Freedom and People Killing People

Because of recent tragic events there is a public outcry both for and against gun control. “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.”

Yes but a gun is a tool for killing people and it works extremely efficiently. If a person goes ape shit with a knife or a baseball bat, he is unlikely to kill as many people as he would armed with a semi-automatic gun.

I am not against gun ownership; I don’t own one, but if crime got really bad in my neighborhood I might buy one to protect myself and my home.

But another issue is being forgotten in this whole debate; and it boils down to the same thing: Individual Freedom. And if one man’s freedom results in another losing their ultimate freedom… Their life, something is terribly wrong. If I am dead I have lost my freedom; forever.

I speak of those who lose their lives on the streets and highways every day. Roughly 90 people die every day in America alone; killed by automobiles. Many of these are children who die inside cars or are hit by cars. None of these children will have their pictures all over the national media. Why not; they are just as innocent?

It is the exactly the same argument: Cars don’t kill people; people driving cars kill people. People driving carelessly, aggressively, or distracted. It is really quite simple, if you can’t drive your car between two lines painted on a highway without running into someone, maybe you should not be driving a car.

In the same way if you can’t own a gun without shooting some innocent person, then you shouldn’t be allowed to own a gun. In fact people who own and drive automobiles get away with far more than a gun owner would, and the scary thing is it is accepted by the general population.

Threaten or intimidate someone with a gun and a person would be in serious trouble. But threaten or intimidate someone with a car… Happens all the time.

Hit and kill or seriously injure someone with a car, then say, “Sorry, I didn’t see them.” Chances are there will be no charges, no consequences. Try that defense if you accidently shoot someone. “I’m sorry I didn’t see the person standing there when I fired the gun in that direction.” I doubt that would stand up in a court of law.

If a person gets hit and killed by a stray bullet in a drive by shooting, or he gets hit and killed by a car while walking or riding his bike, it makes little difference to that person. He is dead either way.

For the person hit by a stray bullet, the police will put all their resources into finding the person responsible and bring them to justice. Family and loved ones will have some kind of closure.

For family of the person run down by the car, there will be no such closure. There will most likely be no serious consequences for the person responsible. It will be labeled just an unfortunate “Accident.”

It is argued that people should not be allowed to own an Assault Rifle that fires multiple rounds; if they are allowed to own such weapons then there should be some serious back ground checks and more important; special training.

Buy the same rule it could be argued a person doesn't really need a vehicle that will do 100 mph. or 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, or whatever cars are capable of these days. A car is a vehicle for personal transport, to get its owner from A to B. It does not have to be a big as a small house, or reach 100 mph.

If freedom says it is only right a person should be allowed to own such a vehicle, maybe this too should come with some stringent driving record checks, along with questions why you need a machine with so much power?

Above all there should be some serious training before driving this potential killing machine, and serious consequences if you kill or maim someone.

People with criminal records are banned for life from legally owning a gun, even if they have not killed anyone; they forfeit that freedom. Yet people, who kill people with cars, forfeit very little.

And the craziest thing of all, car ownership is not in the written into the constitution. There is no right to drive, like the right to bear arms.

                        

Fuso Mixte: One of a Kind

Following my last post about rare track bikes another singular bike has just surfaced; a Fuso Mixte. Built in 1984, the year the Fuso was introduced; it is the only one of its kind. It was built for a business associate.

While operating my frameshop in San Marcos, which is in San Diego County, California, I used the services of a printing company in neighboring Escondido. They printed the Fuso decals, and they produced some brochures for me.

The owner of the print shop expressed an interest in having a pair of bicycles made for him and his wife in exchange for the work they were doing for me.

The 18 inch mixte frame was custom built for the wife and co-owner of the print business. The other bike was a standard Fuso frame, although it did have a non-standard paint job. Finished in a matching light and dark green metallic that you see here.

The mixte was finished as a Fuso rather than a custom ‘dave moulton’ so the two bikes would be a matching pair.

I never built another like it or even considered it as viable production model; there was not really a market for a high-end women’s bike. When females get into the sport enough to desire a frame of the Fuso caliber they usually prefer to ride a standard frame.

Somewhere along the way the matching pair of bikes got separated but the mixte has now shown up in Florida. My thanks go the current owner Mike Volpe for contacting me and sending the pictures.