I've witnessed a shooting...

FolanMama

and yeah, it was pretty freaking traumatizing.  I was just getting home from work, went to walk out on my back porch overlooking the parking lot just in time to watch a teenage kid get shot in the chest, arm, and leg.  It was four years ago this weekend. 

Where did the gun of the shooter come from?  It was stolen from a home the week before in my very suburban neighborhood.  Yes, this shooting took place in the suburbs... not some gang ridden urban slum. 

So perhaps my view is a tad extreme, but explain to me where is the sense in providing criminals with the means to try to kill each other?  Hunting guns... fine.  I'm anti-hunting also, but isn't this argument.  But why, oh why, do people need to have handguns or semi-automatic weapons?!?

southernbelle82

b/c it's their CHOICE.  People have different hobbies and interests.  Yes, guns can kill people, but so can knives and I'm pretty sure we ALL have an 'arsenal' of knives in our kitchen and they aren't locked up.  More people die of car accidents than shootings and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us have a car.

I lost a friend to a car accident this past weekend.  I also know someone who lost their 7 month old b/c they were hit by a drunk driver.  Cars and the idiots who operate them scare me a hell of a lot more than a responsible gun owner.

SarahMay77

FolanMama:

and yeah, it was pretty freaking traumatizing.  I was just getting home from work, went to walk out on my back porch overlooking the parking lot just in time to watch a teenage kid get shot in the chest, arm, and leg.  It was four years ago this weekend. 

Where did the gun of the shooter come from?  It was stolen from a home the week before in my very suburban neighborhood.  Yes, this shooting took place in the suburbs... not some gang ridden urban slum. 

So perhaps my view is a tad extreme, but explain to me where is the sense in providing criminals with the means to try to kill each other?  Hunting guns... fine.  I'm anti-hunting also, but isn't this argument.  But why, oh why, do people need to have handguns or semi-automatic weapons?!?

I hope you're a vegetarian. Our guns are used to hunt food that we eat.  Yes, I'm a hippy.  We eat venison killed and butchered by DH rather than buying cow meat from the supermarket.  I consider that to be a responsible citizen activity considering the damage the beef and pork industry do to our environment and to our waistlines (lol).

FolanMama

SarahMay77:

FolanMama:

and yeah, it was pretty freaking traumatizing.  I was just getting home from work, went to walk out on my back porch overlooking the parking lot just in time to watch a teenage kid get shot in the chest, arm, and leg.  It was four years ago this weekend. 

Where did the gun of the shooter come from?  It was stolen from a home the week before in my very suburban neighborhood.  Yes, this shooting took place in the suburbs... not some gang ridden urban slum. 

So perhaps my view is a tad extreme, but explain to me where is the sense in providing criminals with the means to try to kill each other?  Hunting guns... fine.  I'm anti-hunting also, but isn't this argument.  But why, oh why, do people need to have handguns or semi-automatic weapons?!?

I hope you're a vegetarian. Our guns are used to hunt food that we eat.  Yes, I'm a hippy.  We eat venison killed and butchered by DH rather than buying cow meat from the supermarket.  I consider that to be a responsible citizen activity considering the damage the beef and pork industry do to our environment and to our waistlines (lol).

Done the vegetarian thing, and it actually affected my health.  But I thought I was pretty clear that hunting wasn't the point of my arguement. 

laur1120

southernbelle82:

b/c it's their CHOICE.  People have different hobbies and interests.  Yes, guns can kill people, but so can knives and I'm pretty sure we ALL have an 'arsenal' of knives in our kitchen and they aren't locked up.  More people die of car accidents than shootings and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us have a car.

I lost a friend to a car accident this past weekend.  I also know someone who lost their 7 month old b/c they were hit by a drunk driver.  Cars and the idiots who operate them scare me a hell of a lot more than a responsible gun owner.

This. 

I understand what you are saying but it's their American right.  There are alot of other things that kill too as PP pointed out. 

breezey2323

southernbelle82:

b/c it's their CHOICE.  People have different hobbies and interests.  Yes, guns can kill people, but so can knives and I'm pretty sure we ALL have an 'arsenal' of knives in our kitchen and they aren't locked up.  More people die of car accidents than shootings and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us have a car.

I lost a friend to a car accident this past weekend.  I also know someone who lost their 7 month old b/c they were hit by a drunk driver.  Cars and the idiots who operate them scare me a hell of a lot more than a responsible gun owner.

I agree with you that their are people who are responsible gun owners. Those are not the people that scare me and unfortunately there is no way to control who can get their hands on a gun. So no, responsible gun owners don't scare me. Dumbass idiots that think they are hard and tough like the kid that SHOT my H scare the sh!t out of me though.

By the grace of God my H is here today.

I know guns are some people's hobby and its not really fair to say that responsible people with good intentions can't have them but you might feel differently if someone in your family was the victim of gun violence. If it was up to me there would be VERY few people in this country that could have guns.

southernbelle82

breezey2323:

I know guns are some people's hobby and its not really fair to say that responsible people with good intentions can't have them but you might feel differently if someone in your family was the victim of gun violence. If it was up to me there would be VERY few people in this country that could have guns.

I understand your fear and your reasoning b/c of the situation you went through but I highly disagree with your statement.

My husband was a cop for a short time and both my parents were in the military so all of them have been in harms way.  I've had my home broken into before when it was just my mom and me.  So I'm not looking at this from a naive view point.  There is a reason we have a right to bear arms and criminals will ALWAYS find a way to have a gun.

violetvirgo

breezey2323:

southernbelle82:

b/c it's their CHOICE.  People have different hobbies and interests.  Yes, guns can kill people, but so can knives and I'm pretty sure we ALL have an 'arsenal' of knives in our kitchen and they aren't locked up.  More people die of car accidents than shootings and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us have a car.

I lost a friend to a car accident this past weekend.  I also know someone who lost their 7 month old b/c they were hit by a drunk driver.  Cars and the idiots who operate them scare me a hell of a lot more than a responsible gun owner.

 

I agree with you that their are people who are responsible gun owners. Those are not the people that scare me and unfortunately there is no way to control who can get their hands on a gun. So no, responsible gun owners don't scare me. Dumbass idiots that think they are hard and tough like the kid that SHOT my H scare the sh!t out of me though.

By the grace of God my H is here today.

I know guns are some people's hobby and its not really fair to say that responsible people with good intentions can't have them but you might feel differently if someone in your family was the victim of gun violence. If it was up to me there would be VERY few people in this country that could have guns.

i agree that if some of these people had some punk who purchased a gun legally or illegally shoot someone they loved in the face for sh!ts and laughs their perspective would change.  just like those who experience loss from drunk drivers get all up in arms over there being any legal drinking limit.  just a different perspective.

GracieWK

Guns don't kill people. PEOPLE kill people.

That's all I have to say.

southernbelle82

violetvirgo:

i agree that if some of these people had some punk who purchased a gun legally or illegally shoot someone they loved in the face for sh!ts and laughs their perspective would change.  just like those who experience loss from drunk drivers get all up in arms over there being any legal drinking limit.  just a different perspective.

Actually it wouldn't.  I'd still believe in and support my constitutional right to bear arms and take out anyone who posed a threat to me or my family.

stephm0188

I am 100% with Southern on this. Many people are responsible gun owners.

Yes, we have a gun in our home. Loaded? No. I don't even begin to pretend or say its for protection. It is for sport. It is locked up. The key to unlock it is also locked up.  Frankly, I'd be more worried about my child playing with matches than finding the gun and accidently shooting himself.

 

Stellasmom

FolanMama:

and yeah, it was pretty freaking traumatizing.  I was just getting home from work, went to walk out on my back porch overlooking the parking lot just in time to watch a teenage kid get shot in the chest, arm, and leg.  It was four years ago this weekend. 

Where did the gun of the shooter come from?  It was stolen from a home the week before in my very suburban neighborhood.  Yes, this shooting took place in the suburbs... not some gang ridden urban slum. 

So perhaps my view is a tad extreme, but explain to me where is the sense in providing criminals with the means to try to kill each other?  Hunting guns... fine.  I'm anti-hunting also, but isn't this argument.  But why, oh why, do people need to have handguns or semi-automatic weapons?!?

I agree that I don't see the point in handguns or semi automatic weapons. If you're a hunter you have a shotgun or rifle and those make perfectly good self defense weapons also.

Skipperg82

Folan and Breezey, I agree with you...I think there should be very few people that should be allowed to own guns.  I understand using them for hunting, for sport, etc. etc. but there should be laws stating how guns should be kept and stored away (not sure at all how that would be handled, I'm just saying).  I see absolutely no point in having a gun "just to have a gun because it's my American right"!  Really?  Just because you're an American you should be able to buy a gun whenever and wherever because it's written down in an document that was written hundreds of years ago during a time that was completely different than society now?  I just don't see any point in owning a gun, other than for protection...and if all we're doing is just protecting ourselves why can't we just use the knives and matches that are so readily available in all of our homes? You know, because knives and matches also kill people too...

People that own a gun that don't know how to properly use/care/store them away scare the living daylights out of me!   For the suburban/urban homeowner who owns a gun "just in case" to protect his family and doesn't know how to use it properly, the whole point is for it to kill/harm people.  Period.  Yes they might have knives in their home, but their intended use is for cooking, yes they might have matches, but their use is for lighting candles or whatever...not to kill people!  It's just too dangerous and I've known families personally that have lost their children's lives because a family member didn't know how to use or store their gun safely.

Yes, if a criminal really wanted to own a gun, they could still go out and get one, but it would be a hell of a lot harder and a lot more hoops to jump through than walking down to your local gun store and buying whatever you wanted "just 'cause you're an American".