Angola Indiana man threatens a tree trimmer and the cops find almost 300 guns and a million rounds

[Union Label]

Where is this guy getting all of these weapons of war and yes I saw on the video a bunch of assault weapons.
I hope theres a law in the area here that would prohibit storage of that many bullets what if the house caught fire.
This kind of shit needs to stop.

Imagine going to work with no worries in sight, only to have your life threatened just minutes after you arrive.

It happened just yesterday in Angola.

For the crew at Davey Tree Experts, it's a Friday definitely worth celebrating, for a few frightening moments Thursday morning, they didn't think they would live to see the weekend.

"I looked up and was staring right down the barrel of his gun,"says William McCollum.

"You've got 1200 volts of electricity flowing up over your head and got a guy below with a shotgun," says Jimmy Harbin. http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/12519526.html#

[Sanctified]

1. The Guy was 71 and probably has been a collector for the past 60 of them.

I don't think there should be a limitation on the amount of
ammunition one should own.

[dbackjon]

3. One MILLION Rounds?

No one, I mean no one needs that much ammo.


This is the EXACT type of person why Gun Control/Registration/Limitation is needed - Armed Neo-Nazis with a million rounds of Ammo....

[Sanctified]

7. What makes you think he was a Neo-Nazi

More than likely the guy was an avid gun collector and target shooter but because of old age stopped target shooting but probably still bought ammunition out of habit. It's like my Grandma who still buys a ton of Groceries every week and makes sure to buy my Grandpas favorite beer even though she lives by herself and my Grandpa has been dead for 5 years.

[slackmaster]

11. I have an aunt who is the same way

She grew up in a poor family during the Great Depression, and is deathly afraid of starvation.

The amount of food she keeps stockpiled is mind-boggling. I mean things like five one-gallon bottles of ketchup.

[angstlessk]

30. They found a nazi Fucking flag in his house..I would say he was/is a neo nazi

I would suggest he was at least a white supremist!??

[slackmaster]

33. Probably boils black babies

:eyes:

[Irreverend IX]

53. We know nothing about the Nazi flag he had...

If it was a war trophy packed in a trunk with other military memorabilia, it's a pretty big stretch to say he was a white supremacist. If he had a massive flag of modern manufacture hanging in his living room, then you might have a more compelling argument. Problem is, the story gives us no context for the flag.

[TheWraith]

55. At 71, he wouldn't have been old enough to be a WW2 veteran.

He'd have been born around 1936. So it's unlikely that the flag was a trophy of his own.

[Irreverend IX]

64. Not a trophy of his own...

But it could have been kept with a bunch of other people's captured trophies and military memorabilia he'd collected. If this guy had a lot of flags, uniforms and medals from different countries, calling him a Nazi is foolish. If he had a big Nazi flag and no other historical stuff, it's a different story.

[dbackjon]

51. Maybe the NAZI flag they found????

And Ammo is NOT food...

[slackmaster]

60. I have a British flag

Does that automatically make me a redcoat?

It's the same thing - the flag of a conquered enemy.

[LanternWaste]

62. If and only if the overwhelming message of the Union Jack...

"Does that automatically make me a redcoat?"


If and only if the overwhelming message of the Union Jack symbol is one of oppression as the Nazi flag is. But since we both know that the Union Jack is seen less as a symbol of the Redcoats and more a symbol of Britain, your analogy doesn't quite pass the bullshit test.

[slackmaster]

84. By your reasoning, any object that bears symbols of the Nazi era in Germany automatically flags one

As a Nazi. Or so it appears.

[dbackjon]

75. Actually, I thought Britian was our ally now.

Are you allied with nazis?

[slackmaster]

83. The Germans are our allies now as well

Are you allied with nazis?

No. Are you allied with dipshit assholes?

[dbackjon]

86. The Germans yes, not the NAZIs...

And since we are both Democrats, I guess the answer would be yes..;-)

[dionysus]

90. he had a nazi flag in his house....

[OzarkDem]

98. No matter how you parse it, its insane and dangerous to others

Its not like collecting old newspapers or cats. Its live ordinance in a residential area owned by a crazy person. Other people have rights, too.

I hope they throw his ass in jail for a long time.

[slackmaster]

111. If he's thrown in jail for a year or more, he will lose the right to own a gun

Problem solved.

[slackmaster]

8. I think it's a bit of a leap to say the guy is a neo-Nazi

I own an old Soviet Union flag, and I'm not a communist. Many German flags were taken as war trophies in World War II.

[Xithras]

25. Yep. My grandpa had one, and my uncle has it today.

My grandfather pulled the flag off a building as he went through France. The man was about as far from "Nazi" as you can get, but the flag was a war trophy. He kept it in an old wooden footlocker along with a wehrmacht helmet, an altimeter he pulled from a crashed British bomber, and an old Luger. They were simply trophies of war, or souveniers to send back home.

[Frosty1]

10. Perhaps if the jews had

that much ammo the holocaust could have been prevented?
:shrug:

[michreject]

43. The Jews turned in the guns

when ordered.

See what happens when the Governing body wants all privately owned guns?

[kestrel91316]

4. There is only one reason for that much ammo: to kill a LOT of people.

Sounds like an obsessive nutjob to me.....

[slackmaster]

6. With ammunition prices as they are now, he was smart to stock up when he did

A million rounds may be enough to last him the rest of his life.

[Sanctified]

12. But he did not kill anyone.

So your reasoning on why someone would have that much ammo does not work.

[EstimatedProphet]

76. Sure it does

Because the reasoning is: if he didn't kill anyone yet, he was going to anyway. Nice to convict people before they do something, isn't it?

[ManiacJoe]

52. Or kill a lot of paper targets

and clay pigeons with all those shotguns.

Buying in bulk saves money in the long haul.

[LanternWaste]

66. oh, but he MUST be an avid collector!

oh, but he MUST be an avid collector/enthusiast (pay no attention to the nazi flag in the background...)! :sarcasm:

[Bright Eyes]

70. Yep. When You Hear Hoofbeats, Think Horses, Not Zebras

[EstimatedProphet]

72. There is only one reason to make that assumption...

Obsessive in its own right.

[jody]

2. Ammunition is not a threat during a fire unlike what people see in movies. Gasoline and all types of

flammables are the real danger.

[elocs]

14. There is no Constitutional right that can be claimed for ammunition. None.

License, limit, and register every damn bullet out there. Enough already.

[jody]

29. LOL, I guess you support "License, limit, and register every damn" instrument for writing including

keyboards, pens, ink, pencils, and all other tools necessary to exercise the freedom of expression and press.

[derby378]

54. Excellent PWNage!

:hi:

[Thothmes]

50. Since regulation of ammunition

is not reserved for the Federal Government nor specifically denied to the State Governments, it becomes the perview of the various states to regulate ammunition per the Xth amendment to the Consitution

[slackmaster]

58. And what happens when one state regulates, taxes, etc. something that people want?

You get three guesses, and the first two don't count.

[EstimatedProphet]

77. Why?

Really, why?

What damage did the bullets do?

[spoony]

95. Mate, the government can't even keep track of nukes

much less bullets! There's just no way.

[CT_Progressive]

45. What a crock of shit - of course ammo is a threat in a fire.

My buddy was in Iraq and almost died INSIDE THE BASE because some NUMNUT tossed some ammo into their trash burning pit.

Of COURSE ammo cooks off in a fire - its filled with GUNPOWDER.

[slackmaster]

48. It's a very minor threat

Here's how the Corvallis, OR Fire Department addresses it:

How can I store ammunition so that it doesn't harm emergency personnel in the event of a fire?

Firefighters experience the surprise of exploding ammunition in a fire situation with some regularity. When bullets and shells are exposed to fire, as long as they are not chambered in a weapon, they are generally not lethal. They do explode and you certainly would not want to be in the immediate vicinity. Most often, however, they will simply explode and not project the pellets or slugs with much force.

The safety gear worn by firefighters has been fairly effective in protecting them from injury in this case. Loaded weapons exposed to high heat, however, will "shoot;" and semi-automatic weapons will keep shooting, especially if gas-operated as most repeating shotguns and some rifles are. This is a severe hazard for emergency personnel (or anyone in the vicinity).

There is a documented instance (which occurred elsewhere, by the way) in which a loaded rifle, mounted on a wall rack, kept discharging during a fire, hitting the command vehicle, causing fire personnel to believe that they were being shot at. They withdrew to a safe location and, consequently, the house was destroyed. Fortunately, no one was hurt in that instance. So, this is another good reason for not keeping loaded weapons in the home.

Safe storage of shells and bullets would be best in a fire-resistive gun cabinet. Lacking that, there are metal ammunition boxes; however, they create a risk of a larger, more powerful explosion if the components were to detonate due to the confined energy created by the box itself. A personal safe with a fire rating would be the next best, giving security against unwarranted access as well as fire protection.

Link: http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1565&Itemid=1904#ammo

[jody]

49. Certainly small arms ammo cooks off but bullets do not go flying around. It's just a big firecracker

Your buddy is pulling your leg about ammo in the trash burning pit unless it was a 20 mm explosive round or grenade or mortar round or artillery round or rocket or mine. That's another issue depending on the particular item but the OP article is about small arms ammunition.

You might want to track down Sporting Ammunition and the Firefighter published by Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) and reduce your ignorance about the subject of small arms ammunition and fires.

"Item #250 - Nearly one million rounds of ammunition were subjected to ten different tests-from open burn conditions to tightly confined burn conditions-to examine what happens to sporting ammunition exposed to severe impact and fire. This video is recommended as an educational tool for fire departments and explains how firefighters face no danger from sporting ammunition in a fire when protected by standard turn-out gear."

I'm glad I could be of help in stamping out ignorance about small arms ammunition.

[Recursion]

79. Mythbusters had a segment on this

Well, on what happens to ammo in an oven. Outside of a gun, ammo that cooks off doesn't really propel the bullet anywhere; it just kind of goes "pop". The Mythbusters couldn't even get it to break the glass of the oven.

A loaded weapon in a fire, however, is another story...

[OzarkDem]

100. Wonder how many "pops" with a million rounds?

I'm all for letting people have a guns for their own safety and for hobby purposes, but for crying out loud, there has to be limit.

[slackmaster]

107. The only person who would suffer any harm would be the guy himself

The FD would probably just let the place burn to the ground.

Ammo gone. Gun collection gone. House gone.

[Recursion]

117. Assuming a cook off rate of 80%, about 800,000

None of which would launch a projectile with any noticeable force.

[slackmaster]

119. It would make for some good YouTube videos

The fireworks would probably go on for some time.

[TheWraith]

57. Define "not a threat."

No, a bullet doesn't have the same explosive and directed force when not fired out of a barrel. That doesn't mean it can't be dangerous, and doesn't still explode. That's why the military builds ammo dumps the way they do.

[jody]

73. If you don't know what the phrase "not a threat" means, then you have a real problem. n/t

[TheWraith]

121. Damn, somebody's excessively touchy today.

I define "not a threat" as meaning "not a threat," which is apparently different from your definition.

[slackmaster]

5. I collect weapons of war

300 is a lot more than I own but it isn't really a large collection. I've been collecting only 10 years or so.

Where is this guy getting all of these weapons of war...

If you have a type 03 Federal Firearms License (as I do) you can get them shipped directly to your home from any of numerous wholesale importer/dealers.

You can have one shipped to your door by the Civilian Marksmanship Program without an FFL.

[EstimatedProphet]

80. You have an FFL?

If you do, there's another point you might like to make while we're talking here: FFL getting and keeping is a real pain in the ass (at least from everything I've heard). They are difficult to qualify for - not at all like simply walking into a gun shop and picking out a gun. Also, the federal government claims the right to inspect the property where guns are kept at any time - like 3 am, if they feel like it.

I bring this up because I know someone is going to look at your post and start in on how people can get guns by mail-order, and how that's so dangerous, etc. etc. There's very few people that can get an FFL, and it's not the same as some street hood getting a gun under-the-counter.

[slackmaster]

89. Yes, a type 03 (Collector of Curios and Relics)

It's not hard to get, but you do have to submit to the same federal background check as for type 01 (dealer's license), or to buy a registered machine gun. I had the same kind of check done when I got a government security clearance, and when I took a job at a bank.

Also, the federal government claims the right to inspect the property where guns are kept at any time - like 3 am, if they feel like it.

They may be able to do that for dealers, but they have to give collectors some notice. I've never been inspected, nor do I know any other "crufflers" who have.

There's very few people that can get an FFL, and it's not the same as some street hood getting a gun under-the-counter.

Any citizen with a clean criminal record who is over 21 can get a type 03 FFL. You have to notify your local chief law enforcement officer (e.g. chief of the San Diego PD), and you have to keep the same kinds of records of acquisitions and dispositions as dealers do (i.e. a "bound book"). Type 03s are specifically prohibited from engaging in a business of transferring firearms, and the penalty for doing so illegally can be severe.

On the plus side, it does allow you to acquire and dispose of C&R firearms through interstate commerce, and the cost for the license is just $30 for three years. It's one of the best deals the federal government offers.

I think there would be more of us if people were aware of the availability of the license.

[EstimatedProphet]

125. OK...

Most of what I heard about for FFLs was for dealers. Seems like it is a lot more stringent for that class. However, you did bring up a good point, that I was trying to get to also: you have to have a clean criminal record, and you have to go through some recordkeeping, in order to keep one. So it isn't as easy as simply buying a gun off Ebay with no recordkeeping or background check, like some people try to argue.

[JBoy]

9. I think the limit should be 250 guns and 900,000 rounds

Anything more than that is just excessive. :sarcasm:

Sweet Jesus, how much would that much ammo have cost? Probably more than his house.

[slackmaster]

16. Probably not, if he bought it a long time ago

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is offering .30-'06 rifle ammunition for $200 plus S&H for a case of 768 rounds. When I bought three cases a couple of years ago the price was about $110. In past years it has been much lower.

http://www.odcmp.com/ammo.htm

A machine gun collector I know used to buy 8 mm Mauser for less than 5 cents per round.

[Sanctified]

19. Well if it was a million rounds of .22 ammo

It would not cost that much.

[Xithras]

39. Yep. And you can buy .22 ammo in 5000 round cases.

Even at today's prices a 5000 round case will only set you back about $700. When I was a kid you could pick up a 5000 round case for about $100 to $150. My bet would be that this old man did just that...he bought a "few" cases back when they were cheaper.

It's also interesting to compare the number of guns he had to the amount of ammo. The way it works out, he bought just under one case of ammo for each of his rifles.

[michreject]

47. a 550 round brick is 12.00

When I was in Tennessee last week, I got a box of 550 for 9.99 at Wal-mart. Only place in town to buy ammo.

[EstimatedProphet]

82. Maybe he reloaded

In which case he could have put that ammo together at a few pennies per round.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

13. Guns don't kill people...

Idiots behind the trigger kill people

Eliminate the ability to put idiots behind the trigger (much tougher gun laws) and eliminate more killings

[slackmaster]

17. Owning firearms and misusing them are very different things

What difference does it make whether an individual owns one or many?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

35. You don't think this guy distributes?

It does beg the question why so much, does it not?

[slackmaster]

38. No, I very much doubt that he does

With a collection like that, he probably has a Federal Firearms License like mine. Getting caught running an illegal business could land a licensed collector in prison.

Most of his collection consists of old bolt-action rifles, which are unsuitable for most criminal purposes.

Read the article linked to in the OP. It quotes neighbors as saying the man lived like a hermit, and the interior of his house is described as a mess.

It sounds like a lonely old guy, perhaps with a touch of Alzheimer's disease.

[LanternWaste]

69. Then... bullets don't kill people?

Then... bullets don't kill people? Bullets don't don't turn muscle and tissue into hamburger meat? The shooter does it? Does he stick his finger in the other guy to cause a hole and then uses a knife to cause damage to the muscle and surrounding tissue?

Damn those Emergency Rooms for calling a wound caused by gunshot a "GSW" or gun-shot wound. They should refer to them for what they really are... "Wounds Caused By Idiots Behind Triggers". Damned liberal doctors and nurses.... :sarcasm:

'cause we all know... when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will accidentally shoot their children.

[michreject]

15. One gun a month

I did that for 4 years. Some months I bought more. I sold some. 300 guns isn't a big collection.

[GoneOffShore]

18. You should have posted the bit about the Nazi flag

that police found as well.

Might give a little more perspective to this.

[Sanctified]

20. My Grandfather had a Nazi Bayonet and a Hitler youth knife.

Spoils he brought back from WWII, the guy was 71 and more than likely served in WWII so I would be willing to bet it's something he brought back home like my grandfather.

[slackmaster]

22. Time flies - A 71-year-old is too young to have served in WW II

He would have been no more than nine years old on VJ Day.

[Sanctified]

32. Good Point my bad to assume people that people who are 70 served.

I just remember my Grandfather who served and remember talking to him about it when he was 70 but that 15 years ago.

[slackmaster]

21. Or not

:shrug:

[rockymountaindem]

26. Plenty of people have Nazi memorabilia and aren't Nazis themselves

Figuring he's a Nazi because of some old thing that his dad or his big brother maybe brought back from the war is the wrong conclusion to draw.

[Hardrada]

And there are new Nazi flags of various kinds

all over the Internet. There just aren't that many Nazis around for all those flags. I imagine that some folks just want them as a backdrop for a WWII display of German weapons or have an interest in 20th Century history. Harmless display purposes in short. I have a big Imperial German naval flag with the iron cross symbol but only because I have an interest in military history.

[Blue-Jay]

23. How long would it take to fire a million rounds?

(one squeeze at a time)

[slackmaster]

24. I have shot 600 in a day before

At that rate a million would last about four and a half years.

[Blue-Jay]

28. ah.

Well I suppose that owning a million rounds requires a special kind of crazy, doesn't it?

[slackmaster]

31. My Instant Internet Diagnosis is "Harmless Lovable Old Crackpot"

Maybe with a touch of OCD.

[Blue-Jay]

40. Lovable = 1,000,000 bullets?

Don't expect a Valentine's Day card from me.

[slackmaster]

41. Think of it as a million rounds of ammo that aren't out on the street

:hi:

BTW I doubt that he really had a million.

[Tansy_Gold]

91. I contacted a friend who still lives in Angola for some details

According to the friend's report, Mr. Weldon had been employed as a pressman at a local printing company for many years -- the same company, in fact, that my late husband worked for before we left Angola. Whether my husband knew him or not I now have no way of knowing, and it's been over 20 years since we left there anyway.

Again according to the friend, Mr. Weldon's wife left him back in the 60s or so and married another employee of the same company (then later a third), and he seemed to withdraw after the divorce. Never spoke to anyone, kept to himself.

Mr. Weldon's son was employed at one time by a mutual friend of ours, and even as an adult, the son was kept to a strict and early curfew and was occasionally locked out of the house if he did not return home on time. The son's employer "and me tried to get him out of his shell but he was too far gone."

Probably not a "harmless lovable old crackpot."


Tansy Gold

[dionysus]

92. loving guy pointing a shotgun at an unarmed man.... what kinda gun nut are you?

[slackmaster]

93. Where did I say he was a "loving guy"?

Have you had your eyes checked lately, dionysus?

[dionysus]

122. i typed fast, so you said loveable.

what difference does it make? what you said was still stupid.

[slackmaster]

123. Yes, I often type "ing" instead of "able"

:eyes:

[Recursion]

81. *shrug* I take MSM reporting on guns and ammo with a grain of salt

I have no idea if there actually were "a million" rounds in the house; I generally don't trust MSM stories involving guns because they don't seem to bother to learn the first thing about them.

If he had a million rounds, an active range shooter could go through those in a couple of years (if he had 330 guns, that's roughly 3000 per gun, maybe 8 trips to a shooting range per gun).

[ProfessorGAC]

124. Every 31 Seconds 24/7

So figure you'd at least have to multiply by 3 (8 hours per day), and then add in reloading time, (unless the gun had a REALLY BIG megazine), it would be nearly impossible to fire that off in less than 18 months. And, that would be really, really dedicated to it.
The Professor

[rucky]

27. If I got caught with more than an ounce of weed...

I'd get busted with intent to sell.

Isn't there - or shouldn't there be a similar law about guns? I mean, there's personal use, then there's this guy.

[jody]

36. Please present sources supporting the natural, inherent, inalienable/unalienable right to smoke weed

I support legalization of marijuana but I've never seen a legal argument that its an inalienable/unalienable right.

[redqueen]

68. Pursuit of happiness?

If alcohol is legal, there is no reason to ban the other.

[slackmaster]

37. There is no limit

I know of a man in Texas who owns more than 9,000 Luger pistols. Good collectable ones are worth over $1,000 each.

[JBoy]

42. The argument that you're just a "collector" is a weak one

when it comes to weed.

[rucky]

44. I prefer to call myself an "enthusiast".

:evilgrin:

[slackmaster]

46. A friend of mine collected more than 700 kinds of marijuana

Including US Government-issued stuff.

He kept it in little plastic boxes, all labelled, catalogued, and indexed.

The stuff dried out and went bad years ago, and he had to quit smoking it because of a job.

[OzarkDem]

101. Very good point

Interesting how the 2nd amendment extremists don't think the same Constitutional arguments apply to recreational drugs.

"Damn dirty pot smokin' hippies! Lock em up and throw away the key!"

How do they feel about pot smoking hippies with guns?

[Recursion]

114. You sure about that?

Most 2nd amendment "extremists" I know are quick to point out how fruitless the War on Drugs has been and what a bad idea prohibition in general is. Come to think of it, it's kind of a stock response to gun-control arguments, "seeing how badly prohibition has failed for pot and cocaine, I don't see any need to apply it to guns". Etc.

[slackmaster]

118. Add me to the list of 2A people who think drugs should be legalized

:hi:

Some stereotypes have a kernel of truth, some don't add up to squat.

[slackmaster]

34. I watched the video - his collection is mostly bolt-action rifles

Mausers and such. Curios and relics.

[hogwyld]

56. Gun nuts like these are the best advertisment

for the gun control advocacy groups. 1 million rounds and 300 guns??? Jeez, who should have a "right" to that?

[karlrschneider]

59. Any American citizen who isn't a felon...or nuts.

next?

[OzarkDem]

103. We'll he's nuts

and obviously not responsible enough to be trusted with a bunker full of arms and ammo. Rule of law.

[slackmaster]

110. If a judge agrees with you and declares him incompetent, the guns will have to go

Rule of law indeed.

[slackmaster]

61. I think you should have the right to own as many guns and rounds of ammo as you want

I expect the same consideration from you in return.

[krispos42]

63. "assault weapons"

And once again, the term gets looser and looser.

Now it means "any gun that scares me".

[aikoaiko]

65. fear mongering anti-gun folks will love this guy nt

[Tansy_Gold]

67. I lived in Angola, IN, for 15 years. My sister-in-law's ex was/is

a gun dealer there. He's a piece of slime, so I have no idea if he's still in business or not. There were those who believed that when his "sporting goods" store was robbed several years ago, it was an inside job planned for the insurance money. No one knows where those guns are now.

It is a staunchly, sometimes rabidly Republican area. When I took a psych 101 course at the local Tri-State College (now University) in the mid-70s, the instructor had worked on research that showed the four-county area -- Steuben (Angola is the county seat), DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble -- had one of the highest concentrations of commitably mentally ill persons in the country. Families tended to keep such family members at home rather than hospitalize or institutionalize them. The reason was not compassion or because they felt the ill persons would receive better care at home, since often they received no care at all, even to the point of being neglected or abused. Rather, it was because of the social stigma attached to having a "crazy" person in the family. Since "crazy" people were in "asylums," if the person was at home they weren't considered "crazy" and the family suffered no stigma.

I was personally acquainted with two families in which this was the case, and in both instances the ill person's untreated illness posed a serious safety threat to the rest of the family and the community at large.

Tansy Gold, who left Angola 22 years ago and would not willingly go back for more than a day to visit dear friends, but I'd much rather they come to Arizona to visit me!

[OzarkDem]

105. Boo Radley with an arsenal

:scared:

Perhaps one of the mentally ill raised at home who ended up inheriting the family home.

I can understand why you don't want to move back there. No sympathy for people so backward they refuse to get care for mentally ill family members.

[Bright Eyes]

71. What is with people and their gun obsessions?

Thats the only word to describe it. An Obsession.

[snooper2]

74. Who cares how much ammo he has...

He can still only fire one bullet at a time....

[Recursion]

78. Where did you see "assault weapons" in the video?

I must have missed them.

[slackmaster]

85. Same here - I saw mostly old bolt-action rifles

:shrug:

[Javaman]

87. "almost a hundred handguns, 200 long guns, a million rounds of ammunition and a Nazi flag."

and can someone please explain to me why anyone would need this many guns and a nazi flag?

this guy sounds a little angry, yes?

[slackmaster]

88. Pursuit of happiness

Same reason a philatelist "needs" a bunch of old postage stamps.

[OzarkDem]

106. No, its a mental health problem

as is the case when anyone collects such items to an extreme, in this case, where it puts his life and safety at risk.

[slackmaster]

109. Other than the possible hazard of a fire that would destroy his home and belongings

What "life and safety" risk are you referring to?

BTW - In case you are not aware of it, one of the provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968 is that a person who has been declared mentally incompetent by a court, or committed involuntarily to a psychiatric institution, can't have guns. I don't know how the law is applied in Indiana, but it's likely that a judge who found him incompetent would order that his collection be sold off by his administrator.

[OzarkDem]

113. I think you just answered your own question

Its a shame someone was nearly killed before it was discovered what a danger this guy was to himself and to others.

One would think someone would have noticed his problems before.

[slackmaster]

116. I think it's a stretch to say "someone was nearly killed"

The guy brandished a weapon in order to intimidate people. That's bad and wrong and stupid for sure, but it doesn't rise to the level of someone being nearly killed IMO.

One would think someone would have noticed his problems before.

That's one of the problems of our society: Older people isolated from friends, neighbors, and family. Parents neglected by their own children.

[Dawggie]

94. It strikes me as a new height in idiocy that people here are defending this nut

sigh

[slackmaster]

96. Let me make something clear - The guy is an asshole for brandishing a shotgun

It may even be a crime. If he's convicted of a felony, he will lose his gun collection as well as his freedom and his right to vote. But that's the only thing the information provided suggests that he did wrong.

The knee-jerk responses here branding him as mentally ill, a neo-Nazi, even a racist are over the top. He might be any or all of those things, but we don't have enough information to pass that kind of judgement. Bigotry cuts many ways, and liberals and "progressives" aren't immune to the disease.

We have one reply by someone who knows people who know him, and report that he's basically been a hermit for about 40 years, and maybe a general dickhead. That's all we really know about the guy.

[karlrschneider]

115. I'm envisioning an old and somewhat eccentric guy who was pissed about his tree being cut down...

I could believe my 90 year old mom having a similar reaction if somebody was chopping on one of her 150 year old red oaks. She doesn't have a shotgun though...just a .38 revolver. :D

[Recursion]

120. What I, at least, am defending...

...is the notion that someone can have a collection of guns, even a large collection of guns, and that not be dispositive proof that he or she is a "nut".

Brandishing a shotgun at the construction worker, presumably, was criminal. It would have been criminal for him to do it with one gun in his house. The fact that he collected guns was not a problem (and he can say goodbye to that collection if he gets convicted); the problem was that he misused one of them.

What troubles me (and I assume the other people sticking up for the guy) is that the fact that he owns 300 guns has been brought up in this thread as unquestionable proof that he's mentally unstable, which I don't think is remotely fair, and perpetuates the gun-ownership-as-mental-illness delusion our party seems to suffer from too much.

[JitterbugPerfume]

97. I live about 30 miles from Angola

and it is a weird, weird place sometimes!

[Tansy_Gold]

99. Less weird now that I'm outta there, but. . . .

definitely still weird.

See my post 67 above for part of the reason why it's weird.

[JitterbugPerfume]

102. I am leaving this FK'd up place

as soon as I can. I stay by myself and don't discuss religion or politics with very many people. I know that is cowardly to some , but I am 67 yr old and live alone.


My neighbor ( a woman in her 40s) said she didn't know the difference between a Republican and a Democrat until I explained it to her !

[entanglement]

104. If they found a single 'Nazi flag' he's almost certainly not a WN

WN usually have a *ton* of WN literature and memorabilia (a lot of it not even Nazi related). I mean stuff like the Turner Diaries, music from the old Resistance Records, 14 words / 88 decals and so on.

[slackmaster]

108. WN? Do you mean White Nationalist?

I'm not familiar with that TLA.

And if so yes, I agree that a real 88er would have a whole lot more than one flag.

[entanglement]

112. Yes. What most people in the "Movement" call themselves.

(Many categorically state that they are *not* White supremacists, as the media calls them, btw)