Do you own a gun? What kind? What do you use it for?

[luvthemstrawberries]

vespergirl - I hear you about the fear. I do think MZ has a really good point though. Might be worth bringing it up to your husband. It is odd that he went to military school but is now against the gun. Anyway, there are safes that are very foolproof. Heck, or you can just get a combination lock (instead of key) and not tell anyone else the code! But I do think it''s a good idea to be protected, instead of possibly finding yourself home alone (or just you and your child) and not have any way to protect yourselves against those wanting to bring harm to you or your home.

MZ - haha that''s funny about you and having to promise not to buy any more. Our buddy in the military is like that. He spent something like $3000 in the last few months total on weapons and ammo, haha. Seems like every time we go to a gun shop, he walks out with something! Literally! Haha now he has to call his wife and ask permission first, but he still would buy SOOOO much if he had unlimited funds (and space

).

 

[got2goldens]

Date: 3/7/2009 10:55:17 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries

Date: 3/6/2009 3:31:53 PM
Author: got2goldens
I''m in MO. I''d much rather be in NC, though!

Kat

Hehe. It was 75 degrees here today. But 3 days ago I was walking to work freezing in my scarf and gloves in 25 degree weather! And later this week, it''s gonna be cold again!! Haha, gotta love it.

Is it really cold up there?

Hi Strawberries!
Sorry, I didn''t see this until today...
Actually, yesterday and today have been beautiful...I think it was 73 yesterday and about 70 today. We were supposed to have severe storms, etc. today but it blew over...now it''s really windy but that''s okay, as long as it''s not COLD

I was only in NC once, but not for very long...it was a very nice place

Kat

 

[honey22]

This whole thread is disturbing to be honest, especially on a diamond forum

Anyhoo, I am dead against letting private citizens have guns, in Australia, we have very strict gun laws and we have less shootings fullstop. We don''t have children or teenages accidently shooting themselves or others when they get they hands on the guns that they irresponsible parents left loaded to ''defend themselves''. Sorry, I know I sound condescening, but I think it''s a whole culture that has gotten out of control. If you don''t own a gun, you can''t shoot someone, end of story.

 

[happyfeet1988]

Wow, honey22, tell us what you really think! LOL just kidding

. I am from Missouri, and my fiance and I own over 10 handguns between the two of us, and he has many shotguns and rifles. We live out in the middle of nowhere and he is out of town for work for weeks at a time. I am certainly glad I have a gun to defend myself. But, we use our guns mostly for shooting at the range, it is like a sport to us more than anything. We love it.

Also wanted to address some of honey22''s comments. Yes, there are children and people injured by accidental discharges, but this is rare in the scheme of things. People that are responsible guns owners would never let this happen. My fiance''s father had loaded guns sitting out and as a child he always knew never to touch his father''s gun. Woud I trust that only.... of course not! But there are precautions that must be taken and responsible members of the gun culture always take those precautions. Honestly, I do find your comments a little condescending. You have your lifestyle, and I have mine. I love my guns, and I am at all times aware and safe with them. I don''t think it''s fair for you to judge everyone that has a gun as "out of hand" because of a select few irresponsible people. Just my thoughts, though. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinions.

 

[stepcutnut]

Honey-everyone has there own opinion---but I too find your comments condescending and ignorant!

Actually, since the insecption of States allowing responcible gun owners to carry concealed, violent crime rates including homicide rates have dropped!!! Crime rates have actually fallen faster in states which allow responcible citizens to carry concealed!!!

I would urge you to actually take a close look at Australia's crime rates!

Why does this thread not belong on a diamond site??? Target shooting is a hobby that interests many . And the ability to defend oneself is a cnstitutional right!!!

 

[packrat]

If I were a criminal and thought there might be a possibility that if I broke into a house there might be a really large ticked off husband w/a gun pointed at my face I might think twice about it. I realize it doesn''t stop all of them, but it does stop some. Otherwise our recourse is to utilize husbands big loud booming voice and hope "G''wan git! Shoo!" would scare them off.

 

[swimmer]

I carried an M4A1 assault rifle for two years and had the bruises to prove it. More recently, was issued an TAR-21 in order to finish up my reserve obligations. Few things have made me happier than knowing I will never again have to carry an assault rifle on my person day in and day out.

I''m posting because it dawns on me that I don''t know if these weapons are available in the US. Are they? They are not for shooting squirrels if you know what I''m saying. I know NOTHING about gun legislation so am eager to read the brief that was posted a ways back on Obama''s stance. Storm, is there a good site for info? just curious and googling is just getting me junk.
FYI if you are curious, this is my brigade link

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Date: 3/8/2009 6:17:02 PM
Author: honey22
This whole thread is disturbing to be honest, especially on a diamond forum

Anyhoo, I am dead against letting private citizens have guns, in Australia, we have very strict gun laws and we have less shootings fullstop. We don''t have children or teenages accidently shooting themselves or others when they get they hands on the guns that they irresponsible parents left loaded to ''defend themselves''. Sorry, I know I sound condescening, but I think it''s a whole culture that has gotten out of control. If you don''t own a gun, you can''t shoot someone, end of story.

Suggested Reading: Lethal Laws by Simkin et al. You might learn something.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/8/2009 7:51:30 PM
Author: swimmer
I carried an M4A1 assault rifle for two years and had the bruises to prove it. More recently, was issued an TAR-21 in order to finish up my reserve obligations. Few things have made me happier than knowing I will never again have to carry an assault rifle on my person day in and day out.

Semi-auto version of the M4/m-16 is civilian legal with a 16 inch barrel it is called the AR-15.
TAR-21 isn't imported that I know of but would be legal in semi-auto with a 16 inch barrel.
Full auto M-16 is legal in some states if on the books before 1986

here is one side of the story:


http://gunowners.org/

here is the commu... i mean other side...
http://www.bradycampaign.org/

listing of laws:
http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/Federal/Read.aspx?id=74

On the state level the laws have been relaxed in all but a handful of states in many areas.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/8/2009 7:51:30 PM
Author: swimmer
They are not for shooting squirrels if you know what I''m saying.

Fyi I have hunted squirrels with an AR-15 with a 22lr upper.

varmint hunters do use accurized versions of the AR-15 for long range hunting out to 400-500 yards or so.

 

[swimmer]

Thank you for the info Karl, esp both sides, very kind of you.

When I moved to the US it was to TN, where squirrel can be seen as a meal, I was trying to say that you wouldn''t be able to eat something that you hit with it. In my experience, it has sometimes hard to identify a human hit frontally with what we were issued, can''t imagine picking out the shrapnel from small game (varmits). What would an assault rifle be good for? I mean, other than killing people.

 

[packrat]

My husband hunts coyote w/his AR.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/8/2009 9:46:51 PM
Author: swimmer
Thank you for the info Karl, esp both sides, very kind of you.


When I moved to the US it was to TN, where squirrel can be seen as a meal, I was trying to say that you wouldn''t be able to eat something that you hit with it. In my experience, it has sometimes hard to identify a human hit frontally with what we were issued, can''t imagine picking out the shrapnel from small game (varmits). What would an assault rifle be good for? I mean, other than killing people.

varmints
target shooting
Having fun
just because we can :}

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 3/8/2009 5:03:11 PM
Author: got2goldens

Hi Strawberries!
Sorry, I didn''t see this until today...
Actually, yesterday and today have been beautiful...I think it was 73 yesterday and about 70 today. We were supposed to have severe storms, etc. today but it blew over...now it''s really windy but that''s okay, as long as it''s not COLD

I was only in NC once, but not for very long...it was a very nice place

Kat

No problem! Haha I hardly even get on the computer on weekends. Yes it was lovely down here too - almost 80 yesterday. But really windy too. We put the top on the Jeep down!!

It just amazes me how just a week ago, I was at home instead of work because of SNOW!! Haha... and this Friday''s supposed to be back in the 40s.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 3/8/2009 6:17:02 PM
Author: honey22
This whole thread is disturbing to be honest, especially on a diamond forum

Anyhoo, I am dead against letting private citizens have guns, in Australia, we have very strict gun laws and we have less shootings fullstop. We don't have children or teenages accidently shooting themselves or others when they get they hands on the guns that they irresponsible parents left loaded to 'defend themselves'. Sorry, I know I sound condescening, but I think it's a whole culture that has gotten out of control. If you don't own a gun, you can't shoot someone, end of story.

Hey honey, I honestly don't find your comments very condescending. But I would like to just address a few things to maybe clear something up for you and help a little.

I started this thread because of the one recently where PS'ers told unique things about themselves. Many people mentioned their instructor status or how they're expert marksmen, etc. I thought that was really cool, and got me thinking about how many other people probably just do it for fun, like I do. And protection. And I put it in Hangout because this is where all the "miscellaneous" topics go - yes PS is first and foremost a diamond forum, but everyone else here has much more valuable information than just jewelry. That's why there are health forums, baby threads, and everything else imaginable. Honestly, this thread has no less place here than threads about articles where parents left their children in the car in sweltering heat, or ones about American Idol, or ones about medicines and their side effects, or even ones about weddings! Those have nothing to do with diamond education.

As far as Australia, I have learned from other (Australian) posters on this thread that Australia does have strict gun laws. But some of those posters have also mentioned how they still shoot guns there or own guns there. So I think it's not necessarily a cultural thing, because there are plenty of people here in the US who don't own guns and despise them - the evidence is in this thread. I think it's just personal preferences, and different country laws.

In an attempt to hopefully shed some light on the way you view the US and guns... I would never desire to own a gun for the reason of defending myself if I knew no one would try to hurt me. But that's not how our world is any more. We live in a corrupt, torn, evil world. I can't even walk down the streets downtown where I work without feeling unsafe. I live in a fairly good neighborhood 30 minutes away from where I work, but that means nothing. The community near me with $1 million homes had multiple breakins a few months ago. That is the reason I want protection. There will always be times my FI/future husband will not be home, and I want to know that if some thug breaks in my house and decides he wants to rape me before he steals my stereo, I'll be prepared. I don't know how much you know about the US and crime, but it's just terrible. Teenage girls get kidnapped in mall parking lots in broad daylight and driven off somewhere to be raped and murdered. Last year, the student body president of UNC was taken from her home by 2 thugs, taken to the ATM to get some petty cash out for them, then back to her own street and shot to death, multiple times, left in the middle of her own neighborhood street. It's so heinous and hateful. It's harsh, but it's reality. I can't even go hiking in the woods by myself because the same thing has happened - a guy a few years ago got mugged and stabbed while riding his bike in the state forest 5 minutes from my parents house. Yes, it sounds like crime everywhere, but it's not - it's not like I live in the ghetto. There's probably more that happens in the ghetto of our town than I care to know. It's ridiculous, and it makes me irate that we can't even enjoy nature without having to be on watch 24/7. There are absolute SICK FREAKS and EVIL people out there. If I knew I could have a bodyguard by my side every minute who was 10 feet tall and bulletproof, or that the cops (who I don't put that much faith/trust in anyway - I'd probably prefer a military-trained sniper with sonic hearing and night vision

) could be outside my house every night while I sleep, I would consider not needing guns in my home as personal defense. But the time for that is long-gone, and probably will never be back again, with the way the world is today.

And as far as people in the US having kids accidentally shoot themselves and all... most of those cases you hear about are in thug households who didn't take the first precaution in protecting their children from the firearms. To be blunt, most of those happen in drug-laden areas where there's only one parent around, homes have 3-4 different families living there together, there are no people for children to look up to, and the "owner" of the gun has it because he deals drugs. So the problem is that he has children in the same home he deals from. You can imagine that keeping the child protected from the gun is probably not their first priority. The guns are usually stolen or obtained illegally. And unfortunately, these are the same people that usually try to break into homes and that make up most of the crime rates. The only exceptions are the freaks you hear about on the news who are mentally sick and kill people because of sick obsessions or something. The fact that all these people have the guns (and knives/other weapons) are PRECISELY WHY the rest of us (law-abiding citizens) feel the need to take it upon ourselves to protect ourselves. Honestly, the crime is too bad for police to respond immediately if someone tries to break into my home. And I am not going to sit around and be complacent about it just because it could be unsafe. I am the last person in the world to be crazy with guns. But I enjoy shooting them at the range, because it's fun and good stress relief, not to mention good target practice. And I fully intend to protect myself and my family, as does my FI, in the event that any of the horror I mentioned above ever tries to take place with us.

Do I wish there was no need for self protection? Of course!! But our world is too far gone for that. Our government trying to enforce laws with gun control only allows the criminals who will still keep their guns illegally to have more opportunities, because the rest of us would be vulnerable. Sure, it'd be great if they could get all the guns out of the hands of ALL the criminals in the country/world. But good luck hoping that's even possible, because it's not. I do support and think they should have higher standards for people applying to get guns, such as psychological/psychiatric assessments and things - not just background checks. Because that might help filter out those sick freaks who have never done anything before, but fully intend to be the one kidnapping and torturing a girl because they think it's fun. It might also help filter out those other rare accidents you hear about that aren't in drug homes with criminals - the ones that happen just because an irresponsible person was able to buy a gun. I think it was Pandora who mentioned the laws they have about police coming to a home and checking on the gun storage and locks - I think that's a good idea also. But you run into a problem when too many people have too many opinions, and a government tries to be a democracy but then rule and mandate their own priorities and what they think is "best." As long as I can protect myself and my family from the terrible people with bad intents in this world, I'll be ok.


Sorry this is so long, but if you come back and read this, I hope you understand a little bit. I don't know what crime in Australia is like, but this is what I face and fear every day. Yes, most people may never come in contact with any of this, but everybody says that until it happens to them.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 3/8/2009 7:49:49 PM
Author: packrat
If I were a criminal and thought there might be a possibility that if I broke into a house there might be a really large ticked off husband w/a gun pointed at my face I might think twice about it. I realize it doesn''t stop all of them, but it does stop some. Otherwise our recourse is to utilize husbands big loud booming voice and hope ''G''wan git! Shoo!'' would scare them off.

Hehehe packrat that quote reminds me so much of my grandpa... and slightly of my FI too.

Gotta love ''em.

Grandpa''s goes to the door with his .22 rifle when the crazy people from down the road come knockin in the middle of the night because they don''t know where they are. They get lost after that, haha.

I sure wish "Shoo" would work too. Much less violence!