Aurorasungem

Call me old fashioned, but I grew up with guns in the home. My father was a gunsmith, so taught us early on what to do and not do with one. A gun is a tool like anything else, it can be used for fun like plinking, for hunting, or for violence. If a criminal is going to go after someone, it will be with whatever tool is at hand. It is a deterrant to one if they know you are armed for them to come into your home, but it will not stop someone who is really determined unless you are forced to use it against them. I have lived in a few rough areas in my time. I know just how horrible it can be to face a killer who has told you that they are going to kill you, and have nothing there to defend yourself with but your wits. I am one of the lucky ones who outwitted the guy by divine providence. When you are face to face with someone invading your home, someone that is determined to kill you and harm your family, what would you rather have, a knife, a gun, a bat... They have already stated their intention to kill and harm, so where do you stand? Are you going to just sit there and tell me that you would not want to have some form of protection on hand? How many people over in the disaster areas post flood and hurricane now have guns after the post disaster looting when law enforcement was gone? They stated to my friends there that the police were not there to protect them, but to try to maintain order, which meant they were busy running from place to place just pulling people out of the fallen structures and everyone was on their own for protecting themselves from the starving human predators out there. It sounds like a bleak reality, but sometimes you do have to protect yourself. As for me, I would rather have a weapon and have a half a chance, then have no weapon and be the one that got hit in the end when things turn ugly. I am a pacifist by nature, but if they threaten my kids, they are the ones who will have to watch out. Life is not always about black and white, or about making something like this sound simple, but it is about free choice, and what to do when someone else has gone bad or desperate and is willing to do whatever it takes to take all of what you have. The real issue here is not guns, but what to do about the ones who have them illegally and are using them to harm others. It is about the criminal element and how to stop them when they are attacking. Having a gun or not on your part does not stop someone who is already set on harming and stealing to get gain from getting one and using it. That is very evident in all the places that have banned guns. Those are the areas too that are the highest for violent crime in the united states, maybe not with just guns, but with whatever the criminal has at hand to attack. A criminal will use a bomb, threat, guns, knives, cars, glass, whatever means at hand to attack. They often do not have mercy, they will not listen to a plea to stop, and they certainly often do not care about who they hurt or what they do to get what they want. When it comes down to the line, and you finally end up in the position of having to try to get away or stop someone of this nature that comes into your home, where would you rather be, holding a gun, or holding a knife or other handy object to defend yourself? Think on it and see.... I know what I would rather have.

Lol I guess I have been on here a while and never got around to introducing myself on here. Nice to meet all of you that I have not met yet, and good to see you again to all those who I have met. I am a digital artist by hobby, and I love to create and draw new things. I have two beautiful children that I love very much, but are still in a custody battle that can be a bit ugly at times. (It can be tough fighting someone with a lot of money and no ethics or morals whatsoever.) I am a student working toward a bachelors in Curative Tech. (Museum design.) I am also helping coordinate the singles ward website and advertizing for my area, so if I am on and off of here at random times that is why. I am a member of the Orchid society, a supporter of the Horticulture club, and a volunteer with the museum in Gooding with helping set it up as soon as the building is up. I have an active role in the community as much as possible. I helped to design the new layout for the twin falls library addition proposal here in Idaho. I do have a degree in drafting and design. I also have a degree in Geology and almost a degree in horticulture (two classes shy.) I would be done by now, but I had some medical problems that came up that have slowed me way down, but I keep at it. I love to cook, do arts and crafts, and I absolutely love gardening. I also love to work on growing new kinds of plants as a hobby. I am one of those who likes fishing, and yes, I do bait my own hook, clean my own fish, and cook them too. I like camping, exploring and yard saling. I love those most when they have gemstones to find. I collect gemstone and cut stones, and I also collect dragons, and unusual carvings from other areas. I find soome of those carvings just facinating. The more detailed and crafted, the better I like them. Well, that is a little bit about me, I hope you drop me a line and say hi. My door is always open to new friends. Best of blessings and take care, Maraleh

I just heard myself, and I pray his words and memory will live on, and that his deeds and words may inspire future generations throughout time. Best of blessings to his friends and family, Aurora

Hi everyone, thank you for the wonderful welcome. It is good to be here. Best of blessings and hope to see you around the site! Aurora

thank you for the welcome. I think mine are more of the throw a bug in the system kind when it comes to computers, lol. Good to meet you both though.

Good tips on this for the chlorine. The number one item people always forgot was the hand crank can opener for opening food. I recommend even get one of the old military style ones that goes on a key ring. Just wrap the end with a little bit of tape to keep it from swinging open, and it will be very useful for a long time. Another tip, keep some dish soap in a small bottle with your kit too. It can be used to wash hands, dishes and even yourself in a real pinch. Another good thing to pack is a small cheap salt and pepper pack, the picknick style containers that are resealable. You would be surprized how often camping those get forgotten too. A small folding pocketknife is also a lifesaver. You can catch and clean fish or use it to chop veggies if needed, or even peel oranges or whatever you have available. Another item that often gets forgotten, is toilet paper. Make sure you put in one or two wrapped rolls per person if you can in your emergency pack. In an evacuation, for some reason that is always the first thing to run out at the center usually. Another useful one is to make sure your pets are taken care of. They will need rations and supplies, including any special meds or tools they use when you go too. Make sure if you have to leave them they have access to plenty of food and water, and you leave detailed instructions with them including your name, their name, special needs and any needed supplies pre packed with them, to give them the best odds of survival. In flood conditions, never leave a caged animal on the floor either. Dumb as it sounds, I saw a lot of people lose their pets because they left the carrier on the floor with a flood coming. It is far better to let them run loose in the house than to leave them like that, and the emergency rescue people will understand on dogs and cats. These are just a few things I have learned from some of the disasters I have been through. I hope this helps, Maraleh

Hi, I just joined myself. My sister sent me this link and said I should try it. I decided to wander in and see what it was all about. I seem to have misplaced my messages somehow, so if someone sent a message or comment, I think the gremlins in my system ate them. It is nice to meet you all though, and I hope to get to know more of you. All of the pics on my profile are ones I made or took on the camera. I have been offline a lot lately, but am trying to get on the computer a bit more and say hi to everyone. I just finished updating my profile, but for some reason cannot get my picture box background to stay solid. Strike one more up to the gremlins, lol. Oh well. Best of blessings and please do say hi. If I am slow to answer, try again as random gremlins keep wandering through off and on, and I am hoping to upgrade this computer soon to slow them down. Nice to meet you all and best of blessings, Maraleh