Let's talk about Guns.
Wed, 01/16/2013 - 2:21pm
As you might imagine the perspective where I live, in Kansas, is a bit more diverse from that of your average New Yorker. I've been a bit shocked to find out that a lot of my friends around here own guns. I'm also surprised to find that for the majority of them it's claimed to be for protection, not hunting or target shooting. Now, I'm pretty much 100% anti guns but I would we willing to play the devils advocate in a thoughtful discussion on gun control here if someone wants to have a go.
I'll start by saying, as if you didn't know, things are different here. There's a lot of space in between the houses. Some people live on several acres, even 20 and 30 acres of land. No one's gonna hear you scream. Think "In Cold Blood." Police call times could be as much as 15 or 20 or even 40 minutes. I go for days, even a week or more sometimes without seeing a cop. Every cop I've seen has been a slightly overweight white male. The ones I do see look disconnected or predisposed like they're just trying to get through their day without incident. There are meth labs, gangs, junkie houses, & various red neck compounds littered throughout the area with lots of space in between and lots of time for them to stake out places to rob. The local news never fails to report a shooting or a robbery. Everyone knows someone who's house has been broken into. Local government represents an out of touch, moralist elite that seem more concerned with eliminating abortion rights than they are with protecting citizens. People here feel scared and isolated. They say they sleep a little better at night with a gun in the house. What's wrong with that?
Thu, 01/17/2013 - 10:20am
#2
Guns...
They're all over the place in SC, everybody has a few, except me and I get grief over not owning a gun & getting my concealed weapons permit. There's a gun club down the road a piece and 2 gun shops spitting distance from one another on the main drag and they both advertise to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights & buy, buy, buy and folks are doing just that. Tuesday & Thursday nights are Learn to Shoot Like a Girl nights and for $30 their all woman staff will teach you everything you need to know about guns, how to select one, how to shoot it, clean it, etc. and you even get a free t-shirt! Needless to say, the place is packed on Tues & Thurs nights.
I live on a fairly new plantation (it used to be a pine forest) where everyone in the county used to come to hunt, gator, bear, boar, etc and they still do in the undeveloped parts. All you need is a hunting license and just about everyone hunts. People flock here from all over the world in the fall for the opening of gator season. Its headlines on the news & in the papers. I've never seen anything like it coming from NY.
Folks I know who relocated down here like me are freaked out by all the guns & hunting, but to the locals its a way of life. You can purchase any time of gun, automatic, semi, whatever with as many clips as you wish, even those banned in other states like NY.
Since the Newtown shooting folks have been buying up every gun in site to protect themselves. Against what, I dunno. There really aren't any major crimes down here. The lead story on the news most nights are high school and college sports.
I can only assume with so many folks having concealed weapons permits (they cost $125) and everyone carrying the bad guys are too scared.
I must say, with all the gun talk down here (folks like to talk about what guns they have, how they did on the shooting range, the turkey shoots, etc that I am tempted to get myself to one of those classes & get myself a little 22 or 9mm, but I seriously doubt I could ever shoot anything except a target or some cans. I had gone to a shooting range once in Pa, shot a 9mm & it scared the hell out of me. Too much power in 1 hand.
From what I see & hear folks down in SC are not going to give up any of the weapons, not a chance. its going to be one heck of a fight.
Should they make any changes, with the way folks have been stocking up on guns & clips, the secondary market is going to explode should things get banned. Then so much for background checks, etc. cause if I sell someone sells their gun to someone else so much for background checks. It'll all be about the cash under the table.
Thu, 01/17/2013 - 7:50pm
#3
Check it out
The Charleston County Sheriff even says he will not enforce any law he deems takes away any ones constitutional right to bear arms. Unbelievable that the sheriff won't uphold the law with regard to gun control.
They're getting together a petition to have him removed from his duties thankfully.
Thu, 01/17/2013 - 7:55pm
#4
Found a lot of good info here.
Fri, 01/18/2013 - 12:12pm
#5
.
My stepfather had a gun cabinet that was kept in our den. It was unlocked and had about 5 shotguns and a rifle in it.
The drawer that had bullets and shotgun shells was also unlocked.
It was normal for me.
Did I ever open it and touch the guns?
Yep.
Did I ever look at the shells?
Yep.
Was that all I did?
Yep.
Not attempting to prove anything.
Just reminiscing.
If the U.S. government attempts to take American citizen's firearms there will be trouble---how much trouble I am unsure of, because while some are ready to not comply some are ready to do as told.
Sat, 01/19/2013 - 1:50pm
#6
I feel like the argument is
I feel like the argument is way too compartmentalized. You can't just blame a gun for gun violence. But to dig deeper means more difficult soul searching from people on both sides of the issue. I think the activities of safely shooting guns at targets or tin cans or for legal hunting purposes are totally irrelevant to this discussion.
If you think you need to own a gun to feel safe from other human beings where you live then I think this is a place where society has failed and needs to be looked at. I see it as an issue of crime. I see crime issues as issues of racism and poverty. To me the racism and wealth distribution are at the root here. At least in KC, the majority of the shootings that happen are in the same general area. And you guessed it, it's an area dominated by lower income minorities. I'd guess this is a general trend throughout the country, even the world. Unfortunately, often people use lazy racist fear to explain away this phenomenon.
But I think it's the other way around. I think it's racism within the community (or surrounding communities) , the police force, and governmental officials that neglect these areas that are to blame for the problems. It's their inability to understand, engage, and integrate more with these communities and a failure see their potential value to the larger community as a whole.
There will be people that never feel safe, regardless of where they live or the crime statistics in their neighborhood. That's where we get into psychology. A subject for another day.
Sat, 01/19/2013 - 2:31pm
#7
From what I can tell........
.....it always comes down to the same thing, no matter the topic.
Every situation is unique.
Laws are not really the ultimate answer to anything.
From what little I know, the Nazis just changed the laws so that what they did was legal.
I, personally believe common sense is the only way to ever decide what to do--not legality.
(That's a belief of mine, one I find hard to live up to and sometimes do not.)
It's legal for certain people to stop me and look through my backpack.
It is not legal for me to resist.
I ain't going to go much further here.
If the only reason you are not shooting me is that it's illegal to do so, as far as I am concerned you might as well go ahead and shoot me.
Materially speaking, I get burned every time I honestly speak, but I'll say a few (perhaps vague) things.
It is hard to imagine why anyone would need a semi-automatic rifle.
Hunting can be done without one and, if you believe in self-defense that can too can be done without one unless a small army, or gang comes at you.
I personally am not into gun control per se.
Why are people killing other people in the millions of different ways that they are is a question one might ask.
It's too easy to ban a weapon.
It's hard as fuck to address root causes of violence.
As much as I feel strange about actually siding with Alex Jones, I do admire the fact that he is willing to bring up the fact that these prescription drugs that alter the brain and have suicidal and homicidal tendencies as a side effect are being prescribed to folks--some of whom kill people on them.
Obama ain't talking about that.
http://barrybliss.info/