I should own this gun:
Posted on 08/03/2006 7:03:58 AM PDT by steve-b
WASHINGTON - We're going through one of those phases where people are reading the news and talking about buying guns.
As someone who's blogged for years under the pseudonym "Armed Liberal," you'd think that I'd clearly approve. And part of me does, in no small measure because it reflects a shift in the consensus away from "helpless citizen" toward "citizen with the intent to be more self-reliant."
And, to be honest, I see this issue largely as one of attitude. I've said in the past that the largest impact of gun ownership is symbolic, like a Sikh's knives. Owning a gun — and the attitudes that come with it — symbolize the notion that, first and foremost, we are adults who have the freedom to be entrusted with dangerous tools.
But gun ownership is not entirely symbolic, and there's the rub.
While I believe that everyone should have the right to own a gun (with the obvious exceptions of the criminal and the insane), that doesn't mean everyone should choose to own a gun.
That's because while I believe in rights, I also believe in responsibilities — and I don't think they can be separated. You want rights? Great. You have to take a good helping of responsibilities to go with them.
So let me take a moment and talk to the people who are reading the news and thinking of heading to the gun store.
First, go sleep on it. Owning a gun is an immense responsibility (one that too many people take far too lightly). If you own a gun, you are responsible for it 24/7/365; are you really prepared for that?
A gun is not a magic talisman that will make your problems go away by possessing it or brandishing it. While I'll acknowledge that many confrontations do end when the bad guy sees a gun, I'll suggest that assuming that will apply in your case is cargo-cult thinking at its worst.
So simply owning a gun doesn't by itself make you a whole lot safer; famed firearms instructor Jeff Cooper said that "owning a gun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a piano makes you a musician."
So you have to adopt a set of behaviors and habits.
Some are about the security of the gun — keeping it from being stolen, or from letting children have access to it. Buy a gun safe. Use it religiously. I had one firearm stolen from me 20 years ago, and it still weighs on me today.
Some of it is about self-knowledge. There's a little bit of crazy in all of us. Is yours fully under control? Are you sure? Would your friends all agree? What if the answer to that question isn't an immediate and obvious "Huh? Of course it is"?
And if you aren't 100 percent sure that five of your closest friends would answer the same way, think hard before you head to the gun store. Self-restraint is not a habit our modern life cultivates, but it is one that is simply mandatory for people who possess dangerous tools.
Some of it is about committing to some basic level of competence in order to make the gun a useful tool. There are classes you can and should take almost anywhere. They range from the big-time schools, like Gunsite (www.gunsite.com), Insight (www.insightstraining.com) and Thunder Ranch (www.thunderranchinc.com). To local instructors like Mike Dalton (www.isishootists.com/training.htm) in Los Angeles, NRA classes or other private classes at ranges throughout the area you live.
While it may seem cumbersome to think about all this, the demands really aren't that high. The gun is dangerous and valuable, so secure it. It can make bad attitudes and bad behavior deadly — make sure yours are well under control.
And finally, remember that owning a gun isn't nearly the same thing as being able to use one safely and effectively, so learn how to use it. If you can't comfortably go that far, please don't buy a gun. It's that simple.
If you can comfortably go that far, welcome to the community.
Personally, I need to get to the range this weekend....
Yeah, they're called liberals. Although I wonder about Laz, too.
Nice gun, btw. Foarte frumoasa!
Definitely illegal in Calif
probably illegal elsewhere - Hi ? NJ ?, etc
I should own this gun:
I understand,completely.You are still concerned that your"stolen"gun could be(and might have been)used for nefarious purposes and for this,you feel RESPONSIBILITY.You not only have "The Right",you have that"Other Part"too!!!
Oooohhh...shiny. Gun porn BTT.
Not quite. The Second Amendment itself clearly addresses the issues of freedom and the protection of same by the RIGHT to bear arms by the citizenry as part of a militia, if need be. So the courts have said.
It is important to remember that your individual RKBA is protected by your state, not the federal government (which is why gun laws vary from state to state).
Great read.
no but it should have been after re-reading.
The Second Amendment itself clearly addresses the issues of freedom and the protection of same by the RIGHT to bear arms by the citizenry as part of a militia, if need be. So the courts have said.
It is important to remember that your individual RKBA is protected by your state, not the federal government (which is why gun laws vary from state to state).
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Yes, that INTERPRETATION has perverted the original intent into the legal status of today. I am quite familiar with state-level control. Again, all to the convenience of those that would RESTRICT the ownership of firearms by legal, law-abiding citizens. And we are all too familiar with that effort.
"I understand,completely.You are still concerned that your"stolen"gun could be(and might have been)used for nefarious purposes and for this,you feel RESPONSIBILITY.You not only have "The Right",you have that"Other Part"too!!!"
I don't think guns are evil. I secure them like I would any valuable item but would feel no more responsibility to them being stolen than I would a knife, chainsaw, car or other item that can be misused.
NRA bump
That would probably be a description of Rosie O'Donnel.
Simple.
The rule is- if it's not on your person or in your hands, it's in the gun safe.
No problem.
(No pictures, please.)
Those are also the reason Switzlerand has had about 900 years of peace.
(Skip the fries and the Coke. I'm NPO today.)
Great story, thanks for the link.
Actually, I read the article to mean that the prospective gun owner needs to make sure that they are prepared for gun ownership - including committing to learning how to use the weapon effectively. On the whole, this is exactly the way I think about gun ownership, except for the hand-wringing part of the self-examination.
Ditto that.
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