Downing: Why I’m voting for Nick III first

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By SUZANNE DOWNING

It’s no secret to readers that I support Nick Begich III for Congress.

Back on Oct. 22, 2021, when Nick registered as a candidate, I realized that with ranked choice voting, it made complete sense to have more than one Republican on the ballot.

If not for a gutsy Republican to stand up with courage and file for Congress, the Democrats would dominate the “final four” and put Alaska’s House seat at risk under ranked choice voting.

There were also the actuarial tables for Congressman Don Young that informed me in supporting Nick. With octogenarians, life comes at you fast, and is a series of compromises and mitigations of the inevitable physical decline. I saw Don was in that phase. I had him on the Must Read Alaska podcast and, while his mind was sharp, his body was going, going, and soon it was gone.

Nick saw those things too. Ranked choice voting changed the formula for Alaska and Nick had the foresight and courage to step up. But he also had told Don that he’d be running “next time.” In fact, Nick had the courtesy to call Don and let him know he would be running, and they parted on friendly terms.

Voters were well-served in this scenario — both of these candidates represent conservative principles to varying degrees, although Nick is more fiscally conservative than Don had been in decades, and was also decades younger. A vote for Nick might mean a chance to start building seniority in the House.

For me, it was going to be “rank Don Young first, and Nick Begich second.” I don’t like ranked choice voting, but that was how I would rank them. When Don Young called me to ask if I still supported him, I told him I did and also that he needed to realize we had to have another Republican on the ballot, and Nick would be as good as it gets.

Then Don Young died and everything changed. The crowd rushed in.

Today, the D.C. Mafia, comprised of former staffers for Don Young and lobbyists who don’t live in the state and have never voted here, are pulling hard for the Democrat, Mary Peltola. I’m more convinced than ever I made the right choice.

When the D.C. Mafia starts telling lies about Nick, who served faithfully as Don’s former pro-bono campaign co-chair, you know it’s because these slick mercenaries want to control the person they install in office. Their pro-Peltola letters and tweets show what many of us had long suspected — Don Young’s staff was majority Democrat.

There are other former Don Young staffers and campaigners who are in the Nick Begich camp; they are not D.C. mercenaries. They are people like Rhonda Boyles, former co-chair of the Don Young campaign, and Curtis Thayer, who raised campaign funds for Don Young for decades. In fact, there is a list of over 75 conservative elected officials from Ketchikan to Fairbanks — people I admire — who are endorsing Nick.

The issues Nick is conversant in are at a level that neither Sarah Palin nor Mary Peltola can ever match. Nick had served as finance chair for the Alaska Republican Party and as president at Alaska Policy Forum, the conservative think tank.

Well, what about Sarah Palin? Like all the others on the special primary ballot, Palin did not think about running until Don was dead. She filed for office April 1. By then, there were dozens of good, solid Alaskans in the race, with her name being the most famous. She gave me no reason to think she was better than Nick, who had done the hard work for six months, taken the arrows from Don Young insiders, and had already won the endorsement of the Alaska Republican Party and Americans for Prosperity Action.

Palin had not done a thing to help Alaska in the years since she left office. Who can forget her endorsing Bill Walker for governor — the man who practically gave away our gasline to China and who is now an advocate of abortion — at any stage of gestation?

Who can forget the oil tax legislation she signed, essentially making Alaska such a high-tax province that it was as socialistic as any in the world. Investors went elsewhere.

Who can forget her kicking Gov. Sean Parnell to the side when he helped bring that high tax burden down to something reasonable, to try to bring oil investors back to Alaska’s rich fields. And of course, there is the quitting problem because she felt the job was too hard and she couldn’t get anything done.

I’m a fan of Palin when she stays in her role as a firebrand and a Fox News contributor. But I’m very sure she cannot swim in the deep end of any issue — she just doesn’t have the intellectual interest. She surrounds herself with bad advisers, and admitted that just last week, saying her campaign team had given her “crappy advice.” It’s Lisa Murkowski’s fault, she said, for endorsing Mary Peltola. I’m also very sure neither Palin or Peltola could stay up late at night poring over a 4-inch binder that has some complicated legislation that will require study and a vote.

Meanwhile, the Nick Begich III that I met in 2015 has continued to mature politically, was a major force in supporting conservative causes, and has the disposition to handle the job. He is ready. He is willing. He is able.

If Don Young was alive today, I would still rank him first for Congress, out of respect and for his seniority. But he is not. We needed a backup plan and Nick was smart enough to figure that out well over a year ago.

Thus, Nick Begich has moved into the first pick on my ballot. Now that the dust has settled and the final four are chosen, Sarah Palin has moved into second on my ballot That is how I will rank them and advise others to do the same.

The worst case scenario for Alaska is to have Peltola continue representing us in Congress. If Peltola wins, she’d be in the minority, and Alaska would pay a heavy price. We’ve already seen that she wants federal control over free speech, firearms, and abortions. Peltola is a partisan extremist who will vote party line with Biden and Pelosi. I’m not voting for who has the best smile or who has the best tribe.

On Election Day, Peltola is holding a get-out-the-vote event with Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, the most despised member of the Biden Administration among Alaska voters. Haaland has done nothing but harm Alaska, and yet Peltola has joined forces with her. That tells me everything I need to know about Peltola’s true colors.

Nick Begich is the candidate I trust to do the right thing on behalf of Alaska’s economy, freedoms, and future. He’s a new generation of leader for Alaska, and he is far and away the smartest candidate on the ballot. I’m not voting for best smile. I’m not voting for sexy. I’m voting for smart.

Be sure to vote before Nov. 8.

Suzanne Downing is publisher of Must Read Alaska.

67 COMMENTS

  1. This was a very good article. Thank you for sharing. I’m with you on who to rank first and second, but what about ranking Chris Bye 3rd and of course not ranking Peltola at all. That one more layer might help Nick.

    • Don’t rank anybody that you wouldn’t be pleased to have at your home as a guest. A third choice doesn’t seem to qualify

      • Trig, here we go again with the “vote for the nice guy” theory… someone you would be “pleased to have at your home as a guest.” You believe you’re dispensing wisdom but its actually nonsense. If I need a brick wall built I should hire a nice guy who builds crooked, sloppy, amateurish walls rather than a cranky, ornery professional who builds perfect, straight, clean walls? Remove the scales from your eyes.

  2. Interesting perspective. As a relative newcomer to Alaska, barely over a year, I want to share my perspective. From someone down in the lower 48, Alaska’s federal politicians have always appeared to be corrupt. It has always appeared to me that Alaska had “political dynasties” that prioritized special interests over “good governance.”

    You speak highly of Don Young, and I’m sure I don’t know him as well as you did, but he seems cut from that same cloth. Why in the world would Alaska have a representative serving that long? Is that how you see the framers intending it?

    In the case of Murkowski vs Tshibaka, the choice is easy. Tshibaka has my vote.

    In the case of the congressional seat however, it is not so easy. I did not personally feel the “betrayal” or “mistakes” of Palin’s previous decisions. However I do recognize the “dynasty” name Begich shares. Which is a concern to me especially because his involvement with Don Young.

    I think America is at a turning point. We are looking at a potential majority in the US House and Palin has that name recognition, and respect, of Republicans in the lower 48. With that amplified voice, I suspect she will be able to accomplish more for Alaska than Begich would. We need fighters and, from my perspective, Palin is at least that.

    Only a fool wouldn’t rank the red. So I voted from Palin -> Begich. But I wanted to share my thoughts just so some of your Begich supporters can get an additional feel for someone who is voting Palin over him.

    • Yep, no one else got a chance with Young around. Stevens as well.

      Tshibaka is not the answer, nor is Nick, I’m a big business man but have hired no Alaskans, Begich.

      Peltola is the reasonable vote for Alaskans.

      • Peltola does not care one iota about Alaskan’s rights to own guns. She does not even understand the word hunting is found nowhere in the 2nd Amendment. Why don’t you take yourself and move to Portland or Seattle, you will fit in better there than here. You don’t need someone who does not understand the very Document that you swear to protect and uphold in your Oath of Office.

        • Did you know just holding a gun raises testosterone and aggression in young men? I understand the study was only done on young men. I wonder if older men also have a surge in testosterone and aggression just holding a gun…

          We’re all in this together.

          • Did you know that the passing on of wisdom and responsibility whilst holding said weapon from fathers, mothers, grandfathers, or grandmothers, is something not of aggression, but of provision and defense?

            Did you know that the proper teaching of weapon ownership, maintenance, control and action is an absolute within instruction as to what a firearm is actually intended for within its use, no matter the gender of the handler?

            Please cite your study, Maureen, as it seems to be one where the end result was pre-determined without any sort of control, that is, instruction or education regarding weapon handling or ownership.

            What types of weapons, exactly?

            What type of education, exactly?

            Or was this study based purely upon video games, which is more likely?

          • Randy hope you can see this because MRAK apparently didn’t want anyone replying to your writing below.

            The study sighted is the one that comes up when one googles guns, testosterone and aggression. Which I was wondering about one day so I googled just that and was not surprised to find this information.

            “Guns, Testosterone and Aggression: An Experimental Test of Mediational Hypothesis” NIH 2006

            Around that time the NRA sucessfully blocked through congress our US Health Dept from doing ANY gun related health research.

            Ps-No one gets wisdom from holding a relative’s gun they were gifted. You may be reminded of the relative but that isn’t how wisdom happens. That’s how family traditions happen, though.

            Can’t imagine living as a part of a multigenerational family so afraid of the world that they need a tool made to kill people. THAT’S the “wisdom” they hand down when guns go through the family such as yours. No other skills of defense needed, like listening, verbally de-escalating, leaving a confrontation, not even the Christian turn the other cheek quote of their Christ comes up. Why do generations of your family want to kill?

      • I wanted to vote for Nick Begich, however he has not come out against the foreign owned pebble prospect , so he has 3 days to do it or I’ll have to vote for Mary Peltola.

        I have studied the pebble plan, made the pro-ming documentary film ”Paydirt in Platinum Alaska” and have made stopping pebble my life project because digging up 185 square miles of prime red salmon spawning grounds does not make sense 😉

      • Maureen, Peltola is a product of the Welfare Plantation model of economics. Mary is not about creating opportunity which comes through development which helps people become independent, she and her party seek to make the people dependent upon the Government Handout. Sadly the individual caught in the Welfare Trap is the biggest loser.

        That’s Democrat Compassion for ya.

        • I refuse the PFD government handout. How about you?

          You got military government handouts? Home loan? Job training or assistance? Base housing? Military retirement? Military healthcare? Shopping ease due to base shopping and/or military discounts on eating, appliances, cars?

          What were you saying about the government handout welfare pool?

    • Jonathan, I am happy to see that you will be Ranking the Red. I know that this system of voting is strange both to you and those of us whose tenure in the Great Land precedes Statehood.
      As for Sarah, well, we like her enough , only we need a point guard out on the court for this game who will truly be effective in calling the plays instead of a cheerleader on the sidelines. Don’t get me wrong, Sarah is good at appealing to many folks on a televised segment of a News Program, that is important, but it takes something more to do the heavy lifting required to properly represent Alaska in the U.S. House.
      Nick shares the same name as his esteemed Grandfather, he was an excellent Congressman and Nick is much like his Grandfather. His Uncles are a couple of Knuckleheads who have trashed their Fathers good name. So much for a Dynasty!

  3. SD would rank Don Young first? The biggest war monger, big government (created the TSA), invasion of privacy, supporter of RINOs like murky, etc. Don Young was not a conservative just another neocon (such as the disgusting and disgraceful john mccain). What a joke. SD is losing credibility FAST.

  4. Well written Suzanne. Just some good common sense. I would vote for him too if I still voted there. I view Palin like a dog chasing a gut wagon. Never around until the scraps show up.

  5. I too, have been a long time voter for Don Young. When I last had him as a guest at my restaurant, not long before he passed, I was proud as pie to serve him for once, as he has served us for so many years. I even had my picture taken with him and intended to proudly display it in my business. I loved this man and his dedication to his state. But then I heard about his support of the Pro-Act which would destroy small businesses. I was shocked. The Don Young that we knew for many years had shifted to the left, for reasons unknown. I would believe cognitive changes effected him. When Nick, a well known local, entered the race well before Don passed, I decided then that he would best represent our interests. I have known Nick for a number of years and was convinced that he was the real thing, and the opposite of his kin. I had tried for years to convince him to run for office, but he was too busy with his business and always thought the negativity of his relatives would doom him. I for one appreciate that he has taken the moxie to stand up for his beliefs and trust Alaskans to judge him for himself, not his relatives. If Trump had ever taken the opportunity to meet him, I am certain that he would have won his endorsement. Not that it would have made a difference to me. I feel like I know Nick, and it’s time for him to finally clear the family name. I don’t think we will be disappointed.

  6. As a counterpoint to things said about Sarah #1. OUITTER: Sarah had to RESIGN because of 20+ Frivolous Lawsuits which She Won —- Like what Trump has been going through—Except Sarah didn’t have Billions and an Army of Lawyers. She OWED $500,000 IN LEGAL FEES., Which where rising with each new lawsuit. She RESIGNED. Wrote a Best Seller Book, paid her BILLS, and Saved her young family. #2 ACES, Killed the Oil Industry.. In Very Round Numbers. 2008. Gas at the pump was $4.50 a gal. Price per barrel of Oil. $100 to $120 . Sarah got each Alaskan an extra $1.000 to help cope with the high cost of fuel. In the BOARD ROOM She was Alaska’s NEGOTIATER. for a better SHARE of the HUGE PROFITS that where being made from the record highs.. She SPANKED EXXON in the NEGOCIATIONS. Dan Fagan created the Montra —She destroyed the Oil Industry—- What HURT the Alaskan Oil industry was Oil going from $120 a barrel in September 2008, to $35. In December 2008. Followed by THE RUSH TO FRAKING in the lower 48, .Making Alaskan’s DISTANT OIL OBSOLETE. #3
    WALKERR. Sean Parnell was caught in a National Guard Coverup Scandal. Sarah has always been Super Pro Military. Like many of us we could not support him, I voted Alaskan Independence Party. Sean Parnell has only himself to blame for his Lose. The Gas Line was also a huge issue then, Walker was known as Gas Line Bill, and he was promoting a In State Pipeline to Nikiski The Opposition where for an Alaskan line to Alberta Canada. Walker hadn’t proven himself to be under DEMONIC CONTROL then, that came to light after he became Governor.. Sarah Endorsed Walker like many of the endorsements thrown around. Walker won that election because the Majority of Alaskan’s voted for him not knowing who he would turn out to be. Maybe Nick voted for him. I know you hate caps , Suzanne, but THANK YOU for the Opportunity to post this

    • Sarge –
      Thank you for an accurate and “informed” perspective on Sarah Palin! I’m always amused when some refer to Sarah as a quitter (Byron Mallott who quit Mayoral and Lieutenant Governor positions in Juneau, Kim Elton who quit Senatorial position in Juneau the day before legislative session), just before they were about to be run out of town on a rail. Democrats did to Sarah Palin then, what they are trying to do to David Eastman now. I compliment you sir, for knowing the details of what you share, and what others are ignorant of!

    • Sarge, Take a breather Trooper! I know you love Sarah, that’s cool, just RANK THE RED for the love of all that’s Holy.
      Stand at ease Trooper, Rank the Red and we’ll all be home for Christmas!

    • The top 4 do not lose the primary, therefore your argument is invalid. He has only lost 1 election, and will win the next election. Get your Copamine ready.

    • James, There is something called mathematics. Seems that when your candidate has an over 60% disapproval rating, She, like Bob Dole, “Just can’t win”! Given the above and the situation we are in due to this RCV I think it is important for us to remember that while we might disagree about our candidates the alternative is unbearable. We need to put our opinions aside for the moment and become co-belligerents, locking arms as it were against the Commie Candidate by way of Ranking the Red. I will be marking Sarah as my second choice, in hopes that you and the other Palin lovers will do the same for NBIII. Thanks, and Alaska and America also thank you.
      This is where we are at James, our fate is in our hands, let’s use the tools that we have.

    • If no one gets more than 50% in a plurality election, then no one actually loses. Vote-splitting makes plurality vote-totals meaningless in either of the two “primaries” or in the first round votes in that RCV election. They cannot be used to conclude if one candidate is preferred over the other, thus no one can legitimately claim Begich lost them. When looking at all of the rankings in the top-four RCV election, Begich was the most preferred candidate. RCV suffered a spoiler scenario in this case.

  7. I find this article extremely informative. I would like to add another important perspective. There was a “Prayer Gathering for Alaska Government” held last Saturday Oct. 29th at the Anchorage Baptist Temple. It was billed as a gathering “with ministers, candidates, and other Christian Alaskans to pray for the November 2022 election and key issues of concern for our state”. My friend and I are not regular members of this church, but we wanted to attend because we feel that God has everything to do with the decision making process of our elected officials. Nick Begich was one of a few candidates from various races that attended. He did not use the meeting as his bully pulpit for a campaign speech. He was humble, reverent and quietly participated in all the prayers that were offered. To me and my friend, this speaks volumes as to the character of this man. For me personally, I will be ranking the red with Nick Begich as my 1st choice.

  8. I voted early, last Saturday, ranking both Nick-B and Kelly-T first in their respective tickets. The alternatives are merely foolish, dangerous, irresponsible, self-serving, egotistical, narcissistic, and nothing greater than Grade-A Thieves, not worthy to represent and lead Alaska.

  9. Why vote Nick first? Simple. He has worked for the position. He’s done the campaigning locally while his primary opponent was making out of state guest appearances.

    One worked for votes. The other demanded them.

  10. Another superb article by Suzanne. My only disagreement with her is about voting again for Don Young if he were alive today. I would not.
    I knew Don both personally and professionally having worked for him in Washington, DC. Don was a crusty Conservative on the outside and he knew which triggers to pull to fire-up his Alaska base. But Don capitulated to union leaders and lobbyists because that’s where his bonuses were planted. I won’t get too far into that, out of respect for his long service to Alaska, but I will comment that Don’s shortcomings were a result of having been in office for 50 years. Far too long. That length of time as a politician erodes the original intent of one’s political beginnings. Don’s last two decades in office was comprised of debt service to people of dubious backgrounds, and cronyism to other politicians who’s ideologies are inapposite. Some of this came from the power he received while chairing Transportation and Resource Standing Committees. Bribe money and back-handed gratuities are common place in that arena.
    .
    Nick Begich is brand new to politics, even though his grandfather was a US Congressman over five decades ago. Unlike his grandfather, Nick is a bonafide Republican. Like his grandfather, Nick is personable, a family man, and has the conservative principles of an Alaskan from 50 years past. NB3, as he is affectionately referred, will be a breath of fresh air for Alaska and someone with the common sense to get us back on track towards a brighter future for all Alaskans, not just the few that the other candidates espouse. Mist of all, Nick has earned his place as a hard-working candidate, a tell-tale sign of how he will likely perform in Congress.

    • Don’t believe the Labels ! Before you vote for any of these folks do your homework. Look at their record and follow the money. Ask yourself if Lisa turned out to be a real Republican ? Was Young ? They both voted with Nancy to Kill The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs. It’s hard to know who’s real these days but what they’ve done in the past is a good indication.

    • Same, Tucker. Rank the Red. Nick III is first. Voting for my ex is tough, but I’d still rather have a mouthy mom who earned her hockey pads, than a woman who thinks she’s entitled because of her race, freedom to abort unborn children on demand, and a closed vision of Alaska.

  11. New commercials about ol Saint Nick sounds like he has a global business, and to his perplexity to realize ‘its not about you’ when he loses.

    Carpetbagger for sure.

    • IT jobs tend to be global. You really need to do more research and talk with Nick yourself. Don’t believe the leftist lies. Given the opportunity, Nick will fight hard for Alaska!

        • Maureen, What are you insinuating here? Just curious, is it because Nick’s lovely wife Dharna is Indian?
          And I thought the Evil Party was about diversity? Huh…

          • I’m not insinuating anything here, but apparently YOU are.

            Had no idea his wife is Indian, as I look at the candidate. India has more of his workers than any other country he has people working for him in. NONE in Alaska.

            What evil party are you talking about? I’m non partisan, like most Alaskans.

  12. Nick first, Sarah Second.
    I differ from SD in that Nick was first choice above Don, but here we are. I’ll skip any diatribe against Sarah, but I do know Nick personally and professionally, he works hard, is intellectually curious, is a man of integrity, holds conservative values (in principle and philosophically). Despite people lambasting him for hiring workers back in his family’s country of origin, he brings plenty of business to other Alaskans here at home, and has worked hard in unseen ways to the benefit local economies outside of Anchorage that I’ve never heard him crow about or be recognized for. I encourage everyone to vote Nick first – he’s good people – but in all cases “Rank the Red!!”

  13. Well written perspective. I was fortunate to recently have 15 minutes of personal discussion time with NB3 and his depth was very impressive. Then, listening on Michael Dukes show couple days ago, and his lengthy interview–you see Nick has his head on straight and absolutely knows what he’s talking about. As for Sarah: Goodbye. Don’t come back.

  14. I always voted against Young in the primaries but then for him in the general elections. That’s why I’ll go ahead and vote Palin as my second choice after Begich. I’ll take any republican (except Murkowski) in order to block the disastrous agenda being foisted upon this country by the democrat party.

  15. Rank the Red. As SD stated so much better than I can, Petola is an automatic vote for JB and NP. She and Lisa will make fine sure fire votes for the democrats.

    Sarah saw a way to A) feel good about herself and B) show everyone that Alaska still loves her and C) get a life long pension if she’s able to keep her head down for two years.

    I trust the endorsements for NB3. He’s first on my RCV ballot, as is Kelly.

  16. Well done, Suzanne, thanks. I made the mistake of NOT ranking Red the first time around. I’ve recovered. NB3, then Palin. Now, if someone could just opine on Ballot Measure 1- The Constitutional Amendment Question………

  17. So if the question is integrity how much cheating to steal your vote are you willing to allow? If your answer is anything more than none are you voting for the right person? Is it more important to be a good friend? or to be honest?

  18. I’ll be ranking Sarah 1st again and this time holding my nose, trusting that what is being said about Nick Begich is actually true (still unsure how you can pull the lever for Ethan Berkowitz or his uncle and claim to be conservative…). Afterall, I had to eat major crow for not voting for Donald Trump the first go around and he was pro-death five minutes before he ran for office, as a Republican, and also had Hillary at his wedding! So, maybe Nick will be a pleasant surprise. We cannot have Mary Deb Haaland Peltola representing us in Congress!

    I don’t love Sarah, but in spite of all of her obvious failures (ACES, Trooper Gate, quitting the governorship for her book deal) I believe she would be a fighter for conservatives and would be an excellent foil against the Squad. If Sarah Palin were right for any office, it would be one where she is in front of the camera espousing the absolute absurdities of the Progressive/Communists on the opposing side. Like it or not, Palin is a star in the Party for our state. Her name recognition and reputation is high in the Lower 48. She would be a force to reckon with down there and the biggest champion for our rights.

    In the end, I hope my Begich 1st fans will rank Palin 2nd instead of Peltola, or all of this is a moot exercise again…

  19. You gave me a new thinking mode. I definitely Do not agree with this ranking
    Of votes! Its splits people, but I will take it to heart and do my civic duty. I vote one. That’s Nick! If I can brave myself to give another vote???? That’s questionable!

    • If you only vote one red, you’re voting for Peltola. Let that really sink in. This is a split, you need to vote for both if you want to win. That’s just how the system works. Voting for just one to protest reality is cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face.

  20. I’ll second that Susanne. I have switched to Nick after watching him in the debate. He is clearly in command of the issues and is an Alaskan conservative. I’m also voting for Kelly as we have to get the old Rino out. Let’s not forget Murkowski was fired by the Alaska Republican Party.

    • Don Young was never much of a conservative. He supported big government pork spending. He was one of the few Republicans who refused to sign the 1994 “Contract With America,” which helped Republicans taking control of the House for the first time in 40 years. If he couldn’t support those basic common sense conservative policies, I knew right then and there he was a RINO. I voted against him in every single GOP primary since.

  21. Nick will another Paul Ryan trying to understand a Trump world of debt does not matter. Nick on board with non revenue tax cuts, artificially lowering interest rates and massive spending increases ? Successful business people understand that debt does matter. Nick wins the Paul Ryan look alike prize. I give Sarge credit for acknowledging Parnell did not act decisively to the National Guard crisis and did not deserve re election. Parnell is a good man. Hope he succeeds at UAA.

  22. Maureen Suttman November 6, 2022 At 9:36 pm
    Randy hope you can see this because MRAK apparently didn’t want anyone replying to your writing below.

    The study sighted is the one that comes up when one googles guns, testosterone and aggression. Which I was wondering about one day so I googled just that and was not surprised to find this information.

    “Guns, Testosterone and Aggression: An Experimental Test of Mediational Hypothesis” NIH 2006

    Around that time the NRA sucessfully blocked through congress our US Health Dept from doing ANY gun related health research.

    Ps-No one gets wisdom from holding a relative’s gun they were gifted. You may be reminded of the relative but that isn’t how wisdom happens. That’s how family traditions happen, though.

    Can’t imagine living as a part of a multigenerational family so afraid of the world that they need a tool made to kill people. THAT’S the “wisdom” they hand down when guns go through the family such as yours. No other skills of defense needed, like listening, verbally de-escalating, leaving a confrontation, not even the Christian turn the other cheek quote of their Christ comes up. Why do generations of your family want to kill?

    Alas, Maureen, you have chosen your ignorance once again, as is your right to do so.

    May you have the best life you can.

    I know I shall.

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