No gunfire for the New Year, father pleads

**JIDinPhilly** · December 30th, 2009, 10:16 AM

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=7191090 (video here)

PHILADELPHIA - December 28, 2009 (WPVI) -- Philadelphia officials, and one local father, are asking people to ring in the New Year without guns.

At a news conference Monday morning, Greg Jaskolka told the story of his son, Joseph.

Back on New Year's Eve 1998, someone fired a gun into the air to celebrate the New Year.

That bullet ended up hitting Joseph, leaving him paralyzed.

"He's had over 30 brain surgeries. Each time he has another one, he loses something else. At one point he was able to walk, which he can't do anymore," Jaskolka said. "All because some reckless, non-thinking individual couldn't think of a better way to ring in the new year than shooting a gun in the air."

Jaskolka says insurers have paid out more than $15 million to cover the cost of those surgeries.

Officials at the news conference say it's time to change what they called a 'reckless culture.'

**crlovel** · December 30th, 2009, 10:46 AM

"Culture?" As in, the culture of stupid, reckless, irresponsible, welfare, and gang-oriented people? Or, the "gun culture" that I am familiar with: safety-minded, careful, responsible individuals who would never consider doing something as stupid as blasting away into the air with no regard for where the rounds land? Which "culture" are we referring to here?

**JIDinPhilly** · December 30th, 2009, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by crlovel

"Culture?" As in, the culture of stupid, reckless, irresponsible, welfare, and gang-oriented people? Or, the "gun culture" that I am familiar with: safety-minded, careful, responsible individuals who would never consider doing something as stupid as blasting away into the air with no regard for where the rounds land? Which "culture" are we referring to here?

I think he was mixing us all together. Because as you know, the "culture" is all of us.

**Swarner793** · December 30th, 2009, 11:15 AM

He surely could not mean the "culture" I am part of. We shoot to ring in the New Year and have my entire 40 + years. The difference is that we shoot into a legitimate backstop. Gotta love those home ranges. In the first five minutes of the New Year my Guests and I send at least 200 rnds downrange. I guess you could call it a "Mad Minute" X 5

We have set up candles, tiki torches, glow sticks. Many Guests move to the Patio and have at it at the stroke of Midnight.

I do agree with the OP in regards to shooting into the air willy nilly. With Karma being what it is, what was his Son doing outside at the stroke of Midnight? Banging pots? Or, shooting a gun? Not sure, but sometimes, just sometimes, Karma is a bitch!

Be safe (and if you ain't shootin', you should be behind cover).

Scott