Gun Owners and Non-Gun Owners should come to a Meeting of the Minds

[edb]

I understand both sides somewhat, but I've been raised hunting all my life. I've always had guns and wouldn't feel right without mine. I see the point of people in cities that have never held or even fired a gun to think that every person with a gun is like the ones they see on the news. At 45 years old I had to take a coarse to receive my permit to carry my gun. As I said I've always shot guns from a early age but I had a very hard time shooting at a target shaped like a person on the range. It was always natural for me to keep a gun pointed away from a person and it took me a while to actually do so. A person that can Injure or kill another person can do so just as easy with a blade or vehicle as they can with a gun. Our biggest problem is not with guns but with they lack of respect for people that some people have. The lack of humanity in some people is a problem the our society can't blame on anything but ourselves.

 

[Kewlhanded]

2009 and I never lock my doors and have zero fear. At the moment live'n in a semi shaddy area and really don't worry bout it... I've pretty much done this for my 32 years of exsistence, I've lived all over the world; people steal, people kill... Its called life. If anything should be banned in this world its TV and all the propaganda and junk food that goes with it. Bunch of lemmings running off a cliff. It's okay to vegg out to it every once in a while but everyday for hours, that's what is killing America, Not guns... Sit on your couch and eat your snacks or line up a bunch of empty beer cans and blow them away with some practice shooting. More people die from being morbidly obese than being shot by a gun. Proably a 1000:1 ratio(I'm a healthcare professional so I see it firsthand). What's worse...

 

[Boyd]

See, from a young age I taught my son about guns. Just like fire, guns are tools. Both of them can be mis-used and cause great harm. But he's learned enough about them over the years that it takes away the mystery of them and even though there are 3 locks on my safe, with trigger locks on my guns in the safe, he will never get into it flippantly. He knows what they do. He's seen what they can do. He knows the consequences of what can happen.

He started off with bb guns.... then more powerful pellet guns and CO2 guns. Then a .22 ...... That's what the rifles have started up to... He shot a .410 and could handle the recoil, so a 20 gauge was next. The recoil was just manageable to his little 9 year old frame. Does he want to shoot all the time?

I am proud to say that his BB gun, yes, because he wants to continue to be accurate and keep honing his skills as he fills out and grows (don't they go too fast?) and the .22 for the feel of the real thing. Every year I trudge out to my deer blind he is wanting to head out there with me. Every year he judges himself and tries to decide if he can handle the recoil of something large enough to safely take down a deer. Every year he see's me passing on shots that won't guarantee a safe or clean kill. He knows that a bad shot is one that can be accidental...... but it is one I won't take.

Needless to say, I am a wack-a-doo with a gun that'll fit a 5 year old up to mine that I piddle around with. To the poster with the .500, ouch, tried to shoot one, and my little hands can't handle the recoil. I darn near knocked myself out when the front sight whacked me in the noggin!

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Quote:

As for ammo, good luck getting any anyway. Everyone seems to have gone on a buying binge and we're hard pressed to find any at any price (at least here).

Something that hasn't been mentioned much is that it's not necessarily just criminals that give guns a bad rap. It's true that stories of responsible gun owners seldom make the news, but unfortunately there are loads of stories about otherwise non-criminal citizens being negligent and killing themselves or someone else. This is irresponsible and unfortunate, but it's really no different than someone with a valid driver's license causing a car accident because they were talking on their cell phone or some such. We all freely accept that risk (which, by the way, is FAR higher than the risk of being shot). No one is clamoring to ban cars because they're too dangerous.

I suppose my point is that back in the earlier history of our country, we collectively decided that individual gun ownership was worth the risk. We'll never be able to remove every gun from every hand, ever, so we'd best do the best we can to make sure the majority of them are used appropriately.

 

[Alicia]

Heelers&Chickens_OhMy :

Quote:
I would go 'Eeek!'....just like I just said to myself. I want to keep stating that I am pro responsible gun ownership, but I wasn't raised with them.

It makes me very nervous to think you carry a gun with you everywhere. Why do you need to do that? Out to lunch!? Really!? I feel like this takes 'better over prepared than under' to a new level.........

..........I am NOT ok with the recent passing of concealed weapons allowed in bars (with permits). I do not think that EVERYONE with a CCW would not drink with their gun on them. Alcohol + anything that has high chance of hurting some one should NOT mix.......

Eeeek! Is right! There are some places that a gun is totally inappropriate (most, IMHO) but nothing good can come from mixing a gun with alcohol, drugs and/or large crowds of people.

Though I would not personally own a gun, I am pro responsible and sensible gun ownership too. I do not think taking a gun with you wherever you are is responsible or sensible!

If we are in a restaurant or shopping center or other public place and some crazy pulls out a gun, is another gun going to help the situation or provide more bullets to cause more casualties? If you pull your gun out in an attempt to intimidate the guy, are you going to make him stop, or are you going to make yourself a target? Plus, if you do shoot him, you are more than likely going to be spending some time in jail and later court facing criminal charges and possibly jail time whether you believe it was justified or not.

I presented someone else with this argument about a year ago and the response I received was "how likely is that to happen?" My response: Well, it isn't very likely to happen at all, so why do you need the gun with you in the first place?​

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Enjoy your slide down the slippery slope. The Second Amendment is alive and well, protecting your right to bear arms - just what do you think will protect that right when more people believe it's a 'dead relic'? The writers of the Constitution and the Amendments were very wise.

I reckon folks have almost as much right to own a gun as a car, but the latter isn't protected by its own amendment. I still own several cars, though.

I just think the 2nd was written for a time when we had militias and no standing army, and it was important for folks to get together to protect the country. Completely outdated thinking now, IMHO.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Well, the current SCOTUS has already done that. They expurgated an entire clause.

But I'm not for changing it. I'm for dumping it altogether.

 

[underground chickenman]

Heelers&Chickens_OhMy wrote:

It makes me very nervous to think you carry a gun with you everywhere. Why do you need to do that? Out to lunch!? Really!? I feel like this takes 'better over prepared than under' to a new level.

Is the gun on you loaded? I would hope not....that I would find very stupid. I just feel like it's so easy for accidents to happen.

However, if you would like to carry your gun on you late at night, out hunting, while banking, or in the 'bad' part of town, I can understand that.

Your comments make my earlier point perfectly. You lack knowledge, which leads to fear and then contempt for what you fear.

You also make a perfect case for outlawing cars.

Your lack of knowledge is further evidenced by your understanding of what are appropriate places to carry a gun. The "bad part of town" you say? One of my rules of responsible gun toting is "If I wouldn't go there without a gun, you can be darn sure I'm not going there with one."

That's another common misconception of gun owners held by those who don't. We aren't looking for trouble. The gun is for protection only. If at all possible, we avoid situations where we might need a weapon.

As for being nervous about me carrying a gun to lunch, you either need to get used to it, or stay home. As of June 30, 2008, there were 585,544 concealed weapons permit holders in the State of Florida. That just ordinary everyday citizens. That number does not include those who have occupational type licenses, such as security guards, police, etc. Just soccer moms and dads, basically. With 18,328,340 people in the state, concealed weapons permit holders are 3.1% of the population. That means on your average Friday night at the mall, there could be 50-60 people walking around with a gun in their pocket, on their hip or in their purse. These are people who have been fingerprinted, photographed, demonstrated gun-handling proficiency and undergone a criminal background check. That's a comforting statistic to me. It should be to you. You should be glad I am out there with a loaded gun.

Conversely, do you know how many people in that mall are carrying a gun who have not been fingerprinted, photographed, demonstrated proficiency and undergone a criminal background check? Didn't think so, but you are foolish to think there are none.

No matter how many laws are passed, no matter how hysterical you become, there is nothing you can do to keep guns out of their hands. Why in the world would you want to keep one out of mine?

UGCM​

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
I would go 'Eeek!'....just like I just said to myself. I want to keep stating that I am pro responsible gun ownership, but I wasn't raised with them.

It makes me very nervous to think you carry a gun with you everywhere. Why do you need to do that? Out to lunch!? Really!? I feel like this takes 'better over prepared than under' to a new level.........

..........I am NOT ok with the recent passing of concealed weapons allowed in bars (with permits). I do not think that EVERYONE with a CCW would not drink with their gun on them. Alcohol + anything that has high chance of hurting some one should NOT mix.......

Eeeek! Is right! There are some places that a gun is totally inappropriate (most, IMHO) but nothing good can come from mixing a gun with alcohol, drugs and/or large crowds of people.

Though I would not personally own a gun, I am pro responsible and sensible gun ownership too. I do not think taking a gun with you wherever you are is responsible or sensible!

If we are in a restaurant or shopping center or other public place and some crazy pulls out a gun, is another gun going to help the situation or provide more bullets to cause more casualties? If you pull your gun out in an attempt to intimidate the guy, are you going to make him stop, or are you going to make yourself a target? Plus, if you do shoot him, you are more than likely going to be spending some time in jail and later court facing criminal charges and possibly jail time whether you believe it was justified or not.

I presented someone else with this argument about a year ago and the response I received was "how likely is that to happen?" My response: Well, it isn't very likely to happen at all, so why do you need the gun with you in the first place?

Ma'am, I don't want you to think I am picking on you, but do you mind answering a couple of questions for an example?

Roughly, where do you live....
What is the population consisting of in your area
Do you live in or around a major city
How much does violent crime affect your life
And have you ever had to defend yourself from an attack?


Ok, I'll share so you can understand why I ask.....
I live within 25 minutes of Flint MI which has gotten better lately.
I live in a rural area of older folks and retirees that are mainly white and Hispanic
I do live near flint, with Corunna and Owosso to the west of me.
It has in the past
Violent crime...... Yes, I've been robbed at gunpoint, and a separate incident was jumped by 4 men and beaten. Didn't have to kill any of these fools but being prepared to do so saved me.

My point is this.... It wouldn't seem that I would't need a firearm on me, but it has definately saved my life. I also carry my lil .22 on me around the house for fox, raccoon, possum and coyote removal protecting my chicks.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
I'm a sane man and I have at least 20 guns. some for target practice, most for hunting and some for personal protection. I don't understand how you can make a blanket judgment call about a person based on how many guns they own.

Also I have friends that only own one gun and they also get worked up over people trying to take away their rights. Whats next freedom of speech.

Don't worry. Your freedom of speech will be protected as long as you don't have more than 20 opinions or original ideas. After all, if you have more than 20 ideas, you might be a wack-a-do. Just kidding. Sorry.