Voting in Lake County – How we Keep you Safe

I’m sure there is going to be a HUGE turnout Nov. 3rd but here are some things that Lake County, FL election workers are doing to keep you safe:

1. Election workers will be wearing a mask and/or face shield while voters are present.
2. We will be wiping down the laminated secrecy covers, privacy booths, door handles, tabletops, signature pads, etc.
3. We will have hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks available for those who forgot theirs.
4. We will be offering untouched pens for those voters who didn’t bring their own pen.
5. We will have an acrylic I.D. holder to help minimize touching IDs.
6. Some election workers may be wearing gloves as added protection.
7. We will be providing a q-tip swab to sign the electronic signature screen.

What I am asking voters to do ahead of time:

1. Please come in wearing a mask if you believe in them and feel safer wearing one.
2. We are practicing social distancing.
3. Please bring your own pen that you can take with you when you’re done.
4. To minimize time in the room, please try to do your research beforehand. We can’t give you the answers anyway.
5. Please make sure you have a valid and current Florida photo I.D. (We actually accept 12 different kinds of identification but they must have a photo of you and/or your signature on them to count). Identification can be 1 or 2 of the following: FL driver license, FL ID card issued by the DHSMV, U.S. passport, debit/credit card, Military ID, Student ID, Retirement center ID, Neighborhood association ID, Publix assistance ID, Veteran health ID issued by the VA, Concealed Carry Permit, Employee ID of government employee.
6. We will NOT ask you to remove your mask to verify the photo as we look for facial similarities during this time.
7. Please sign your signature as close to the signature on your ID as possible.
8. You must vote on Election Day in your own precinct. If you prefer to come to one of the 12 early voting sites, you can vote anywhere in your county. (Early Voting is 10/19 – 10/31)

About Mail-In Ballots

There has been a lot of talk about how safe the mail system is for mail-in ballots. Guess what? You can drop them off at one of the early voting sites starting on 10/19 or at the main elections department in Tavares! Today, I dropped mine off at the main elections department. They have this cool mailbox looking box outside their front door that you can drive up to and slide your ballots in. However, here are some tips:

1. Make sure the envelope is sealed, signed and dated. Otherwise, the elections department has to contact you to inform you that there is an issue.
2. You MUST take your mail-in ballot to the main elections department if you are dropping it off on Nov. 3rd BEFORE 7p.m.
3. If you prefer to vote in person, that is fine and you are welcome to bring in your mail-in ballot to void if you wish. To help avoid fraud, the first ballot received is the one counted. This means you can’t come in and vote in person and still expect to drop off your ballot at the main office. Only one will count!
4. If you make a mistake on your mail-in ballot you can request a new mail-in if early enough or come vote in person. Some people make mistakes and cross off the mistake to correct their ballot. Those ballots go in front of the canvassing board to see whether that vote on that item will or won’t count.

This is my own post since I volunteer as an election worker and none of this post is endorsed by the elections department. I just want to try and make voting easier for everyone and help ease the concerns of some people. We are looking to keep everyone safe during this time and we want EVERYONE who is eligible to get out there and vote.

Mail-in Ballots

2020 has been a year so far. We have COVID-19, dissension and division in America and it’s not even over yet. However, I wanted to clarify something that was on the news a month or so ago and is in the news again. President Trump is not for Universal Mail-in Ballots and then he’s caught saying to vote twice, once by mail and once in person.

I’ve worked Florida elections for years as an election worker. I’m not saying I know how every rule and law works but I know enough, I feel, to put in my 2 cents. So here it is:

In FL, IDs are required to vote. It must have a picture AND a signature. This is state required. You also must register to vote a minimum of 29 days before an election or you won’t get to vote. This is so the state has time to vet you and ensure you are legally able to vote. Your signature is kept on file at the elections office. This is for everyone who wants to vote in FL, no exception.

As far as our vote-by-mail ballots, you must request them every 2 years and update your address on file so they are sent to the correct address. When you receive a mail-in ballot, the system is updated to state it was sent. When the elections department receives it back, it MUST BE SIGNED or it won’t be counted. Your signature also has to match what is on file or it won’t be counted. It is also updated in the system that it was received. There is no way to cheat this system anymore because it is all done in real time.

A Universal Mail-in Ballot essentially means ballots are mailed to all registered voters without needing to first request one. This promotes a slew of issues including if someone has moved or died, if someone has turned of age or are ineligible to vote in the upcoming election. Talk about fraud.

Plus, there are some states that don’t even require IDs when voting in person. So how would those states be able to verify the correct person voted? How would they verify the ballot was even mailed to the right house?

Then, in more recent news, President Trump supposedly stated that voters should vote twice. Why would a president, who is initially against universal mail-in ballots, change his tune? What he said was that those who vote by mail, should confirm their vote counted. If it didn’t count, then they should go in person to vote.

In my county, the website gives you the option to check if your mail-in ballot was received and counted. You can also walk in to a voting precinct or the elections department and ask by showing your ID.

I just wanted to clear the air since I’ve been doing this from before Obama was voted as president the first time. I hope this helps someone.

Losing Customers

I recently “lost” a listing. It just didn’t work out between me and the sellers so we parted ways prior to the expiration of the listing agreement. I don’t think it was any one person’s fault. I feel I am a little at fault and so are the sellers. At first I was rather upset about the whole situation but as I have reflected, I’ve thought about what went wrong, what went right and how I can improve.

The biggest thing I have learned is that I wasn’t clear with the sellers on what they should expect from me. I also didn’t protest when they wanted to list the property higher than my recommended price. I guess I felt a little intimidated at the time and wanted to have that listing so bad that I did not object to what they wanted. When they wanted to list higher than my suggested price, I should have objected. They were looking for “negotiation room” but I should have explained that if we price where I suggest, they may not need to negotiate as much or maybe not have to negotiate at all. I also should have provided a checklist of items that I provide as part of my standard services and any additional services that may be available. Needless to say, I will be providing a list of services for the price they pay and I will be less intimidated by the next seller who wants to go against my recommendations. After all, I am the professional.

But I am also not the only one at fault. Normally I would take all the blame but I find this to be true when it comes to some of my customers. They didn’t really communicate with me their needs fully. I knew they had to sell and had already bought a home elsewhere. I knew this was costing them money the longer it sat on the market. Every seller has a bottom line price but do they have a bottom line time frame? They weren’t willing to give the property away and I agree with that but we were on the market only 60 days during a Pandemic (COVID19). We didn’t get as many showings as we anticipated and the feedback I received was that it was overpriced. But they never expressed their concerns and every time I would give them feedback or my opinion they responded with, “We know what we’re doing. We’ve bought and sold many houses before. This isn’t our first rodeo.”

But is this really not your first rodeo? We’ve never had a pandemic of epic proportions like we do currently. We’ve never had an economy fluctuating so drastically back and forth in our lifetime. We’ve never had the country shut down for this long. Even for me, this is a learning curve. So how do they know so much?

I asked the sellers to drop the price. I sent them articles on the market conditions. I reassured them that leaving their vacant home on the market during this time was a good idea as there are still buyers out there looking and there is less concern about transferring the virus since the home is empty. I bought equipment and created a virtual tour with over 15 hours total between filming and production. I was planning to pay for online ads and a virtual open house for the following week before the sellers and I agreed to disagree. Plus, we were still having showings and I was letting the sellers know every time a showing was scheduled and giving them the feedback every time I received it.

So what made them change their mind about selling their property with me? Did they feel the communication wasn’t there? They never expressed any dissatisfaction in what I was doing to market their property. It was all over the internet. I was sharing the virtual tour. I was emailing those who had seen the property prior and asking if their buyers would reconsider. They never said I wasn’t being communicative to them on a regular basis.

Was it because they know so much about the real estate industry? Were they listening to neighbors who were saying that their home should have sold already? They aren’t licensed real estate agents. They haven’t gone through the training and continuing education that I go through on a yearly basis to maintain my license and my expertise in the industry.

I am a licensed professional through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). This is the same governing body that licenses CPAs, Contractors, Veterinarians, and more. If you vet tells you that Fido is sick and needs medicine and rest, are you going to think you know better and take your beloved pet out to run in the park instead? If your contractor tells you that the roof on your house needs to be replaced soon or it will start to leak, are you going to ignore it until it is actually leaking? If your CPA tells you to spend less money or you’ll go bankrupt, are you going to continue spending and possibly lose your house, your car, and go for broke? No! So why would you listen to your real estate professional?

If we tell you that your home is overpriced based on the feedback we are receiving and we suggest a drop in price, why wouldn’t you do it? If we recommend cleaning the carpets because people are turned off by the foul animal odors, why wouldn’t you hire a carpet cleaning company or rent a carpet cleaner? If we suggest repainting the front door or touching up some paint spots around the house knowing it would improve curb appeal, why wouldn’t you buy a can of touch-up paint?

We are the professionals. We are licensed. We have continuing education every two years. We keep on top of industry trends and neighborhood market statistics because that is our job. Do you want your doctor to be behind on the times? No. So don’t expect real estate agents to be behind either. We watch, read and listen to industry trade websites. We get emails daily about current events and how it impacts home buyers, home sellers and real estate professionals. Do you think your doctor should be keeping up with this pandemic and what it means for our area? Yes. This is the same thing real estate professionals do. We know the areas we specialize in. We know what the market is doing. We factor in trends and statistics to help better “predict” the future for our areas.

We are the professionals. We are also human. So I see my fault in this as well as the fault of my customers. I make the commitment today to be clearer with customers in my message. I will ask what their expectations are of me and my services to market their home. I will put in place a checklist. I will verify how often they would like to be contacted. I will also stand my ground because I am the professional.

I am discouraged that I lost this listing but there will be others. This gives me an opportunity to improve on my methods and systems to make the next transaction I do even better than the last. This may not have been a good fit for me or for the sellers but I know there are others out there where I am the perfect fit for them. I will keep moving forward and improving until then.

The Customer is Always Right?

It is one of the most elusive behaviors in today’s world. It is a lost art in today’s fast-paced society. It is an attitude that has shied away from our modern society. It is a missed opportunity, a hidden gem, a secret hideaway. It is: CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Whether a company is selling a product or service, it seems impossible to find a human who can help you. If you need support, you get to call and talk to someone overseas that you can hardly understand. If you need information, you get the rigamarole on who you need to talk to. If you want to return an item, you must have your receipt. And if you call a company and leave a message, you are lucky to get a call back.

What happened to some good, old-fashioned customer service? What happened to the adage to ‘treat others as you would want to be treated’? Why are people just so darn rude these days? And why don’t they care about their customers enough to return a phone call or go out of their way to help?

Put It Into Perspective

A pipe busts in your house and now you have water EVERYWHERE. You call a plumber and leave a message. 72 hours later he finally returns your call. At this point, your house is a swimming pool.

You want to return an unopened bag of candy. You bought it on impulse and realized the diet you’re on doesn’t say you can eat candy in order to lose weight. You walk into the store with your receipt to return it. The associate behind the counter gives a shoulder-moving sigh and says, “well, I can’t resell this so I’ll have to put a damage label on it.” You feel the guilt trip setting in that this company is going to fold if you return your $1.49 bag of candy so you walk back out of the store while eating that same bag of candy; thus ruining your day and your diet.

You buy a used car from a car dealership and within a couple weeks the transmission is acting funny. You take it in to the dealership you bought it from and they slap you with a $4,000+ repair. You just bought the car from them! They aren’t willing to do anything for you until you get loud in their sales area, embarrassing yourself and your family.

Is this how you want to be treated? No! (Unless you really don’t care how people treat or respect you.) So then why would you treat someone else that way?

Customer Service is Elementary

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I’m sure you remember hearing that from the time you were little. Your parents engrained it into you. “Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you'”. There’s your mom and dad popping into your head again.

I know how easy it is to forget to say “please” or “thank you” especially when you have a million things going on and you are just trying to get things done. You have to take a moment to stop, breathe, and “mind your manners”.

The first step to quality customer service is remembering your manners. If you can remember all the little mannerisms that you learned as a child, then you are on your way to improving your customer service skills.

Customer Service is Empathy

Part of good customer service is empathizing with the customer. You don’t have to agree with what they say, think, or feel. You simply have to understand what they are saying, thinking, or feeling.

“I feel great! My back no longer hurts!” = You understand that they are no longer in pain and feel good.

“I love you” = You understand the person has feelings for you beyond acquaintances or friendships.

“This place smells bad.” = You understand that they don’t like the odors they sense.

“I think you overcharged me.” = You understand that they feel the value wasn’t there for the price they paid or you understand that the amount charged was more than the amount billed.

What Do you Do with This Information?

You repeat what they said in your own words and ask questions for clarity, if needed. “That is great that your back doesn’t hurt anymore.” “I love you too” (only if you really do). “I understand you think we overcharged you. Can you please show me where we overcharged you or tell me why you feel that way?” Make sure you get a clear picture of why the person thinks or feels the way they do. We don’t want to assume we understand when the statement may be vague. After all, we all know what ASSumption does, right?

Customer Service is Choices

Once you understand clearly what the customer means, then you can come up with solutions, or choices, to help make the customer happy. For example, you now clearly understand that the person felt overcharged because they don’t see the value in the product or service you provided. In this case, you have options: you can refund a portion of the money, you can explain your value to the customer, or you can ignore the situation entirely. However, most people don’t like to be ignored so I don’t recommend the last option.

In that same breath, customers also like to have choices. Maybe you have been trying to locate a part for their lawn mower. You finally find the part number on the schematics to find out you do not have the part in stock. Therefore you can give the customer choices: you can order the part for the customer or they can seek the part elsewhere. Then you leave the choice up to the customer. You are not their mom and cannot make the right choice for them. In this situation the “mom knows best” adage doesn’t work! As a value added customer service tip, give them the part number if they choose to look for the part elsewhere.

Maybe you are a tax professional downloading a client’s tax documents. However, the system doesn’t seem to be working properly. You’ve even called the human resources department of the company your client works for and they’ve admitted that the fault is on their end. So you give the choice to the customer: wait for their tax documents to arrive in the mail, wait until the website is working and come back in and try again, or let them know they can call their HR department and see if they can’t get their tax documents emailed to them. Customers love choices! Just don’t be their mom.

Customer Service is Friendly

One of the biggest things about providing quality customer service is friendliness. You can’t provide good customer service if you are grumpy. Your bad mood shows through in your tone of voice, your facial expressions, your body language, and even your solutions. ALWAYS smile when you answer the phone. ALWAYS be polite in your words. ALWAYS be respectful. ALWAYS listen to the customer. 9 times out of 10, the customer just wants to vent. All you have to do is listen, understand, apologize, and give solutions or options if they are needed. It’s as easy as baking a pie! (That is unless you have tried baking a pie once. I do find cheesecake to be a bit labor intensive. And don’t get me started on mousse or my husband’s favorite: Pumpkin Roll.)

Customer Service is Service

‘Tis better to give than to receive. Having a servant attitude goes a long way in customer service. There are times where “you’re welcome” are perfectly appropriate. However, sometimes it is better to say “my pleasure” or “happy to help”.  This shows the customer that you are going above and beyond for them. Little do they know that you would have done it for anyone and not just them.

Sometimes it is about truly going out of your way for one particular customer. It’s about calling around to find that specific nail polish color at another store location or about calling their financial institution to get their tax documents emailed to them so they can file their taxes. Sometimes it is about offering a past promotion they should have received on their next visit to your office or offering to return an item without the receipt. Sometimes you really do have to go beyond the call of duty to make the customer happy… within reason of course.

When the Customer is Wrong

There are times when no matter what you offer or what you do, the customer still won’t be happy. You can’t please everyone all the time. Therefore, don’t get discouraged about that one customer. Try your best to help him or her, give him the solutions you are willing to offer, and if it isn’t good enough then apologize but stand your ground. You don’t want to be a pushover person or work for a pushover company. Just like in parenting, you have limits.

For example, some people want something for nothing LITERALLY. You can’t give away the farm but maybe you can offer them a discount on their next visit. They say that isn’t good enough. You can always reply with, “I’m sorry that isn’t satisfactory Mr. Customer but it is the best I can do at this time.” Even if they say no thanks to your offer, still be sure to follow through with your promises.

The Bottom Line

If you sell a product, it is about selling quality and the benefits of that product. If you sell a service, it is about selling yourself. It is about selling your value.  To be an outstanding person and/or company, you need to learn the lost art of customer service. You have to listen to the customer, empathize, give them options, and follow through. We are only as good as our word and our word is our bond when it comes to good business practices.

 

 

Loss of Life

My heart is heavy as I have learned of a friend’s passing. I start to wonder if this is part of a new normal or if it is still the exception to the rule. Why does it always seem the nicest people, the funniest people, the most caring people are the ones who take their own lives? Why does the world seem so hopeless to them? Why is it that they feel they can’t go on? It isn’t the first time someone I know has done this but it seems to be hitting closer to home than in times past. It also seems to be happening around us more often than it used to happen. Why is this?

Statistically speaking, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death. For every 1 successful suicide, 25 attempts have been made. Each year, 44,000 Americans die by suicide. In Florida alone, suicide is the 8th leading cause of death and ranks 29 among all the states in the U.S. On average, 1 person dies every 3 hours due to suicide in Florida. It is the 2nd leading cause of death among ages 25-34. That may not seem like a huge number in the grand scheme of things but the rate of suicides has increases in the past 10 years. What does this say about our society? Are we really that weak-minded and lost?

I’m obviously only speculating but I think society is partially at fault. We often hear about how we are raising a bunch of “whiny brats” or “entitled teens” or (pardon my french) “pussies”. We’ve grown into a nation of politically correct, you-hurt-my-feelings whiners. We no longer have tough skin. Gone is the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” In our society it is about racial divides, gossip, and the like. It is about cop killings, President Trump, and mass murders. Evidently it is also about suicides.

I believe that we need to toughen up as individuals, as a society, and as a nation. Life is unfair more often than it is fair. You don’t always get your way. It is not always about instant gratification. But, life goes on whether you like it or not. Whether you are there or not. By checking out, you may miss out on something better than what currently has you down and out.

In my opinion, there is NEVER a good excuse for suicide. There is ALWAYS something worth living for even if it is just to see the sun rise the next day. When you are in deep despair and hurt, you sometimes have to take baby steps. See the sun rise, have a decent breakfast, watch your favorite TV show or listen to your favorite song. Looking forward to these small things may help you overcome the pain hurdle and then you can start looking forward to bigger things such as the whole next day or the weekend.

Suicide is selfish. It doesn’t hurt the one who does it. It hurts all their family and friends who have lost someone so soon. It ends a life before it was meant to be ended. When God is ready for you, He will bring you home. We aren’t God. We shouldn’t be making god decisions without the answer from God and I can assure you that God’s answer is never suicide.

In summary, we need to toughen up. I know there is a LOT of bad happening in our world right now: wars, bullying, break-ups, political turmoil, financial turmoil, etc. However, none of it is worth ending your life over. All of the pain and heartache subsides as time goes on. Some of the hurt and pain will eventually heal completely. But it doesn’t for those who love you and have lost you. There is always someone who cares even if they aren’t in the forefront of your life. And if you really believe that you do not have anyone who cares, then know that I care and God cares.

Please don’t consider suicide as a way to make things better. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please seek help. Please talk to someone – ANYONE. It can be a friend, a stranger, a family member, the homeless person on the street corner, a coworker… ANYONE. If you feel you don’t have anyone, then please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Phone Number at 1-800-273-8255.

*I did not write this post to hurt anyone’s feelings or upset anyone. It is my way of dealing with the loss of a friend whom so many loved. I pray that this post will help someone at some point to think twice before committing suicide and instead get help. If I save just 1 life with this post, then it was worth writing.

Living Outside My Time

I honestly feel like I was born too late. I probably should have been an adult in the 50’s – 60’s. I still believe in America and what it stood for. I still believe in respect and discipline. I still believe in chivalry. I still believe in community.

This country has become so divided. We have celebrities and sports figures who want to kneel instead of stand for the National Anthem. We have people disrespecting authority. We have people who stand divided because of the color of their skin or their religious or political beliefs.

This is blatant district for our fellow humans. This is blatant disrespect for those people who served this country in order for you to have your freedom to kneel. You certainly didn’t earn it on your own. This is blatant disrespect for those who try to keep our communities safe so we can sleep soundly at night. It’s just disrespect and I’m so overwhelmed by all of it.

What this country stood for in the past is no longer. It breaks my heart to see what we, as a country and Americans, have become. It hurts me to see that we can’t even be decent human beings to one another. Most of all, it’s terrifying to have an inkling of what is about to happen. Think war, martial law, EMPs, and any other destructive force that will strip away our rights and our sanity.

Is this the kind of country we want our children and grandchildren to be in? Is this the type of world we are going to leave to future generations? I certainly hope not. I hope that what damage has been done can be reversed without any more added damage. I pray that you feel the same way.

Us vs. Them

The other day I read an article by an acquaintance of mine. He mentions how in the past 8 years or so, we have become the Divided States of America. We are no longer united because we have an us vs. them mentality. He talks about the possibility of civil war and it won’t be North vs. South. It will be neighbor against neighbor. Look at Greece, Venezuela, and Ukraine and the violence that is happening in those countries. They fight among themselves. Since when did we become a country divided? We are Americans! We should be proud to be an American and stand together united.

We must get rid of this mentality that one race, color, or creed is better than another. We must get rid of the race cards, the economic status cards, the political cards that divide us. We shouldn’t have to pick a side. We should just live in harmony with other Americans, neighbor standing with neighbor.

After natural disasters, neighborhoods come together to help each other out. I can remember after Hurricane Andrew (Aug 24, 1992) , the manager at the Publix grocery store near my grandmother’s sewing shop allowed us to go in and get bread and peanut butter without paying for it so we could eat sandwiches. Never mind the fact that the roof was on the ground of my grandma’s store and there was a gaping hole in the roof of the grocery store. He wasn’t worried about losing money or anything. He just wanted to help

Kindness goes a long way. We don’t have to be mean to one another. We shouldn’t look down on another for any reason. We do not know their struggle or their past. We need to learn tolerance, acceptance, respect, and the like.

The only way to unite this country again is to get rid of the us vs. them mentality. We aren’t black vs. white, cop vs. non-cop, homosexual vs. heterosexual, democrat vs. republican. We are better than that! We are Americans! Let’s embrace UNITY as such and change the path we are currently traveling.

Cop Killers and Killer Cops

There has been a lot of talk about “Black Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter” and what not. First off, I know that some cops and those in law enforcement abuse their power. I do not doubt that some of the instances I have seen or heard about are those who think they are above the law from the very people who are committed to enforcing the law. But there are many more instances where a cop shooting a citizen is justified. Why? Because of Compliancy. Here’s an example:

You ask your child to do something, like go to bed. They refuse to listen and continues to watch TV. What happens next? They get in trouble and possibly get a time out or no television the next night for not being compliant to your request.

It is the same with the police. They ask a person to do something: get out of the car, put your hands up, stop moving, etc. If you do not COMPLY, what happens next? You might get shot because you did NOT comply with their request.

The reality is that cops have to fear for their lives EVERY TIME they leave their families and their house. They live in fear while on the job, even when they are just doing a routine traffic stop or responding to a house call for whatever reason. Anyone they interact with and any situation they must deal with could be a matter of life and death for them.

These people took an oath to serve and protect us. If they fear too much for their lives then the next time we need them, they may not be there. They made a choice to uphold the law. Even though there are some who believe they are above the law, their judgement day will eventually come. Plus, there are many many more good cops than bad cops out there.

The bottom line is that ALL LIVES MATTER. It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, where you are from, or what species you are.. YOUR LIFE MATTERS. So next time you get pulled over or need help from a cop, be compliant and respectful. Let them know you are not a threat. Do what they ask of you and you won’t end up handcuffed or shot. So be kind to these men and women. Remember, they have families that love them and they are human just like you.

 

Good Cop Stories:

Cops Pay Bill of Diner who Shun Them

Cop Fixes Kid’s Bike

Reminders There Are Good Cops in the World

Shah Surprises Kids in Viral Basketball Video

Sanford Officer Busts a Move with Neighborhood Children in Dance Off

 

 

Assault Rifles Have a Mind of Their Own

It irks me that the media cannot get this straight. It drives me mad that they keep saying “assault rifle” when speaking of the Orlando shooting. OMG people! STOP being so IGNORANT!! So hopefully here, I can clear up what the “AR” in AR-15 stands for and why a weapon cannot and will not ever be an assault weapon. Let’s start with definitions.

assault

VERB [WITH OBJECT]
1 Make a physical attack on: he pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer; she was sexually assaulted as a child
1.1 Attack or bombard (someone or the senses) with something undesirable or unpleasant: her right ear was assaulted with a tide of music
1.2 Carry out a military attack or raid on (an enemy position): they left their strong position to assault the hill

NOUN
1 A physical attack: his imprisonment for an assault on the film director
1.1 An act, criminal or tortious, that threatens physical harm to a person, whether or not actual harm is done: he appeared in court charged with assault
1.2 A military attack or raid on an enemy position: troops began an assault on the city
[AS MODIFIER]: an assault boat
1.3 A strong verbal attack: the assault on the party’s tax policies
2 A concerted attempt to do something demanding: a winter assault on Mt. Everest

 

rifle

NOUN
1 A gun, especially one fired from shoulder level, having a long spirally grooved barrel intended to make a bullet spin and thereby have greater accuracy over a long distance.

VERB (rifled)
1 Make spiral grooves in (a gun or its barrel or bore) to make a bullet spin and thereby have greater accuracy over a long distance: a line of replacement rifled barrels
2 Hit, throw, or kick (a ball or puck) hard and straight: he rifled a hard, rising shot from just inside the blue line

Basically, assault is an action, a physical attack. It is something you do, a behavior that is physical or verbal. You can assault a person but the reality is that a firearm, which is an inanimate object, cannot assault anyone or anything. It does not have a mind of its own. The person assaulted the victims with a firearm but the firearm did not behave in a manner that was forceful or demanding. It takes a human with motives, good or bad, to take action.

A History Lesson on the AR-15

The AR-15 is a lightweight rifle with a rotating lock bolt. It has been produced in numerous semi-automatic and selective fire variants. It was first built by ArmaLite as a small arms rifle for the United States military. Because of financial problems, ArmaLite sold the design to Colt in 1959, who offered the AR rifles to various military services and law enforcement around the world. Colt trademarked the “AR” name although many variants of the firearm are independently made, modified and sold under different names and manufacturers. The “AR” in all ArmaLite pattern firearms simply stands for ArmaLite. The term has been used to refer to semiautomatic only versions of the rifle since 1963 although the Colt AR-15 is the accurate use of the AR model name.

Some notable features include the aluminum receiver, the modular design that allows the use of numerous accessories such as sights, vertical forward grips, lighting systems and more. It also features a straight-line stock design, small caliber rounds, adjustable sights, carious magazine capacity and an ergonomic design that makes certain parts of the firearm easy to access.

Many firearm enthusiasts enjoy the ability to modify and accessorize their rifles with sights, scopes, bipods, night vision devices, laser-targeting devices and more. You can adjust your front and rear sights for better accuracy and comfort. The ergonomic design makes the charging handle, selector switch, magazine release and bolt catch assembly easy to access for smoother operation.

Bottom Line

There are some people who still want to call rifles “assault rifles”. There are even some definitions our there as to what an “assault rifle” is (BTW, it is a weapon used in the military. It is not an assault weapon if it is for civilian use.) People are so ignorant and we need to be more educated. This is ridiculous that as an “intelligent” human race that we cannot figure it out. Do a little research before you start throwing words and phrases around without knowing what they mean.

 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

http://www.ijreview.com/2016/06/627943-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-assault-rifles-and-the-ar-15/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=owned&utm_campaign=ods&utm_term=ijamerica&utm_content=guns

 

Orlando Mass Murder

As most people in the world already know, about 2am this morning, the Pulse night club in Orlando, FL was under fire by a man who shot and killed at least 50 people and left about 50+ people injured. Now, before we go about being pro- or anti-gun, let’s think about this logically.

1. You’ve heard the saying “where there’s a will there’s a way” and when it comes to those who intend to do wrong, there isn’t an exception. Anyone who wants to commit a crime will find a way. Think about the kids who choose to shoplift because they want something and do not have the money or have been told no. What about the college student who wants sex but cannot find a willing partner so he commits rape? What about those who want to murder someone with a knife, a bomb, or a gun?
2. Most of the more recent killings have all been in weapon or gun-free zones with weapons that were acquired illegally. The people who commit these crimes find a way to get their hands on weapons that they cannot otherwise legally own. They find areas with the least amount of armed people like schools, clubs, churches, etc. Today’s tragedy was an exception to the norm considering the man had a right to own a gun as a security guard but he still chose a club as his venue.

Some Facts and Statistics

As the news reaches around the world, it has been said by those in Australia and the U.K. that we should ban all guns. Both those countries have all but banned guns. Yet, they still have a murder rate.

Armed robberies also occur, and while firearms are sometimes used, the more common weapon utilized is a knife or other cutting implement, which also accounts for 59 percent of murders throughout NSW. Australia has extremely restrictive firearms legislation, which makes the purchase, possession, licensing, and storage of firearms very difficult when compared to U.S. jurisdictions. Most gun-related incidents involved drive-by and targeted shootings, stemming from outlaw motorcycle gang turf wars and drug-related disputes with organized crime gangs. In general, gun-related violence in Sydney has remained stable over 2014 and is remarkably low when compared to major U.S. cities.

https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=17811

 

Offences involving firearms³ increased 4% (by 200 offences to 5,122) in the year ending December 2015 compared with the previous year. However, this was largely driven by an 18% increase in offences involving imitation and other weapons such as BB guns and soft air weapons; by contrast, offences involving handguns, shotguns and rifles decreased by 1%.

The number of offences that involved a knife or sharp instrument⁴ also showed an increase (9%) over the past 12 months. This contrasts with the general downward trend in this series over the longer-term, although the latest figures are 14% lower than in the year ending March 2011.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingdecember2015#summary-by-crime-type

The following facts are from 2012 but they do help to prove a theory that murder is not always committed in the US by gun owners.

(stats from 2012. http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/jul/22/gun-homicides-ownership-world-list)

• The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world – an average of 88 per 100 people. That puts it first in the world for gun ownership – and even the number two country, Yemen, has significantly fewer – 54.8 per 100 people
• But the US does not have the worst firearm murder rate – that prize belongs to Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. In fact, the US is number 28, with a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 people
• Puerto Rico tops the world’s table for firearms murders as a percentage of all homicides – 94.8%. It’s followed by Sierra Leone in Africa and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean

Bath, MI Mass Murder

The Orlando tragedy now ranks as the worst massacre in U.S. history. Before that, the school massacre in Bath, MI ranked number one. In 1927, Andrew Kehoe planned a series of violent attacks that killed 38 elementary school children, six adults and injured 58 other people. He killed his wife and firebombed his farm. Then, he detonated an explosion in the Bath Consolidated School before committing suicide by detonating a device in his truck.

Why? He was angered by the increased taxes and his defeat for township clerk in Spring 1026. It is thought that he planned his “murderous revenge” after that public defeat. He had a reputation for difficulty in personal dealings and on the school board. (He was treasurer.) His was also notified in June 1926 that his home was being foreclosed. A neighbor noticed that he stopped working on his farm and it was thought that Kehoe was possibly planning a suicide. During that time, Kehoe purchased explosives and discreetly planted them on his property and under the school.

Some time between May 16 and the morning of May 18, 1927, Kehoe murdered his wife. Then on the morning of May 18 at about 8:45 a.m., he set off various incendiary devices on his homestead that caused the house and other farm buildings to be destroyed by the explosives’ blasts and their subsequent fires.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster#Coroner.27s_inquest

Almost simultaneously, an explosion devastated the north wind of the school building, killing two teachers and 36 children. Kehoe used a timed detonator to ignite hundreds of pounds of dynamite and incendiary pyrotol that he had secretly planted inside the school during the previous months. He then drove up, stopped, and used a rifle to detonate dynamite inside his shrapnel-filled truck, killing himself and school superintendent along with a few nearby bystanders.

An additional 500 pounds of unexploded dynamite and pyrotol conceded to a timing device were found hidden throughout the basement of the south wing during the rescue and recovery efforts. Kehoe had apparently intended to blow up and destroy the entire school.

My Thoughts

Since I know this is going to become an issue, I’m just going to speak my mind. In my eyes, these are logical arguments against banning guns and the double standard that many political figures seen to stand behind.

1. Had the club not been a gun-free zone/weapon-free zone, there would have been a higher likelihood of the criminal being defeated before he was able to shoot and kill 50 people.
2. In this case, he did have a legal right to carry his gun while working but not into a night club. He was acting as a civilian and, therefore, he should have followed the same rules the rest of the gun-carrying civilians follow when coming to a club. This basically means, he carried his firearm illegally into the club.
3. The president and others want to ban firearms. Yet, they want to be protected by the same firearms they want to ban. The secret service carries firearms. I think if they want to ban them, then they should start with the secret service.
4. There’s a possibility that this is a conspiracy theory (being so close to the elections and all). After all, it does help to perpetuate a few people’s political agenda. If this is so, may God have mercy on those who planned this ordeal. I have no idea how they sleep at night. They must have sold their souls to be just as heinous as the man who committed this mass murder. (I always wonder this when I see politicians and those with money getting away with murder or other illegal activities.)
5. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the idea of bringing a knife to a gun fight. I know I cannot throw a knife as fast as a bullet flies.
6. Criminals are going to find ways and means to get their hands on weapons whether they are banned or not. Period.

Conclusion

Yes, what happened in the wee hours of Jun 12, 2016 in Orlando is nothing shy of a gross tragedy and I’m sure that this will stir up the gun rights fight all over again. But, my point is that if someone wants to commit a crime, they will find a way. They will acquire the weapons illegally. They will find venues where they will have the most opportunity to commit such heinous crimes.

This isn’t a gun problem. It isn’t a knife problem. It isn’t a bomb problem. It is a people problem. It is the lack of medical help for those who are criminally insane. It is a lack of security in places where crimes like these are more likely to be committed. It is a lack of understanding that a law abiding citizen isn’t going to commit a crime like this and that criminals do NOT follow the laws. If they did, then we wouldn’t have crime problems.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who are affected by this tragedy. May God bring the families and friends peace and bring judgement to those involved in the planning of this crime.