Update [11:27 a.m.]
The lockdown at Ridgefield schools—spurred on by reports of a suspicious man at a nearby train station—has been lifted, police told Patch.
Update [10:10 a.m.]
Ridgefield schools remain on lockdown, and police are continuing their search for a suspicious man sighted at the Branchville train station, but authorities have not yet uncovered any threats.
Original story [9:33 a.m.]
Reports of a suspicious person at the Branchville train station in Ridgefield Monday morning brought out police and placed all local schools on lockdown.
Authorities, along with a K-9 unit, are canvassing the area after receiving a report of a man with an unknown item slung over his back.
Police were first informed of the suspicious person at about 9 a.m.
The incident comes three days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in which a single gunman equipped with three firearms killed 20 children, six adults, and then himself, in Newtown.
For full coverage of the Sandy Hook tragedy, click here.
Valerie Juleson
Why not give it a rest. Guns ownership trumps all. Paul...are you planning on asking to speak on 2nd amenment rights at any of the first graders funerals? Or are you going to limit your crap to blogs?
I mistook this as a public site where one could voice an opinion and maybe have some meaningful dialogue about an issue, but apparently, with a few exceptions (thank you, you know who you are) it is a place where only those who are in agreement with the majority are welcome. If one is in agreement with the majority, OK, if not, stand by to be slandered, insulted and defamed by those who truly have no experience in the subject. If that's all that the majority is capable of, no-one really cares much about what you have to say anyway.
Case(s) in point: It is against the law to drive drunk, sure THAT NEVER happens There is a law against running a red traffic light, and yet it still happens. It is against the law to fail to file a tax return and yet it still happens and in many cases by those who can most afford to PAY THEIR TAXES and ironically by those who administer the system. And I'm pretty sure that most people are aware that in civilized countries, MURDER is against the law, and yet it still happens! Just like the lock on your front door that WILL NOT prevent a burglar from entering your home if he really wants YOUR STUFF, it will only slow him down. If he REALLY wants YOUR STUFF he will get in one way or another. Remember what prohibition did in the '20/'30s to the liquor business and what it did FOR organized crime (If your answer is no you should read this as - (Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.)
Therefore, it stands to reason that when the government bans the private citizen from owning firearms, most law abiding citizen will probably give up their firearms, those that don't will automatically become criminals and be arrested, but the group described above will just hide them until they want to use them to perpetrate their crime. If you don't agree, so be it. If you don't believe it, so be it. Just defer to the parenthetical above regarding history. Now that you have ignored me for a few minutes, my original post was going to be concern for the knee jerk reaction by some to report a "suspicious man" with an umbrella, not a weapon or a 2nd amendment right stand at all. It is just as inappropriate to use this time of morning as a pro 2nd amendment podium as it is to use it as an anti gun podium! Let the families grieve the loss of their angles, without politicizing it. Imagine that. Carrying an umbrella shutdown schools and "called out the guard". An understandable reaction under the circumstances, and yet an irrational one.
After growing up in a family that hunted, a father who was an NRA instructor and WWII veteran, and 21+ years in the military myself, I have forgotten more about firearms (AND other weapons) and there capabilities, than most of you will ever learn in your brief life time Remember, what's in the movies and on TV is not always true, nor is always fiction! Oh, and 1 last thing, when someone starts a sentence with "the trouble with people like you..." or "people like you are...." you are generalizing to the point at which you prove your own ignorance, bias and bigotry, and automatically alienate everyone.
By dictionary definition: a firearm is a weapon. (not what you say above) By dictionary definition : A generalization is a foundational element of logic and human reasoning (not what you say above) Perhaps as a miltary person you can see the point more clearly put this way: Words are powerful tools, they have meaning and should be used correctly otherwise there is risk that some people will misinterpert what is meant to be communicated... this would be like using the wrong wepon to accomplish the task. Part (though small) of the problem in this country is that its hard to communicate with one another when the same word has differnt meaning to differnt people.
you state...... "It's NOT a WEAPON until it's used against other HUMANS. Until then it's a firearm!" thats incorrect, per the dictionary " A firearm is a weapon that launches ....." so a firearm is a weapon ! you state...." you are generalizing to the point at which you prove your own ignorance:... the dictionary says a generalization is a foundational element of logic and human reasoning ....... so it seems reasonable there is a place in dicussions to generalize words are tools that should be used properly ! On your family gun history / association - that doesnt make my or your opinion on guns any more or less valid - they are both individual people providing and opinion on an issue.
To answer your question on whether hammers should be restricted to professionals here's where the real world comes in ...... IMO if many thousands of people each year were getting killed by hammers i would say yes they need to be restricted. to me thats a big differnce..... on firearms, tools, ....To me its a simple plain fact, there is no addtional "real world" interpertation, clear, direct, simply put a firearm is a weapon. to twist that to mean a all weapons are firearms is wrong.... nor did i say that, nor would that be a generalization - thats a differnt statement . On a firearm being a tool, well i guess it can be : a tool being an anything to accompish a task or purpose , yes a hammer is a tool and yes a hammer can be a weapon.......
I can only deal in facts and life experience. When you state "many thousands" where does that number come from? Are you aware of this: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/assault-weapon-deaths-statistics/2013/01/03/id/469982 You are probably right, we will most likely never agree, but at least you are being reasonable, unlike some.