Gun collector denies alcohol problem

[SecularMotion]

A blind Rockaway Township man who is fighting to keep his gun collection defended himself Monday against allegations he abuses alcohol and said he drinks perhaps a six-pack of beer a week.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office wants Superior Court Judge Thomas V. Manahan in Morristown to take away 49-year-old Steven C. Hopler’s firearms purchase identification cards and end his ability to possess and buy weapons.

Assistant Prosecutor Catherine Broderick on Monday urged the judge — who said he expects to issue a written ruling by the end of this week — to rule that Hopler is unfit to have firearms because he allegedly abuses alcohol, was arrested three times between 1984 and 2003, and was taking Zoloft for depression in October 2008 when he accidentally shot himself in the shin while lubricating his .357-Magnum Smith & Wesson firearm.

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20120430/NJNEWS/304300016/Blind-Rockaway-Twp-man-gun-collection-says-he-doesn-t-drinking-problem?odyssey=nav

[jonthebru]

1. Think about it!

He's blind so his aim is excellent, he will hit anything he aims at in any direction! Brilliant!!!

[saras]

2. I drink, I get drunk, I fall down. No problem.

[rl6214]

5. Then maybe you should stop drinking

It sounds like you do have a problem.

[saras]

9. Yep. I got a problem. I'm really stingy with the sarcasm smiley.

[Hoyt]

3. Good point. There are lots of people carrying/possessing guns who are substance abusers. And . . .

The fact that they have not been formally convicted of abuse is really not enough.

Also, there are lots of gun owner/carriers on prescription drugs that may adversely affect their judgement.

Older carriers particularly may be taking drugs for conditions that might alter their judgement. I've even had experience with folks taking meds for dementia that owned guns. Some posters here have even indicated they have been on meds that could affect judgement.

As tough as it may be, someone needs to consider taking guns away from folks in these cases -- much like taking the keys away when mom or dad just aren't able to drive safely anymore.

I know the baby boomer gun carriers will howl, but it is just a fact that needs to be dealt with.

[rl6214]

6. You have studies to prove the unsubstantiated statements you are thowing out?

"There are lots of people carrying/possessing guns who are substance abusers. And . . .

The fact that they have not been formally convicted of abuse is really not enough.

Also, there are lots of gun owner/carriers on prescription drugs that may adversely affect their judgement. "

" I've even had experience with folks taking meds for dementia that owned guns"

Of course you do, you have a story for every senario.



















You forgot to mention zimmerman in this post, or a gun or two down your pants.

[Hoyt]

7. So you do not believe any of the 80 million gun owners are on prescription or illegal drugs,

or alcohol that might impair judgement? If that's your opinion, then you need to turn your guns in as well because you clearly are irrational.

[rl6214]

10. "There are lots of people carrying/possessing guns who are substance abusers"

Your statement..."there are lot's"

Didn't say that there are any of the gun owners on drugs, you said "there are lots" so you must have some sort of data to back this up...or you are full of it as usual.

[Union Scribe]

11. Hoyt, you promised to leave.

Why are you still posting here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1172&pid=35969

[Hoyt]

12. I said "you" in collective.

[Union Scribe]

15. Bull.

You're just not a man of your word. Now I have to go out and buy numerous guns and get a CCW to carry them all at the same time, thanks a lot! You know how much that's gonna cost me?

[rl6214]

22. Backpeddle, backpeddle, backpeddle, backpeddle

You got called on one of your BS lines and now you are backpeddling as fast as you possibly can to cover your ass

[ileus]

8. don't you know...................EVERYONE is a hidden CRIMINAL.

[Hoyt]

13. Not "everyone," but certainly some. You guys can deny that meds and even certain

medical conditions ought to preclude people from owning/carrying lethal weapons capable of a massacre or unnecessary self-defense action -- but the love of what guns offer you, has muddled your judgement.

[Meiko]

17. So

I am to give the government access to my medical records? That idea is stupid on so many levels.

[Meiko]

18. I'll partially agree

But how are you going to make the determination on what drugs and what medical conditions will affect gun ownership. In addition how will you be tested and who will do the testing? How much will this cost and how long will it take?

[Hoyt]

19. The prescription meds, and even medical conditions could be checked. May be an invasion of

privacy, but someone afflicted should be quarantined from guns in my opinion. You'd think all those upstanding gun carriers would feel the same.

But the love of a gun is the only law that Liberty understood...... When it came to shooting straight and fast......he was mighty good.

[Meiko]

21. WTH!

It may be an invasion of privacy but that's OK? I can't even respond to that.

[Hoyt]

27. I feel the same way about those who think it is OK to slip a lethal weapon in their pants and walk

around in public. You'd think they'd all be responsible citizens and do the right thing. Instead, they pay big money to support right wing lobbying groups to pass lax laws and promote more guns on the street.

[rl6214]

23. "unnecessary self-defense action"?

WTF is that?

If it's a self defense action, it's neccessary, if it's not neccessary it's not a self defense action.



















YOu forgot to mention zimmerman in this post

[Hoyt]

28. Yea right. The gun culture's idea of self-defense is warped.

[rl6214]

32. YOU don't know what "gun culture" means

When you figure it out you can then become part of the conversation.

[Hoyt]

33. Would like to read your version.

[rl6214]

35. Gladly

generally those who advocate preserving gun rights and who are generally against more gun control. In the United States, the term is used solely to identify gun advocates who are legitimate and legal owners and users of guns, using guns for self defense, sporting uses (hunting), and recreational uses (target shooting).

[safeinOhio]

36. You need to get your terminology right.

Guns are on ships and tanks. They are also for fun and in your pants. I think you and the people that call sporting arms "assault weapons" have some thing in common.

[rl6214]

38. Not my terminology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_culture

[safeinOhio]

40. Pay attention

[rl6214]

42. What part of "not my terminology" are you having a hard time understanding?

You got a problem with it, contact wikipedia, send them your video, I really don't care.

[Remmah2]

16. Godwin's Law 2.0

When a poster obsessively inserts "Zimmerman" into their gun prohibition argument.

[Hoyt]

20. What law covers denial of the Zimmermans in the gun culture?

[Remmah2]

29. BINGO!

We have a winner.

[DanTex]

14. In fact, gun owners are more likely to abuse alcohol than the average citizen.

Gun owners: Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. I must warn you, though, that the findings on gun ownership and risky alcohol behaviors published this week in the British Medical Journal do not paint an altogether flattering picture.

You're twice as likely as people who do not have a gun at home to down five or more drinks in a single sitting. You're almost two-and-a-half times more likely than people who do not have a gun at home to get behind the wheel of a car when you have, by your own admission, drunk "perhaps too much." And you were just a little less likely than that (2.39 times as likely to be exact) to consume 60 or more drinks per month.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/16/news/la-heb-guns-alcohol-gunowners-risk-taking-20110615

[rl6214]

24. I don't drink

"You're twice as likely as people who do not have a gun at home to down five or more drinks in a single sitting. You're almost two-and-a-half times more likely than people who do not have a gun at home to get behind the wheel of a car when you have, by your own admission, drunk "perhaps too much." And you were just a little less likely than that (2.39 times as likely to be exact) to consume 60 or more drinks per month."

The person that wrote your article is about as full of it as you are.

[Meiko]

25. I don't either

and not planning on starting any time soon.

[DanTex]

26. That's fascinating!

[oneshooter]

34. I also do not drink. Do you? And if you do, then do you drink to excess?

[BiggJawn]

44. I don't even "down 5 drinks" in a month.

60 drinks a month? That makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

It's in the British Journal, so they have to invent data to support the UK gun ban.

[Spoonman]

31. "adversely affect their judgment"

Let's just strip them of all their rights, BECAUSE they are
too fucked up to vote, too fucked up to speak, too fucked up to write!

I have a feeling if you proposed stripping someone of their voting rights because of "dementia" or because they were one an anti depressants you would get crucified in GD.

[rl6214]

4. Time for your daily google dump?

So they are basing everything on the word of an admitted burglar and his record of 30 years ago.


And what are you doing about gun control besides whining about it on the internet?

[safeinOhio]

37. Looks like he is actually doing something about it

rather than just whining on the internet. He has donated money to support the forum that he uses to post his opinion. That would be more than you.

[rl6214]

39. "That would be more than you"

Why would I donate to any anti-gun group?

And if you are commenting on my not donating to this forum, you tell me when you have been out of work for 1 1/2 years when you are going to donate to any forum.

I've seen you comment on here a number of times about people not donating to this forum when you really don't know anything about a persons ability to do so. You gonna pay my electric bill when I can't afford to because I donated to an online forum? You gonna pay any of my bills when my unemployment ran out last month?

[safeinOhio]

41. "Why would I donate to any anti-gun group?"

If you think this is an anti-gun group and you post here, that would make you a disrupter.

"what are you doing about gun control besides whining about it on the internet?" that was your question.

You could always do what I'm doing, go out and get a minimum wage part time job.

[rl6214]

43. I never said this was an anti gun group

Your statement: "That would be more than you."

What we were talking about: donating to anti-gun groups. Why would I want to contribute to an anti gun group. Try to keep up, if you can't understand that, that's your problem. Maybe the disruptor here is you?


"You could always do what I'm doing, go out and get a minimum wage part time job."

And with that I should donate to an internet forum? That would make you happy?

[krispos42]

30. He had a drinking problem?