Junior Seau RIP
 

What is the common denominator between these sports greats?

NFL players Defensive Back Junior Seau, Safety Ray Easterling, Defensive Back Safety Dave Duerson,

The NHL's Tough guy Wade Belak, Enforcer Derek Boogaard, Forward and fighter Derek Boogaard

They were all hard hitting and often got hit hard and they all died before their time in the recent past.

The NFL players hit their opposing player targets hard, often using their helmets for additional effort.

The NHL players were known for hard play and fighting.

They also had a history of depression and even dementia. Most were diagnosed with CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) where their brain has shrunk (atrophied) as a result of repeated concussions and sub-concussions.

These are just the tip of the iceberg of athletes who have had their lives changed as the result of concussions and sub-concussive impacts.

When some of us try to convince others of the need to end their contact sport obsessions, this is the reason. As we live with the struggles of PCS, it is hard to explain how frustrating our lives can be, especially during the down parts of the PCS roller coaster ride.

I don't mean this to be morbid but when so many end their own lives, it shows the depth of their personal struggles.

Also, it's the WAY they ended their lives. Suicide via gunshot to the chest, ensuring their brains were untouched and able to be used for research into concussions and mTBI.

A few OD'ed on a mix of drugs and alcohol. Hand guns are are primarily illegal in Canada.

We do have restrictions on hand guns in Canada and of course you require your license, but its not quite true that hand guns are illegal here.

Starr

The hoops one must jump through to get a permit to own a handgun in Canada make it very difficult to own one. A back-country hunting guide cannot even own a handgun for defense from bears. He can try to justify having one to go target shooting but still has hoops to jump through and then can only have it while to and from target shooting. There are easier ways to end it than to try to get a handgun in Canada.

I looked up all the Canadian gun laws to see how I could transport a handgun or two to Alaska on the ALCAN Highway. Even Canadian citizens have to jump through too many hoops.

Either way, those hockey players found a way to end their anguish.

Getting the permit is not that hard, yes, there are forms and yes, you must take and pass the course to get your license. Transporting firearms requires a separate permit. But unless you have a criminal record, its not that big a deal.

And most back country hunting guides I know generally prefer long guns for bear protection anyhow.

And yes, there are easier ways to end it... no matter where you live.

Starr, Canadian citizen and holder of a variety of gun permits ;)

In Alaska and the lower 48, backwoods people like a handgun such as a 44 mag for bear. A rifle will not put a bear down like a 44 mag or even 45 ACP. A 357 mag or 40 cal is OK for blacks but not for browns or grizzlies. Try swinging a long gun in tangled brush or thick softwoods where a bear surprise is most likely. Plus, a long gun only holds 3 rounds. Many dead hunters have been found with empty mags and a bear that ran off and died with lots of holes in it. Even a heart shot will take a minute or so to take a bear down.

btw, I have a safe full of various long guns and a few handguns. I only need a permit to conceal carry a handgun and my permit is for me, not a specific gun. Even my wife and one daughter have CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) permit. My other daughter lives in California where carrying a concealed weapon is highly restricted in most counties.

She takes a dog with her into the back country. They are good for chasing off bears but useless for mountain lions. She just pulls her food cache up into a tree that a bear can't climb and sleeps away from the food smells. She only sleeps indoors when there is snow on the ground and not even all the time. If the snow is deep enough, she loves to sleep in a snow cave.

I can see how once you get the license for the first gun in Canada, getting a second license should not be so difficult. Then, you need to make sure you have the correct license for the gun you are using that day.

I like our Second Amendment. It makes life easier. I moved away from California because it was getting so restrictive for everything.

Its good then that there are different places to live with different options for firearm use.

While I'm a proponent of responsible, educated gun use, I also appreciate living in a place where not every crazy or youth with a chip on their shoulder etc can just walk in and buy firearms without restrictions.

I like living where the biggest threats to my personal safety (and my family's) is bad drivers... (and falls off horses! haha)

Good to have a choice to live where you're comfortable.
Starr

Very sad indeed. As a Bronco's fan, I watched him play twice a year, every year until he was traded away. A friend of mine's dad also had the pleasure of meeting him on an airplane a few years back and said that he was nothing short of a true gentleman.

Sadly, it's not just contact sports that can cause this type of dementia. They have found this disease in the brains of soccer players, extreme athletes and they even found it in a rodie of a rock band who would "head bang" during concerts on average of two nights per week.

Not sure why we talking about guns and killing animals. Killing animals is a cruel sport. We should leave them alone. Junior Seau killed himself with gun. All the guns should be banned. Ok my opinion. :)

Cheers!