So, the same day I made the absolute decision to buy a weapon, I turn on the news (after coming back from the pawn shop) to see a woman has been hospitalized here in Albuquerque, being screened for Ebola. She came back from Sierra Leone earlier this month and was hospitalized on Sat. (This is the first it has been on the news.)
If she is infected, the American Patient Zero is right here in town and has been out in the community for at least a week.
Even though Ebola has a 70 percent fatality rate, I am not nearly as concerned about the infection as I am about public reaction. The first patient being located in Albuquerque is almost a worst case scenario. That is due to location and culture.
Location because it sits at the intersection of two major highways which run coast to coast, Mexico to Wyoming. Which then connects with other highways and all directions. Trucks, trains and jets pass through here daily going all directions.
Culture because so much of the culture here is lower education, traditional Mexican and Native American, Catholic/religious, large numbers of illegal immigrants. Not a racist statement but not a secret that these are the conditions in which an epidemic/pandemic will spread most quickly, with greatest number infected.
Even in absence of true epidemic/pandemic, it does not take an infection for people to go off the deep end. Only the fear of infection.
So, when I went to the pawn shop nearest my house, it turned out they don't carry firearms. Not licensed for them. Said they're "not licensed yet." Yeah, they've only been open like 5 years or more.
Checked around for other pawn shops. Every pawn shop in this city closes no later than 6 PM. Just wondering if my memory was accurate, I checked the hours of pawn shops in Austin. They're open until 7, 8, 9 PM. So, not a faulty memory. Just another sign of why I feel like I'm living in a third world country.
I'll see if I can find one in reasonable driving distance and put a weapon in layaway tomorrow. I think it needs to be soon.
If she is infected, the American Patient Zero is right here in town and has been out in the community for at least a week.
Even though Ebola has a 70 percent fatality rate, I am not nearly as concerned about the infection as I am about public reaction. The first patient being located in Albuquerque is almost a worst case scenario. That is due to location and culture.
Location because it sits at the intersection of two major highways which run coast to coast, Mexico to Wyoming. Which then connects with other highways and all directions. Trucks, trains and jets pass through here daily going all directions.
Culture because so much of the culture here is lower education, traditional Mexican and Native American, Catholic/religious, large numbers of illegal immigrants. Not a racist statement but not a secret that these are the conditions in which an epidemic/pandemic will spread most quickly, with greatest number infected.
Even in absence of true epidemic/pandemic, it does not take an infection for people to go off the deep end. Only the fear of infection.
So, when I went to the pawn shop nearest my house, it turned out they don't carry firearms. Not licensed for them. Said they're "not licensed yet." Yeah, they've only been open like 5 years or more.
Checked around for other pawn shops. Every pawn shop in this city closes no later than 6 PM. Just wondering if my memory was accurate, I checked the hours of pawn shops in Austin. They're open until 7, 8, 9 PM. So, not a faulty memory. Just another sign of why I feel like I'm living in a third world country.
I'll see if I can find one in reasonable driving distance and put a weapon in layaway tomorrow. I think it needs to be soon.
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