they may not have the best ‘filters’ when it comes to expressing their feelings. Online MSW programs are covering this presidency with more detail than others in past years simply because of the number of issues that seem to be stemming from politics.
You don’t have to be crazy for supporting the current administration or disliking it. If you can explain your feelings politely and know when to refrain from getting into a political debate, you likely have tact as well as balanced views. Otherwise, keep in mind that everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

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