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....
That should be "live" in NJ. ....(having a series problem with my typing today)
Take a class. Find a friend who is proficient on firearms safety. Go to the range with him. Understand firearm fundamentals. Understand what happens when a round is chambered, the safety is off and the trigger is pulled. If you don't know the difference betweend a cartridge and a bullet, stay home with a simpler device: a baseball bat.
hell, even a fixed 20 rnd mag in a SKS is illegal.
I live here.
I've had to specially register "assault rifles" (several years ago)
They're not allowed anymore
Your first clue - detachable mag & pistol grip - not allowed >
The purpose of the tool in question, is to provide the user with the ability to kill or at least inflict VERY severe harm to another human being and from a distance large enough to inflict that damage or death before the bad guy can harm you.
The thing to be aware of, consider and know the answer to is this:
~ Every thing in your world is about to change the moment you pull that gun out to brandish it with intent... That moment should be considered thoughtfully, daily and deeply. When the circumstances are such that you are forced to protect yourself, your family or your property, there is no substitute for a good gun and the ability to use it... But are you prepared to kill or maim another human? That weapon should not come out of it's holster or storage safe unless your intentions are clear and you're at peace with what you're about to do.
And if you have not truly thought this through and are comfortable with your answer to yourself, then please don't buy a gun and if you own one now, lock it away.
7thson, I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Your broken foot made you see something on television about a QD that shocked you? I wish I were there.
I had one stolen. I asked someone to hold onto it for me for a while when I wasn't so stable, and then they got mad at me about something and wouldn't give it back, nor a small tv I had loaned them. It weighs on me a little because it's out there and I don't know who has it, but it was purchased by my dearly departed mother, so I'm probably off the hook.
Current ammo price is closer to $160 than $175
I'm not in need of any help.
You know, you are one arrogant asrse. In responding to your post 66, I was responding to post 23, which showed a picture of the Waco Compound burning. TDY means Temporary Duty. Why? Because on a ship, after breaking my foot, I had the choice of leaving. I left. The QD is QuarterDeck. What shocked me was the Waco Compound being stormed and then set on fire. If you have no idea what a person is saying, what makes you want to comment on it? IRT - that means In Reference To - your post 64, again, what arrogance. Why do you feel the need to insult me when you do not even know me. I got one post that was great advice but you are just insulting for no reason at all.
If you stop and think about it - modern day "conservatives" are the liberals. Leftists are authoritarian/totalitarian, with nearly unlimited funds and control of academia, news organizations, hollywood, etc. - and paint everyone who doesn't toe their spiel as *fascists*. It's a neat trick, you have to admit.
I didn't know there was such a thing as an armed liberal.
There's a lot of well armed, constitutional 'classical liberals'
H-rup:
While I know you're just joshing, I also want to put more emphasis on the character assets that give a sane man the courage to kill another human. Please note I've written, character assets, because it takes a very special man or woman to mentally prepare for the act of killing.
Get a grip man. Self defense is an innate reaction, no preparation necessary. -- If anything, children have to be taught to control the asset.
Now, here is the rub. While I am still mentally prepared to shoot some SOB for putting my family in imminent danger, I am no longer certain I have the physical assets necessary to employ my favorite method of self-defense, which is a rock or 2x4 to the temple, which naturally leads to having to pull the trigger, and that scares me.
Why should squeezing a trigger scare you? Most of us hope we never have to, but being capable of defending yourself & others is a duty, --- as well as a right.
How about it TP? Should guys our age turn the keys over to the youngsters?
Hell no. -- That thought scares me.. -- Far to many youngsters have been taught unclassical, unconstitutional liberalism.
As we see here on FR. -- Any comment paulsen?
Not EIK has a book on The World's Military Acronyms. Assuming people are familiar with, and understand verbal shorthand just to impress your audiance is a sign of poor communication skills.
Rights and personal responsibility in the exercise of those rights have always gone together. Seems that fact is just now dawning on this writer.
I love that gun.
Frankly I think the terms "conservative" and "liberal" are meaningless. The true measure of an individual's political leanings is the amount of sovereignty he's willing to concede to a government. And I just realized by putting it that way, you know where I stand.
'It weighs on me a little because it's out there and I don't know who has it, but it was purchased by my dearly departed mother, so I'm probably off the hook."
of the hook for what? If it is used in a crime you won't be responsible for anything. I don't advocate being reckless with potentially dangerous items but I do advocate being realistic. If someone steals a jug of pool acid from me and uses it to commit a crime I would feel bad for the victim. I wouldn't feel responsible though. The criminal is the person who is responsible.
"The thing to be aware of, consider and know the answer to is this:
~ Every thing in your world is about to change the moment you pull that gun out to brandish it with intent.."
IMO, if you are in a situation where you have reason to use any type of deadly force, then your life is about to change regardless of whether you actually do use deadly force.
I agree that using deadly force is something that should be carefully considered and accomplished within the boundaries of the law. Making people afraid to defend their own life should not be a proper approach. If you are prepared mentally and physically then you are more likely to see the next sunrise.
The citizens of the state, acting through their elected representatives, may place reasonable restrictions on any of our rights -- we do it for speech in the first amendment, for example.
When actually he advocates unreasonable restrictions:
Ready for the big one? California can ban all guns if they so chose. There's nothing in the state constitution (one of six states, I believe) about the right to keep and bear arms.
129 posted on 11/20/2003 1:30 PM PST by robertpaulsen
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