What about people who buy copious amounts of alcohol because they can?
maybe if they banned alcohol, there would be less drunken shooting rampages......

wig,

The one thing I do know is crooks will always be able to get hold of guns.


When I lived in Florida I too had a CC permit and a number of handguns and a Winchester , and a AK (not fully auto though) :)

I handled them and treated them responsibly and even began educating my at the time young children about them.So as not to fear them but respect them as a potentiallydangerous "tool".

However as my kids grew up I weighed the risk of owning them against the risk of an inquisitive 10 yr old little shit rumaging my shit. ;-)

( We can all teach kids about guns yadda yadda yadda ,but I know full well at some point if you have a gun in your house your son is gonna try and get to it to show off to his friends or whatever - I did. :) )

It is part of the tradition of many households in the United states to have guns , and I would suggest that the number of accidental deaths by handgun is relatively minor in relation to the number in cirulation.

I think there is a healthy balance and frankly as a Canadian , what business of mine is it that Americans have guns....

Except , here in BC , pot has been decrimilased (virtually) which caused a major furor in the US in fear of more weed being exported accross the border.

Canada could make the same point regarding handguns.

I think Canada has gone to an extreme and actualy wish rifles were EASIER to get here in Canada.

I too however would love to hear arguments why a civilian needs to possess a fully auto AK LOL

In summary....not really my business. I have no problem with Canadians owning registered guns , let alone Americans.

I chose not to own a handgun , however I would own a rifle if there weren't so many hoops to jump through here to own one.

Dr. G,

I think you are right. The USA is, for lack of a better word, different. Our culture is different and our attitudes are different. Our society has evolved differently than other countries.

Yet despite all the perceived problems, we have grown to be the most powerful economic and military force the world has ever seen. Coincidence?

Perhaps the bad things are simply a by-product of some of the greater things this country has been able to do.

Dr. G,

I think you are right. The USA is, for lack of a better word, different. Our culture is different and our attitudes are different. Our society has evolved differently than other countries.

Yet despite all the perceived problems, we have grown to be the most powerful economic and military force the world has ever seen. Coincidence?

Perhaps the bad things are simply a by-product of some of the greater things this country has been able to do. [/b][/quote]
Ok....

I agree with your post actually.

But the one caveat I'd throw in is

The US empire I feel may be one of the shortest lived...Look out for those fucking Chinese ;-)))))

Nick,

In respect your opinion, actions and choice. Who knows, I too may make similar adjustments as my son gets older.

As you probably know, we have many laws concerning guns and the vast majority of them are reasonable laws that 99.9% of gun owners abide by.

It is already illegal to possess a fully automatic weapon (AK or whatever). I offer no arguement as to why joe sixpack should have one.

And you are right, there has to be balance which is what we have IMO.

Ok....

I agree with your post actually.

But the one caveat I'd throw in is

The US empire I feel may be one of the shortest lived...Look out for those fucking Chinese ;-))))) [/b][/quote]
No doubt about it!!

Trust me, I am not out shaking the pom pons rooting for America the empire. I did not vote for GWB when I was living in Texas in 2000. I am the disenfranchised middle. LOL

I fully expect that we will fall from power and not just to the Chinese but also Europe.

hey now...I'm lefty leaning and I'm also a member of the NRA ;-) [/b][/quote]
I was joking. :D

It's ok wig, even though I respect your rights and opinions, you don't need to recip.
Being a world superpower, you can pick and choose. :D

You don't know where I stand on the issue. All you read was that I am anti-gun and therefore you've drawn your conclusions. You wanna learn how to translate something, I suggest a Berlitz course. But I will shed some light, since you practically insist.

Yes I am Canadian. I am very happy to live in a society that wasn't brought up around massive amounts of guns for "self-protection". My children will be safe from gun accidents because there won't be any around. Is it an epidemic? That isn't for me to say. But put enough guns in the hands of people who should not have them (ie. the majority of them) and accidents will happen and lives will needlessly be ended.

I am not normally so judgemental, however where handguns are concerned, I do have a strong opinion. Like I previously posted, it isn't handgun ownership that bothers me, but the fact that people buy them in copious quantities because they can. It is absurd. [/b][/quote]
Touchy, touchy.


Okay, so you are for gun ownership, just not the guy who has a collection?

And how is the copious amounts causing more deaths and accidents?

It's simple a pet peeve of yours and you are driven by emotion.

I respect your choice and you should respect others.

too late.

i am also sorry we are a super power.

:nyanya:

Indeed.

I am pretty left of center myself, and quit the NRA over 20 years ago.

Wig is right ... the genie is out of the bottle. Taking guns out of America would be like taking fish and chips out of the UK or moose out of Canada :). It's a part of the lifestyle or culture of a large segment of the population, the vast majority of whom are perfectly law abiding and not a threat to society in any way.

When it comes to kids and guns in the house, you have to consider the kids, too. If your three year old has already learned how to pick the child locks on the upper cabinets, you might be well advised to be a little more cautious than if Johnny or Janie almost always does what you tell them.

I find the arguements of those who would ban all guns as simplistic as the arguements that guns in the house are no different than knives in the house. I find most of the arguements against registration fairly weak as well ... the paranoia of those who envision "a knock on the door" (probably after survellience by black U.N. helicopter) suggests a mental condition that would suggest gun ownership is probably not appropriate for that individual, IMHO.

That's really well put PD. All of it.

Dr. G,

I think you are right. The USA is, for lack of a better word, different. Our culture is different and our attitudes are different. Our society has evolved differently than other countries.

Yet despite all the perceived problems, we have grown to be the most powerful economic and military force the world has ever seen. Coincidence?

Perhaps the bad things are simply a by-product of some of the greater things this country has been able to do. [/b][/quote]
well... we are only 30 millions people and 4/5 of our land is inhabitable...

I think we have done alright ;)


also, I have absolutely never considered that someone could break into my house while Im there... (or hi-jack my car)

Never happened before, and I know only one person who has (and I know alot of people), the guy turned and ran when he saw someone was actually in the place.

Fear is a great marketing tool...

I hate guns.............I am afraid of guns..... I hate the sound of them & can't hardly bear to hold one in my hand.

I fired a hunting rifle when I was a kid & my arm hurt for days.

I have a small handgun in my night stand by my bed. I don't have a clue where the bullets are or probably how to load it. Guns make me VERY nervous.

I know collectors, who do the right thing by them. They are never loaded & secure. I know people who carry & I am very uneasy when I go places with them.

A lot has to do with the way you were brought up.......................... I have mixed feelings. As with most things - I think you should be able to do whatever you want to do, unless it reflects badly or harms another person. But, I don't think people should walk around with a loaded gun, where there are a lot of people, unless there is good reason. It is an accident just waiting to happen.... Not everyone has good sense....... they need to maybe give common-sense exams with permits..... ahhahaha

well... we are only 30 millions people and 4/5 of our land is inhabitable...

I think we have done alright ;)


also, I have absolutely never considered that someone could break into my house while Im there... (or hi-jack my car)

Never happened before, and I know only one person who has (and I know alot of people), the guy turned and ran when he saw someone was actually in the place.

Fear is a great marketing tool... [/b][/quote]
I was not making a comparison, just an observation about the US.

:D


btw, none of what you mentioned has happened to me either and I have always lived in rural areas where guns are common.

Your answers to this thread make me wonder, if you dont feel the need for it, dont feel threaten in any way, why carry one? (in your car or otherwise)

Im not stating you shouldnt carry, Im genuily curious...

Fair question. Several reasons...

1) Habit. I grew up with guns. We always had a shotgun or rifle in the truck behind the seat and a handgun in the glove box. Like I said before, it is second nature.

2) Because I can. I am licensed. Have passed an FBI background check and I am fingerprinted, etc. This also comes in handy with law enforcement who like to know they are dealing with someone who has passed an FBI background check. The vast majority of law enforcement officers are relieved when an individual presents them their gun license along with their drivers license as is the law.

3) When I go into Atlanta or haul my horses to remote locations with my wife and son I have it in case I need it when I am in unfamiliar, crime ridden or desolate areas.

4) I live on a farm. We have chicken houses close to us while also being surrounded by 100's of acres of woods. As a result there are plenty of varmits and rabid animals (coyotes, wild dogs, foxes, bobcat, racoons, etc) that are either 1) a nuisance 2) dangerous or 3) after my domestic animals.

5) Because I do not share the feelings of those who think guns are a problem and are a danger to society. Because I have never in 38 years witnessed an accident that caused a death or serious injury, nor do I know of anyone personally who has been a victim of a murder with a gun (i did have a cousin that committed suicide).

6) Because I believe the beneifits far outway the drawbacks.

Chris,

All said and done , wig has a gun do not fuck with him!!!!


;-)))

Hands up hockey puck! :lol:

I remind people who want to "surprise" me by coming over unannounced: There's a gun next to the door and it will be used by me if I'm ever "surprised" :P

And you wanted to fit-in? You didnt want to be mocked as "No-Gun Dan" when you went to the general store to buy your chicken feed?


ok ok, ill stop ;)

And you wanted to fit-in? You didnt want to be mocked as "No-Gun Dan" when you went to the general store to buy your chicken feed?


ok ok, ill stop ;) [/b][/quote]
:burn: :burn: :burn: :burn: :burn:

I have to agree that 1) habit, and 2) because I can, are poor reasons to own a gun. And you listed them 1 and 2 which also makes be scratch my head.

Reason 4... I can see that.

I still see no reason for a civilian to own a handgun, though. *shrug*
Hey, I know I'm not going to change minds here. It's just my views on the matter.

just to clarify... the article was just satire. it's not real. my friend wrote it.




.... not that it seems to matter much.

I read the original post, um I think it's satire

Guns aren't the problem........

...... bullets are :blink:

a gun without bullets is about like a baseball bat

all my contributions to this thread are satire as well.
Including this one... :lol:

for the record, I never said that. I was just trying to get a laugh ;)


I think habit and the availability of something are certainly major reasons people do anything.

If nobody had a car, I wouldnt...

My father had a motorcycle, and now I do...

Its perfectly rational, and my bike is at least as deadly as a gun and serves no real purpose other than my amusement.

what about alcohol?

it contribute to more deaths than handguns...and without alcohol, maybe there would be less handgun deaths?

no reason to own a handgun? yeah, it's real easy for a woman to carry a shotgun in her purse for protection...

I wonder if there are stats for deaths by someone taking there gun off them and shooting them with it

You know what I love about Alcohol ....

The warning labels

"Caution pregnant women should not drink alcohol"

But it is wasn't for alcohol, many women wouldn't get pregnant



and I'd almost never ....... :awinky:

I saw stats on that somewhere, but can't remember where now...

The thing with owning a gun, is that people need to be trained to adequately use one. There is a lot of responsibility in owning a gun and most gun owners have no problems with 7 day waiting periods, firearms training, etc. Most people who have a gun "for protection" would never be able to pull the trigger if they were in a situation that required it.

I know where I grew up, you had to take a hunter's safety course and if you didn't have the little orange card if a game warden came by, your gun generally went bye-bye. I remember my dad nearly shitting his pants whena game warden stopped by our truck for a chitchat and I realized I had left my card at home. Luckily, it was just chitchat and the warden didn't ask for the card, conservation stamp, etc.

what about alcohol?

it contribute to more deaths than handguns...and without alcohol, maybe there would be less handgun deaths?

no reason to own a handgun? yeah, it's real easy for a woman to carry a shotgun in her purse for protection... [/b][/quote]
The purpose of alcohol is not to shoot and kill.
LOL, we could go back and forth forever Sykk.

Why does a woman need to carry a handgun in her purse? Because the society she lives in has become one where she needs to do it because there are so many other people with similar weapons. This is essentially the part I'm not all right with.

Given the choice, would you rather live in a gun happy society? Or a society where very few people owned guns?



.... and it goes on. :burn:

Guns don't kill people. Poor people with guns kill people.

And exactly what IS the "purpose" of alcohol? B)

I carry one in my purse when I'm somewhere I don't feel safe. I couldn't care less if someone comes near me with a gun or not. I want to be able to show them I am AT LEAST as equally armed as they are :)

I live in a very happy society here in the woods, BTW. And I bet at least 90% of the adults here own guns :okthumb:

The most dangerous thing in a child's life is a clueless parent... period.

Naw Vick, it's not the bullets fault either. It's when a persons body is used
to stop one that's moving really really fast that tends to curtail lifeforces
or cause mess... therefore it's negative accelleration's fault...
neg delta v... it's a killer!

And you wanted to fit-in? You didnt want to be mocked as "No-Gun Dan" when you went to the general store to buy your chicken feed?


ok ok, ill stop ;) [/b][/quote]
Edited because I diod not read the whole thread first.

I did not list them in any particular order.

I am scratiching my head at you scratching your head.

If you understand any reasons, then the point is closed.

You simply cannot point out how my having a hand gun has any more risks or drawbacks than my owning a car or having a swimming pool.

You are just indoctrinated one way and I am the other.