Do you own a gun?

[Amber in AUS]

I voted Yes. I own a 7.62mm Target Rifle. It is not kept on my premises and is strictly for sporting pursuits. I have represented both my state and country internationally in target rifle shooting.

[CactusPair]

no weapons. we do have a gauntlet of loud dogs:)

[runninmommy]

 

I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear this oft-repeated perspective. Suffice it to say knowing I'm surrounded by people who own guns doesn't make me feel any safer than if that weren't the case.

 

Well, I guess we could all just give the bad guys cupcakes. Yes. Cupcakes.

That will do nicely.

[Mere2]

Being an Aussie, its not legal for the average Joe here to own a rifle/ handgun (except if your Amber:001_smile:).

 

Just curious on something; if someone owns a gun/ rifle for safety reasons (security in their own home) and they also observe standard weapons safety practice of storing ammo away from their gun......how do you use the gun for self protection? (I know this sounds like a facetious question, and I really dont mean it to be....i'm generally puzzled by the concept.)

 

I have wild visions of someone breaking into a home and the homeowner jumping out of bed, runs to one area and grabs the gun, yells to the villian to stay where he/she is, then runs to another safe to grab the ammo, loads the gun and then prepares to aim whilst meanwhile the villian is quite happy to stay put and wait for you to load.:tongue_smilie:

 

The only other alternative that I can think of is that you have to have the gun readily accessible with it fully loaded...I think most of us with young children find that concept a bit scary.

 

Lost in bewilderment

Fi

[Ria]

Being an Aussie, its not legal for the average Joe here to own a rifle/ handgun (except if your Amber:001_smile:).

 

Just curious on something; if someone owns a gun/ rifle for safety reasons (security in their own home) and they also observe standard weapons safety practice of storing ammo away from their gun......how do you use the gun for self protection? (I know this sounds like a facetious question, and I really dont mean it to be....i'm generally puzzled by the concept.)

 

I have wild visions of someone breaking into a home and the homeowner jumping out of bed, runs to one area and grabs the gun, yells to the villian to stay where he/she is, then runs to another safe to grab the ammo, loads the gun and then prepares to aim whilst meanwhile the villian is quite happy to stay put and wait for you to load.:tongue_smilie:

 

The only other alternative that I can think of is that you have to have the gun readily accessible with it fully loaded...I think most of us with young children find that concept a bit scary.

 

Lost in bewilderment

Fi

 

Bewilderment describes my thoughts as well. My personal opinion is that lots of people are fooling themselves when it comes to "self protection." You are right....if the guns/ammo are stored safely, it would be all but impossible to surprise a villan and shoot him, make him go away, etc. And, on the rare occasions that this actually happens, it's in the news. I don't think I even see one story like this a year.

 

What's more often in the news here, though, are the tragic shootings of kids by other kids, or family members shot by other angry family members. This happens all the time.

 

Go figure.

 

Ria

[SquirrellyMama]

We don't own a gun but I just had to click on the don't know option. I coudln't resist. :001_smile:

 

I am not opposed to gun ownership we don't have a need for one.

 

Kelly

[runninmommy]

We have our guns locked in a safe & ammunition stored separately. It takes around 30 seconds for us to be loaded and ready. It is entirely possible to have guns safe and accessible.

[Jackie in NE]

Bewilderment describes my thoughts as well. My personal opinion is that lots of people are fooling themselves when it comes to "self protection." You are right....if the guns/ammo are stored safely, it would be all but impossible to surprise a villan and shoot him, make him go away, etc. And, on the rare occasions that this actually happens, it's in the news. I don't think I even see one story like this a year.

 

What's more often in the news here, though, are the tragic shootings of kids by other kids, or family members shot by other angry family members. This happens all the time.

 

Go figure.

 

Ria

 

I mean, if you pointed an unloaded gun at a bad guy, is he really going to call your bluff? This is completely a hypothetical question. My disclaimer is that our guns are for hunting, and target practice, and protection of our livestock. Just the other day, my dh had to shoot at some coyotes that were only a few feet away from a newborn calf!

 

But, back to the bad guy question, I think that they would probably run for their lives, or "pee a little" while you called the police. THEY don't know the gun's unloaded.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

Dh is a gun collector. All are in a huge safe in his workshop off the garage. If he ever dies, I'll have to have his best friend come over and open it, cuz even with the combo, I can't manage. we used to keep other important stuff in there until I got so frustrated going after a document. Now we have a smaller safe high in a cupboard where I keep important stuff...and my one handgun. Dh & I both know how to handle guns (x-military & x-law enforcement) and gun safety is integrated into the dc's lives.

 

Our guns are never out of the safe unless they are being used or cleaned. Dh usually cleans them in the garage. Never, ever, ever do we take a gun out when children (other than our own) are around. After use, they go back into the locked safe. Safes are never left open/unlocked.

 

My dc have seen dh shoot crows and they have gone with him to the shooting range. they have seen me shoot a woodchuck that chased & bit our dog on the nose. when at my parents ranch, they saw my uncle shoot a coyote.

 

I do not see anything inherently "bad" with guns. I am against gun ownership for people who are not trained in the use and safe storage of them and those with a criminal and/or violent history. I am not opposed to registration and/or waiting periods.

Edited April 3, 2009 by MeanestMomInMidwest

[Ria]

I mean, if you pointed an unloaded gun at a bad guy, is he really going to call your bluff? This is completely a hypothetical question. My disclaimer is that our guns are for hunting, and target practice, and protection of our livestock. Just the other day, my dh had to shoot at some coyotes that were only a few feet away from a newborn calf!

 

But, back to the bad guy question, I think that they would probably run for their lives, or "pee a little" while you called the police. THEY don't know the gun's unloaded.

 

True, having a gun pointed at them might make them run. On the other hand, if they themselves have a gun, and theirs IS loaded, who wins? Not the one with the unloaded gun.

 

Ria

[Haiku]

No. I don't hunt and I've never felt the need or desire to arm myself against other humans.

 

Tara

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

We have our guns locked in a safe & ammunition stored separately. It takes around 30 seconds for us to be loaded and ready. It is entirely possible to have guns safe and accessible.

 

If you want to cut your time down, perhaps this would work?

 

http://www.amazon.com/GunVault-MiniVault-Standard-Safe-GV1000C-STD/dp/B000O8TZ5O/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

I live in an area full of marines and FBI agents and you would think that criminals would avoid us....

 

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Triangle-Homeowner-Shoots-Intruder.html?corder=&pg=1

[lionfamily1999]

We fall under the 'not yet' heading. We DO have a few ancient weapons, but they have no ammo or anything, I don't even think they can shoot anymore. Dh is pretty bound and determined to get a gun, thankfully he's a thorough shopper and has spent the last year or so researching.

 

I don't think we really need a gun for protection, at least not at home, and all the places I can think of where a gun would come in handy, they're illegal. But, if it gives dh peace of mind, then I don't mind having one in the house.

 

I would have to say, the numbers are not so depressing, for me. It's good to see fellow Americans taking advantage of their rights. Then, I'm also one of those morons that love it when the polls are flooded with voters, regardless of whether or not they know what they are voting about.

[Krista in LA]

Being an Aussie, its not legal for the average Joe here to own a rifle/ handgun (except if your Amber:001_smile:).

 

Just curious on something; if someone owns a gun/ rifle for safety reasons (security in their own home) and they also observe standard weapons safety practice of storing ammo away from their gun......how do you use the gun for self protection? (I know this sounds like a facetious question, and I really dont mean it to be....i'm generally puzzled by the concept.)

 

I have wild visions of someone breaking into a home and the homeowner jumping out of bed, runs to one area and grabs the gun, yells to the villian to stay where he/she is, then runs to another safe to grab the ammo, loads the gun and then prepares to aim whilst meanwhile the villian is quite happy to stay put and wait for you to load.:tongue_smilie:

 

The only other alternative that I can think of is that you have to have the gun readily accessible with it fully loaded...I think most of us with young children find that concept a bit scary.

 

Lost in bewilderment

Fi

 

I get up in the morning and get dressed. For me that includes putting on my gun which I carry in a holster, well concealed. I wear it all day. Since my kids are a little older, I keep it loaded next to my bed while I sleep. I wake up the next day and repeat. Pretty simple really.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I get up in the morning and get dressed. For me that includes putting on my gun which I carry in a holster, well concealed. I wear it all day. Since my kids are a little older, I keep it loaded next to my bed while I sleep. I wake up the next day and repeat. Pretty simple really.

 

Krista, I see that you're a runner. Do you carry when you run? I have concealed carry stuff, but I can't imagine running with it. If not, do you carry other protection (mace, kubuto)? I feel very vulnerable when I try to go out for a run. We have a few adult males that ride through the neighborhood (not SPORT riders); I think they may have issues with DUI's or immigration status.

 

I took a self-defense course, but I'm not confident I could handle more than one attacker. I wonder what other women runners do.

[Shenan]

Krista' date=' I see that you're a runner. Do you carry when you run? I have concealed carry stuff, but I can't imagine running with it. If not, do you carry other protection (mace, kubuto)? I feel very vulnerable when I try to go out for a run. We have a few adult males that ride through the neighborhood (not SPORT riders); I think they may have issues with DUI's or immigration status.

 

I took a self-defense course, but I'm not confident I could handle more than one attacker. I wonder what other women runners do.[/quote']

 

 

And to think...Stafford used to be one of the most family friendly places in VA. It's so sad to see a place that we once HIGHLY recommended as a great place to raise kids, go so far down the drain. :crying:

 

I miss the old Stafford!

[Krista in LA]

Krista' date=' I see that you're a runner. Do you carry when you run? I have concealed carry stuff, but I can't imagine running with it. If not, do you carry other protection (mace, kubuto)? I feel very vulnerable when I try to go out for a run. We have a few adult males that ride through the neighborhood (not SPORT riders); I think they may have issues with DUI's or immigration status.

 

I took a self-defense course, but I'm not confident I could handle more than one attacker. I wonder what other women runners do.[/quote']

 

No, I don't run with it. I tend to run on the track at the school near us so I can't carry it there, but I don't run with it other places either. I do have a 2nd degree black belt in tae kwon do, so I could protect myself other ways. Not saying I could fend off several big strong men, but maybe I could buy some time or get someone's attention. If you aren't confident with your self-defense training, which I don't think I would be after a a few days of training, you might want to look into some martial arts training. We learn a couple of different self-defense moves with each belt and many of them include disarming someone with a weapon.

[Jackie in NE]

do you carry other protection (mace' date=' kubuto)? I feel very vulnerable when I try to go out for a run. We have a few adult males that ride through the neighborhood (not SPORT riders); I think they may have issues with DUI's or immigration status.

 

I took a self-defense course, but I'm not confident I could handle more than one attacker. I wonder what other women runners do.[/quote']

 

I have never been more afraid than the few times I sensed being "followed" on a long run. Reality? Imagination? Who knows. But seeing the same beat up, windows blacked, chevy van pass slowly by several times for no apparent reason changed my long run to a speed workout. I sprinted to the nearest mini-mart. They say that the best thing a runner can do is to be alert. I think that's true. But I was always very concious of my route. Are stores open? Are there people around. I'd like to think that someone would help me if I got into trouble. Who knows.... I never considered carrying a gun. Just can't imagine that thing bouncing around on my hip or in the small of my back. I hate carrying things. I'm the kind of runner who has to stash water bottles and snacks on a long run.... Some people run with a dog, but I never had one who wouldn't just lick a bad guy to death, :glare:. So, I guess running in a safe place, or running with a group would be ideal. But I know that's not always practical......

[Jackie in NE]

I get up in the morning and get dressed. For me that includes putting on my gun which I carry in a holster, well concealed. I wear it all day. Since my kids are a little older, I keep it loaded next to my bed while I sleep. I wake up the next day and repeat. Pretty simple really.

 

I admire your bravery and your diligence with respect to self protection. I just can't imagine living this way. Was there something that happened that precipitated such action on your part?

[Rich with Kids]

DH has 2 rifles. We are going to get a handgun as soon as we can afford it.

[Krista in LA]

I admire your bravery and your diligence with respect to self protection. I just can't imagine living this way. Was there something that happened that precipitated such action on your part?

 

It's just the norm for my family. My grandfather and uncle always had a gun on them, my dad carries all the time. However the thing that really made me want to carry concealed was the VA Tech massacre. I didn't ever want to be somewhere and feel as helpless as those people must have felt. I admit it felt odd carrying to start with but now I feel kind of naked if I don't have it since it's illegal to carry in schools or churches here (along with a few other places). I don't live in fear and I'm fairly sure that nothing bad will happen to me or my family on any given day, but I am realistic in my thinking - bad things sometimes happen and I want to be prepared rather than living with a bunch of what if's the rest of my life. I don't really know that the way I live is any different than it was before I started packing except that I buy looser shirts now ;) and it probably isn't really any different than the way that most people live.

[Jenny in Atl]

Unfortunately, looking at the news, it appears that only the bad guys in Mexico own one.

 

Does that mean that laws don't work? Hmmm..... I suppose we all know the answer to that one.

 

That's because most of the guns in Mexico have been legally purchased in the US and smuggled across the border. It's not hunting/small hand guns that are the issue in Mexico, but the auto and semi automatic machine guns (military style). If only drugs were legal, but then that is a whole other hot topic.

[Jenny in Atl]

 

I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear this oft-repeated perspective. Suffice it to say knowing I'm surrounded by people who own guns doesn't make me feel any safer than if that weren't the case.

 

Just to add yet another view/idea/etc...

 

Again, I'm not a gun lover, but one thing I fear more than the so-called "bad" guys only having access to guns, is the idea that the US government might only have access. We (in the US) may have a pretty good system right now, but one can never guarantee that we (the US) will continue to have a democratic republic. Even though I'm very liberal, I have a healthy distrust of my government (which is made-up of average folks, like me, but with a lot of power). I'm still torn on whether folks really need, for example, machine guns for private use, but how well could one fight back against a tyrant without one? Just more food for thought. :confused:

[Tutor]

Just to add yet another view/idea/etc...

 

Again, I'm not a gun lover, but one thing I fear more than the so-called "bad" guys only having access to guns, is the idea that the US government might only have access. We (in the US) may have a pretty good system right now, but one can never guarantee that we (the US) will continue to have a democratic republic. Even though I'm very liberal, I have a healthy distrust of my government (which is made-up of average folks, like me, but with a lot of power). I'm still torn on whether folks really need, for example, machine guns for private use, but how well could one fight back against a tyrant without one? Just more food for thought. :confused:

 

Well said, Jenny. :iagree:

[pqr]

That's because most of the guns in Mexico have been legally purchased in the US and smuggled across the border. It's not hunting/small hand guns that are the issue in Mexico, but the auto and semi automatic machine guns (military style). If only drugs were legal, but then that is a whole other hot topic.

 

 

That is quite simply NOT TRUE.

 

The gangs are using fully automatic weapons which cannot easily be purchased in the US and then other things such as grenades which certainly cannot be purchased in the US.

 

A recent seizure was of grenades coming from Nicaragua.

 

The weapons used to attack the US consulate came from one of the Koreas.

 

Drug gangs with access to 10s of millions of dollars are generally not going through the trouble of having someone make a "straw purchase" and then illegally sell the gun to runners going into Mexico.

 

Obviously it happens sometimes, but this is not the main source.

[Valerie in Chicago]

Just throwing in my 2-cents more here. Or perhaps throwing kerosene on the fire....

 

My sister has been a cop for 11 years. She feels that an armed citizen is a protected citizen. The police come around AFTER the crime is committed --they can't be everywhere all of the time, nor would you really want them to be, right? Also, she is a woman who lives alone. And after all of her training, seminars, victim statements, etc etc etc, she sleeps with a loaded gun under her pillow. And that gun is loaded with, erm, "less than legal" bullets.

 

When my students would ask me if I own a gun, I would reply, "come into my house uninvited, and you will immediately know the answer to that." Granted, it would be because they would see my backside disappearing over the back deck, but it made them wonder.

 

We're waiting for our daughters to get older before taking on the responsbility of owning a gun. And while said ownership is illegal (unconstitutional?) in the city of Chicago, I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

 

No harm, no foul if you disagree. Just throwing out those thoughts.

Edited April 3, 2009 by Valerie in Chicago
typo

[Peek a Boo]

 

Whatever.

 

 

That one's easy to figure out: laugh :D

[Peek a Boo]

I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

 

and since we're playing w/ kerosene.....

 

It's "judged by One" that carries more weight w/ me than being carried by 6.

If I'm being carried by 6, i know where I am. :)

[Scarlett]

*I* don't own a gun. Community property wise...I own many guns. It is a constant source of contention between dh and me. He is very safety conscience....but I will never get over looking under my bed and seeing a weapon.

 

I didn't vote. Couldn't see a proper fit.

[keptwoman]

Like the other Aussies no I don't. I've used them before for hunting and target shooting but only other peoples. I understand owning one for hunting or target shooting or because you are a farmer.

 

But for personal protection? No. I can't understand that. The thought is horrific to me.

[pqr]

But for personal protection? No. I can't understand that. The thought is horrific to me.

 

Not half as horrific as the thought of needing one and not having one.

 

Then again, given the increase in gun crime in Australia AFTER your gun ban, I suspect that many in Australia are are living through the realization that their government did not trust its citizens and now only the criminals have guns. That thought is trully horrific.

[Hannah]

Owning a gun is legal in South Africa if you have a license. People who apply for firearm licences have to undergo a competency test after basic training course and pass police checks. Of course, this does not deter criminals from carrying unlicensed firearms.

 

I explained in the other thread why I don't see the point of owning a gun for personal protection.

 

Violent crime here shows that if the criminal is carrying a gun, he's already decided to use it. Unless you're carrying it on you, are an experienced shot and can pull and shoot faster than the criminal pointing the gun at you, you'll come off second best. In a housebreaking situation you'd have to sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow for it to be effective and the risks with children in the house count against that.

 

I respect people's right to own guns, but for self-protection, I think they give people a false sense of security. There are other ways - vigilance for one - which are probably going to be more effective to save your life. So, no, we don't own a gun.

[Peela]

<http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/564.html>

 

I think for those of us who are "against" guns, this is a clip worth watching- for the opposing viewpoint. It opened my mind a little more to guns, even though I am glad I live in a country where they are not common at all.

[Hannah]

I think for those of us who are "against" guns, this is a clip worth watching- for the opposing viewpoint.

[/size][/font]

 

This underlines the point that if you are going to own a gun for self protection, you should be carrying it at all times and be fully trained and willing to use it. Anywhere else, it is useless.

[jelbe5]

Yes, we own several. Some are recent purchases (within the past five years). Some my husband inherited when his Grandfather passed away. We live in IL which is one of the most anti-gun states in the nation, but we live in a town which permits handgun ownership. We have a special needs son so we take special care to make sure our guns are under lock and key and ammo is kept in a seperate location.

[Krista in LA]

Owning a gun is legal in South Africa if you have a license. People who apply for firearm licences have to undergo a competency test after basic training course and pass police checks. Of course, this does not deter criminals from carrying unlicensed firearms.

 

I explained in the other thread why I don't see the point of owning a gun for personal protection.

 

Violent crime here shows that if the criminal is carrying a gun, he's already decided to use it. Unless you're carrying it on you, are an experienced shot and can pull and shoot faster than the criminal pointing the gun at you, you'll come off second best. In a housebreaking situation you'd have to sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow for it to be effective and the risks with children in the house count against that.

 

I respect people's right to own guns, but for self-protection, I think they give people a false sense of security. There are other ways - vigilance for one - which are probably going to be more effective to save your life. So, no, we don't own a gun.

 

Obviously you live in an entire different place than most of us. I'm sorry it's so dangerous for people in SA.

[Jenny in Atl]

That is quite simply NOT TRUE.

 

The gangs are using fully automatic weapons which cannot easily be purchased in the US and then other things such as grenades which certainly cannot be purchased in the US.

 

A recent seizure was of grenades coming from Nicaragua.

 

The weapons used to attack the US consulate came from one of the Koreas.

 

Drug gangs with access to 10s of millions of dollars are generally not going through the trouble of having someone make a "straw purchase" and then illegally sell the gun to runners going into Mexico.

 

Obviously it happens sometimes, but this is not the main source.

 

 

I stand corrected. Fox news reports it's around 17%. Still the $$ to buy the guns is mainly from the US. I know I'm in the minority when I say legalizing it will lesson the violence/guns/and increase tax $$. This war on drugs is a mess and I feel a no-win situation. :tongue_smilie:

[lionfamily1999]

I stand corrected. Fox news reports it's around 17%. Still the $$ to buy the guns is mainly from the US. I know I'm in the minority when I say legalizing it will lesson the violence/guns/and increase tax $$. This war on drugs is a mess and I feel a no-win situation. :tongue_smilie:

I don't think you are in the minority anymore, or at least, more people are moving toward your way of thinking concerning that issue. The war on drugs has broken families, destroyed lives, and consumes our law enforcement. In the mean time real crimes, crimes that effect more than just the buyers and dealers, are being ignored, or moved to the back burner. Our economy is suffering, drug money would bring in more than any stimulus bill.

[Jill- OK]

....if the guns/ammo are stored safely, it would be all but impossible to surprise a villan and shoot him, make him go away, etc.

 

Several years ago, when my oldest was a baby, there were a series of violent home invasions in our city. These men would kick down the door, overwhelm the couple, tie up the husband, and rape the wife (in one sad case, while a newborn lay screaming just a few feet away).

 

One night, we were awakened by the sound of our front door glass breaking. My husband was up, had retrieved the gun, loaded it (clip) and was at our bedroom door in plenty of time to drop anyone coming down the kitchen towards us.

 

Turns out, I'd left the glass up earlier that day, and it had fallen, nothing else.

 

But I'll never forget that feeling, sitting on the bed, clutching my little baby, and seeing my husband go around the corner, able and ready to stop anyone coming to hurt us. Probably a once in a lifetime thing, and I'll probably never have to live through a Jodie Foster movie plot, lol...but I'll take that kind of protection.

 

And as far as those situations where a homeowner stops an intruder being rare...I'm sure those who are *in* the rare situation are glad about it, no matter how rare it is.

 

(Just for the record, we own guns now, but have had stints in the past where we didn't. I'd much rather have a home alarm system, a dog, and maybe a gun; I don't begrudge any other citizen the right to those things, and I'm glad to be able to make thoughtful decisions about when/where I take advantage of them, myself. Risk ratios aren't all the same, across the board, whether you're talking about an individual's 'need' for a gun, or how dangerous it is for them to have one. JMO.)

[JWSJ]

I respect people's right to own guns, but for self-protection, I think they give people a false sense of security. There are other ways - vigilance for one - which are probably going to be more effective to save your life. So, no, we don't own a gun.

 

Why not have both vigilance and a firearm?

 

That's what the police officer taught in my conceal carry handgun safety class.

 

You mention that a criminal with a gun has already decided to use it.

 

If that is the case, I'd be more inclined to carry a handgun.

 

A criminal, with a gun, breaking into a house is not there to rob. They are there to kill.

 

Otherwise, why do they have a gun?

[dragons in the flower bed]

What a lady.

 

 

It was a practical decision. He was at the very beginning stages of Alzheimer's, though all we knew then was that he was undergoing personality changes.

[Peek a Boo]

Risk ratios aren't all the same, across the board, whether you're talking about an individual's 'need' for a gun, or how dangerous it is for them to have one. JMO.)

:iagree:

[katemary63]

One night, we were awakened by the sound of our front door glass breaking. My husband was up, had retrieved the gun, loaded it (clip) and was at our bedroom door in plenty of time to drop anyone coming down the kitchen towards us.

 

Turns out, I'd left the glass up earlier that day, and it had fallen, nothing else.

 

Wow! Now that's my kinda man! Your husband is a hero - even if it was just a piece of glass. He KNEW what he could have been up against and he was couragous enough to face it and ready to protect his family! Gives me shivers. :001_smile:

[Demal]

But that little detail -- gun and ammo in different places, both locked up -- is so very important to me. Also, for wildlife, not for people, that's important to me too.

 

That's why we have guns. I've seen raccoons acting strangely in the daytime and we've had a bear on the front porch. And those %! groundhogs. Paging Carl Spackler . . . .

[Colleen]

I think for those of us who are "against" guns, this is a clip worth watching- for the opposing viewpoint. It opened my mind a little more to guns, even though I am glad I live in a country where they are not common at all.

 

 

I watched it but it didn't affect my viewpoint and she didn't present anything (generally speaking) I've not heard before.

[Colleen]

I wonder what other women runners do.

 

I just...run. That about sums it up.

[Colleen]

I admire your bravery and your diligence with respect to self protection. I just can't imagine living this way.

 

In what sense do you find carrying a concealed weapon at all times an act of bravery?

[Spy Car]

So today my neighbor told me that last week he was in bed and in the middle of the night he heard an intruder down-stairs. He grabbed his pistol and headed down the stair-way with his heart thumping.

 

And just as the turned a corner a shadowy figure suddenly moved right in front of him, and just as he went to fire, he realized it was his 10 year old son Alan, who for what-ever reason was banging around the house.

 

True story.

 

Bill

[Peek a Boo]

So today my neighbor told me that last week he was in bed and in the middle of the night he heard an intruder down-stairs. He grabbed his pistol and headed down the stair-way with his heart thumping.

 

And just as the turned a corner a shadowy figure suddenly moved right in front of him, and just as he went to fire, he realized it was his 10 year old son Alan, who for what-ever reason was banging around the house.

 

True story.

 

Bill

 

when we were in NY, I was up late washing dishes downstairs and dh had gone to bed.

 

long about midnight-ish I heard Very. Slow. Steps coming down the stairs, and then the unmistakable chck-chck

of the shotgun.

 

I called out dh's name very hesitantly [but loudly].

 

He had heard noises downstairs, thought i was in bed asleep, told "me" to stay w/ the kids, and gone down to check it out.

 

The good news in both stories is that the person wielding the gun did NOT fire. :)

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

So today my neighbor told me that last week he was in bed and in the middle of the night he heard an intruder down-stairs. He grabbed his pistol and headed down the stair-way with his heart thumping.

 

And just as the turned a corner a shadowy figure suddenly moved right in front of him, and just as he went to fire, he realized it was his 10 year old son Alan, who for what-ever reason was banging around the house.

 

True story.

 

Bill

 

People who are trained in the proper use of firearms don't just start shooting into the dark. Target identification is very important. That is why I am opposed to an untrained person having a gun.