To Draw or to Holster?
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Do you only want comments from Americans?
It would be great to have some people's opinion from others countries too!
Oh, good.
I have never touched a gun. The only time I have even seen guns is in the holsters of cops. Some people have them here for hunting, but growing up in the city, they just aren't part of our culture.
As a result, I don't understand the affection some other cultures have for them. To me, they are deadly weapons, and I have no desire to be around them. It isn't exactly that I am afraid of them - I just don't see the point. To me, it would be like sleeping under mosquito netting in Alaska. What's the purpose?0 -
We just need to clone about 50k Chuck Norris' to clean up the streets
Hmm unless Chuck Norris gets in the hands of someone who plans to use him for evil0 -
We just need to clone about 50k Chuck Norris' to clean up the streets
Hmm unless Chuck Norris gets in the hands of someone who plans to use him for evil
Ok, that is an awesome quote, would add some comedy to my presentation I earlier today found out we had to do. Do you mind if I use it?
(P.S Chuck Norris will never be controlled. Chuck Norris controls you, you will never control Chuck Norris!)0 -
Nope feel free to use0
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As a result, I don't understand the affection some other cultures have for them. To me, they are deadly weapons, and I have no desire to be around them. It isn't exactly that I am afraid of them - I just don't see the point. To me, it would be like sleeping under mosquito netting in Alaska. What's the purpose?
The purpose? Alaska has hellish mosquitoes. Sleeping under mosquito netting in Alaska would be eminently sensible!0 -
Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.
Criminals do not follow the rules, They don't care about magazine capacity, restricted models, background checks and waiting periods. More gun control doesn't stop gun violence it just prevents law abiding citizens from protecting themselves.0 -
I am doing a paper on Firearms and would love people to share their ideas/thoughts about them. Such as "Did you have firearms around growing up?" "How did you benefit or not benefit you?" "What is the appeal of firearms?" " What are your views of the 2nd Amendment?" and so forth. I want to write a high quality paper with many different quotes and ideas from your average American. It would really help a bunch! So thanks to anyone who replies :flowerforyou:
(P.S please be respectful of everyone's opinions as I know this could get somewhat controversial)I didn't grow up around guns, but since I got married I've been around them a lot. My kids are growing up around guns. We feel they are safer if they know how to defend themselves in the unlikely event that my husband or I aren't around to do so. We don't allow toy guns of any kind in our house; we believe guns are tools, not toys, and they demand respect. We teach our children gun safety, and only allow them to practice with our supervision.
I, personally, really enjoy shooting, and I'm a pretty fair shot if I do say so. I've never had to defend myself, but I believe I could if the need arose. I used to carry concealed, but we moved and I haven't gotten my new permit yet, so I don't now. I'm working on that, though.
The second amendment was put in place to protect the rights of citizens to defend themselves, against anyone who would do them harm. I'm a big supporter of self-defense. When seconds count, the police are only minutes away...
I am an avid supporter of my second amendment rights, as you can tell from my profile pic
I happen to own both an AR-15 (SEMI-Automatic version of the M4) and an WASR-10(SEMI-Automatic version of the AK-47) I also own numerous handguns, hunting rifles, and shotguns. My 4 year old son knows all of the parts to a field stripped AR-15 as well as a Glock 23. He also knows that every gun should be considered loaded ALL of the time, and should be treated as such. First thing he says when picking up a gun (after I have handed it to him under CLOSE supervision) is "Finger Off the Trigger, Muzzle Downrange" He is safer with firearms than many adults I know. My son is also taught that guns are tools, not toys. He is afraid of them to the extent that he will not touch one unless I hand it to him because he knows it can kill him. Training is everything. I do believe that I should be allowed to own my military style weapons, because that is what the gangsters and criminals carry. Why should I be less armed than them? If something were to ever happen where government broke down and they were unable to protect you, would you be able to protect yourself? I would. I believe if you don't have the guts to protect yourself then you don't need to be protected. The problem with our nation is that we have gotten away from self reliance and began to rely on the government for everything. That leads to tyranny. Tyranny that so many brave souls fought to escape from. My guns are for my protection, and my self reliance, and from my right given to my by my Creator, Almighty God, to defend myself from ALL enemies. Luke 22:36 says "He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." If Jesus had been around during these days, I believe He would have said a gun not a sword.
To answer your questions...
Yes, I did have firearms around me growing up, and was taught in their proper usage from my childhood.
Having guns around me growing up taught me safety, responsibility, and how to fend for myself if need be, as well as how to feed and clothe myself through hunting.
The appeal of firearms for me is the power of them. They are the great equalizer, no other thing puts a 125 lb would be rape victim on an even playing field with a 250 lb rapist.
My views on the second amendment are that it means what it says, no more, no less. The right shall not be infringed. Every society that has banned guns has fallen. Take this idea, Hitler in 1938 said "This year will go down in history! For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!" Yeah Right.
Do I believe everyone should be allowed to own a gun? No. The sick people of this world need to be admitted not treated, the James Holmes, the David Koreshes, the insane in this world do not need be part of society. If you have ever watched The Village by M. Night Shyamalan you know that we can't insulate ourselves from evil, some people just can't function in normal society. It may not be their fault but we don't have to allow them to live in normal society. This is controversial, and if I had a sick relative, I would probably feel differently, just my opinion. I also believe that once you commit a crime, of any magnitude, you have lost your gun rights. I also believe that people should be responsible, and have sense enough to go out and get training if you buy a gun and have never shot one, not that you should be forced to go train. What good is a golf club if you have never swung one?
This was a lot of stuff but I am passionate about guns, and I hope I have helped you with your paper.0 -
I didn't grow up with guns in my household, but, being from a rural area, they were common in my community. I grew up in a community where owing guns was not out of the ordinary, for hunting, self-defense and recreation. I've been taught the proper way to handle a gun, and I am not afraid of them.
I have seen them used improperly. I once had a gun held to my head by a drunken neighbor. When I was a child, I saw a young boy pull a gun on another and threaten to shoot him. This was not the inner city and it was not common. No one was shot in either circumstance.
I haven eaten delicious venison and other meats, hunted by people I know. I have never successfully hunted an animal myself, but I have no moral dilemma in doing so.
I do not own a gun, but I firmly believe that I have the right to do so, and that, according to the Constitution, that right cannot and should not be taken away from me. I have the right to defend myself and others, and this right should not be taken away.
Unless the Constitution is changed, Congress has no right to take guns out of the hands of the American people.0 -
Banning guns will ONLY disarm law-abiding citizens. Criminals WILL ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO GUNS, gun laws or not. Cocaine is illegal, but the crackheads always manage to get it...same with guns. Only difference is, if you take away the guns of the people who would not commit crimes with them, you set them up to be victims because the criminals know better that to go after people who could defend themselves...and without a gun, you're an easy target for someone who thinks like that. And yes, they DO think like that.
I support the Constitution in its entirety and the amendments. The right to bear arms "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED." In other words, all those gun bans are unconstitutional as any law that takes away my right to bear this particular kind of arm infringes on that right. Period. Lawmakers must not understand what "infringed" means. Well regulated militia IS NOT THE SAME THING as the military. Again, lawmakers need to learn the difference. They need to study history. If they did, they would see and understand that the founding fathers were talking about regular citizens, not the Army. Also, studying history you learn that the amendment was written to protect the American people from a tyrannical government as they had under British rule.
I could go on and on about this subject...but instead of writing a book, I will just say as a police officer, I am an Oath Keeper. I will not enforce a law that violates the Constitution. I will never infringe on anyone's rights, including the right to bear arms.
MOLON LABE.
For my views on guns and the 2nd ammendment, I agree completely with the above.
I didn't grow up with guns. My parents never had them. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, whatever may have... But I was never around them. As you can see in my profile picture, I have a gun - and am very fond of it. My husband has two. We are very responsible and careful with our guns. Our clips are loaded at all times... but they aren't kept directly with the guns... When there are children in the house, we add trigger locks to the guns. Never touch the trigger when showing... etc etc. The appeal is a sense of protection and security. I've been told that if you come into contact with a home intruder, it will mostly be within 10ft. That's pretty close... I'm not a great shot from a distance (yet), but at 10ft, I'm confident in my abilities.0 -
This topic always fascinates me. I'm not American and I find often find the views so different from my own, it is so interesting.0
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Having lived in Alaska, I can vouch for the fact that the unofficial state bird is the mosquito. But the actual point wasn't lost on me :-)
Firearms were in my house growing up. They were off-limits, and that 'off-limitness' was so ingrained so early on, I can't even remember how or why. They were never brandished around us or shown. My parents didn't hunt, we weren't taught firearms safety, the guns were a simple no-go.
The appeal of firearms is that they are the great equalizer. No amount of physical strength can stop that chunk of lead. No amount of speed can outmaneuver the bullet. In the hands of a competent wielder, a gun can stop an aggressor before you are harmed.
I believe the second amendment insulates the citizens from dependence upon the government for protection, and protects the citizens from dictatorial action by the government. The second amendment in the US has ensured that a land war is a losing proposition for any aggressor, and that US Governmental martial law is an extremely dubious proposition.
I learned how to use firearms in the military. Other folks here have said that they aren't afraid of firearms but I am. I'm definitely afraid, and treat them with a reverential respect that is obsessive. It is far too easy to put an irreparable hole in someone if you don't handle a firearm with caution, and so my approach to guns reflects that. We have a gun in our house. I have shown my wife how to use it, taught her the safety protocols, and have gone to the range to practice. It is locked in a cypher safe and kept unloaded. My children don't know where that is, and wouldn't know what it was if they saw it.
If we care to indulge in fantasy, it would be great if no one at all could kill with a trigger-pull. But in reality, my opinion is shaped having lived in Washington, DC after getting out of the military. I realized that I was absolutely helpless, as a law-abiding citizen, in the face of criminals to whom guns were freely available. One cannot wish them away. I've come to believe that making them readily available to law abiding citizens will not create meaningfully greater risk than having them solely available to criminals.0 -
I grew up around guns and shot with my family. I hunted with my brothers when I was young. We'd been taught to respect guns and were allowed to go hunting by ourselves. I enjoyed tromping around the timber with my big brothers. I had my first bb gun when I was 6, but did not own another gun until recently.
I haven't hunted since I was a teen, but enjoy target and clay shooting with my kids. Looking forward to some competition with my youngest son, a Marine, when he's home on leave. My grandkids are just now starting to shoot but have watched us shoot for a while and have been taught to respect guns. My boys like to hunt and one of my daughters went deer hunting for the first time this year.
Shooting is a family activity that most of us enjoy. We've had some good quality time and are passing down values and skills to the next generation.
I support the second amendment and have no problem with law abiding citizens owning any weapon. Banning weapons will not prevent gun violence because criminals do not obey laws.0 -
I am doing a paper on Firearms and would love people to share their ideas/thoughts about them. Such as "Did you have firearms around growing up?" "How did you benefit or not benefit you?" "What is the appeal of firearms?" " What are your views of the 2nd Amendment?" and so forth. I want to write a high quality paper with many different quotes and ideas from your average American. It would really help a bunch! So thanks to anyone who replies :flowerforyou:
(P.S please be respectful of everyone's opinions as I know this could get somewhat controversial)
Have had firearms around my entire life(35 years) and have been shooting since age 5. Both mom and dad were involved in teaching me how to shoot a rifle and a handgun. I learned safety and respect for the weapons I was trained with and it instilled a sense of responsibility in me. Fast forward to 15 years ago, served in the Navy as a Marine medic(corpsman is the correct term but too confusing for most people) and carried a handgun and shotgun as part of my duties, also go to train with some really neat weapons (.30 caliber, MP5, Stinger AA missile). Awesome levels of destruction for the last one, but I digress. Once out of the service I served for about a year with a security firm doing armed patrol and response in section 8 housing areas and surrounding businesses. To now, currently a nurse with a concealed carry permit and 3 handguns. Have taught my wife and 15 y/o son safe handling and self defense tactics with all 3 weapons. It makes me feel better as I am not at my primary residence 4 days a week d/t work.
I don't hunt right now(no time) but I know a ton of people that do, and gladly eat venison,boar, duck, goose or any other animal they offer.
The appeal of firearms to me is the ability to protect,feed and clothe yourself without having to rely on anyone.
I do believe in the second amendment and support it strongly. I think that all states should be open carry and require at least a class and qualifying range score prior to a person being allowed to carry, open or concealed. Too many of the permit holders that are out there now have not fired a gun, let alone own one, but because of the scare tactics by the government they have applied for and received a permit to carry one. I believe that laws prohibiting the ownership of any type of gun are unconstitutional and would eventually be struck down. By the same token I agree with the sentiment of a lot of other people: Criminals will always be able to get guns. Drugs are illegal but people still obtain them. A gun ban will only do 2 things:Make us more reliant on the government and make us easier targets for the criminals.0 -
As a result, I don't understand the affection some other cultures have for them. To me, they are deadly weapons, and I have no desire to be around them. It isn't exactly that I am afraid of them - I just don't see the point. To me, it would be like sleeping under mosquito netting in Alaska. What's the purpose?
The purpose? Alaska has hellish mosquitoes. Sleeping under mosquito netting in Alaska would be eminently sensible!
In winter. I should have qualified that.0 -
I have no problem with civilians owning guns, and to some degree it's actually necessary. However, I don't see why civilians should need a military-style semiautomatic rifle that can spit 30 rounds (and kill 30 people) in 15 seconds. I personally think if you can't defend yourself with a revolver and a manual action rifle, your aim sucks.
There's a lot of people out there who say criminals will always break laws and will always have access to guns. Well, a criminal by its very definition breaks laws, is their existence enough reason to not have a reasonable law? Criminals don't care about traffic lights either, should we give up traffic laws? Besides, this argument is false when you take a look at fully automatic weapons. Full autos are much more strictly regulated, so it's very, very rare to find crimes committed with them. If criminals really can get any gun they want regardless of the law, then how come extremely few of them have these clearly superior guns?0 -
I grew up in a small midwestern town where everyone had a hunter in their family.
It was normal.
Guns were in our home, locked in a safe. I never felt the urge to get one.
My dad let me shoot a pistol once.0 -
Wow! This is great stuff, thanks to all the new people that responded!0
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I did not grow up around guns at all, I shot a few when friend's families woudl invite me to to the range with them. My parents were OK with firearms, but did not own any themselves.
As an adult, I own several handguns and a couple small rifles including one of those 'scary black rifles' that seem to always make the prese.
I have a conceal carry permit, even though I dont need one in my state (AZ). I got it after the law was changed to allow non-permit carry simply because I wanted to make sure I was informed on the laws and safety aspects of carrying concealed. I admit that I rarely carry concealed even though I have a permit. The main reasons I dont carry is that so many establishments ban them that it is awkward to comply with thier individual requirements. I.e. if you are going to lunch with your family and the establishment has a non weapons sign, you either have to ignore the sign and hope no one can tell you are carrying, or you have to go back to your car and store the weapon. Anytime you remove or reposition the firearm you are potentially drawing attention to yourself and there are so many people that just assume anyone with a gun is a criminal that you could wind up in a police situation simply by trying to comply with a property owner's request.
Why do I have a gun in the first place? Two main reasons. One is much more likely than the other but they are both very important.
1) Criminals will always be armed. Why would I give them the advantage of disarming myself voluntarily? Guns are the great equalizer. My 125lb wife can defend herself against a 300 lb intruder with a firearm. That would not be very likely without one.
As the leader of my family it is -my- responsibility to take care of my family. IF there is time for the police to arrive and deal with a situation, great, but the chances are that ***&&**!! will happen before they are able to get there if you hear glass break in the middle o fthe night. The arguments about hunting, sport, culture etc. are all just a side-effect. The fundamental reason for owning a gun is self defense.
2) The second ammendment was established for a reason. It wasnt to ensure people could hunt in the woods for their food, it was to keep government in check. The Americans knew too well what happens when a government is allowed to keep all the guns and are allowed to grow & usurp power unchecked. The revolutionary war was sparked exactly over this issue. The Lexington / Concord battles were instigated when the British tried to sieze personally owned cannons and black powder (notice that the gun confiscation that prompted the revolution was of military grade munitions, cannons and huge black power stores, not a couple muskets).
The second ammendments primary purposed is to ensure that the American citizens were always the largest army in the land, not a foreign invader, and not even their own government. I doubt this right will ever be needed in our lifetime, but it is an essential right, and one that should always be protected. Allowing it to be neutered with limits on ammunition, or gun type only serve to reduce the effectiveness of this governmental deterant.
All that being said; I am not against reasonable accommodations to make sure that guns are purchased by law abiding citizens only. I dont love the background checks simply because of the big-brother aspect, but I do understand thier need to ensure that straw-buyers, criminals, and mentally ill people are not allowed to purchase. THIS type of topic is what the gun control debate should be around.. How do we keep the guns in good, well informed, self-regulated citizens' hands, and how do we keep them out of criminals and crazy peoples hands.
The color of the gun, how large its magazines are, if it has a pistol grip etc. are all feel-good, stupid ways to try to improve the situation. They do almost nothing to improve safety even if you were able to effectively enforce them. A lightly trained person can swap out 10 round magazines on a semi-automatic pistol or rifle so quickly that it doesn't matter.0 -
Besides, this argument is false when you take a look at fully automatic weapons. Full autos are much more strictly regulated, so it's very, very rare to find crimes committed with them. If criminals really can get any gun they want regardless of the law, then how come extremely few of them have these clearly superior guns?
If you wish to argue that the rarity of a crime being committed with a particular class of weapon is an indicator that that class of weaponry's regulation is sufficient you are arguing AGAINST the further regulation of semi automatic rifles (inclusive of AKs and ARs). They are very rarely used in homicides. The most common class of weapon used in murders is a handgun, far and away. FBI figures for 2011 put the number of murders by handgun at 6220. The shotgun deaths for that same year, same source, 356 deaths, THEN rifles at 323 murders. The FBI figures don't break it down by semi automatic rifles and other actions, but even if every single death by rifle was from an AR or AK (which it was not) that class of firearms is not a major source of homicides.
When one examines the figures for homicide by other weapons the issue becomes even more ridiculous. Knives and other bladed instruments accounted for 1694 murders that year. Blunt instruments (hammers, clubs) accounted for 496 murders and body parts (hands and feet) accounted for 728 deaths by homicide that year. All higher than rifle mediated murders. When the facts are laid out, going after semi automatic rifles - but ONLY the ones that "look scary" - is an exercise in trying to provide a false sense of security to an ill informed populace. It amounts to window dressing.0 -
Besides, this argument is false when you take a look at fully automatic weapons. Full autos are much more strictly regulated, so it's very, very rare to find crimes committed with them. If criminals really can get any gun they want regardless of the law, then how come extremely few of them have these clearly superior guns?
If you wish to argue that the rarity of a crime being committed with a particular class of weapon is an indicator that that class of weaponry's regulation is sufficient you are arguing AGAINST the further regulation of semi automatic rifles (inclusive of AKs and ARs). They are very rarely used in homicides. The most common class of weapon used in murders is a handgun, far and away. FBI figures for 2011 put the number of murders by handgun at 6220. The shotgun deaths for that same year, same source, 356 deaths, THEN rifles at 323 murders. The FBI figures don't break it down by semi automatic rifles and other actions, but even if every single death by rifle was from an AR or AK (which it was not) that class of firearms is not a major source of homicides.
When one examines the figures for homicide by other weapons the issue becomes even more ridiculous. Knives and other bladed instruments accounted for 1694 murders that year. Blunt instruments (hammers, clubs) accounted for 496 murders and body parts (hands and feet) accounted for 728 deaths by homicide that year. All higher than rifle mediated murders. When the facts are laid out, going after semi automatic rifles - but ONLY the ones that "look scary" - is an exercise in trying to provide a false sense of security to an ill informed populace. It amounts to window dressing.
^This^0
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