Guns

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.

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.

I actually REALLY wanted to go to a range and that was the plan. But then the incident happened with my other friend taking the gun out of her purse and that's when I realized that I'm not just a bit leery of them, I'm completely terrified. Trusted friend agrees that I'm not ready for the range, and we need to start smaller. :laugh:

twinketta

Can I give you a whole different scenario?

Here in the UK guns are outlawed, we are not sold them, they are not for sale, unless you are in with a `bad crowd` where you may be able to source them for bank robberies, shooting security guards, or just some sort of gang warfare.

If your neighbor or a stranger got into a fight, let us suggest they did not have a gun and you did not have a gun, how would you settle it?

I totally understand that people want to be one step ahead with weapons, but how far will it go for personal protection?

GiddyupTim

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.

Actually, I believe it is a fairly well accepted fact that the gun-related homicide rate in Chicago has gone up in recent years because they closed the huge housing projects and moved all the residents throughout the city. As a result, a whole bunch of gang-bangers moved out into other gangs territories.
Has nothing to do with the ban on guns. How would that work anyway? It makes absolutely no sense to suggest that.
On the contrary, the fact that guns are in the hands of gang-bangers and crazies is probably due to the fact that guns are readily available, at shows, at sport shops, etc. It is not too hard to find a gun when there are that many around. Currently, one-third of households have a gun. It used to be 50 percent. Most of those people are law abiding. But, what happens when they do not want it anymore? Or they forget it someplace? Or they dispose of it inadequately?
Guns do not just disappear, and if tens of thousands are being sold every few months . . .ban in one city or no ban.

BeachIron

Can I give you a whole different scenario?

Here in the UK guns are outlawed, we are not sold them, they are not for sale, unless you are in with a `bad crowd` where you may be able to source them for bank robberies, shooting security guards, or just some sort of gang warfare.

If your neighbor or a stranger got into a fight, let us suggest they did not have a gun and you did not have a gun, how would you settle it?

I totally understand that people want to be one step ahead with weapons, but how far will it go for personal protection?

This makes it clear to me that you are quite ignorant about the subject matter. Please actually get acquainted with responsible owners of firearms before assuming that we settle simple disagreements with them.

maillemaker

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.

In most places, the only way you can carry a firearm (and usually it must be concealed) is if you have a permit.

People who go to the trouble and expense to get a permit are unusually law-abiding people. In the states that publish the statistics, like Texas, people who have CCW permits are less likely to be involved in any kind of crime than your average person without one. From everything from Public Lewdness to Homicide, people with concealed carry permits are less likely to be breaking the law.

So statistically, you would be safer in a room full of concealed carry permit holders than you would be surrounded by average people from society at random.

ScottyNoHotty

Can I give you a whole different scenario?

Here in the UK guns are outlawed, we are not sold them, they are not for sale, unless you are in with a `bad crowd` where you may be able to source them for bank robberies, shooting security guards, or just some sort of gang warfare.

If your neighbor or a stranger got into a fight, let us suggest they did not have a gun and you did not have a gun, how would you settle it?

I totally understand that people want to be one step ahead with weapons, but how far will it go for personal protection?

they stab each other...Google "UK knife crime statistics"

twinketta

Can I give you a whole different scenario?

Here in the UK guns are outlawed, we are not sold them, they are not for sale, unless you are in with a `bad crowd` where you may be able to source them for bank robberies, shooting security guards, or just some sort of gang warfare.

If your neighbor or a stranger got into a fight, let us suggest they did not have a gun and you did not have a gun, how would you settle it?

I totally understand that people want to be one step ahead with weapons, but how far will it go for personal protection?

This makes it clear to me that you are quite ignorant about the subject matter. Please actually get acquainted with responsible owners of firearms before assuming that we settle simple disagreements with them.

OK let me suggest that I am ignorant about the subject matter. I have read through all the posts, so I have got acquainted with the replies.

Can you suggest to me how the UK has got it wrong with gun laws?

maillemaker

A lot more do carry concealed (with a permit) in our state, too. Lately, they're now allowing these morons to carry concealed weapons into the local bars/pubs as long as they "promise not to drink." Then why go to the bar? *shrugs*

It has been illegal to drink and carry a firearm, and it still is.

What these kinds of laws were aimed at is allowing people who carry firearms to go into restaurants that serve alcohol.

For example, Longhorns, Red Lobster, and other restaurants have bars inside them. By law before, a CCW permit holder would not be able to go there for dinner while carrying his lawful concealed weapon. There is no reason why this should be the case.

csuhar

I actually REALLY wanted to go to a range and that was the plan. But then the incident happened with my other friend taking the gun out of her purse and that's when I realized that I'm not just a bit leery of them, I'm completely terrified. Trusted friend agrees that I'm not ready for the range, and we need to start smaller. :laugh:

And that's perfectly fine. Ease into it. Guns are one of those items that have a potential for danger and you want to be able to focus when handling them, which is difficult to do when distracted by feelings like you described.

I know someone who was in a car accident and was scared of driving for a while (no thanks to the doctor who, with his wonderful bedside manner, said "if you were in my car, you'd be dead"). Cars and driving also have their potential for danger if you're more afraid than focused, so she slowly got back into driving as her comfort level rose.

One approach that I heard helped someone was their friend (the firearm owner) brought ONLY the gun, with absolutely no ammunition, into the room. Then, said friend disassembled it and explained how everything worked. That understanding, combined with the safety of no ammunition, helped the individual become more comfortable with the firearm. Over time, they handled it more and more as their comfort level allowed. It took time, but it allowed the familiarity to grow in a safe environment.

twinketta

Can I give you a whole different scenario?

Here in the UK guns are outlawed, we are not sold them, they are not for sale, unless you are in with a `bad crowd` where you may be able to source them for bank robberies, shooting security guards, or just some sort of gang warfare.

If your neighbor or a stranger got into a fight, let us suggest they did not have a gun and you did not have a gun, how would you settle it?

I totally understand that people want to be one step ahead with weapons, but how far will it go for personal protection?

they stab each other...Google "UK knife crime statistics"

www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/children-and-guns-the-hidden-toll.html?pagewanted=all

DiannaMoorer

Thought we were going to post pictures of muscles not get into our 1st amendment rights.

doorki

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.

While true, though simplified, you must also know that this right to bear arms in a regulated militia also requires members of this militia to fall under the command of the President in Article 1, section 8, clause 15 of the Constitution. Also, that the reason that militias were included in the Constitution was because of an understandable distrust of standing armies during peacetime. When the Second Amendment was finally ratified, it still contained the right to bear arms within the context of a militia. Therefore, your write to bear arms is actually in order to be of service of your state's governor and then the Federal government.

maillemaker

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

Note that you do not have to be "scared" to be "prepared".

I wear a seatbelt every time I get in a car. Not out of some kind of irrational fear of car accidents, but simply because the effort to take the precaution is trivial compared to needing the seat belt and not wearing it.

Modern life has enabled people to buy inexpensive tools to cover many rare contingencies. You don't have to be in fear of the contingencies to take advantage of the tools that mitigate them.

csuhar

Can I give you a whole different scenario?

Here in the UK guns are outlawed, we are not sold them, they are not for sale, unless you are in with a `bad crowd` where you may be able to source them for bank robberies, shooting security guards, or just some sort of gang warfare.

If your neighbor or a stranger got into a fight, let us suggest they did not have a gun and you did not have a gun, how would you settle it?

I totally understand that people want to be one step ahead with weapons, but how far will it go for personal protection?

But then we'd have to ask how frequently a fight in the US resorted to weapons and / or gunfire. Some fights stop at shouting. Some stop at punching and kicking. Some go on a tangent towards destruction of property.

Not every fight leads to guns, even if they're present, and there are very particular circumstances that must be met for someone to legally introduce deadly force into a fight.

BeachIron

Can I give you a whole different scenario?

Here in the UK guns are outlawed, we are not sold them, they are not for sale, unless you are in with a `bad crowd` where you may be able to source them for bank robberies, shooting security guards, or just some sort of gang warfare.

If your neighbor or a stranger got into a fight, let us suggest they did not have a gun and you did not have a gun, how would you settle it?

I totally understand that people want to be one step ahead with weapons, but how far will it go for personal protection?

This makes it clear to me that you are quite ignorant about the subject matter. Please actually get acquainted with responsible owners of firearms before assuming that we settle simple disagreements with them.

OK let me suggest that I am ignorant about the subject matter. I have read through all the posts, so I have got acquainted with the replies.

Can you suggest to me how the UK has got it wrong with gun laws?

We are two different cultures. I do find your gun laws interesting in light of the success the Irish had in fighting off your invasion of their country. I guess we just did a better job, but we also got more help. Perhaps they needed to be better armed.

ScottyNoHotty

Thought we were going to post pictures of muscles not get into our 1st amendment rights.

I think you mean the 2nd amendment......but then again, you can't have the first without the second.

maillemaker

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

Well, that's a fine choice that everyone should be able to make for themselves.

But the reality is that without a firearm, every single victim of violent crime has exactly three choices: run if they are fast enough, submit to their attacker if they are tough enough, or fight their attacker if they are strong enough.

We weak are at the mercy of the strong.

calibriintx

Thought we were going to post pictures of muscles not get into our 1st amendment rights.

:huh:

TeresaMarie46

I am in the country where there are lions and coyotes, bears and crazy badgers....Guns you say? absolutely, I believe that depending on where you live they can be a necessary item to have along. In the City, well nowadays with everything going on, you pretty much have to pack. It sad when you cannot send your children to school because someone with an anger issue feels the need to shoot up the schools. Many times a situation has been deferred because an "honest" person was packing. Gun Screening here is very strict. You don't pass. you don't get one. Simple as that.

Also, I am ever so happy that I am a right on markswoman. I do not want to be the woman who needs to yell "wait, let me get my husband"....someone with a whack way of thinking will get theirs IF/WHEN they mess with mine. I am glad that I can hold my own ,if need be.

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.

While true, though simplified, you must also know that this right to bear arms in a regulated militia also requires members of this militia to fall under the command of the President in Article 1, section 8, clause 15 of the Constitution. Also, that the reason that militias were included in the Constitution was because of an understandable distrust of standing armies during peacetime. When the Second Amendment was finally ratified, it still contained the right to bear arms within the context of a militia. Therefore, your write to bear arms is actually in order to be of service of your state's governor and then the Federal government.

i'm not interested in arguing with you (because this is a fitness site and this thread is likely to be deleted anyway), but you're more than welcome to to try out that argument in a more appropriate forum where i'm sure you'll find many who would like to engage you.