
What was your reaction to hearing about the shooting in Minnesota especially given that it was the eight-year anniversary of the congressional baseball shooting?
It brings back the memories of that day and watching my friends and wondering whether or not they were going to survive their shots. But at the same time, you begin to understand that there are just some bad people out there that are triggered for whatever reason, that they’re going to save the world by killing others. And I don’t get it. Never got it that day, never got it afterwards, and I still don’t understand it today in Minnesota.
How did the shooting change how you dealt with constituents and appearing in public for events?
Well, it changed me personally. Even in private events, where I’m much more secure, I carry a gun, where I am able to, in order to fire back if somebody decides to come and kill me and my friends again. I’m much more aware of the security situation. I’m sitting here in London right now and working with the security officials that are on this trip that I’m a part of. And I always find myself walking at the end or watching our surroundings. I didn’t pay as much attention to that before June 14 of 2017, but I do now.
How much does the congressional baseball shooting serve as a dividing line for your service in Congress?
Well, it was more of a divider immediately afterward, because the tension for Republicans in targeted districts like mine during the 2018 cycle was so immense. But then, you know, the tension went down with COVID and went down in 2022, so you don’t think about it as much. But I’m a big believer in the Second Amendment, and, in my old district, I exercised my rights to be able to carry a firearm to protect myself and people wouldn’t know it. I did not do that before the baseball shooting but I never wanted to feel like I couldn’t fire back again.
— Ben Jacobs in This Former Congressman Survived Political Violence. He Carried a Gun ‘To Fire Back.’
When I was a child, after hearing about a neighbor who got killed by a home invader, during one of our family shooting sessions with Mom and Dad I asked my mom what I should do if someone was trying to kill me. My Mom told me “If someone tries to kill you, you kill ’em first”. I asked her “Really?” and she gave me that very serious “do what your mom said or else….” look and I, for some reason, thought it was funny until she continued to give me that very serious “do what your mom said or else…” look.
Later in my adult life, in my first DGU, I very quickly and suddenly understood what she was talking about. I’m still here today because my Mom gave me some very sound advice that day.
It sounds like Rodney Davis has come to the same realization.
My “come to Jesus” moment was scientifically based. We had a rash of home invasions right around the time I read a research paper on the brain’s prefrontal cortex’s job of decision making in regards to ethics & morality.
It became obvious to me that peeps that will bust down a door to invade your home while they know you are there are committing to doing bad things.
That’s when the advice of Col. Cooper really took hold … You must meet your aggressor and act with more violence & speed than they bring if you are to survive.
Gospel.
“You must meet your aggressor and act with more violence & speed than they bring if you are to survive.”
So very true.
I read a research paper on the brain’s prefrontal cortex’s job of decision making“
Interesting, did you happen to come across specific information on when the pre-frontal cortex was developed and capable of making mature decisions?
Should we refer to these research findings when we determine at what age humans should be allowed the ability to carry lethal weapons in public spaces?
“The prefrontal cortex, responsible for mature decision-making, is typically considered fully developed around the age of 25. While the brain reaches near-adult size by early adolescence, the prefrontal cortex, which handles planning, prioritizing, and making sound judgments, continues to mature well into early adulthood. This area of the brain is crucial for cognitive control and executive functions, and its development is linked to the ability to understand the consequences of one’s actions.”
First, I’m surprised you claim to have actually read something.
Second, apparently you are under age 25 judging from your immature missives expressing mental illness TDS.
1. ‘Weapon’ is not actually a weapon or lethal until its used as a weapon or to inflict lethality. Simply carrying it does not mean its being used as a weapon or to inflict lethality. You want lethal? There are thousands of things around in public spaces every day that can be lethal that people never think about. In over 90% of homes there are enough lethal things that are not fire-arms to kill off half the worlds population.
2. At what age do we allow a person to exercise the first amendment in public spaces?
3. At what age do we allow people to drive 2,000 lb chunks of metal and plastics called ‘cars’ in public spaces?
4. At what age should left wing people be allowed to participate in violent aggressive attacks against people and law enforcement, and public and private property, and loot and burn then deceptively call it a ‘No Kings protest’ and claim its a ‘first amendment right protected protest’? Some of these violent left wingers were under age 25 (about 64% in age range 15 – 23), but judging by the violent left wingers that were over age 30 it seems “The prefrontal cortex, responsible for mature decision-making, is typically considered fully developed around the age of 25.” isn’t really a thing for left wingers and never will be.
5. At what age do we allow people in the public space of a restaurant use a knife and fork to consume their meals?
6. At what age do we allow people in the public space activity of being engaged in playing a softball game carry a bat?
7. At what age do we allow people to be exposed to the lethality of the illegal alien criminals who murdered? (intentionally inflicted on the country by Biden-Harris and the left wingers including you Miner49er in your support for such an unlawful illegal alien invasion of our country.)
8 …. a whole big list goes on….
at what age…hmmmmmm … I did not hear of or see any lawful self proclaimed right wingers under the age of 25 that carry guns in public spaces, out this last week attacking police and others annd looting and burning. But one thing I know is this: I’d trust a lawful right wing person under age 25 to carry a gun in ‘public spaces’ before I’d trust you Miner49er or any other left winger slinging using words that result in or incite violence and lethal or words for support of ultimately lethal results by supporting illegal alien invasions of murderers in ‘public spaces’ or words that result in violence intending lethality in a ‘No Kings’ violence-fest-temper-tantrum deceptively called a ‘first amendment protected protest’.
dacian used to spout that stuff about the brain. I encouraged it. I used his arguments here in the liberal bay area to change some minds. Basically miner/missy and dacian are saying that rights need to be curtailed until mid to late 20’s, if then. I knew this last election was going to Trump based on my interactions with folks around places like Berkeley.
miner/missy has no clue how much damage he has done to the fascist left. But that is fascism in a nutshell. Low iq folks thinking they have the answers.
Its an old failed argument of anti-gun. Its defeated by, for example, the very fact that those under 25 are ‘allowed’ to do lots of things in ‘public spaces’ and do have the capability for mature decision-making, planning, prioritizing, and making sound judgments …. and at say age 18 like join the military, get a drivers license at age 16 to operate a car in public spaces, vote at age 18 (however, some states permit 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they will turn 18 by the time of the subsequent general election), enter into contracts at age 18. And left wing ‘interests’ (especially LGBTQ++++ and the drug legalization crowd) and Democrat politicians have been trying for a long time to get the voting age lowered to 16 arguing that 16 year olds are capable of mature decision-making, planning, prioritizing, and making sound judgments, the minimum age to become a police officer in the United States typically ranges from 18 to 21 years old (depending on the state and specific department requirements), at age 21 we let people buy and use alcohol, and many more instances including being allowed in public and private spaces to make life-n-death decisions [i.e. medical, to or not to drive into on-coming traffic, etc…), and across the United States those under age 25 are making thousands of decisions every day that affect life-or-death [not firearm related] no matter if they carry a firearm or not —– all of these are examples for those under age 25 and there are many more examples. Our country continues to operate and exist because people under age 25 have decision-making, planning, prioritizing, and making sound judgments capability just as it was at out country founding where people under age 25 used decision-making, planning, prioritizing, and making sound judgments to free our country and make it thrive.
Given the left wing ‘No Kings’ violence-fest-temper-tantrum deceptively called a ‘first amendment protected protest’ – it seems the study was written to define left-wingers, for example, the thousands of left-wingers nationwide this past week or so, and still going on, with their intentional violence – a lot of lack of decision-making, planning, prioritizing, and making sound judgments in all that by those under age 25 and over age 25.
Miner is correct about that research. However, if he really cared about it, then he would be horrified by the left-wing movement to allow children the choice to “transition.”
Hes correct that the research exists, his application of it though is not correct.