Topic: HAND GUNS Friend or Foe (Put your goves on and come out FRIENDS)

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

This thread started in "My bike scares small children".   I hopr those threads can be moved to this thread.  I picked #4
Terry Q.

[dusterdude]

i have two and would not hesitate to use either one of them.

[jaannaktin]

 

My gut feeling is that 99% of people who own a handgun really:
1. Have no reason to own one
2. Will never have a reason to use one
3. Don't know how to use one safely
4. Don't practice regularly
5. Don't maintain it
6. Don't store it safely
7. Have small children with access or proximity to it.

IF you could convince me that that is not true, I would have no problems with handguns.

I would also bet that most users/readers of this forum are part of the "responsible" one percent!

 

Jaan

[kghost]

Jaan while I agree with what you've said I wouldn't call it 99%.

1. Thers no reason to own 9 motorcycles, Like guns thier fun!
2. Hunting? Competion? Fun.
3. Safety comes with training. Just like motorcycles. But you have to own one to practice.
4. Practice. Like anything else increases skill.
5. Most people with machinery don't maintain it. Which is worse Gun or car?
6. Safety? See number 3
7. Safety with small childern comes with training and supervision.

Like the other thread, Some people sure are stupid. shouldn't drive a car much less play with guns.

Guns a just a tool. Its the operator that makes it safe or unsafe.

[jaannaktin]

 

I really can imagine never touching a gun for the rest of my life. I can't say the same about my wife, my beer or especially my motorcycle!

 

Jaan

[Bob Wessner]

To be realistic I think the poll needs one other category;

"Depends on the circumstances."

[Buffo]

I picked #4.

having a gun on you is very sobering. In Texas, just brandishing your wepon is considered aggeravated assult. Which means if you pull it on someone and you have no legit reason...you are going to jail..as a felon... you will lose your right to vote..and the privalge to own any firearms.

Pull it...hell...if someone can see it at all your in trouble.

In other words...make your decisions wisely.

Don

[eldar]

I would use it only if there were no other way. If it meant the difference between my family dying or the criminal. I do however think that anyone with a gun should go through training at least every 5 years. I think the same though with cars and such since those can kill people just as easily as any gun. There are too many irresponsible people out there and thats were so many problems come from.

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

I agree, ownership is a right that should be granted only with proof of training, if the states offered a free course like they do for motorcycles and made it manitory to own a firearm at lot and I mean a whole lot of fools would be using baseball bats on each other.

[Vatch]

Nice take, KGHOST.

I don't carry one around, don't feel the need to, but if someone broke into my house with my family in at night, hmmm.

[TwoTired]

I agree, ownership is a right that should be granted only with proof of training, if the states offered a free course like they do for motorcycles and made it manitory to own a firearm at lot and I mean a whole lot of fools would be using baseball bats on each other.

I think you missunderstand the meaning of having a right.  A right is inherant, not granted.  Privleges may be granted by an authoritative body.

The 2nd amendment indicates the right of the citizen shall not be infringed by the government.  It is not a grant.

Further, if you think training, initial and recurrent, should be required of powerful tools that can inflict bodily damage in the hands of citizenry, shouldn't we also mandate training for all powerful tools?  Perhaps all knives over 2.5 inches in length, baseball/cricket bats, swimming pools, electric drills, chain saws, fireplace pokers, (insert any item capable of being used as a weapon here).  Then, what of martial arts training, or chemical engineering?

Freedom is when you get to choose what action is best.  Having the choice is where the quality of life is enjoyable.  If you choose to act outside of established laws you should expect to be punished for the transgression.  What does it matter what tool is used to break the laws?  How, many societies say it is okay to kill or maim your neighbor with only specific tools?    Normally, you have to be a government official to acquire such sanctions.

Lastly, why is it desireable to have people injure each other with baseball bats rather than pistols?  A serious blow to the head with a bat will make a person equally dead with another struck with a well placed bullet.

[kghost]

Cliche I know :

What do you call an unarmed population?

Subjects!  

God Save the Queen anyone?

[Uncle Ernie]

TwoTired, freedom is also when you get to choose to be stupid and/or irresponsible. I personally feel that too many people choose to exercise that option.

[Teach]

Cliche I know :

What do you call an unarmed population?

Subjects!  

God Save the Queen anyone?

That reminds me of a cliche I know..."An armed society is a polite society."

I don't tell anyone whether or not I own a firearm or whether or not I practice with it.  Fortunately for criminals most gun owners don't practice.  I know lots of folks that own guitars, but there's only a handful that I would want to listen to.  I find it's best to assume everyone is armed and to treat them as though they are.  Our forefathers founded this country on (among many much more important things) the right to bear arms.

[kghost]

Right after that they kicked out the british. 

Sorry Mates, It just slipped out. 

[oldbiker]

Here in the UK. we are not allowed to own guns but I think I would like the right to own a handgun to be kept in the house and used on an unauthorised intruder.

[Egil]

That reminds me of a cliche I know..."An armed society is a polite society."

I don't tell anyone whether or not I own a firearm or whether or not I practice with it. Fortunately for criminals most gun owners don't practice. I know lots of folks that own guitars, but there's only a handful that I would want to listen to. I find it's best to assume everyone is armed and to treat them as though they are. Our forefathers founded this country on (among many much more important things) the right to bear arms.

If it`s
The US  !

Remember  that the forfathers  not was  any poulations mix from europa  !

The forfathers in the norht america   were  indians and in the norht (Alaska) mostley  eskimos  .

[Uncle Ernie]

Right on Egil !  Most Americans seem to have "selective memory".  For one thing, the right to bear arms was so citizens could protect themselve from uneasonable search and siezure from the prevailing government.    Oldbiker, I'm reminded of when I lived with roommates and come home late from a bar. Good thing it was so quiet- I could hear the hammer being cocked upstairs!!!

My opinion; I love shooting guns and rifles. Big fun. However, there have been times that if I had a gun, I would most assuredly be in prison right now. I have no qualms about the fact that I believe it's a shame some individuals have a chance to procreate before the line has time to die out.
The other thing is, if a child gets hurt in your house while playing with your gun, I don't care how much grief you have- you desreve to go to jail for life. There is just no excuse for "accidents".

[jaannaktin]

I think you missunderstand the meaning of having a right.  A right is inherant, not granted.  Privleges may be granted by an authoritative body.

I have to disagree. Human beings may behave in such a way as to lose their rights. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness may need to be defended by poppong a redcoat with your musket, but shooting an intruder in your house is much different. I would suggest that society has let us down in a much larger way if someone finds the need to break and enter, and we need to keep guns on hand for that eventuality. I don't think the forefathers imagined all of us barricaded in our houses defending ourselves from each other.

 

Jaan

[MRieck]

Here in the UK. we are not allowed to own guns but I think I would like the right to own a handgun to be kept in the house and used on an unauthorised intruder.

If I'm not mistaken single and double barrel shotguns are still legal in England.

[bryanj]

Used to have seven different ones for punching holes in paper but the UK gov decided that because of an idiot who should never have been granted a licence shooting kids in Dunblane (An act i do not condone in any way and he should have been "stopped" before it happened) I no longer have any Hand Guns as they are now "banned" on the pretext of reducing armed crime---shame armed crime has gone uo fourfold since the guns were banned!

[kghost]

I would suggest that society has let us down in a much larger way if someone finds the need to break and enter, and we need to keep guns on hand for that eventuality.
Jaan

Consider us all let down.

[cben750f0]

had two.. one for rapid fire... and one for standard pistol, and action match.... was in the army, and was trained... but still dont think i could use it against someone.... as my missus says... im a lover not a fighter... or what ever that means... though i do find this kinda funny on a motorcycle forum...

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

2:00 pm there is a knock on the door (understand I live nowhere)  I look out the upstairs window and see a man and a woman in the light, also someone at the end of the driveway (100 yards away).  I put on my bathrobe and pocket a small boot gun that I have shot for 30+ years.  I turned out they had broke down and wanted to tell me not to worry thats why the van was a the bottom of the drive.  It was all true and in the morning we got it back on the road.  My question how different would this whole thing had gone down if I felt I could not have handled the situation had it gone bad.  Called the state police and hassel someone that already had enough problems.  Tell them to go away.  Not answer the door?

3:00am drove a leaf spring from some truck through 2 tires.  Stepped out of the car flagged down anyone that would stop, climbed in with a stranger and left my family,  How different would I have done that if myself and my wife did not have the assurance of equal footing if not the upper hand in a situation gone bad.  1 1/2 hours later on the road again.

I am not afraid of you it is the guy that just blew his life on crack and has dropped to the lowest level to get his fix, he has nothing to loose.

[Badboy]

I know that I talk tough,but really,I would feel terrible if I had to use deadly force to defend myself or someone else. In Maine I have the legal right to defend others that are in harms way. I also think that if the courts did their duty and put the criminals away,I would not have to feel I had to carry a rod all the time.BUT avery day there seems to be an account of some punk doing something or other. If people used their brains instead of burning them out with drugs,boose or whatever,we would not need so many police.
I live out in the country,so any time there would be a need to defend myself,I can not count on the police to get here in time. SO
it is up to me to defend myself and home. The BS that the anti-guuners use to try to convince people here in USA,tha guns are for hunting and sports, is a big lie.  The main reason for our rights to gun ownership is to put down an out of control government. AND to defend our selves and homes,and property. The leftists amoung us would have us helpless against their plans for us.

And ,by the way,In Maine I can carry in plain sight down any puplic street WITHOUT a permit. But concealed is better,the punks have to guess,"does he or don't he".!