Now I understand why Charleton Heston was the President of the NRA. This is a photo taken in the basement of his home.
Write me a poem using both the image and the title of this contest.
Tell me how you feel by using poetic devices. I am not looking for an expose' on your beliefs, just beautiful poetry with lots of imagery and metaphors. Those poems will stand the best chance of winning. Exactly 20 lines.
Spell check, please. I reserve to give one warning and if you don't edit, I will DQ. Any poems I deem unworthy will also be DQ'd.
Write out-of-the box! I know you can do it! If anyone wants me to extend the judging time, please let me know.
NO sticky caps, no dirty pretty, and please, no bashing, or rude remarks to other poets.
Read others and make a new poet friend!
To show you have read all the rules, please put in your author's notes: Gun's Don't Kill, People Do.
Photo, unknown source
Write me a poem using both the image and the title of this contest.
Tell me how you feel by using poetic devices. I am not looking for an expose' on your beliefs, just beautiful poetry with lots of imagery and metaphors. Those poems will stand the best chance of winning. Exactly 20 lines.
Spell check, please. I reserve to give one warning and if you don't edit, I will DQ. Any poems I deem unworthy will also be DQ'd.
Write out-of-the box! I know you can do it! If anyone wants me to extend the judging time, please let me know.
NO sticky caps, no dirty pretty, and please, no bashing, or rude remarks to other poets.
Read others and make a new poet friend!
To show you have read all the rules, please put in your author's notes: Gun's Don't Kill, People Do.
Photo, unknown source
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on September 11, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 600, Silver: 300, Bronze: 100, Honorable mention: 2 people
- Final notes: Sorry it took me so long to judge this contest! Truly. My arm and hand has been in a removable cast so that I mat go to PY every day. I am still no better and it really hurts to type.
The winning poems got to me the most. Congratulations to the winners and I promise when I hold another contest, it will not take me as long to judge. The joints of all my digits have fused themselves and it hurts to type. I am now on the pain patch, and it isn't doing a whole lot to ease my discomfort! Peace to all, and never forget all the soldiers, every day, doing their jobs, whether or not they want to shoot anyone. A big hug to all vets!
Love,
Linda
Contest Winners
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The basement of Heston's home
Was reinforced with Ironby parenchma 20 lines, 10 comments, on Aug 30 7:29 PM 2008. In Society, Mental floss, artillery
Gold trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
Room filled Armory stacked shelf height,
Arsenal craft triggers brass,by Reptile Lady 21 lines, 7 comments, on Aug 17 5:43 PM 2008. In Life, Thoughts, My own style
Bronze trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
Silver trophy winner
Honorable mention
Entries [8]
1 - 8 of 8
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The one who's trigger finger pulls
And shoots the target's body fullby owlish 23 lines, 4 comments, on Aug 17 6:14 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. -
Guns are
the excuse• Commented on by judge.
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Comments
1 - 21 of 21
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A Great Topic!!!
This is a unique and also a great topic to hold a contest on...It will be interesting to read all the different poems on this!!! My 17 years old daughter says this all the time...it is amazing that some people just do not get it...I will try to come up with something for this....good luck hope you get alot of entries!!!! -
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Aw, thanks so much, Toni!AS you can see by my peace sign at the end of the contest rules how I feel about bearing weapons! I was amazed by his collection and thinking about how many lives were destroyed by many of these. I will be looking for one of your many insightful poems.
Love,
Linda
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I'm worried about you. Haven't heard anything from you in a while now. I hope that everything is going well with you. Hugs
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Guns Do Kill
In the hands of the wrong (and sometimes those that think they are right) people, guns kill. Guns are used to settle the score each and every day. They are a quick fix. There are 685,000,000 guns in the hands of the people in the U.S.A and the gun related murder rate is 50 times higher per capita than in Canada, where we have strict gun laws. Guns killed people in Vietnam, at colleges and now in Iraq, so to say guns don't kill is a false statement. Can I enter a poem called "The My Lai Massacre" or "Guns Do Kill" - please let me know. - Bless God - Joe - (Dobar Dan) -
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It's the people toting the guns that killed those innocent people. Guns can't pull their own triggers. They chose to do the deed.
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You are correct. I looked at this image and with all thousands of his collection, how many might have been killed by these. It is not a statement of my opinion That is why I purposely added the peace sign at the end of the contest! That was a huge hint as to how I truly feel!
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If You Build It They Will Come
Did you see the movie? "If you build guns we will use them". Guns are facilitators of evil (murder and war) as alcohol is of alcoholism (getting drunk). Tobacco is a facilitator to poor health (lung cancer) as casinos and slots are to gambling addiction (social misery) to name just a few. Is the statement you sent me written in stone and open to debate or just your opinion?
If I owned a hand gun here in Canada it would have to be registered and locked in a secure cabinet and have a trigger lock on it and the ammunition would be locked in a different place. One of my grandkids could not get it in their head to go to Grampa's place and get his gun, then go shoot up Columbine High.
When your Commander in Chief send you into battle and orders you to kill, does the gun and the soldier become one of the same?
Anyhow: "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal" - Bless God - Joe - (Dobar Dan) -------------------------------- peace
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Joe, one thing I disagree with, though not in a confrontational manner. Guns and alcoholism are two separate entities. Alcoholism is a disease. Guns are not a disease, Used indiscriminately they are deadly weapons of destruction. They are control mechanisms. I always was against Charleton's stand as Pres. of the NRA. IT was this photo that made me cringe! I hope you change your mind and DO enter the poem on Mai LAi!
Peaceand love,
Linda
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Alcoholism Is A Dis-ease
But I personally do not think that it is in the same sense as lets say polio or cancer. I was not really making comparisons, only pointing out the facilitators of our addictions. I consider alcohol a spirit and I decided 43 years ago that it was an evil spirit, haven't touched it since. Charlton Heston's gun collection may be small potatoes compared to thousands of other collectors collections. I am writing the poem, but it will take time maybe - sometimes I write a poem in a flash - other times it takes days or even weeks. - Bless God - Joe - (Dobar Dan) ------------------- guns kill - lol -
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Personally I don't think of alcholism as a disease and I should know as I come from a long line of alcholics.
I personally think that to drink is a choice. You make like what the drink does... how it makes you feel... you might not. But each time you pick up that drink... get behind that wheel... beat that spouse.... hit that kid... all while under that drink... it was always a choice. You choose to pick up that drink. It's a habit. A learned one. All you have to do is break that habit. Not always easy I know. However, if you care enough about you... your family... and the lives of everyone on the road you are driving down drunk... then you choose not to drive... not to keep picking up that drink... not to raise your hand to that loved one.
Choices aren't always easy... sometimes they come with a price.
Drunks personally are a pet peeve of mine. Having grown up with a family full of alcholics and enablers... I learned early what pain was... from an abusive grandfather who every time he got drunk he hurt someone... to a mother who didn't know when to quit drinking so she spent a lot of my childhood on a bar stool til she fell off of one... or came home and woke me up at 3-4 am and cried because someone at that bar said something that hurt her feelings.
Choices... that's all it is. Not a disease.
Sorry if someone out there doesn't like my words here... but it's truly how I feel. -
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I respect your right to believe that alcoholism is not a disease. Drinking has been passed on from generation to generation. If you had ever attended an ALANON group, (or maybe you have) you might have heard that alcohol, anorexia, bulemia, and drug abuse are caused by recessive genes passed from one parent to the child. Those who go through rehab, are still recovering, just as a cancer patient is always recovering. Having worked with all, you must be a very strong individual and stronger than the rest.
After reading your really sad home life, you also had the choice to stay or leave. By staying, you enabled the drinkers to continue to hurt you, and for that I am sad.
Owning a gun, and pulling the trigger is NOT a disease, but is a CHOICE! Even those in the services, when retired, can choose to never hold a gun again. All I was thinking when I held this contest, was how many people had died at the hands of all of those guns stored in his cache. In camp, when I was very young, I was a marksman with a rifle. I hated the feel of holding a weapon. THe noise scared me. The kickback hurt my shoulders. I swore at a young age to never hold a gun again.
We all have our skeletons and there is nothing wrong with baring your soul. I respect that in any person. I will never argue with anyone who has lived the life. I am only happy that you are fine, and wish your life had been different.
Linda
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Yes, you may enter your poem about either. I am looking for the out-of-the-box poems. Thanks so much for your interest!
Linda
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Hi Linda
I think I will pass on the contest - it is for people that say "Guns Don't Kill-People Do" - I replied to trekkergirl and made a comment to her - you can go there and read it if you like - but I am working on the "My Lai Massacre" poem. It will ruffle a few feathers I'm sure. --------------------------------------------------- Bless God - Joe
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Yes, you may! I welcome your poem. The bullet from a gun kills, but someone is holding the gun! This contest was meant to not be controversial, but I was amazed by the cache in Charleton's basement, and thought of how many people, innocent or guilty, died with each gun! My jaw dropped with this image! "The My LAi Massacre is the poem I would dearly like to read. We were the perpetrators, and your view point will be valid and well written, I'm sure. I read the comment on trekkergirl's poem. THanks for that and we both helped her out with some constructive criticism!
Linda
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could a billion heir use his right to bear amrs to own IBMs? wheres the line? nukes don't kill,
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You are absolutely correct. I was looking for your response to his amazing collections of guns, and perhaps a poignant poem on your thoughts on the many lives that were killed by some of these. This is not s statement of MY OWN opinion, but is was looking for perhaps a poem about the lives taken by these weapons of destruction!
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In 1929, the
Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents,
unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable
to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews
and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
China established gun control in 1935. From1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan
Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded
up and exterminated.
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From
1975 to 1977, one million 'educated' people, unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and exterminated. Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.
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Amen you made my point for me by saying all this. I do believe that when people want people dead that will happen it doesn't have to be just with guns. It's a choice that people make.
Guns are just another aspect of our technology... like the tv, phones, MRIs, medicines. Each can have their deadly uses as well as their benefits to humanity. Depends on how they are used. Again choices.
Thanks for commenting so wonderfully
trekkergirl
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This is a very interesting top I agree with so many different sides to this issue... all very thought provoking and interesting. Thanks for creating this contest!
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Right On Good Point What we say all the time.
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Thank you Sis for the honor of Bronze in your contest.
I will private message you
But I was so worried where you were
Love and xx
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