[EZ24GET]

I do live in backwater U.S. and that fades into rural farmland. This area has been affected greatly by the financial crisis, There are more drug dealers, more young (and old) addicted to drugs and desperate for money to buy more, people who have slid off the unemployment rolls- time's up sorry. There is no welfare in this area only aid to dependent children. No children= no help. I am always amazed by people outside the U.S. who believe everyone here is living the "good" life. Having said all that, in this part of the country people do hunt to put meat on the table. Also someone needs to keep the population of certain animals down. Deer would take over,they actually are responsible for more deaths from animals here in a year than from all the rest of deaths from other animals combined. They tend to jump in front of cars. We do have coyotes, and occasionally a bear wanders through. Guns are for protection, hunting and preserving a way of life.
We have only been the United States of America since the 1700s and if we hadn't been armed then we would never have been the U.S.A. at all.

[Wompa1]

Originally Posted by EZ24GET

No children= no help. I am always amazed by people outside the U.S. who believe everyone here is living the "good" life.

I can only speak for me but my perception of America was that it wasn't really the "good" life. You have to earn your way there and receive little to no handouts, unlike in most of Europe.

The "good" life in America would be my perception of certain states that get nice weather and also in America or at least the places I've been to the amount of choice in everything is much greater than anywhere else I have been to. The essentials also seem to be cheaper and taxes are that bit lower but no, certainly not the "good" life because there's a lot of pressure.

[MadsL]

Originally Posted by EZ24GET

I do live in backwater U.S. and that fades into rural farmland. This area has been affected greatly by the financial crisis, There are more drug dealers, more young (and old) addicted to drugs and desperate for money to buy more, people who have slid off the unemployment rolls- time's up sorry. There is no welfare in this area only aid to dependent children. No children= no help. I am always amazed by people outside the U.S. who believe everyone here is living the "good" life. Having said all that, in this part of the country people do hunt to put meat on the table. Also someone needs to keep the population of certain animals down. Deer would take over,they actually are responsible for more deaths from animals here in a year than from all the rest of deaths from other animals combined. They tend to jump in front of cars. We do have coyotes, and occasionally a bear wanders through. Guns are for protection, hunting and preserving a way of life.
We have only been the United States of America since the 1700s and if we hadn't been armed then we would never have been the U.S.A. at all.

Great post, although living in New Mexico I would like to point out we have only been the United States of America since 1912

[Manic Moran]

This is a video I took while a fellow forester and I were relaxing near the Nisqually River earlier today:

That can't be Fort Lewis like you claim in the video. I see no ant hills.

[Reindeer]

Originally Posted by Manic Moran

That can't be Fort Lewis like you claim in the video. I see no ant hills.

That's right, you may have trained there.

It's ROTC time and cadets are everywhere. We're doing the forest inventory for the base right now.

http://www.pbase.com/wyk/image/145069005/large.jpg

http://youtu.be/IkNFpHJJDt0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUHOIax9a5w

Almost forgot to mention - the largest ant-hill I saw on the fort was in the eastern quadrant, and it came up to about waist high. Here's an image of a monster one in Oregon under the shade of a big leaf maple judging by the leaves: http://www.splintercat.org/PortlandH...kAnthill01.jpg

[Corkfeen]

I'm surely not the only person who is slowly getting jealous of Reindeer....

[Reindeer]

Originally Posted by Corkfeen

I'm surely not the only person who is slowly getting jealous of Reindeer....

Don't be. I got eaten alive by mosquitoes yesterday, and that was with using 100% DEET since I knew I would be in a wetlands. A work mate in a different area fell in to an overgrown fox hole. A miracle he didn't get injured. I did find some M16 mgazines the other day, and some para-cord as well as some Army issue tactical gloves. The pay is crap, tho. I mean, it's good when yer working, but with the negotiations and the set backs on this project, we are only averaging 3 days a week work the last few weeks. And here I am today waiting on stand data. We didn't get our plot data yesterday so now I am sitting on me arse, unable to work.We are paid by the plot of data,not the hour. So you got to hussle. I'm a newb, and the best I have done so far is 19 plots in day. The experienced guys with lasers do 25 to nearly 30 day. They claim we will get the data it today. Just in time for me to work the weekend...

[Manic Moran]

Originally Posted by Reindeer

That's right, you may have trained there.

Been there twice. Once for OCS, after all the ROTC chaps have gone through, so the land navigation course was a bit of a joke (Just follow the cadet trails), and once for a few months in pre-deployment for Iraq.

The terrain similarity is astonishing.

[B.A._Baracus]

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/08/0...ht-rises-ohio/ (www.IMBD.com is also reporting it)

Authorities say a Cleveland-area man has been arrested for carrying a gun, ammunition, and several knives into a showing of the The Dark Knight Rises. Police in Westlake, Ohio say a manager was suspicious of the man and his satchel when he entered the theater for the 10 p.m. Saturday showing of the Batman movie.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the manager and an off-duty police officer working security searched the bag and found the weapons. He was arrested without incident. His home was searched Monday night.
The suspect’s name and other details have not been released.
A 24-year-old man is charged with killing 12 people and wounding 58 at a midnight showing of the The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo., on July 20.

[Colmustard]

Originally Posted by ScumLord

I would have thought that was a myth that Americans thought about non-Americans view of America. Parts of America are 3rd world poor by European standards. Some people are living on less than $200 a month if they're lucky.

I seen a documentary about Alabama and one of the contributors said about one of the communities that these are probably the poorest white people in the world.

They probably were apart from some parts of the former soviet union.

[MadsL]

Originally Posted by B.A._Baracus

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/08/0...ht-rises-ohio/ (www.IMBD.com is also reporting it)

The only law he broke there was probably the "no guns" sign on the wall. Not defending the guy, but he could have done that innocently, unthinkingly and without any malice aforethought. Stupid, and he has some explaining to do.

the poorest white people in the world.

One in six Americans kids is said to go hungry [source] . Foodbanks are everywhere and Americans for the most part incredibly generous.

[Basq]

Quick bump for this!

The BBC documentary on the topic - The Batman Shootings - is on BBC3 at 9pm..

Amal Fashanu talks to survivors of the massacre at a showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20. Young Americans reveal their attitudes towards gun ownership, which is enshrined in the US Constitution, and share their views on whether gunman James Holmes should face the death penalty for his actions

[MadsL]

Young Americans reveal their attitudes towards gun ownership

Can't help thinking these will be carefully edited for maximum European incredulity.

[JustAddWater]

Jesus!

This town can't catch a break.... Another shooting in aurora

http://news.sky.com/story/1033856/au...aves-four-dead