Celizic: Burress should've packed his brain, not a gun

pack your brain, not a pen...you made a complete fool of yourself with this one, mike--thanks for the laugh!

There is a lot of anti-gun prejudice in the world.  It's just as ugly and immoral as racial prejudice, and people who engage in it should be just as ashamed.  Like racial prejudice, it's a mixture of hatred, fear and stereotyping sprouting from ignorance and distorted information.  The vicious images of gun owners as wild-eyed, murderous villians or toothless, stupid rednecks or careless gun-spinning yahoos are akin to the images of pickininnies and "lazy nigg---" and Uncle Toms that have characterized the imagery of African-Americans for hundreds of years.  Journalists like Celizic ought to have more responsibility than to propagate such distortions.  The vast majority of gun owners in the US are decent, intelligent, thoughtful, responsible people who obey the law.  They do not, contrary to stereotype, keep or carry a gun as a bolster to manhood. 

Trouble is, most people’s image of guns is based on what they see on the evening news or in the movies, both of which distort the true picture.  Movies are obviously BS (you’d think every cop shoots ten people a day), and the news tends to ignore stories of defensive gun usage, for want of "drama."  Crime and gunshots and blood and death draw viewers and readers, so shootings by violent, criminal predators or the insane make the news.  The general public gets the impression that guns only bring death, hayhem and destruction. 

The reality of gun ownership and the defensive use of firearms by law-abiding citizens is far less dramatic, and far nobler.  Fourteen separate studies over the last 20 years demonstrate that every day in the US, between 4000 and 6000 times (1.5-2.5 million times per year), a law-abiding citizen uses a firearm to prevent a crime from occurring or to stop a crime in progress.  In 99.9% of cases, the gun is not fired; merely brandishing it is enough to make the criminal cease his attack, usually by running quickly in the other direction, looking for cover, then an easier--unarmed--victim. 

We will never know--and the press will probably never cover--how many lives have been saved by the defensive use of firearms by law-abiding citizens.  What we do know is that in major American cities that have draconian gun laws that prevent law-abiding citizens from defending themselves with guns--NYC, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, DC--there is no shortage of guns in the hands of criminals, so these laws obviously don't do what they were intended to do.  Additionally, crime there far outpaces the rest of the country where gun ownership is allowed.  This makes sense, since unarmed people are easy to rape, easier to rob, easier to home-invade.

I can agree with Mike Celizic on some of his article. However, I have carried a weapon for years, and had to use it 3 times to save me life or initiate an arrest (citizen) I have a license for my weapon, and abide by all laws in New York State. I also carried when I lived in Texas. What happen to this sports figure, was he swallowed this entitlement attitude, and thought himself above the law. Why the hospital covered for him is beyond me. I feel it is a good time to have Mayor Bloomberg make sure this clown gets the full penalty of the laws that anti gun owner people want. But we all know the rich and shameless don't do time.

I loved the article. It calls out what is really going on. The man is just plain stupid. It irritates the hell out of me when you take a moron like that, give him a free college education, give him millions of dollars to play a game, and he still does stupid gang banger crap like this. He doesn't deserve what's been given to him. Hopefully he and Michael Vick can comiserate together in prison. He needs to be locked up so these other idiot jocks (that our kids look up to) get a clue and start behaving like decent human beings rather than gang bangers with money.

I tote a rod wherever I go.

Plax is mah boi!! Give 'em hell mah nizzle!!

Having "knowledge" about guns doesn't necessairly give you the right to possess them.  We have a serious issue with illegal and unlawful gun use in our country and nothing is being done because of the NRA lobby.  Sadly, it is almost too late to turn it around...the criminals are in possession of the weapons and I doubt they will voluntarily turn them over.  Our children on high school and college campuses are prey to insane mass murderers who can purchase an arsenal of illegal weapons from the local gun show on the weekend with no wait time or background check necessary.  I only wish that our only problem with guns was an ignorant star athlete who thinks the laws don't apply to him!

The writer knows little to nothing  technically about  firearms.  He should

stick to sports.

So where are your statistics? Any jerk can be a demagogue. Put up or shut up.

Really there are two simple facts and no matter how hard the anti gun corwd wants to ignore these facts and stir up the mud to cloud over the truth here the thruth is still the truth.

Gun laws don't work. Criminals don't obey laws. Thats what makes them a criminal.

Gun Laws have never worked. No city or state in this country ever experienced a decrease in gun violence by passing a law. Not ever, not one, never ever.  There is no factual evidence on file anywhere pr available to anyone that can substantiate the lie that gun laws curb gun violence. 

This isn't about gun laws or hunting. It's a story about an idiot. Since when are professional athletes known for their intelligence??

C'mon folks, this isn't about gun control, loving guns or hating guns. Its about being moronic. Burress obviously doesn't have a clue about many things, not the least of which is how to properly handle a handgun. Reminds me of that old cliche: "If brains were dynamite, he wouldn't have enough to blow his nose"

I'll bet Mr. DiCenzo-Alonzo not only has a legal permit, but carries his sidearm in a hoster, rather than in his waistband.

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1. Thanks for an article that provoked all the commentary.

2. Burress is a classic endomorph as are so many pro-football participants.  Why do we expect them to be smart, caring or anything other than highly paid gladiators?  Almost every interview shows them to be wordless thugs incapable of stringing a coherent statement together.  Basketball, hockey and baseball aren't far behind.  And golf, I'm sorry, I can't stop laughing.  That's a sport?

3. Pro sports are a vast wasteland of ego, money, corruption and hormones.  Why does anyone care to watch?  Go take a real hike.

4. Thanks to many for pointing out the glaring revolver safety issue.  If only Celizic would print a correction so that his non-inquiring readers would get the correct information before they do something stupid.

5. Readers who hate liberals so much should get some real information also.  I'm definitely on the left of center, but own more guns than I know what to do with.  A number were bought, more were inherited.  Collective blaming of "Liberals" for anti-gun legislation is a form of bigotry.

6. I carry concealed with a permit and am thankful I have the privilege. (I know, it's a RIGHT to bear arms.)

7. New York does not represent the nation in any way as witnessed by its backward handgun licensing (nearly non-existent).  Still, it's mighty stupid to go against the law, even if you pull in millions and have an ego that spreads from end zone to end zone.

8. To those who say ban all guns, sorry, I'm laughing again.  That worked so well with alcohol 90 years ago and is really producing stunning results in the war against drugs.  Take a lesson from history about stemming causes of violence rather than treating symptoms.

9. While I don't personally favor hunting, a friend who hunts every year gets one shot every few years and even more rarely gets to bring home the meat.  Bambi's daddy wins regularly.  An in-law bow hunts and gets an elk every year at 50 feet.  Maybe bows and arrows should be outlawed as well.

10. After this entire diatribe… Burress is still a criminal idiot, Celizic needs to go to a firearms training course, and we all need to lift a finger to pro sports, turn off the TV and go take a walk for exercise.

I'm looking at this from a woman's point of view only.  What is a married man, who only months ago stated publicly that his main concerns in life were his wife and son, doing in a night club at 3a?  I don't live that kind of life anymore but I know when I did, I went to a club to see if there was someone worth meeting or just simply to dance with.  Burress has enough money to buy what he likes to drink at home.   He can even dance at home because he aleady has a partner.  Any woman who puts up with her man continuing to go clubbing after marriage and staying out 'til after 3am is asking for trouble.  Is he really married or just living with the mother of his son?  Either way, she's nuts also.  He obviously offers no stability to her or their son because you never know when he's going to be picked up by the cops for doing something stupid.  A man who actully loves his family wants to spend his spare time with them.  If he needs time to himself, he goes fishing or visits the home of one of his friends just to hang out and talk about guy things; he's not accidently shooting himself in a night club at 3a.

Much like the cavemen in their time, many people still need to own and carry weapons. 24/7 images of graphic violence and incivility shoved in American faces reinforces it. Our own president and congress regularly uses guns and threats to bully others and take what's theirs (oil and land for bases). 

I'd quit giving this dude a hard time for behavior he was trained to act out. The others were just naive from simply being in awe of helping out a "celebrity".

Yawn. Another example of an overpaid, overrated jock. This guy and others like him have a sense of entitlement as big as their heads. They think the rules that apply to us mere mortals don't apply to them. Nobody's worth the amount of money these jerks are paid.

It reminds me of the old adage, you can dress them up but you can take them anywhere, or whatever.  A gun in a crowded public place, carried illegally; there is no excuse.

The solution is easy, kick him off the team and throw him out of the NFL (even though he used his head once, I believe to catch a ball).  Yes, extreme, but how many more chances does this league or other leagues have to give these spoiled athletes.  The Giants and NFL should set a firm example, if you embarrass your team and/or your league you’re out on your butt, and don’t let the door hit you in the arse on the way out.  Zero tolerance for these divas (yes, I selected the word very much aware of its meaning); there are many more young and talented and hungry athletes waiting in line for a chance to prove themselves in the pros, so replacements are easy to come by.  Cut the cord, rid yourself of these intolerable and immature individuals and hit them where it hurts the most, in the pocket book, which I’m sure was a primary motivation for them devoting their lives to their sport.

I also offer a suggestion to the NFL, the NBA, MLB, etc., take a piece of the $7 million a year or more that you pay these folk and use it to pay for them to attend a series of mandatory seminars and workshops dealing with appropriate and acceptable behavior in a somewhat civilized society, how to act your age off the field or court, how to minimize being an embarrassment to your team and teammates, how to react to fame and fortune, how to be a true role model since whether you like it or not kids are looking up to you, etc.  Since the colleges and universities cannot impart these life lessons and attributes upon the athletes they produce, obviously I suspect because their only concern is having these players win, the burden must rest with professional sports.

When these sportspersons leave their sheltered environments and are no longer protected from themselves, they are forced to protect themselves and this is where they seem to loose focus, so it almost becomes necessary to teach and train these kids how to be on your own before they go on the field or court professionally.

I'm all for the right to carry guns and other legally reasonable weapons, as long as more measures are taken to screen people for the right to legally carry them.  There aren't enough restrictions on legally obtaining a gun currently.  When Seung-Hui Cho, a man with a history of mental illness, is allowed to purchase a gun from a gunshop in Roanoke, VA and shoot up a VA Tech, there is a wee bit of a problem.  I'm not beating up on the gunshop owner too much, but it should be common practice - it should be law that a person can only legally buy a gun after a waiting period and background check.  No frivolous or minor infringements should deny a person a handgun, but any serious recorded offense or history of mental illness should raise a bright red flag.  Anyone who complains that a waiting period is unecessary is the wrong person to sell a gun to.  If you're an average citizen in a situation where you need to have a gun 'right now', you probably need to make a bee-line to your local police station, not a gun store.  Proper training should also be required.  Fairly extensive training, at that.  If you can't safely operate the gun, you can't have the gun.  Mental screening would be nice, but now I know we're getting into the cost of the process.  It would probably take a lot of time and money to pay experts to phsycologically observe lots of individual potential gun owners, but hey, it's the thought that counts.  Finally, if one does happen to aquire a legal gun, they should be held to the strictest laws.  If you fire that legal weapon, you had BETTER be able to prove you needed to do it.  (Such is the law now.)  If a person is caught with an unlicensed gun, they should be punished severely.  This is a person who has broken a law to obtain a gun, how many laws will he or she break when using it? Throw the book at 'em!  I mean, if you have an expired license, we can talk grace period and all.  Maybe just a fine.  Anyway, I'm trying to get at a system that makes it tough to get a legalized gun, but once you do AND follow the rules, you're pretty covered in a shootout against a criminal with an unlicensed handgun.  I now there's lots to pick apart i nthis statement, but I'm just voicing my wishes.  I leave the details to the legal gurus to hash out.  OH, but ... yeah... Plax, that was dumb.

The   story seems to be that he pulled out his gun intending to use it and someone tried to stop him from using it and the gun went off.... period......a no brainer.....

Plax was dumb in Pittsburgh, said they didn't understand his urban vibe. Just a dope, just a thug, who thinks he can endanger others and rules do not apply to him. He should be headed to jail, and please give his paycheck to someone more deserving.

Let me say this much aside from this man's decision to pack a gun...As per his most unfortunate accident...this was not a "gun accident" it was a "GLOCK ACCIDENT".

The GLOCK is the most dangerous hand gun to own unless it has been modified with a thumb safety, which it does not come with.  You can drop it chambered from a helicopter at any given height and it will not go off.  The problem is that if it is chambered and you are carrying this weapon, or handeling it...there is a very good chance that you may press the trigger and it will fire.

If you type in "Glock accidents" into your favorite search engine, you will find an endless number of links regarding accidents by trained professionals in law enforcement, military, private security and private citizens who have shot themselves, or others.

Celzic said...: " I have considerable experience with guns and their care and handling,",.....

He lied. Should he get a free pass? He saw an easy target in Burres and he wanted to be the one who kicked him the most eloquently. He wanted to use Burres to make himself look good.

Celzic also said, "One dumb belief is that a gun makes you tough." That's quite an accusation, but apparently it's one that Celzic believes. Maybe that's why he said he had considerable knowledge about guns, so people could visualize Celzic holding someone at bay with his magnum.

If you have to resort to kicking someone who is down to make yourself look good, well, what can I say?

The safety lever on a Glock Semi Automatic is located on the trigger itself, hence the term "Glock Safe action", ie.,  you keep your finger off the trigger, and even if dropped, the gun will not go boom.   Mr. Burress, you should have been using a holster.

If you are using a revolver, and drop the hammer on an empty chamber, the next press of the trigger will rotate the cylinder placing a live round under the now cocked hammer.  You still need a holster.

It is your right and duty as an American, to be able to proactively provide for your own protection as well as that of the defenseless.  If Mr. Burress, known for being in good standing within his community, was exercising his 2nd Amendment right, more power to him.  Based upon the tone of the columnist I imagine he was proud of the fact that African Americans were considered 3/5 of a human being.

What we have here is an accidental discharge of a personal firearm.  If we, as Americans were more interested in what really matters and were teaching each other the fundamentals involved in building a nation instead of striving to reach goals of mirage like importance, these types of incidence would be view for what the are - preventable accidents.

We are a nation at war (war on crime, war on drugs, war on poverty, war on islamic terrorists, war on hunger, war against child-hood obesity, war against aids, war against illiteracy, war against preteen pregnancy, war against the American way of life, war against common sense, etc.), is it not time that we act like it?  Should we not instead be calling out for state sponsored firearms training, first aid training, information gathering and reporting, what about neighborhood watches?  We are all so wrapped up in our own issues that we fail to see what is really going on around us.

Mike Celizic, you should know better.

Clinging to the Bible, Arms, Family & Country behind enemy lines, CA.