John Constantine of Jacksonville Florida finds saggy pants extremely offensive. In fact, he believes pulling out a gun and shooting an 18-year-old who refuses to lift up his pants is completely warranted.
The altercation began when Constantine followed David Mitchell to the courtyard of his apartment building and asked him to lift up his pants. Mitchell refused, and the situation soon turned to a scuffle.
That's when Constantine took out a small caliber handgun and shot Mitchell in the stomach. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found Mitchell laying on the floor while being comforted by neighbors. Of course, police were also able to find a small bottle of crack cocaine in Constantine's pocket.
There are two points I would like to make about this story. Let's begin with the least important:
Why did Constantine care that the young man was sagging his pants? I understand the man is 54 years old and baggy pants don't tickle his fancy, but who cares? There is quite a strong possibility that Constantine was also on drugs. But I digress to a more important point:
It really is too easy for people to obtain guns. While some may argue that every American has the right to bear arms, I think stricter gun laws should definitely be in place. Guns are too accessible for nut jobs like Constantine, and if anyone tries to justify his use of the weapon, they are downright wrong.
Interestingly enough, there has just been a survey done by Rasmussen Reports, which indicates that Americans are evenly split on whether or not the U.S needs stricter gun control laws. Forty four percent believe we do need tough gun laws, while another 44 percent disagree and believe we do not. The other 12 percent are not sure.
The issue is, guns are rarely used as a defense mechanism by standard Americans. I'm not saying guns aren't sometimes used for justified defense. But in reality, and in most cases guns are often utilized for violence.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 6)
1. Cenk
Pleeeeeease crawl back in your hole... and friggen stay there.
jim at 9:39PM on Jun 25th 2008
2. I think everyone should actually surrender all handguns immediately. That is as long as we put the criminals at the front of the line and I can be last. Which Liberal wants to set up the table and hang up the signs?
j1mmyd at 10:04PM on Jun 25th 2008
3. Ok.... So 1 guy gets high on cocaine, does something stupid, and now "we need stricter gun laws"?
Come on. Try to use that head of yours for something other than a hat rack.
Oh, and to that guy's ridiculous comment about guns not actually being used for self-defense, just look in your newspapers. There are cases all the time where just the mere presence of a gun stops a crime. Studies have shown that this is done over 2 million times a year. That's a very large number of law abiding citizens defending themselves with guns.
Stop hyping this up and recognize this incident for what it is: Some guy getting high on cocaine and doing something incredibly stupid. Noting more, nothing less.
DMSkippy at 10:25PM on Jun 25th 2008
4. The typical liberal mixed up response. How about controlling the criminal? We have strict gun laws. Did he have a permit to carry the gun? Was it used in self defense? There are strict laws against having crack. Did that prevent him from having it. Wake up chump. When we can have severe punishment we will have crime control. Get rid of the vacation prisons and start beating the hell out of these thugs and working their asses off.
Mark Thomas at 10:28PM on Jun 25th 2008
5. Sorry Cenkophants, but the constitution has this thing called the 2nd Amendment. You can even read it online (sorry, no pictures). I enjoy the rights expressed in said amendment, so can you. Abuse that right? - we go to jail for a long time.
And besides, if you want to restrict one right, maybe you have others in mind that you find pesky or displeasing. We know how you guys can get....
YGBSM at 10:28PM on Jun 25th 2008
6. Cenk I would have to say the first three comments said it all.
JIM at 11:02PM on Jun 25th 2008
7. I'm a very liberal democrat and damn proud I don't practice religious right tunnel vision. I disagree with you on gun control. I love my guns and I don't even hunt.I do however love to test my skills target practicing If I have to get rid of my guns then they'll want my archrey gear, then my sling shot. All are deadly weapons. When angry people want to attact someone any weapon at hand will do. Baseball bats, beer bottles, golf club or rock. This is a very old but accuret remark--When gun are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
Bob Wilkinson at 11:19PM on Jun 25th 2008
8. Cenk: Typical leftist BS from you again. There are over 20,000 laws on firearms in the US. You legally cannot possess a firearm in Washington, DC, yet it's the murder capitol of the US. Is that because criminals, by definition, do not obey the law or do you have another lame excuse for this situation?
Great Britain banned firearms down to BB guns and saw a crime rate soar beyond belief. In order to mollify the populace, they came up with a convenient way to cut down on crime...they just report multiple crimes as one. Three people get shot at one place, its just one shooting even if its rival gangs or drug dealers doing the shooting.
Austrailia did the same, banned guns, crime rate shot up exponentially with firearms involved. The crime rate of both show that firearms ownership by the general populace keeps crime down. Remove them from the people and criminals have little to fear from the citizenry.
Even Canada went on a gun control binge and guess what happened? Yeah even you know that the crime rate increased, but politicians get protection so why should they worry about Joe Schmoe?
Look up Gary Kleck and John Lott's research into gun crime and use. No surprise there, they found that as private ownership og guns increased, the crime rate decreased. Further studies have only reinforced their findings. More and more states are issueing Concealed Carry licences or laws with a corresponding drop in crime rates.
Almost all gun-related crime is related to criminal enterprises. Yes, there are people who commit suicide with firearms, but the use rope too. Anyone determined to commit suicide will find a way to do it. Drugs, gang related activities and robberies are probably the most prevalent gun crimes.
Despite all the publicity over Columbine and Virginia Tech, schools are still safer to send your childen to than for them to ride a bike or drive.
Owning a firearm also means responsibility for knowing how and when to use it, be it for sport, entertainment or self-defense. I would give self-defense the primary reason for owning a firearm, the rest are just other uses for a tool.
I saw two young people in a gun store, man and woman, purchasing pistols. They both had scars around their necks from where criminals had broken into their apartment, overpowered them, took their things, then cut their throats to keep them from identifying them. Have you ever seen scars from getting your throat cut Cenk? Needless to say, I doubt they will be victims again!
The First Amendment gives you the right to speak out against the government, the Second Amendment gives you the right to defend yourself against that government. The other eight were meant to protect you against unjust laws and police through the courts. The SCOTUS has upheld that "the people" as defined in the first and second amendments are a "collective right" meaning that the same meaning applies to the 'people' in both amendments. Sen. Dianne Feinstein carrys a .38 but is opposed to ordinary people having the same rights. Liberals (and you wonder why we don't trust them for our safty). P.S. The police don't come until after you're dead...small consolation, right?
Dedmanrisn at 12:30AM on Jun 26th 2008
9. What we need is a better way of doing background checks, before a person buys a firearm. In terms of technology, this must be feasible. Police cars are equipped with laptops, so that officers can run checks on names, license plates, and driver's licesne numbers.
Any sort of retail outlet that offers instant credit has the ability to run a credit check, while the customer waits, including department stores and car dealers.
Kent at 12:37AM on Jun 26th 2008
10. Constantine claims that he shot the guy because the guy was assaulting him, not because his pants were falling off his ass. Did it happen that way? I don't know. I wasn't there, and neither were you. And what did the "kid" look like? Was he big and muscle-bound? If so, a 54 year old man who looks fat would be no match for him. But you neglect to details like that.
And do you think these gangbangers are obtaining their guns legally? Do you think that "stricter gun laws" are going to affect their fire power? People like you would leave the criminals armed and the rest of us defenseless. Thanks a lot.
NRA Rocks at 12:53AM on Jun 26th 2008
11. I don't know who I am quoting but,
"An armed society is a polite society."
I believe it. Works for me.
There was an old Louie Anderson bit about having a gun with which you could shoot people for being jerks and they would be dead for ten minutes. A guy would wake up in ten minutes and think, "Wow! I must have been an asshole."
Until such a weapon is designed, I will hold to my belief that more guns equals less crime. At least less crime for me and mine.
I enjoy my firearms. I enjoy getting together with my friends and shooting each other's guns. Punching holes in paper targets and shattering some clay. It's very,"American."
Captain Negative at 1:40AM on Jun 26th 2008
12. Keyword: Japan.
No guns, much less crime. Can we learn from them, please?
Stop making guns, stop making bullets, crack down on shipments of weapons. Problem solved.
Ryuuku at 2:42AM on Jun 26th 2008
13. Stricter laws so only the criminals have guns right? This guy is a fruitcake. He probably had an unregistered gun too. People who register thier guns and learn how to shot them and learn gun safety are not the ones going off like loose cannons. There are more people killed by someone with a gun that are criminals than john q citizen.
Take the guns away from normal people and the onlyones with guns with be the nuts and crooks.
JUDY at 5:53AM on Jun 26th 2008
14. Captain Negative : Nice post. We almost agree. However, I don't enjoy guns.
To me, they were necessary tools for a soldier and required care and maintainance. When I left the service, I gave away my personal weapons.
Although I did like to shoot, I did not like the follow-up chores.
My kid sister and three of my nephews spent a nice day a few months ago in California at a firing range swapping guns and target shooting. They even enjoyed the obligatory gun cleaning time.
At my advanced age, I prefer a good book, Dry Sack and assorted fruits and cheeses. You are welcome to join in.
longwalker at 6:52AM on Jun 26th 2008
15. Stricter handgun laws will not prevent criminals from getting guns.They get their guns illegally and could care less.You should be aware of this!Stricter enforcement of EXISTING handgun laws is what is required!It's NOT being done.I want to quote you the following:SUPREME COURT 1958-2005 ET AL. "There is NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to be protected by the State against being murdered by criminals or madmen." "You and only you are responsible for your security and the security of your family and loved-ones--Police have a duty to protect Society as a whole."
Stephen Chizmar at 7:15AM on Jun 26th 2008