Friday, 29 June 2012
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I want to talk about guns.
I dont like violence, in fact, I detest it. Because of certain things that I have been through in my life, a severe emotional response (particularly from a man) can have me cowering in fear, retreating not only physically but mentally as well. Having had violence directed at me, I know that once it escalates to a certain point, little can be done to stop it.
This is why I want to talk about guns.
For most of my life I have said that guns were an unnecessary evil in society. Look at Australia, I said. Look at Europe, where even the cops do their jobs without handguns. Maybe its the tumultuous state of affairs here in America that have finally changed that.
So here I am, curious about what other people think.
We know, from history and from the nightly news, that the bad guys have guns. In fact, a female police officer (a single mother of two beautiful children) was shot and killed last week in the Jazz festival near my home. The countless unreported crimes that happen daily in big cities like Denver, and all over the country, lead our communities to wonder, who is running the show these days?
If we know the bad guys have guns, our first instinct will be to take those guns away from them, yeah? Take the guns out of the hands of criminals and all will be well? But how do you suppose we do that? Sure, the government has a plan for that. They implemented it here several years ago. They handed out season tickets to Colorado Rockies games, if you would kindly bring us your firearm..... It worked, for some. But as we see, certainly not for all.
So if the bad guys have guns, and they arent going to give them back for season tickets, or after felony charges, or for any reason we can find. What do we do?
I believe the safest thing to do, is to put guns in the hands of the good guys. Train people on how to protect their families, from intruders, from rapists, from muggers. From the bad guys. Train yourself, train your children. Just like with martial arts, you dont use it unless you have to. But its always better to have it in your toolkit, than to not.
Im no alarmist, if you have read my writing for any length of time, you know, Im also more buddhist than anything. Do no harm and all that. Unless, you intend to hurt me or the people I love. (Or hell, anyone that is innocent and needs assistance) Then I intend to put my shotgun in your face and kindly escort you off my property.
I guess thats what we do in Colorado.
What do you think about guns?
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Comments (24)
I posted this over 4 years ago, and my thoughts haven't changed.
http://buddly47.xanga.com/650016100/should-guns-be-illegal-why-or-why-not/
I think I got my first comment from ASM on that one, too.I am currently licensed to carry concealed in 38 states, and plan to be so for life.
I think that people need to be taught to respect guns and that starts in the home, at a young age. I don't LIKE guns, but I don't like the idea of the government taking them away from citizens who have rightfully, responsibly and legally obtained them. You can take guns away from people, but that leaves an open market for illegal guns, which is obviously a problem, even now.
As for the police having guns, I guess so... but it makes me awfully nervous, considering that a quick google search brings up many videos and article about cops who have abused their power.
I believe the safest thing to do, is to put guns in the hands of the good guys.
Absolutely true! The police can never protect you until after the fact. By then it is too late. This is just common sense.
Natural law states that man is born into a state of complete liberty and has the right to defend himself and his property by any means possible.
Natural law is the source of the 2nd Amendment which guarantees free men with the means to defend their life and property.
Newly freed slaves' emancipation and subsequent constitutionally guaranteed freedom meant nothing until the Supreme Court guaranteed the right of former slaves, now US citizens, to bear arms.
"I believe the safest thing to do, is to put guns in the hands of the good guys."
I completely, 100% agree with this. Gun control laws only affect law-abiding citizens. Criminals will -always- find a way to get guns, since they are criminals and do not obey laws. That is just common sense. And as we have seen through precedence with the Supreme Court, the police are not responsible for an individual's safety. My father is in law enforcement and he has always ingrained it into me that I am responsible for my own safety and that I should get a conceal carry permit when I can.
It is important that we teach our children from a young age proper gun safety. For young kids, this usually just means if you see a gun, don't touch it. Find an adult right away so they can take care of it. When they are older, then it changes some. But basically, we never treat guns like toys. That is how I was raised. It's a bit more in-depth than that but that is the gist of it.
My husband is in the military and I grew up around guns so we're both very comfortable around them. I think it is better to make our children knowledgeable and comfortable around guns than to leave them in ignorance and try to make them afraid of guns. Fear and ignorance is what leads to gun accidents.
Over here in my part of Colorado guns are so ubiquitous that most people never even notice them. They are very useful tools that can put (wild and/or domestic) meat in your freezer, dispatch the coyotes that are intent on making a meal of one of your lambs or calves (usually after injuring or killing several in the process), put down the neighbor's dog that's just decimated your poultry flock again, or drop that mountain lion that's stalking your child. And maybe every now and then convince a person who might otherwise become a violent criminal to rethink his plans, or even more rarely, put a stop to the violent crime from which he was not dissuaded.
Firearms are an integral component of our food supply. Lots of folks who don't understand the vital role that hunting plays in agriculture would very quickly become convinced of the necessity of it if they succeeded in banning hunting.
What scares me far more than the thought that criminals might have guns is the knowledge that cops have them. Here in the US, our police forces are militarized, all too often corrupt, and the penalties for exceeding their far too liberal limitations are entirely too light to be effective. The system is so out of control that in many jurisdictions it's illegal to record audio, video, or still pictures of police actions. Police forces are rewarded by way of civil asset forfeiture for overstepping reasonable bounds, and police officials who elect to circumvent the laws of their own communities in support of overarching federal law enforcement activities are rewarded the most. Forced to choose, I'd rather deal one-on-one with criminals than stand alone against the unbridled system!
When the United States military and local police agencies all carry guns, so too must the general public be allowed that right. The point of the right to bear arms is that citizens are allowed weaponry to use against an oppressive government. When people own weapons, the government has less leverage to force the people to do anything.
Remember that when the Bill of Rights was written people had suffered under British rule where (at some level) guns were not allowed and redcoats with guns had to be quartered somewhere (Quartering Acts). The point is to have a militia if necessary and if your citizens have no guns, there is no militia.
I also support the right to bare arms too. Tank tops for everyone! Woo!
I'm a firm supporter of the notorious 2nd amendment, but I'm not the stereotypical "gun nut". See, the thing is, I don't live in England, and I don't live in Australia. Perhaps gun ownership isn't an inherent part of their society. But it is here. It's a protected right, and as such I exercise my right. I see a guns (mine are a Kimber Ultra Carry II .45, a Remington rifle for... long distance shooting, and a Hi-Point 4595 semi-auto assault rifle also in .45) as tools. Just like I have a hammer so I'm prepared if the need to pound a nail arises, I have these weapons if the need to defend myself or my loved ones arises.
Let's face it, during an armed intrusion, or an assault, or a bank robbery while I happen to be inside the store, or any number of things, the police are always at least two seconds too late. That's as long as it takes for an assailant to aim, and shoot. How many times have we seen news stories reporting a home invasion/murder where the neighbors exclaim, gosh, they just never thought it could happen in their neighborhood?
There are simply no... none.. no good arguments against law abiding citizens owning a weapon. I don't think that government should restrict firearms ownership in any way, shape or form... But I do think that anyone who has the desire to own a weapon for self defense, (or just for the heck of owning one) should have the personal responsibility to educate themselves on the safe handling, and use of those firearms.
I can't think of a single gun control focused piece of legislation (to include the restrictions on class 3 automatic weapons) that has stopped a single murder, or other crime wherein a firearm was used. I can tell of at least three potential crimes that I know of firsthand that were stopped because the intended victim was more armed than the attacker.
To those who would support the ban on automatic weapons, saying no one needs an automatic rifle to hunt, what if it's not Bambi coming in your door at two a.m. but two or three armed assailants who saw your daughter walking home and decided they had to have her? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuhKCiY-lu0
@TiredSoVeryTired - Dont forget the right to arm bears.
We have a gun in our home so that we can protect our family. Getting rid of guns won't work. Why? Because the bad guys will ALWAYS find a way to get what they want, guns included. And if the bad guys get guns and the good guys are left without because it's illegal then....well...common sense.
@IntoTheWind1 - Ya know armed home invasions would lose their wind if people shot back enough. Same with bank robberies etc. Part of why crime continues is because people don't have the tools to fight back immediately. The west was wild, not just because of guns but because frontier justice that severely lacked in justice.
@IntoTheWind1 - Yes, also an important movement.
Well I really do agree with you, you really made a good point and actually gave the truth and didn't really lie because that is what really happening now days.
I love love love love love this post.
i myself do not own a gun, nor do i plan to; i think they are fun to play with(fake ones with laser tag, arcade games, etc real ones on firing ranges, skeet, whatnot) but i don't think i would want to use one for self defense, or have the responsibility of owning one.
that said, I think that guns should be available to anyone responsible enough to handle it safely.
i've always thought it was funny when people thought outlawing guns would make things safer like someone is going to say "gee i really wanted to go out and murder someone but i don't want to break any gun laws"... ahh the logic of the left.
If it is known that the good guys are carrying guns and it is known that the good guys will use them if necessary, that alone acts as a deterent in many scenarios. There is no single solution that will prevent bad people from doing bad things, but anything we can do to reduce the amount of suffering imposed on the weak and innocent, the better the world we live in.
I am an avid gun owner and never once have pointed a firearm at another human being accidentally nor intentionally. Although, I doubt that I would hesitate though to use deadly force to protect the safety of my friends and family or the weak and innocent from someone who would do them serious harm.
That shared knowledge alone helps keep many people safe.
Years ago twin cities were picked for their socioeconomic levels, age levels, crime levels...etc. Then one town had all of its guns taken away and the other gave all their citizens guns. Guess in which one the crime level went down...the one with the guns. It is a little difficult I would assume to walk into a Stop-n-rob grocery store with only the cashier and a little old lady there if you knew granny could have a .45 with her. I'm from Texas, both my husband and I have our CHL (Concealed Hand Gun) license and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Gun control does not work. The reason is that you are only limiting guns and that is leaving guns in the general population.
So the only way to make society safe is to eliminate all the guns. I support eliminating all of the guns but I also realize it will never happen so you go back to my original comment. Gun control does not work.
@TiredSoVeryTired - "The point of the right to bear arms is that citizens are allowed weaponry to use against an oppressive government. When people own weapons, the government has less leverage to force the people to do anything."
Like what the South tried to do during the Civil War?
@Celestial_Teapot - Sure in a sense. I mean they did believe they were right and their grievances was a long list. But that also was a political movement where the politicians bailed, not necessarily something the people wanted.
I also don't mind guns but so far the authorities have been a bit slow in preventing mentally disturbed folks from having their right to own guns away.
Furthermore the Fast and Furious episode shows that the ATF has had no power to stop folks from buying and quickly trading away guns. Looks like to me in that case the Gun Lobby has too much power.
good post. they can have my guns when there is absolutely no more illegal drugs in this country. the drug trade is completely shutdown.
@jdortiz - Your government provides and supplies illegal drugs in this country. That will never stop. They will however, try to take your guns away.
I grew up around guns. By the time I was 10 I could effectively take apart any gun my dad owned, clean it, and put it back together. I fired my first shot two years later. Last September, my boyfriend and I moved into our own home, and one of our first purchases was a firearm for safety, along with a gun safe. I have every intention of age appropriately handling firearms education when it comes to my future children.
I think gun safety is important as well, but the reality is, we're not going to get the guns away from the bad guys any time soon, and I can't rely on Phoenix P.D to get here in time. Most of the gun laws enacted in this country do little to nothing to stop the "bad guys" in this world because they don't care about doing things legally, and we don't have the police force to completely eradicate the illegal gun trade in this country.
So that leaves us with few options for protecting the people we love, and I for one think an EDUCATED and armed populace is the best defense we have in protecting ourselves. My friend's ex-husband was standing outside her home with a loaded weapon for 1 1/2 HOURS before police finally showed up to arrest him. Thankfully her dad was there and kept her ex from entering the home by force, but who knows what would have happened had he not been there. Not everyone is so lucky.
Obviously guns aren't for everyone, but I think its a personal choice that the government shouldn't infringe upon (within reason, obviously). I don't remember where I read it, but someone once said a government that doesn't trust its citizens shouldn't be trusted by its citizens. There are certain people in this world that shouldn't be allowed to own guns (those with mental problems, convicted felons, etc), and there are certain guns that should not be owned by the general populace, but other than that, we should have the right to decide for ourselves whether we have a gun in our home or not.
I think education should be mandatory for anyone who wants to purchase a gun. I'm not sure how to work it out logistically, but I would feel better about people owning guns if they knew how to properly handle them. Too many accidents happen when people don't know how to handle their guns properly.