do people really have a gun?

**Pianolady** · 11-29-2011, 05:15 PM

I grew up going through the NRA courses at church camp, lol! So you can probably guess I might have a few guns hanging around (some for target shooting, some collector). I absolutely love target shooting and am quite good at it. And as far as gun safes go... not only have them, but they're bolted into concrete or studs. A safe does no good if you can just pick it up and take it with you (in the case of theft).

**sinopa27** · 11-30-2011, 08:56 AM

i guess it is good to have the gun safe bolted. I think of people actually stealing the entire safe.

**Greebo** · 11-30-2011, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by sinopa27

i guess it is good to have the gun safe bolted. I think of people actually stealing the entire safe.

Generally speaking, thieves go for the easy win. If they want to go to THAT much trouble to get at a gun... well... they're not very smart thieves.

**khaski** · 11-30-2011, 12:44 PM

Here in rural NH gun ownership is indeed the norm- and we own a bunch ourselves. I do not care for them myself, I have shot a few times, I keep meaning to get over my fear of them and learn to be proficient for the safety of my family. My husband often shoots in the yard- legal, the way our yard is set up, and we often hear neighbors out shooting in their yards on weekends. A bit unsettling at first, but now we're used to it. As one my neighbors once commentd, an 'ol townie', he LIKES hearing his neighbors out target practicing- reminds everyone 'what's what', as he put it- as in a auditory reminder many of the households out here are armed. In a town of 5k people, about 30 sq. miles in size, with generally one police officer on at a time, often NO police 'on' during the overnight hours, it's nice to know so mnay here have the ability to protect their families in a pinch, when it could take the state police 30 mins+ to respond to a call. A little 'self help' can go a loooong way.

If you poke around online, you'll find England, a country that made gun ownership illegal, saw a SHARP spike in the # of violent crimes. Why? The criminals knew 'decent' folk did not have guns and were easy targets. Stricter gun laws don't affect the criminals, they only tie the hands of law-abiding citizens.

**sue s** · 11-30-2011, 02:58 PM

Yes, the gun control people like to quote the fact that England has few gun related deaths. What they don't want to say is that their murder rate/pepopulation is exactly the same as ours (and rising). They just use different weapons like knives and such. Better to let the good guys have the guns too.

**monkeywrangler71** · 11-30-2011, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by sue s

Yes, the gun control people like to quote the fact that England has few gun related deaths. What they don't want to say is that their murder rate/pepopulation is exactly the same as ours (and rising). They just use different weapons like knives and such. Better to let the good guys have the guns too.

Please provide a source for this assertion.

According to UN statistics the homicide rate in the US is 5 per 100,000 and the homicide rate in the UK is 1.2 per 100,000. That isn't 'exactly the same', it is more than four times higher.

**bunnys** · 11-30-2011, 08:39 PM

Hey TheFrug:

Yes, shovels, hatchets and guns are all tools and can be used to kill but shovels and hatchets are not designed to kill. Guns are.

I am a vegetarian and don't kill animals to eat anyway. However, if I did eat meat, I'd hunt myself rather than eat animals that were killed by another person.

I do think that law enforcement must have guns because we have a second amendment and so they'd never be able to enforce the law if they came up against someone with a gun and they had none. I also know that those in law enforcement (on average) have far more training in firearms usage and safety than the general population and so are (by default) going to be much more adept at using firearms and restraining themselves from using them when unnecessaary.

Pesonally, I have said nothing in this thread about abolishing the Second Amendment and while I haven't read every single post, I haven't seen anything else written by anyone else suggesting the same. While I personally am against owning guns, I know that it is the law of the land for people to be able to do so and I also believe that there are far more worse problems in this country than too many guns. I'd rather spend my energy working for something that has a much bigger impact on the country. So I do not see this thread as a political discussion.

The only reason I chimed in to begin with is that I'd read quite a bit of it and many pro-gun owning posters implied they couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't own a gun and sounded as if it was an individuals civic duty to own them.

I just wanted to be a voice for the other side saying "hey, I don't like them, I don't think we should all have them and I'm not the only one who feels this way."

In no way was I trying to start an argument.

Thanks all!

**frugalwarrior2** · 11-30-2011, 09:04 PM

Well, I have to say I was much more of a pacifist before I had kids, I wouldn't have touched a gun. But I would do anything for my kids,anything.
And i seriously question the assumption that more people dislike the idea of a gun than there are those who realize the need to have one.
And yes, throwing a shovel at a squirrel when your kids are hungry might be a bit less effective than I'd like.

**marlas1too** · 11-30-2011, 10:23 PM

heard a quote one by someone i can't recall at this time said
those that turn their guns into plowshares will toil and plow the fields for those that still have guns
in other words when all the guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns
they will get my gun from my cold dead fingers and only then
sorry for the rant -hugs to all fv

**Russ** · 12-01-2011, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by stephanieg

In the city of Kennesaw,Georgia,it is law everyone has to carry a gun and they have no problem with crime.

Not quite.

In 1982, the Kennesaw City Council unanimously passed a law requiring heads of households to own at least one firearm with ammunition.

Gun Ownership - It's The Law In Kennesaw

**Greebo** · 12-01-2011, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Russ

Not quite.

Gun Ownership - It's The Law In Kennesaw

Mind you, the only way that they could do that constitutionally was to leave an out for people who didn't want to...

**sue s** · 12-01-2011, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by bunnys

Hey TheFrug:

Yes, shovels, hatchets and guns are all tools and can be used to kill but shovels and hatchets are not designed to kill. Guns are.

I am a vegetarian and don't kill animals to eat anyway. However, if I did eat meat, I'd hunt myself rather than eat animals that were killed by another person.

I do think that law enforcement must have guns because we have a second amendment and so they'd never be able to enforce the law if they came up against someone with a gun and they had none. I also know that those in law enforcement (on average) have far more training in firearms usage and safety than the general population and so are (by default) going to be much more adept at using firearms and restraining themselves from using them when unnecessaary.

Pesonally, I have said nothing in this thread about abolishing the Second Amendment and while I haven't read every single post, I haven't seen anything else written by anyone else suggesting the same. While I personally am against owning guns, I know that it is the law of the land for people to be able to do so and I also believe that there are far more worse problems in this country than too many guns. I'd rather spend my energy working for something that has a much bigger impact on the country. So I do not see this thread as a political discussion.

The only reason I chimed in to begin with is that I'd read quite a bit of it and many pro-gun owning posters implied they couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't own a gun and sounded as if it was an individuals civic duty to own them.

I just wanted to be a voice for the other side saying "hey, I don't like them, I don't think we should all have them and I'm not the only one who feels this way."

In no way was I trying to start an argument.

Thanks all!

Understand Bunny but there is a huge difference between "your not liking guns and refusing to have one" and "your not liking guns and telling me I cannot own one either". I 100% respect anyones decision not to have a gun on their homestead. That is their choice and this IS a free country. I have a huge problem though with someone dictating to me what they think I should do and how I should live. I live with guns. I handle them responsibly. I will continue to do so.

**zakity** · 12-01-2011, 01:12 PM

I do think that law enforcement must have guns because we have a second amendment and so they'd never be able to enforce the law if they came up against someone with a gun and they had none. I also know that those in law enforcement (on average) have far more training in firearms usage and safety than the general population and so are (by default) going to be much more adept at using firearms and restraining themselves from using them when unnecessaary.

Actually, most of the people I know that own guns are more trained than the police. They also go practice more than the LEO's. And, I do realize that is just a certain sub-set of the gun owners. They aren't even the survivalist sub-set.

I also think that if you are not comfortable with weapons, then you shouldn't own them. But, I am quite comfortable with mine and I would prefer to keep them. Gun ownership is like, um, bedroom "activities". What works for me, wouldn't work for someone else. I don't tell you to dress in undies, swing from the trees, and yell like Tarzan, but if I want to (and my partner agrees) then that is my (our?) business.

The only reason I chimed in to begin with is that I'd read quite a bit of it and many pro-gun owning posters implied they couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't own a gun and sounded as if it was an individuals civic duty to own them.

Actually, in a way, it is an individual's civic duty to own a weapon (if they are comfortable with it). How many countries have had a corrupt government take away people's weapons and then made the citizens lives torcherous? Our weapons helps to keep our government in check. It also helps to keep other countries from invading again. We have a huge military, but, how many more people own weapons and are trained with them? It is like an instant military of hundreds of millions. If you were a country that was thinking about "conquering" the US, knowing that most of the people own weapons, would you want to invade the country? Watch the movie "Red Dawn" for one possible situation.