Guns

dbmata

Is that everything you'd like to tell us?

Do you know why you pulled us over?

GTAFrank

I am not scared enough to feel that I require a gun.

Right!? Why would I ever need a gun, other than a hunting riffle if I hunted, I just don't get the point of owning guns(other than hunting riffles). It must be the Canadian in me

It is totally the Canadian in you because I don't get it either.

Hate to burst your bubble, it's not a Canadian thing. We have millions of gun owners here. You may not be into it and that's cool but please don't make false generalizations.

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

You have to have a license to carry a firearm. Depending on where you live the requirements can be quite extensive and include background checks.

And I'm just gonna stop there:)

I've lived in some states where you don't need a license as long as it is an open carry (like where I live now). I need my license though because I conceal carry.

ElliottTN

Depending on where I am you won't find me without my para ordanace p-12 on my hip and out of sight. Of course I have to travel through some bad parts a good majority of the time.

The thing is, unless you are in Alaska, if you open carry than 9/10 times you are a complete idiot. I have a concealed permit and you will never know I have it unless you doing something that causes me to pull it which I never wish to happen. Same goes with most responsible gun owners in America. Oh and unless we know you carry or own as well we probably won't tell you we do so there are a lot more of us around you than you think....unless say you live in a place like Chicago with some of the toughest gun regulations yet some of the most gun related violence in the nation...you're probably safe to be unarmed there.

ScottyNoHotty

Because we're obsessed with them. It's apparently required to get your birth certificate here: "lovely little girl you have there, Mrs. Smith- does she love guns? You know you're required to have both a car seat and her own personally engraved rifle before you leave with her, right? Great, great, here's her certificate."

Spoken by someone who lives in a state with some of the most draconian firearm laws in the U.S.

( and one of the highest crime rate......go figure.....)

I don't even know what the firearm laws are in my state. I don't own a gun and never intend to. I have done target shooting and it was a lot of fun, but I see no good reason to own one.

Then you need to read up on them.....our rights are being eroded away....just because you don't care for firearms, you should still know your local laws.

Anyway, I'm going to get off my soapbox now....

I use firearms for protection and for subsistence hunting...my family lives off of what I bring home....

I'd love to hear how our right to bear arms is being eroded away. Nobody can ever tell me. In the past 6 years gun rights have actually INCREASED in this country. Seriously. Look it up. This thing about our rights being eroded away? Sure, it's happening- there's the Patriot Act, and Citizens United, and the gutting of the voting act, and a hundred more I could name- but gun rights? No, those are actually increasing. Not even kidding. I dare you to prove me wrong.

Here's some just on the first page of Google......they might not pass, but they keep on trying.....

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/02/judge-refuses-to-block-maryland-new-gun-law-opponents-vow-continue-fighting/

http://www.policymic.com/articles/25950/9-useless-and-unconstitutional-anti-gun-laws-california-will-pass-in-2013

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/colorado-gun-laws

Last2bfirst

Some states you can't carry, concealed or not. But you would be surprised at how many CCPs /CCW owners there are....I would not open carry since I have my CCW permit..but you woulndn't know I would be carrying. That doesn't mean that you should be afraid, you should be aware and have SA of all your surroundings. Have a great day.

someone with a concealed carry licence doesn't scare me at all, but I'm from Texas and know all the checks you had to go through to get that licence (regardless of what state you're in, Texas just happens to be a state with a lot of concealed carry people).

I'd actually like to see a breakdown of crimes committed by those who have that license vs. citizens who don't. Probably pretty shocking.

Last I looked .01% of felonies are commited by CHL holders. No gun crimes commited by CHL holders.

BrainyBurro

I am not scared enough to feel that I require a gun.

Right!? Why would I ever need a gun, other than a hunting riffle if I hunted, I just don't get the point of owning guns(other than hunting riffles). It must be the Canadian in me

Generally, the response from many permitholders is that they're not scared, either.

Some are. I can't deny that.

But there are many who simply look around, see that there are potential threats, and simply wish to have a means of dealing with them on the off-chance one of those threats presents itself.

It's the same reason I have a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit with Quik Clot and a tourniquet in my car. I'm not EXPECTING to get into or pass by a major accident, but I know they happen. So I like to think that if my or someone elses' car catches fire, I've got the extinguisher. If there's an accident where someone's bleeding severely, I've got equipment to help deal with it.

So are the odds of me facing a deadly threat great? Not really. I tend to avoid high-threat environments. But I think I can speak for the majority of us when I say that, if we knew we were going to be attacked at a given time and place, we'd avoid it.

i try to stay out of politics on here, but i will say the following for those that do not understand why Americans feel strongly about gun rights.

the American Revolution started when King George III sent his troops to Lexington and Concord to confiscate the arms of the citizenry (militia). he sent his armed surrogates (soldiers of the British army) to disarm the colonists so that he could impose his political will on them through force. that's why the founding fathers enshrined the right of the citizenry to keep and bear arms in the Bill of Rights. it's not about hunting. it's not about sport. it's not even about self-defense against criminals... it's about an armed citizenry being the only thing that stands between foreign or domestic tyranny and freedom. that's why gun control laws are ultimately viewed by the majority of Americans as an assault on their freedoms and that's why so many of those outside of the USA do not and cannot understand our mindset.

Last2bfirst

The assumption by those who are scared by folks walking around with guns, concealed or not, is that the individual is not responcible enough, is inherently dangerous, lacks self control etc. This is usually based on the others own feeling of them selves. I asked a good friend of mine, who was totally against firearms, if he and I walked in on his daughter being raped and I threw him my firearm would he feel justified to use it? Of course he said yes, the following month I tought his CHL class.

conniemaxwell5

I would say for the most part, the people who open carry or legally concealed carry are safe because they respect the guns as well as the laws concerning them. Every country has criminals who ignore the law and make it dangerous for others. They're 2 separate and different groups of people.

DopeItUp

Your logic is seriously flawed. Obviously it makes you feel more comfortable to have the gun, but there's no logic behind that feeling. I'm not saying you're wrong to feel that way, because emotions aren't about right or wrong- but the fact is that not only is there a huge different between a gun and all those other tools you listed, there is also a much greater chance that your gun will be used to harm you or someone you care about than that it will be used to protect anyone. These are the facts.

That myth is just as common and incorrect as "Eating past 8pm will make you fat". And just as annoying when spouted as "fact".

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Only in some states you can open carry. Most pics you see are of people in their backyard or at a range.

You're safe coming to the Maryland/DC area, we can't open carry.

LOL!!!!
Yeah, there are NEVER any shootings in DC.

Chicago too. I've seen articles that I can't verify their authenticity of the facts that say teh gun related homicide rate in Chicago has increased since the ban on guns.

AlongCame_Molly

What's frightening about it? I'd sure as hell be MORE scared walking somewhere where I don't have the right to defend myself against OTHER people with guns.

Outlawing guns only disarms the law-abiding citizens, not the criminals and wackos. I SO do not get how people don't understand this??!?

Melissa22G

I am not scared enough to feel that I require a gun.

Right!? Why would I ever need a gun, other than a hunting riffle if I hunted, I just don't get the point of owning guns(other than hunting riffles). It must be the Canadian in me

Generally, the response from many permitholders is that they're not scared, either.

Some are. I can't deny that.

But there are many who simply look around, see that there are potential threats, and simply wish to have a means of dealing with them on the off-chance one of those threats presents itself.

It's the same reason I have a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit with Quik Clot and a tourniquet in my car. I'm not EXPECTING to get into or pass by a major accident, but I know they happen. So I like to think that if my or someone elses' car catches fire, I've got the extinguisher. If there's an accident where someone's bleeding severely, I've got equipment to help deal with it.

So are the odds of me facing a deadly threat great? Not really. I tend to avoid high-threat environments. But I think I can speak for the majority of us when I say that, if we knew we were going to be attacked at a given time and place, we'd avoid it.

i try to stay out of politics on here, but i will say the following for those that do not understand why Americans feel strongly about gun rights.

the American Revolution started when King George III sent his troops to Lexington and Concord to confiscate the arms of the citizenry (militia). he sent his armed surrogates (soldiers of the British army) to disarm the colonists so that he could impose his political will on them through force. that's why the founding fathers enshrined the right of the citizenry to keep and bear arms in the Bill of Rights. it's not about hunting. it's not about sport. it's not even about self-defense against criminals... it's about an armed citizenry being the only thing that stands between foreign or domestic tyranny and freedom. that's why gun control laws are ultimately viewed by the majority of Americans as an assault on their freedoms and that's why so many of those outside of the USA do not and cannot understand our mindset.

You. I think I you.

calibriintx

I'm from GA.

Some of us still go out and hunt for our food. We get licenses, permits,and background checks are given on those that purchase hand guns now. At least, it was on me when I recently purchased my husband a new glock.

I was raised around shot guns, my husband was a cop, our first date was on a firing range- there's nothing to fear about them or think they are scary unless you are unfamiliar with them OR have had a bad personal experience.

Just my .02.

^I think lack of exposure has SO much to do with with fear of guns. My stepdad had a handgun but I never saw it or knew where it was kept, so I really had no exposure. I'm 31, now living in TX, and I'm terrified of guns (okay, really I'm terrified of some of the idiots who have guns, but it's hard not to feel afraid of the gun, because the idiots aren't as scary without them).

Anyway, I was at a friend's a few weeks ago and we were about to head to a bar. Right as we were about to walk out her front door she told me to hang on. She remembered she had a gun in her purse and she didn't want to take it to the bar. So she took it out and took it apart before putting it up. I almost threw up on her floor because I was so freaked out even being in the same room as a gun. :frown: I'm sure I'm in the same room as guns all the time but they're concealed so I just don't think about it.

So many of my friends and family-by-marriage are gun owners, I would really like to feel more comfortable around them. I have a close, trusted friend who agreed to sit down with me and a completely disassembled gun and just sort of go from there, to help me feel more comfortable around them. Eventually I hope to feel safe going to a range with him. That's the goal. I wish I could find it, but awhile back someone shared this youtube vid about a young woman who felt the same way and once she got over her fear of guns, her views on gun control changed drastically.

twinketta

No one has mentioned that shooting is fun. And it's a lot harder to hit the target than a non-shooter thinks it is.

It's a lot like golf in that respect. Until you try to send that ball to the pin, yourself, it's difficult to understand what it's like.

pfffft. I only play GTA and Black Ops and I'm lethal out to 3km, which is like what... 45 feet american, right?

You realize they are just games right?

A real gun is a lethal weapon and it can kill real people

csuhar

i try to stay out of politics on here, but i will say the following for those that do not understand why Americans feel strongly about gun rights.

the American Revolution started when King George III sent his troops to Lexington and Concord to confiscate the arms of the citizenry (militia). he sent his armed surrogates (soldiers of the British army) to disarm the colonists so that he could impose his political will on them through force. that's why the founding fathers enshrined the right of the citizenry to keep and bear arms in the Bill of Rights. it's not about hunting. it's not about sport. it's not even about self-defense against criminals... it's about an armed citizenry being the only thing that stands between foreign or domestic tyranny and freedom. that's why gun control laws are ultimately viewed by the majority of Americans as an assault on their freedoms and that's why so many of those outside of the USA do not and cannot understand our mindset.

Careful- If I get started on a history discussion, I might not be able to stop. You are right, though. (And much less long-winded than I would be.)

christopheryarosz

Because guns are safe when used by Law-abiding citizens. It's just that we have cowards running our Governments and are afraid to take on the "Drug Lords" for fear of repercussions. There are plenty of laws on the books that prevent or deter the buying and selling of weapons here in the US, but, alas, again not enough enforcement of the current laws "on the books."

Also, I'm not fearful of law abiding citizens carrying weapons because I'm not afraid that they'll just begin shooting people. It's the criminals and the crazy's that obtain guns illegally and are the ones to fear. We are a free society because our US Constitution allows us to "bear arms." This isn't just so we can go out and kill rodents or deer or any other animal that would be considered game. We have guns because of the chance that our Government might one day become Tyrannical. Most Governments today are too large and too powerful and too out of control. The only thing stopping ours right now from becoming a Dictatorship is because our Citizenry have weapons.

Chris Y.

AlongCame_Molly

i try to stay out of politics on here, but i will say the following for those that do not understand why Americans feel strongly about gun rights.

the American Revolution started when King George III sent his troops to Lexington and Concord to confiscate the arms of the citizenry (militia). he sent his armed surrogates (soldiers of the British army) to disarm the colonists so that he could impose his political will on them through force. that's why the founding fathers enshrined the right of the citizenry to keep and bear arms in the Bill of Rights. it's not about hunting. it's not about sport. it's not even about self-defense against criminals... it's about an armed citizenry being the only thing that stands between foreign or domestic tyranny and freedom. that's why gun control laws are ultimately viewed by the majority of Americans as an assault on their freedoms and that's why so many of those outside of the USA do not and cannot understand our mindset.

Re-quoting just in case OP missed it.

This--this is stated beautifully. This is what it means to be "Murican.

dirty_dirty_eater

I'm from GA.

Some of us still go out and hunt for our food. We get licenses, permits,and background checks are given on those that purchase hand guns now. At least, it was on me when I recently purchased my husband a new glock.

I was raised around shot guns, my husband was a cop, our first date was on a firing range- there's nothing to fear about them or think they are scary unless you are unfamiliar with them OR have had a bad personal experience.

Just my .02.

^I think lack of exposure has SO much to do with with fear of guns. My stepdad had a handgun but I never saw it or knew where it was kept, so I really had no exposure. I'm 31, now living in TX, and I'm terrified of guns (okay, really I'm terrified of some of the idiots who have guns, but it's hard not to feel afraid of the gun, because the idiots aren't as scary without them).

Anyway, I was at a friend's a few weeks ago and we were about to head to a bar. Right as we were about to walk out her front door she told me to hang on. She remembered she had a gun in her purse and she didn't want to take it to the bar. So she took it out and took it apart before putting it up. I almost threw up on her floor because I was so freaked out even being in the same room as a gun. :frown: I'm sure I'm in the same room as guns all the time but they're concealed so I just don't think about it.

So many of my friends and family-by-marriage are gun owners, I would really like to feel more comfortable around them. I have a close, trusted friend who agreed to sit down with me and a completely disassembled gun and just sort of go from there, to help me feel more comfortable around them. Eventually I hope to feel safe going to a range with him. That's the goal. I wish I could find it, but awhile back someone shared this youtube vid about a young woman who felt the same way and once she got over her fear of guns, her views on gun control changed drastically.

When you're ready, get someone you trust to take you to a range and rent a .22 pistol. Almost no noise, no recoil at all. Let them teach you how to handle it safely. Putting holes in paper is more fun than is easily explained.
Once you know what you're doing, the fear will be gone. Respect remains, and that's a good thing.

Alluminati

Why do so many Americans have gun pictures on here? It is a bit scary.Thank god we can't in Australia just have them on us.....no not religious.. I couldn't handle the thought that anyone walking down the street has a gun on them. How do you handle it? Surely it is frightening. Turns me off going there for a holiday.

Thanks, OP! Changed my profile picture in honor of you

Why? You have nothing better to do? Oh well... go for it.

Why? Because I'm thankful that I have my 2nd Amendment right (for now). And as for nothing better to do, well I guess we're alike in that respect. Enjoy your weekend.