Renzatic on 20/5/2016 at 03:59
I can understand why some people would choose to walk around armed. They live in a bad neighborhood, or they work a dangerous job. There are good excuses for carrying a weapon.
But I wouldn't suggest everyone walk around open carrying at all times. For one thing, the mere presence of a gun can make some people twitchy. Even worse, it can make others overconfident, willing to do things they wouldn't otherwise do, because they have that extra boost of courage on their belt.
For another reason, having a gun on hand can sometimes be more of a liability than a boon. For one thing, open carrying makes you a more lucrative and/or target. If I'm a crazed mass murderer, I'm going to aim for the people who can fire back first and foremost before taking out everyone else. If I'm a mugger, that's something I can sell at a pawn shop for a good bit of cash, and I know that if I can get the drop on you, that gun is nothing more than a lead weight hanging off your side. You won't be able to unholster it, and get a bead on me before I can pull the trigger on the gun I have pressed against the side of your head. Guns are only good for defending yourself against the threats that you see coming, after all.
...needless to say, if I were to carry, I'd carry concealed. But I usually won't, because the US just isn't that dangerous. I'm about 10000 times more likely to get hit by a car than being mugged at the mall in broad daylight. It's the fervor, the panic, and the constant breathlessly gushing reports of violence we see on the news that makes it seem so much worse than it actually is.
If you want to carry, then carry. It's your right. But for the love of god, don't be stupid about it.
TheDarkOne93 on 20/5/2016 at 04:01
I do like guns because I started going to the range when I was 10 years and it just clicked afterwards. However after bad things that happened to me, it further strengthed my perception on why the private ownership and carrying of weapons is such an important part in society.
TheDarkOne93 on 20/5/2016 at 04:04
Yes absolutey be responisble, because like most other objects if they are used improperly, then it can cause serious consequences.
Sorry for the double post.
Renzatic on 20/5/2016 at 04:14
Quote Posted by TheDarkOne93
I do like guns because I started going to the range when I was 10 years and it just clicked afterwards. However after bad things that happened to me, it further strengthed my perception on why the private ownership and carrying of weapons is such an important part in society.
Everyone has the right to defend themselves. For a number of reasons, I'm far from being anti-2nd Amendment.
Though we in overly paranoid times. It seems everyone in the US is scared of everything these days. Since 9/11, we've become a very high strung people. This, along with the recent rise of gung-ho, in your face gun culture (in itself, a reactionary response to the aforementioned), has created an incredibly volatile societal mix. I have a feeling it's going to lead to a lot of little pointless tragedies over the next few years.
TheDarkOne93 on 20/5/2016 at 04:16
I do agree that there should be a more civilized approach when it comes to gun advocacy
Phatose on 20/5/2016 at 04:27
Quote Posted by TheDarkOne93
Yes absolutey be responisble, because like most other objects if they are used improperly, then it can cause serious consequences.
Sorry for the double post.
Unlike most other objects though, the serious consequences of improper use look an awful lot like the intended use. These are items purely intended to kill. All uses of guns in a non-killing capacity are outgrowths of their intended use to kill. To kill people.
Queue on 20/5/2016 at 04:30
I'm a gun-loving liberal (though, probably at this point, a left-leaning Libertarian who supports Sanders might be the best description) and cannot comprehend the utterly asinine mindset of those who blatantly hate gun owners based purely on some irrational fear or a smug sense of mockery because hating gun owners is the flavor-of-the-day in the hive.
What I don't understand are those who are out of their mind (like gung-ho Militia nuts) with masturbatory feelings toward guns, coupled with a bizarre sense of Patriotism and an even more bizarre notion of how to interact with society. The Second Amendment establishes a military, not a free-for-all when it comes to owning a bazooka. Honest gun owners know this and are extremely responsible. As are hunters. Whereas people like Ted Nugget, or someone who would shoot up a Dairy Queen to prove they have hair on their balls to garner attention, are just fucking nuts.
All you idiots give the rest of us a bad name.
...as with everything, be sensible.
(EDIT)
Quote Posted by Phatose
Unlike most other objects though, the serious consequences of improper use look an awful lot like the intended use. These are items purely intended to kill. All uses of guns in a non-killing capacity are outgrowths of their intended use to kill. To kill people.
I use my guns to kill varmints and for target practice. I can kill a human with a pen by stabbing them repeatedly in the neck. Which is more dangerous toward humanity in my hands, the gun or the pen?
henke on 20/5/2016 at 04:43
Quote Posted by Queue
I use my guns to kill varmints and for target practice. I can kill a human with a pen by stabbing them repeatedly in the neck. Which is more dangerous toward humanity in my hands, the gun or the pen?
Um, the gun, of course. If you could really kill someone with a pen I'm sure you'd be capable of killing them with a gun as well. And they'd have less chance of getting away.
Phatose on 20/5/2016 at 04:45
The difference being that the pen was intended for writing, while the gun was intended for killing people. That's it's reason for being - a tool of war. The pen needs to be misused to kill anyone. Severly misued. While the gun exists primarily for killing people.
And I'd wager then number of people intentionally killed by pens is lower then the number of people unintentionally killed by guns. Statistically, I'm betting we're safer with a pen-armed homicidial maniac then a well intentioned gun toter.
TheDarkOne93 on 20/5/2016 at 04:55
Actually Article 1, Section 8, Clause 12 establishes the military. "To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years." The 2nd Amendment was intended for people to own and carry in order to ensure the government is given a moment of pause before it does something tyrannical. Private citizens that were in possession of firearms could, if need be, become organized into militias.
