By Daisy Luther
A woman in Rochester, Minnesota recently exercised her Constitutional right to be a jerk.
Kimberly Edson photographed a man who exercised his own Constitutional right – the right to bear arms. She placed the photo on a poster in her front yard, “warning” the other parents: “This man carries a loaded gun around your children every day.”
Chilling photo, isn’t it? (Please, note my sarcasm.)
The “scary gunman” in question is Matthew Halleck, a father of two and a legal concealed carry permit holder. He drives his daughters to school, abides by the rules of not going on the property with his firearm, and watches them go across the street.
Edson is outraged.
“Since we don’t have a way to stop him, we felt it was important to notify the neighborhood and the parents that there is an armed man in their presence,” said Kimberly Edson, a Rochester resident who put the sign up. “The first couple days of school he had it very visible, we saw it and were quite concerned,” she said.
Kimberly called the police the day the picture was taken, but they said Matthew has a legal right to carry off school property. Matthew also contacted authorities concerning the sign, and while they briefly took the sign down, it was eventually determined that Kimberly was also breaking no laws. “He has a 2nd Amendment right to carry the gun, I have my 1st Amendment right to say that I don’t like it,” said Edson. (source)
This goes back to the culture of fear that has been deliberately created in America. The pawns in this game are our children:
The issue here is pretty clear. The younger generation is being taught that the very sight of a gun or anything that could be related to a gun is a reason for fear. That fear is cemented in the minds of children and parents when they are traumatized by the handling of the incidents.
Kids are getting in trouble for drawing pictures of guns. For having tools which are sharp. For wearing t-shirts with the word “gun” printed on them. For cutting their poor, defenseless food in the lunchroom. For biting a pastry into a shape that could either be a gun or the state of Florida. Maybe we should outlaw maps of Florida because the shape of that state is “intimidating.”
They are being taught to have an irrational fear of inanimate objects. And because everyone else shares that fear, that mass delusion, it becomes “normal”. It becomes so commonplace that it isn’t fear anymore, but an accepted fact: “Guns are scary.”
The fear is quite literally being implanted. When police refuse to tell people what is going on, when kids are rapidly evacuated, when cops in military-style SWAT gear swoop in – all of these dramatic scenes are not soon forgotten. When the dreaded “gun sighting” occurs in the future, the natural human response is to flash back to the last time that it happened. Instantly, the emotional response is overwhelming fear. (source)
Predictably, Edson’s argument is, of course, the cliched “what about the children?” She fails to mention that if the children happen to catch a glimpse of a firearm and are terrified by it, it’s because some ninny told them that guns are scary. Speaking of ninnies:
“I have a responsibility to help create the kind of community I want to see, and I don’t want to see a community where there are guns around schools,” said Edson. (source)
If there was a situation that boiled down to the actual physical safety of your child, would you prefer that it be responded to by a dad with a gun or by a hysterical mom who is terrified of the very sight of a gun? I know which one I’d choose, and it certainly isn’t the hand-wringing Ms. Edson.
(Correction: This article originally stated the event took place in Rochester, New York. However, it actually occurred in Rochester, Minnesota. Sincere apologies for the incorrect information. ~ DL)
I wish I were a neighbor so I could put one of those signs on my front yard, too — with the phrase, ‘GOOD!!!” painted across it in bright red letters.
Wherever you go there is always at least one asshole.
That is definitely true in your case.
Fuck you shithead.
Be gone troll.
Remember, if America can’t stand something, its letting other countries be violent without OUR permission. The country embroiled in 70+ undeclared conflicts across the globe is utterly immune to its own hypocrisy.
And I post the comment to the wrong article. Oh well, this one is quite absurd too. Back in the day cops would bring their sidearms into the classroom so kids understood the weapon could be used to keep them safe, it wasn’t just something bad people use to hurt others. Now instead of a pistol they bring in grenade launchers and assault rifles, the new message being “don’t call us, we will wreck your day if you do.” And despite being desensitized by this military hardware they are expected to view a civilian with a firearm as scary? Personally I’d be less afraid of a civilian pointing a machine gun at me than a cop pointing a pistol at me. At least the civilian has to have a better reason to shoot me than ” he might have had a gun and wasn’t cooperating,” and there is a good chance the civilian wouldn’t be allowed to investigate himself and find himself innocent.
I feel safer when everyone around me, is armed. I have no problem, with a man or women carrying a weapon. Sadly, the police are second responders, to murders, rapes, and violent crimes. That, is fact.
and somehow you think she is the only one living in fear?
I wonder if she lives in fear of all of the guns that she is not aware of?
Added, imagine, just imagine, a year ago, you were walking down a street, in a war, kill or be killed, then, your back home, and they tell you, you cant own a gun. After a man has seen death, killing, mayhem, he NEVER forgets it. That, is EXACTLY what is happening to many young vets, and it is beyond wrong. It is an American RIGHT, under law, to have and bear a firearm. For the record, do any of you think that vet will give up his right to bear arms?? lol, no way, law or no law, he/she, will have a way to arm him/her self, if need be. Its called self preservation. But, its ok, that the very ones afraid, that are trying to ban firearms, are the very ones surrounded by hired armed men…………. They are telling you, do as I say, not as I do.
the Hippocratcy nauseates me. Truth is, we are all about the same, we all want peace, and safety.
Join the NRA, and make sure your rights are intact.
This woman is nuts, just look to the north and see what just happened. ISIS is calling on all the crazies to do what they can to further jihad here. If god forbid something ever happened at this school she would be the first one to complain that the police were not there in time and did not do enough. I’ll even bet that she does not know that the police don’t legally have to protect her or her children. If I were a parent at this school I would get to know the gentleman as he might one day be the only one able to stop an Islamic Terrorist.
Her neighbors should post a sign that says “ATTN thiefs, my neighbor hates guns, I do not. Go rob her house if you value your life”.
Agreed. And your sarcasm? Most welcome. You are speaking my language, girl!
Well obviously the criminals know which father not to mess with! In less than 30 years, things have gotten completely out of hand. I live in a rural area. I had to drive my father’s truck to school at times 30 years ago. His truck had a visible gun rack with shotguns on it. Everyone knew whose truck it was and what the guns were for. They only people who complained were people who actually wanted a gun like them. Today that would never happen. Now kids in this same rural area are afraid of guns.
**whistles** Some people give stress and some people take it away. That woman…. she’s a giver!
What he needs to do is take a picture of her and blow it up to posterboard size and put it on his own lawn, with the caption, “You don’t have to mind your own business. This woman will do it for you.”
It’s legal. He can do that.
Turnabout is fair play.
Mr. Halleck needs a sign declaring Miss Edson’s property to be a gun free zone.
Problem solved.
Don’t fear, she’ll be the first one to be eaten by the zombies, her sign won’t save her 😉
What a busy body! Does this woman have no life?? “I have a responsibility to help create the kind of community I want to see, and I don’t want to see a community where there are guns around schools,” said Edson. So who made her the arbitor of good taste? How did we get on this slippery slope of watching, judging, and exploiting each other? The whole thing is sickening.
1. this woman is making a political statement, as well as waging war against her neighbor who clearly has opposing political views- so she is not worried about her child (if she even has any!).
2. and if she had a child- any adult who was murderously inclined could break her kid’s neck with ease. so guns aside, the actual fear would have to be whether any of her neighbors were murderously inclined, not whether they could procure a weapon, since any vehicle or kitchen knife can be used to kill. should cars and kitchen knives be banned from her neighborhood? should their manufacturers be held accountable when such items are used for deadly crimes? according to her logic, they should also be banned.
3. is she insinuating her neighbor is murderously inclined? it appears that she is in fact saying anyone who feels the need to protect themselves with a firearm is really just a murderously inclined person. a child murderer, to be exact.
4. that is libelous, as well as ridiculous.
lol
What does “Ms” Edson’s man think of all this?
Oh, that’s right, he’s too busy watching touchy feely reruns of Friends on his teevee and having the missus stuff an apple in his mouth and toy up his ass at night.
He needs to grow some balls and tell her to shut the fuck up.
Ms Edison probably died years ago from her constant nagging and complaining. Or he found some hot sweet young thing and dumped the old bag. Either way he’s doing better.