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June 2011 Moms
JsMama11
member
Owning a gun.
JsMama11
member
First of all....did everyone see this? Terrifying. It brought DH and I back to our never ending discussion about owning a hand gun. We currently don't own one but have always considered it. Personally, I am for it and this story just reinforces that.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Owning a gun.
we just got one. It was a surprise for DH's Birthday. I was never for a gun but now that we have DD and DH is at work till late at night I want to feel like I could protect her and I. DH made a comment that if someone ever tried to break in at night we would have no protection, even with him home..As much as I did not want a gun in our home I gave in because I felt like he was right.
Too many breakins lately and it is really scary...
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This is exactly what we talk about.
I grew up in a home with a gun. My dad had a carry and conceal license and was trained on how to use the weapon. I do not know when my dad purchased the gun but I can remember seeing it as young as 3-4 yrs old.
He NEVER kept it locked b/c he wanted easy access to it in case there was in intruder. Crime was very high were I grew up and my parents couldnt afford to move.
My parents put the fear of GOD in my @$$ and I was told to never touch the gun, ever, and I never did. I knew they were serious about it and I would get a spanking worse than I could imagine if I touched it.
DH on the other hand has no exp with guns. I want to own one for protection since we moved to TX. DH insists that it is not safe with kids. I told him it was just fine with me when I was a kid but he still won't let me get one.
Proud Cloth Diapering, Babywearing Mommy to Desmond (5.30.2011) and Evangeline (2.26.2014)
Loving wife, best friend and teammate to Babywearing Daddy, Kelly (7.27.2000)
Volunteer Babywearing Educator at Babywearing International of South Central Pennsylvania
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DH would absolutely love this post. He is a firearms examiner (forensics) so he deals with gun-related crimes day in and day out. He is also a firearms enthusiast and an avid hunter. We have 6 guns in the house, locked in a large gun safe. He is always singing the praises of people who defend themselves (legally) with guns and when an incident occurs, like a break-in, he always comments "if only that person had a gun." So true. Personally, I think owning guns is fine, even with LOs, as long as the owner uses them legally and teaches LOs the proper way to deal with firearms. DH is so looking forward to showing DD how to use a gun and maybe even taking her hunting some day, with a pink rifle of course
This article proves exactly why we sleep with a handgun in the nightstand beside our bed. DH desperately wants me to learn how to load the gun myself, as it is obviously never loaded. I've shot numerous guns before. Still, could I shoot someone that breaks into my house? My answer would probably be yes. I used to say that if someone came after my dog, I'd shoot them. Now that DD is here, I don't think I'd hesitate to defend her or myself (or my dog).
Glad to see an article supporting responsible gun ownership!
My husband is a cop so whenever he is home we have a gun in the house- his service weapon. We have gone back and forth arguing about buying another gun for me to have in the house since I am also alone (and now with the baby) late at night but I've always hesitated on it. I just think for me it's more of a liability because I don't trust my ability to use it in a stress situation, he points out that with certain guns (like a shotgun) you do not have to have great aim to maim an intruder to slow them down for getting you or your children.
Why on earth was she on the phone for 21 minutes before police got to her house? That is crazy slow response time. In my heavily congested area it would NEVER take that long (or so I think, never testing it before) but maybe that's exactly what has lulled me into a false sense of security. We have a baseball bat and some large kitchen knives and that's about it, which would do me little good if the intruder had a gun. I can honestly say if I did have a gun in the house and someone broke it I would completely be shoot, ask questions later. If you aren't supposed to be in my house then you get what you get.
I was adamantly anti gun before I met my husband and I never imagined I'd live in a house with a gun at all. Now, I honestly believe that crime would drastically decrease if everyone had the fear that any given person on the street has a defense weapon on their person and/or in the house. I'm not sure if that change came with being less naive in my older age or from hearing his stories- maybe a little of both.
I grew up with guns...mostly shotguns since we lived in the country and my dad hunted. Although I was against having a gun in the house this story is starting to change my mind. Theres been knocking on our door a couple of times in the middle of the night and it always turns out being a neighbor's drunk friend at the wrong townhouse.
The only thing that would suck about getting a handgun though is that I'm a much better shot with a shotgun...lol. Guess I'd just have to go practice at a target range.
this for me too. i would need to take shooting classes before i felt comfortable purchasing one. and i would want to wait until my girls are older and can be taught never to touch the gun. but i firmly support second amendment rights.
We have one. I was always against having them in our home. I just felt uncomfortable because I didn't grow up around guns. But DH insisted and we got one. Now that I know how to use it, I have to admit it does make me feel safer. Especially when he is out of town. Hopefully, it will be an expensive purchase that we never have to use.
ETA: Of course it is locked up and will remain so- especially when DS gets older.
There are cases with fingerprint locks and digital locks that would be quick for an owner to open if needed but no one else could get in. There are many safe ways to keep a weapon in the house (even with children) if you are educated about it.
I think I've shared my feelings on guns before. Been around them all my life (dad was a cop and a hunter), never touched them until I was with DH (who is also a cop and military). We have a few in this house (handguns in a gun safe), my preference is the shotgun in the corner of the bedroom (much more comfortable with a shot gun than a handgun). With crime in our city starting to blossom out, DH being third shift and gone frequently because of the national guard (and deployed in less than 6 months) I feel much better having them. I'm also all for responsible ownership and people knowing how to handle a gun. Not buy one for protection but being absolutely clueless and irresponsible with them.
This. My other thought is...what is someone breaks into your house...finds the gun in your nightstand and takes it (supposing, here, that you are not home)? Then, you have someone who may not know how to use a gun, or who will use the gun for the wrong reasons with a gun. I also don't know how fast my reaction time would be if I were asleep and someone was breaking in. I don't have a problem with guns in the home, as long as they are locked up. I hope that I never have to experience a break-in, so I will find out what this is like...
We own several guns and both of us grew up with guns in the house. MH is more comfortable around them than I am but we are both prepared and able heaven forbid we need them for self defense. Usually we just use them for hunting and having fun... it can actually be quite fun shooting a gun and I take pride in myself when I target shoot and do really well.
Before meeting DH and his family I was very against guns but I think it was more from lack of knowledge then anything. Since meeting DH I've been to the range multiple times (and am quite the shot, if I do say so myself) and there are quite a few guns in the house, hand guns and rifles. I personally own a Springfield XDM 9mm and love it. I sleep with it right next to my bed. I always tell people that look at me strange that you can never be to careful.
It's the people who say "it can't/won't happen to me" that it usually does. I have a family to look after, I am well informed about my weapon and the weapons in the house. DD will know not to touch it when she's young and how to use it when she's old enough.
I AM completely against people who don't know how to use, clean, and handle a gun to own one. I know a couple people who own a gun for "personal protection" but have no idea how to properly use it... Those people scare me.
Bwahh haa haa! April, I just totally LOL'd at this! The picture I got in my mind is hysterical! But, better be safer than sorry!
When my parents were still together, my dad always had guns in the house. He showed them to me, let me touch them, taught me about them, so I was used to them. I'll admit, I'm still intimidated by them, but I'm a pretty good shot! LOL! Now, DH has one, and after reading all of this, I just text him that I'd like him to show me the handgun he has and teach me how to use it. I'm alone with B a lot, especially at night and we don't live in such a hot area. DH and I laugh when we hear a helicopter above the house for a minute....they must be looking for someone! Not too long ago, the helicopter was so loud, must've been so low right above the house, that it woke me up really early in the morning. DH was at work, and I heard a loud bang on the side of the house. Everytime something like that happens, I immediately think of the gun, but also realize I have no idea how to use it!
DH is a police officer so obviously we have guns in our home. He carries one even when he is off duty. I don't carry one, although I've thought about it. In VA prosecutors can carry without a concealed weapons permit. Mostly I'm just happy to have them at home in case someone breaks in!
We have handguns but I've always thought that a shotgun would be the most effective gun for home protection. This story just reinforces that belief for me. I'm a decent shot but I feel much better about my odds with a shotgun!
I also grew up in a house with guns since my stepdad was an FBI agent.
Dup
Def agree with that part. We don't own any handguns... just shotguns and rifles.
Not to mention less chance of collateral damage with shotgun pellets than stray bullets.
I'm sure there are- but yet statistics show that more homicides and more suicides occur in households with guns compared to those without. So there are likely a lot of people out there owning guns who *aren't* educated about it.
I am shocked at how many people own a gun! Not that I think anything is wrong with it, I just didn't think it was that commonplace. To my knowledge, my parents never had one in the house and neither did DH's. I was actually just talking about this with him and we would consider it for protection.
I'm very nervous around guns and have never even held one before. But I'm even more nervous about someone coming into my house and harming my family. I always think about the Cheshire home invasion here in CT and that kind of thing scares me, It could have happened to anyone.
"In homes with guns, the homicide of a household member is almost 3 times more likely to occur than in homes without guns."
This statistic is based on a three-county study comparing households in which a homicide occurred to demographically similar households in which a homicide did not occur. After controlling for several variables, the study found that gun ownership was associated with a 2.7 times increase in the odds of homicide. This study does not meet Just Facts' Standards of Credibility because:
1) The study blurs cause and effect. As explained in a comprehensive analysis of firearm research conducted by the National Research Council, gun control studies such as this (known as "case-control" studies) "fail to address the primary inferential problems that arise because ownership is not a random decision. ... Homicide victims may possess firearms precisely because they are likely to be victimized."
2) The study's results are highly sensitive to uncertainties in the underlying data. For example, minor variations in firearm ownership rates (which are determined by interview and are thus dependent upon interviewees' honesty) can negate the results.
3) The results are arrived at by subjecting the raw data to statistical analyses instead of letting the data speak for itself. (For reference, the raw data of this study shows that households in which a homicide occurred had a firearm ownership rate of 45% as compared to 36% for non-homicide households. Also, households in which a homicide occurred were twice as likely have a household member who was previously arrested (53% vs. 23%), five times more likely to have a household member who used illicit drugs (31% vs. 6%), and five times more likely to have a household member who was previously hit or hurt during a fight in the home (32% vs. 6%).)
https://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.fourexamples.asp#[18]
AKA, most in-home gun crimes are committed by criminals, drug addicts, and homes with domestic violence. Most statistics also don't take into account exactly how many gun accidents occur in homes where the guns are not legally owned and the owners responsible and properly firearm-educated people. I'd like to think everyone here who own a firearm is licensed, has their weapon registered, knows how to use it, and understands basic gun safety. All of those factors combined make them less likely to have a gun accident. But, my H is a cop, and so I am obviously biased with pretty strong feelings about it. We have two hand guns- his service weapon, and one he bought specifically for me to have at home while he is gone. I would not hesitate for one second to use it if someone came through my door. How I would feel after I can't say, but I'm willing to live with it if I were ever put in the position to protect myself, and now even more so, my son.
Also, it's besides the point, but killing yourself or someone else with a handgun doesn't indicate a lack of knowledge of firearms. Quite the opposite, since you'd generally have to know how to use one in order to kill someone or yourself with it. (Not trying to be sarcastic or snarky, just sayin'.)
This. Not one second. I'd probably need therapy after but that's a small price to pay considering if I didn't I could lose my life or my family.
Also I must have a morbid sense of humor because this made me chuckle.DH is a cop, but unless he is home on lunch (I can count on one hand how many times that was last year since he never works in our area), it stays locked up at work when he's off duty. He would like to get one for hunting, but I'm more against this for $ reasons since I have a few more pressing priorities than a gun, cabinet, etc. Down the road I wouldn't have any concerns. I am not sure abotu a hand gun.
I never really thought about it until this post, but I was around hunting rifles as a child. I knew where Grandpa had them in the attic (from years earlier, and no doubt without any trigger locks, etc.), but had no interest in them. My dad also hunts, and I knew where he kept them. I don't think I have ever even touched the cabinet. Now had I been a little boy, that might have been different.
DH has been around them since he was an Army Cadet at 12 or 13 or something, then he was in the Army reserves before becoming a police officer. I have a hard time imagining DS firing them in 12 years or so, yet it never seemed odd that DH did when we were younger (we've been together since we were 15).
DH goes skeet shooting and also hunts so we have 2 shot guns and planning on getting a rifle as well. We have a very secure locking case and when LO is older we are getting the case where you open with your finger print. I have to practice more but we plan on thoroughly teaching our daughter about gun safety and that this is a tool for food and not a toy and not to be glamorized as guns are in video games.