The NBA commissioner says he thinks guns are okay at home but shouldn't be carried.
"It's a pretty, I think, widely accepted statistic that if you carry a gun, your chances of being shot by one increase dramatically,' Stern said during his preseason conference call. 'We think this is an alarming subject, that although you'll read players saying how they feel safer with guns, in fact those guns actually make them less safe. And it's a real issue."
Statistics. More or less Stern it talking out of his ass. he probably read a MSM piece that was merely a slightly reworded VPC press release & thought the matter was settled. The fact is that guns do not make you safer. Nor do they make you less safe. It's your actions with or without them that increase or decrease your risk in this world. But assuming you've done all that is reasonable a firearm can make you much safer than being a defenseless victim of an armed aggressor.
I found the following very interesting:
"The NBA's collective bargaining agreement allows players to own licensed guns, but they can't carry them on any league or team business. Asked what kind of firearm rule he would want if collective bargaining weren't involved, Stern said: 'I would favor being able to have a firearm to protect your home. Period."
I was unaware that firearm possession was a part of the bargaining that NBA players dealt with. It isn't peachy though:
"In response to issues raised by the NBA during bargaining last year,' he [Union spokesman Dan Wasserman] said, 'a provision was added to the collective bargaining agreement that subjects the players to discipline if they bring any kind of firearm, even if it's licensed, to an NBA arena, practice facility, or even a team or league* offsite promotional appearance."
So I guess there won't be an NBA charity skeet shoot then will there? Well to hell with the NBA. If miss Irlene can't get Shaq & the gang to drop by she'll make do with Manny.
Coming from NC this may sound out of place, but I never cared for basketball much anyway.
Posted by Publicola at October 26, 2006 04:25 AM | TrackBackForgive me for my obtuseness, but I've forgotten what VPC stands for. Since the organization is not in favor of self-defense, and recommend that people merely submit to the shearing/plucking/ slaughter, is it Violence Promotion Center? Victim Proliferation Committee?
Violence Protection Club?