Would You Feel Safer With a Gun?

We have to keep the right to bear arms. It is important. We cannot give up that right.

Love,
Betty

1/9/2011


Me, too !

It's me , the photo of me as a child on a pony...


Cheers..Joe

Betty,

Thank you. You feel safer with a gun.

Joe,

What a cute cowboy!

Dear Alice,
I would, personally, not have the strength to cock or shoot. But, I believe that we cannot give up the right to have guns. Most of us may not have them, but , if it were necessary to have one, it is important for us to have the right to do so. I believe in that right to have the power to do what one needs to do to protect their family, their home and their country.

If there were no military, the country was at shit end, then it is us, we the people, to defend our life, our family and our country. We need arms and the right to own them. It is important not to look at the shallow view and include the whole nation with a few crackpots. This country is large.

We elected those who are sucking up this country, it is up to the population of each state to rectify it.

I wish someone would get up and say in a very loud voice, WE THE PEOPLE, are in danger. We The People, deserve better.



Love,
Betty

1/10/2011

Put it this way that guy in Arizona was a crackpot ! How did
he get to buy the gun and from what I've read all over the
news media he got a license ? How would he pass a back
ground check ? I think it has to be made much stricter to
get a gun permit..


Cheers..Joe

Betty,

You feel better with one. Fine--no arguing from me. The way you feel is the way you feel.

You have a right to feel and you answered the question.

By the way, folks this is not a right or wrong thread, it is how you feel.




Joe,

When you are right, you are right.

1/10/2011

Alice...

I don't feel a need for a gun, I have a reason for it,
I had a brother Gary who died in 1986 at the age 0f 31 from
a gun it was a homicide, he used to carry a gun because he
and his wife owned a restaurant business, I won't go into the
details because till this day his death still hurts. I do say if we
were invaded or attacked, etc. I wouldn't think twice of trying
to defend me or the ones I love, but something has to be done
about teenagers getting weapons and nut jobs. My uncle in PA.,
always had guns in his house, they were under lock and key at
all times and not one kid in his house ever got hurt, that's
because he was a smart dad and careful...


Cheers..Joe

I just read a post on FB where a person is using Switzerland as an example of everyone owing guns. It is not as simple as it appears. What is often
promoted as our right to bear arms was made at a time when our country had no
standing army. In Switzerland, they have no standing army. Here is an explanation of why they have guns at home: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Switzerland








Having a
gun at home, and being trained to use it as part of an army is not the same as
having a gun for the sake of having one. Even a soldier carrying a gun is restricted in their use.

joefrank wrote:

1/10/2011

Alice...

I don't feel a need for a gun, I have a reason for it,
I had a brother Gary who died in 1986 at the age 0f 31 from
a gun it was a homicide, he used to carry a gun because he
and his wife owned a restaurant business, I won't go into the
details because till this day his death still hurts. I do say if we
were invaded or attacked, etc. I wouldn't think twice of trying
to defend me or the ones I love, but something has to be done
about teenagers getting weapons and nut jobs. My uncle in PA.,
always had guns in his house, they were under lock and key at
all times and not one kid in his house ever got hurt, that's
because he was a smart dad and careful...


Cheers..Joe

Joe

I am so sorry.

Abe,

You are so right. Switzerland is not the US.

Switzerland is well-ordered, clean, cohesive, etc.

They don't have a bunch of nuts running around shooting people to make a name for themselves.

alice wrote:

I have never known Ahad to force his view of God on anyone, anywhere.

This is a light forum and I always say things very lightly and very kiddingly here.

From what I know, 99% of people who own guns do so for peace of mind and never have the misfortune to use them on a fellow human being within their lifetime. Of the 1% that do, they are most likely to end up being convicted for murder or manslaughter or grivous bodily harm.

It doesn't exactly strike me as a win-win situation.

Having said that, if guns can be properly looked after, then why not?

LC wrote:

Quote :

We do not live in the wild west era when every day we were isolated on the plains in fear of bands of thieves and cutthroats. We live in a civilized society where guns in the possession of ordinary, untrained people is not necessary. We have a trained police force and National Guard for our protection.

I guess you've never heard of home intrusions? Do you think this family could have benefited from a gun in a drawer somewhere?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/nyregion/07slay.html

LC,

Sorry I am so late answering you.

I was afraid to click on your link fearing it was this beautiful family. I would guess the surviving father has a gun--just a hunch.

He will probably never feel safe again.

Don,
Good ! You will get no argument from me. You know what you are doing.

It is so good to see you again.

By the way, when I go to the grocery store, if there is a nut there shooting, I hope Don will be there too.

I can't argue facts. I don't have them. I can only argue from my instincts; they tell me that I live in the United States under the rules of law and the protection of the police and National Guard. I believe guns are more danger than protection and as long as they are accessible they will be used by criminals and gangs and harm innocent children and careless adults and children. This is my belief, my gut feeling, my emotional response to what I know about guns and their negative consequences. I believe that only exceptional people, trained and with a specific purpose after immense screening procedures should be allowed to carry weapons. Probably this is one of those irrational beliefs at the gut level that I will not change. I will always lobby in favor of the elimination of guns in the general population.

I would agree that every American own a gun for the defense of family and country. We could then eliminate the National Guard and other protective forces. Having both is a waste of money and lives.

alice wrote:

By the way, when I go to the grocery store, if there is a nut there shooting, I hope Don will be there too.

Alice,
I agree with you. Having a guy like Don around would make one feel safer. He know how and to what degree to use a gun. Here's an example of how we react.

Sometimesthe law isn’t enough.

When I was home on furlough from the USAF, I was sleeping in my under shorts since it was
a hot night in August. We had a visitor passing through town who was staying the night.
He left his car parked in front of our house with his clothes in the backseat of his car.

I was awakened by my Dad shaking me, saying, “Abe, there’s someone breaking into Joe’s
car.”

I jumped out of bed, ran out the backdoor, in my under shorts, picked up a brick on the
way and leaped over the fence to the car.
The thief saw me coming, dropped the clothes he had taken from the car and
took off running with me in pursuit. I threw the brick I was carrying, hitting him in the back, but since he was moving forward, the impact didn’t stop him.
I chased him, ignoring the damage to my bare feet from the concrete and gravel, and caught up to him before he crossed the next street. I tackled him, placed my left arm around his
throat and took his right arm bending it behind him in a hammerlock. I yanked him to his feet and marched him back to the scene of the crime. As we walked, he swore at me, and I just increased the pressure on his arm. My dad had called the police and when we arrived at the scene, the police car was sitting next to Joe’s car. The police officer was examining the car and the clothes lying on the street. The town’s mayor lived next door and he was also standing next on the curb. As we approached, the kid told the police that I was trying to break his arm,
seemingly trying to transfer blame to me. The policeman asked for his ID, and the kid refused. The officer asked the mayor if he could search the kid, and the mayor nodded, yes.
The ID indicated that the kid was 17 years old, a minor. He was placed in the back of the police car and they left. I assumed that some form of justice would be taken with the kid.


About an hour later, the policeman returned and told my father that since the kid was a
minor, he was turned over to the juvenile authority, which meant that his
parents or guardians would pick him up. The officer said that this kid was a repeat offender, and was always left off the hook because he was a juvenile. He said, “Tell you son, the next time he catches someone committing a crime, to beat the shit out of him and then call us. We
take them in and the courts let them go. Our hands are tied.”
He told my dad that the kid cussed him all the way to the station trying to get the
officer to physically react so he could press charges against the officer. He said that it was difficult to tolerate that kind of verbal abuse, but he knew that any physical reaction on
his part would place him in trouble.

At the time, I was disappointed that I didn’t break the kid’s arm, feeling that it may
have served as a deterrent.
On reflection, I wondered what would have happened if the kid was carrying a
gun. At that time, I could defend myself against a knife, but against a gun? What if I was carrying a gun? Would I have used it to stop the kid from running away? One never knows. When in such a position, we react without much thought to safety or consequences. Being
young and physically capable is different than being old(er) where the use of an equalizer may seem necessary.


I feel very safe where I now live. The people who own guns are members of a Hunting Club.
Neighbors look out for neighbors. There is no offical "Neighborhood Watch" program, just being alert and reacting to any deviation from the norm. There is no crime in our village. Why? I don't know, but I do know that it is not due to having a gun.
I have a small axe behind the front door in my home. I don't expect I'll ever need to use it, but it is there just in case. I don't want to kill anyone, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it, to injure a person in the process of committing a crime. Pain is a deterrent.

Thank you,, Abe.

That was a very interesting story.

Question: Would you feel safer with a gun?

My answer: It would depend on who is holding the gun.

I wouldn't own a gun. I know me. I would hesitate and that mistake could cost lives. I would not feel safer holding a gun.

My son on the other hand, is a soldier, designated marksman, and a trained peace officer. I would feel safer with him holding a gun.

Guns do NOT save lives.

Responsible and well trained persons who know how to use a gun ... can. And have.

As is usual--Thanks!

When you've pointed a gun at someone, knowing that you would use it if necessary, you will know the full weight of the responsibility of owning one. It's an awesome burden. I don't recommend it.

When you shoot a thief, you have just imposed a much greater penalty than the law allows. If you shoot him, kill him. Otherwise he can sue you and win. Even if he is convicted of the crime for which you shot him.

If you shoot him on your doorstep, drag him into the house to suggest that you were in danger and feared for your life.

If you shoot him while he's robbing a 7-11, make sure you have a carry permit. Otherwise get the hell out of there.

Is this a great country, or what?

A very strange country!

Good post Al.

To answer the question posed by the title to this thread, I would say that I would feel safer with a gun if I were the only person holding one. And if I were the only person holding a gun, I would most likely be the biggest coward and at the same time, perceived as the greatest threat to the safety of others.