Thursday, August 08, 2019

The Demonization of Guns Contributes to Mass Shootings


I’m 59 years old, and I grew up in an age when guns were just another normal tool around the house, like chainsaws and drills and car jacks.  I was 8 or 9 when I fired my first BB gun, aiming at cans set up on a log.  High Schools still had marksmanship teams, and younger kids all played with cap guns and water pistols.  I learned safety rules and respect for firearms at a young age.  And to be clear, this was not in some rural southern hill town – it was in a suburb of New York City. 

And while there were always – and will always be – news incidents of crimes committed with guns, the societal understanding was that the majority – nay, 99+% - of gun owners – were responsible citizens, your neighbors, and the outrage was focused on the criminal.

Fast forward to today, and the climate is extremely different.

The message one hears in a constant repetition in both traditional and social media is that guns are bad. Guns are dangerous.  No one needs guns.  Grade school kids who engage in the simple activity of drawing a gun in class are reported to the principal’s office as a possible danger.  Just this morning I read a Twitter post from someone who commented that anyone who opposed gun control was a “potentially dangerous person,’ and the author wished to cut all ties with them. Dick’s Sporting Goods and other retailers have curtailed firearm sales.

Rather than sponsoring marksmanship clubs, schools are gun-free zones.

I am still a gun owner.  I have lived in rural Vermont, New Hampshire, and western Massachusetts for the last two decades.  And even though there is a right to carry and few restrictions on firearms in NH and VT, I have rarely seen anyone carry.  In fact, if I see one person every few months carrying a firearm, it’s a lot.  Young people don’t play with toy guns, much less learn and practice with real ones.

Restrictions on carrying have increased to the point that it is nearly impossible to legally carry in large cities like New York and Chicago.  Guns are no longer seen as a useful tool, but something to be tightly regulated and controlled.  Gun Free Zones -  schools, parks, private malls, Town properties – are everywhere.

And yet, in spite of the increase of controls on firearms over time, we live in an era where mass shootings by troubled individuals seem to dominate weekly – or daily – news cycles.

Some of the more strident statements – by both politicians and the general pro-control public – are overly shrill  (and I’m being generous.)  Gun owners are stereotyped and characterized as uneducated, scared, or racists.  It isn’t hard to find online posts linking firearm ownership to “toxic masculinity,” white nationalism, or small-penis-compensation. 

“Gun manufacturers have blood on their hands.”  “The NRA has blood on their hands.”  “Children are being sacrificed on the altar of the Second Amendment.”  All of these statements showed up in my Twitter Feed and Facebook page today. Still another woman wrote, “If I see you carrying a firearm in public, I’m calling the police, because I don’t know that you’re not a terrorist.”

The message has been very loud, and very clear:  Guns, and those who carry them, are Bad.
This message was given moral support when President Obama referred to fearful people who “cling to guns and religion.”  It was in full display when Hillary Clinton employed the word “Deplorables” describing certain segments of the population.  It is reinforced every time John or Jane Doe write a screed about anyone who opposes gun control being an [expletive.]

What I am suggesting here is that the strident, virulent attacks on firearm ownership have had their intended effect: while there are many guns in the country, a falling percentage of Americans own them, use them, or carry them.  It’s no longer socially acceptable.

On the other hand, it has had a terrifying unintended consequence.

Guns are now ‘counter-culture.’ And therein lies the danger.

An entire generation of young people have now ‘grown up’ without casual firearm exposure, practice, or use.  They hear from their friends, teachers, neighbors, entertainers, and media influencers that guns are bad, gun owners are bad, gun manufacturers are bad, and they are unnecessary to have. 

In short, “only bad people and idiots need guns.”

The problem here is that young people – especially troubled young people – gravitate towards anything they’re not supposed to do or have.

The story is as old as time itself.  Teenagers smoking cigarettes in the boy’s room.  Smoking pot.  Boys growing long hair.  Wearing only a White T-shirt (scandalous when James Dean did it, and indicative of a bad boy, a rogue, a rebel.)  Listening to Ozzy Osbourne and exulting in the superficial satanic symbols on the album cover or in the lyrics. Sporting a Confederate flag in some far-northern town.

For the vast majority of teens and young people, this is normal – a phase of rebellion that almost all go through to some degree or another.

But we don’t live in a perfect utopia, and there will always be a subset of young people who exist in a darker place.  They feel different, ostracized, and outcast.  In short, for one reason or another – bullying, income level, learning disabilities, unsupportive living arrangements – they are Angry. Or Hopeless.  Or Outcasts. Or all three.

And they embrace the moniker of “rebel.”  They take pride in taking on the persona of being that outcast, of being that rebel. Heck, If I’m an outsider, I‘ll be the best damned outside I can be.

And if destruction is on their mind, what better idol - what better symbol of being society’s outcast – than a gun?

The demonization of guns and gun culture has caused a simultaneous drop in the use of firearms as a normal tool within general society (with the resulting degradation in the ability to protect oneself), and in increase in its symbolism as something bad.  When you’re a desperate outcast who can no longer shake the feeling of being “on the outs,’ what better item to grab to “stick it” to those who have put you ‘on the outs?’

Restrictions on guns have increased, while mass shootings (rare as they statistically are) have increased.  The Average Jane or Joe shies away from firearms more than in the past, while the image of that tool has become a symbol of the Bad Boy, the counter-culture, and the loner.

If we continue to demonize firearms as we have, don’t expect any law or regulation to change a thing: we have a sent a message to troubled young men that if they feel like outcasts, a gun is a perfect match for them.  And just like restrictions on pot, steroids, cocaine, alcohol or any other prohibited or restricted product, guns will becomes magnets for those who troubles began long before they thought of acquiring one.

Wednesday, March 07, 2018

Getting Started in Crowdfunding Investing

[Note: I am not an owner or employee of any of these firms, and no one asked me to do this.  I am providing this solely as information based on my recent personal experience using the Platforms]

For a bit over a year, federal law has permitted just about any John or Jane Doe to invest in Business Start-ups or expansions, an activity usually reserved for the wealthy or "accredited investors."  Today, often in increments as low as $100 to $500, individuals can get in on the ground floor of a new venture.  These investments may take the form of actual stock equity (which can not be easily traded or sold, and are not listed on a stock market); convertible notes (loans which convert to equity, or stock, if certain conditions are met); and revenue sharing, which acts as a loan paid back not over a specific time period, but as a function of the revenue received by the company.  The goal on these revenue sharing agreements is to pay back the investor anywhere from 1.2 times to 2.0 times their investment (although I have seen one shooting for 3x investment).

And of course, like any company, all investment is at risk and you could lose everything.  No one, of course, is hoping for that, but it is a possibility.

All of the platforms below are simply web-based platforms designed to 'match' potential investors with companies seeking to raise funds.  Once the investment is completed, the investor deals directly with the company they have invested in and the platform has no further intermediatory role between you.

Each Platform, with small exceptions, is structured, visually, in a fairly uniform format, so getting familiar with one makes the next one easier.  In no particular order, the five that I have found easiest to use are these:

1.  START ENGINE - This is the largest of the five I am including. s of this date, 68 active companies are listed, representing a broad variety of industries. They provide an excellent, clear tracking of the status of your investments during the process, and are active in sending emails announcing news and updates. If you need to cancel an investment, they are efficient and no-hassle. Each company has a very visible "Terms" button which explains clearly what kind of investment is being offered, with some minor exceptions. Unlike many platforms, they actually permit the use of credit cards (Use with Caution!) to make investments.

2. NEXTSEED - Next Seed is small (7 active companies), with a heavy emphasis on "mega-bars" and drinking/entertainment venues.  Of all the platforms, it provides the *clearest* indication as to the 'terms of the deal' and the hoped-for returns. The Chat function with the platform is efficient and helpful.

3. WEFUNDER - Another large platform, there are 45 companies currently raising funds. There are an excellent set of FAQs for new investors that should be read thoroughly. The site features many tabs to search for precisely the type of company you wish to invest in (tech, main street, software). On the down side, the terms of each deal are not big and bold: they are printed in fine type at the bottom of each company's icons in just a word or two. By clicking on a company icon, you can see the terms in more detail.

4. MICROVENTURES This is actually a partnership (not entirely explained) using First Democracy FV as a bridge between Microventures and Indiegogo, a respected company which adds some credence to the viability of the fundraising companies; there are 7 companies currently listed.  Some of the companies have very clear terms of the deal, while others take a little more digging.

5. FUNDANNA - Whereas many crowdsourcing platforms steer away from start-ups involved in the cannabis industry, Fundanna focuses on such companies. The 6 companies listed have *very clear* terms, and have done a good job explaining their business plans and approach to their businesses, with extensive information for the investor. One gets the impression that Fundanna is a small operation: the website has a few glitches, and is not entirely intuitive, and the chat function is not always on...but when responding to email, it is clear that they are giving highly personal responses rather than pat answers. One nice touch is that they actually accept old-fashioned checks in addition to bank withdrawals for payment. 

I have used all five of these of that platforms, and will continue to do so as I seek to diversify my investments, which currently include a race horse, a vertical farming operation, an organic dairy, a cannabis growing facility, a boxing club, a Brazilian liquor company, and a sports bar.

In addition, some states have set up Non-profit platforms (Such as MILKMONEY VT) to assist local in-state businesses, and which are often only open to in-state residents.

Happy Investing!  Be smart and be cautious, but know that you CAN get in on the ground floor of the "Next Big Thing!"

Friday, February 23, 2018

Gov. Scott - NO New Firearms Control in Vermont!

Dear Sen. Nitka,

I am a resident of Chester, and am writing to you regarding the proposals in the Senate regarding increased firearms regulation. I am extremely concerned for the ramifications of some of these proposals. PLEASE hear me out.

I am a retired teacher, who chose to move to Vermont - in spite of the financial burden on retirees compared to other states - precisely because of the life style here.  I am a fairly liberal gay man who, more than once, has found myself a target on the streets of New York and elsewhere.  To protect myself, I carry a firearm, because I am my own best line of defense when these incidents occur.

I used to live in Massachusetts.  In spite of currently being in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary out of Station Burlington, with Homeland Security Clearance, having NO criminal record of any kind, and having been fingerprinted with the FBI no fewer than 11 times (for Coast Guard work and during the adoption of 6 children and foster care of three others) - the background check and license I requested there TOOK EIGHT MONTHS to process (even though the law there said 60 day maximum).  No one should have to wait that long to exercise a Constitutional right to protect themselves!  The background check there was a total disaster. I moved to Vermont for several reasons, but paramount was the fact that it is the safest state in the union, and I don't have to beg for permission to exercise my right to self defense.

In a vacuum, Universal Background Checks seem to make sense, to weed out those with criminal records and mental health issues, and that seems to be driving this initiative, but there are terrible unintended consequences:

1) The majority of people with criminal records are non-violent offenders, most for drug offenses, and many with marijuana convictions - ironic, considering we have just legalized marijuana in Vermont!  A background check will not only flag these people, but will disproportionately affect minorities who are caught up in this system (and yes, I have an inter-racial family).  Progressives are appropriately trying to seal these types of convictions so that non-violent offenders can be re-integrated into society and get jobs - and yet this throws that entire effort into chaos.

2) As a teacher, I worked frequently with Veterans, many of whom return from overseas and are assisted with mental health counseling for PTSD.  These are men and women who know how to safely use firearms better than most - and yet, they are precisely the ones who will be caught up in mental health check.  Are we now going to require that physicians and counselors report the details of privileged patient-client information to a government database?

Similarly, the effort to raise the age for purchase to 21 is an insult to the people who we consider old enough to vote for you at age 18.  At 18, they can join the military and carry military-grade automatics, and they can be trusted as armed police officers in our Towns...but they would not be able to purchase a hunting firearm in a state with a long, proud history of hunting?!

I realize that in the wake of the tragedy in Florida, people are emotional and looking for "government to do something;"  and yet, this is precisely the time when legislators make poor choices.  The 'crisis of the moment" lead to the internment of Japanese-Americans in WWII, and it lead to the Patriot Act and FISA courts - both examples of terrible losses of Constitutional Rights as a result of an emotional reaction to tragedy.

I am asking you to OPPOSE any effort to restrict the firearms laws here in Vermont.

Thank you,

Thomas T Simmons