Guns In The Home, The Double Edged Sword

[little_old_man]

I woke up this morning to see two stories in the news. The first was a 72 year old grandmother in southern California who scared off an intruder with her .357 mag who wasn't even bothered by the home owners barking Rottweiller.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52174596

 

The second story was about a 4 year old boy and his father who were visiting a friend at his house. This "friend" owned a handgun and let the 4 year old play with it, that is until the kid pointed it at his dad, shot and killed him.

 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/07/18834096-4-year-old-in-arizona-accidentally-shoots-kills-father?lite&lite=obnetwork

 

On the one hand we have a great story about what owning a gun is all about, and on the other hand we see what can happen when somebody who is completely irresponsible owns one. I am always amazed to hear stories about very young kids getting their hands on weapons and wonder what the mentality be like of the parents who leave their weapons in places where curious little hands can get them.

 

When I married my wife she practically made me get rid of all of my guns when we had kids. I fought her on it and while I was able to keep them, they've been locked in a vault ever since we were married. Not long ago my kids were surprised to hear that we even owned guns, and since I don't really hunt anymore I haven't really missed them.

 

Ownership of weapons comes with huge responsibility, and unfortunately there are too many people with kids who aren't responsible enough to own guns.

[TBB]

There are those irresponsible morons who own guns just like those that misuse alcohol, cars - you name it.   Unfortunately guns are viewed as unnecessary but getting drunk and killing with a car are somewhat tolerated. Mankind is his own worst enemy and that probably won't change.

[Spartacus]

The Root Of The Problem Is We Have Fundementaly Been Transformed Into A Society That Is Irresponsible, For The Sole Purpose Of Creating The Nanny State...

Owning A Gun IMHO Is One Of The Largest Responsibilities One Can Have Besides Bearing & Raising Children...

The Collective Get Lazier & Lazier Everyday...

[Shamu]

@@little_old_man It's time to break those guns out and introduce the kids, providing they are responsble enough, to the shooting sport.

Gun owners are in need of responsible parents teaching the younger generation in the responsibility in gun ownership and safety.

 

There are more but thats enough.

[LordOfChaos]

I woke up this morning to see two stories in the news. The first was a 72 year old grandmother in southern California who scared off an intruder with her .357 mag who wasn't even bothered by the home owners barking Rottweiller.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52174596

 

The second story was about a 4 year old boy and his father who were visiting a friend at his house. This "friend" owned a handgun and let the 4 year old play with it, that is until the kid pointed it at his dad, shot and killed him.

 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/07/18834096-4-year-old-in-arizona-accidentally-shoots-kills-father?lite&lite=obnetwork

 

On the one hand we have a great story about what owning a gun is all about, and on the other hand we see what can happen when somebody who is completely irresponsible owns one. I am always amazed to hear stories about very young kids getting their hands on weapons and wonder what the mentality be like of the parents who leave their weapons in places where curious little hands can get them.

 

When I married my wife she practically made me get rid of all of my guns when we had kids. I fought her on it and while I was able to keep them, they've been locked in a vault ever since we were married. Not long ago my kids were surprised to hear that we even owned guns, and since I don't really hunt anymore I haven't really missed them.

 

Ownership of weapons comes with huge responsibility, and unfortunately there are too many people with kids who aren't responsible enough to own guns.

i like your comparison to the two events.  while the first one obviously supports the cause for every home to have a gun, the second one shows what can happen in a split second if proper precautions are not taken.  kudos to you LOM for keeping them safely locked away.  But then this begs to be answered... if they are locked away how accessible are they for that moment when someone is trying to break in?  seems to defeat the purpose.

 

I still can't get over all this home invasion stuff I am hearing coming from the usa.  We hardly hear of 1 home invasion a year in Vancouver here, and we are the second largest city in Canada, and have the absolute poorest neighborhood in Canada with the Downtown eastside; but it is still relatively safe to walk the streets , even at night.  

 

Don't know how you guys got to where you are now, but I do feel for you and hope things do get better.  We can only hope.  Good post lom.  We hear of these things all the time coming from the american news channels we get here.  Still boggles my mind though.

[little_old_man]

We've always lived in a very low crime area and I never really was the type to keep a gun under my pillow or in the night stand drawer. We've always had dogs and they will bark if anything is up, and I keep an aluminum bat in the corner of my room should the need arise. But, should things every go to shit and there is a riot or complete anarchy in the streets, I won't hesitate to dust off my guns to protect what's mine. The way I figure it our best odds for a crime spree would be immediately following a huge earthquake and there would be no services of any kind for a week or more.  We have 2 weeks worth of water and food should the big one hit in our lifetimes. It's just something people do in California, or at least they should.

[Tball]

This all comes down to training. I was always into hunting and handling guns had a BB gun at 7. My dad taught me what he new about guns. I wanted a shotgun and in my state you could get your FID card at 14 but you had to take a gun safety course we had a state trooper teach the course he got through to me about safety to this day everything i learned from this man has stuck damn i wish he taught me mathematics and English Maybe i would me smarter. My point is if we want to be  a society with guns then we must train every youth on the safety and to respect a gun and what it can do. I watch the first 48 on A&E all the time and most are kids with guns and they don't realize what can happen when you point and shoot and almost every single one cry's like a baby i didn't mean to kill em.

 

 Teach gun safety we give kids condoms for safe sex why not teach gun safety

[Tball]

 

I woke up this morning to see two stories in the news. The first was a 72 year old grandmother in southern California who scared off an intruder with her .357 mag who wasn't even bothered by the home owners barking Rottweiller.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52174596

 

The second story was about a 4 year old boy and his father who were visiting a friend at his house. This "friend" owned a handgun and let the 4 year old play with it, that is until the kid pointed it at his dad, shot and killed him.

 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/07/18834096-4-year-old-in-arizona-accidentally-shoots-kills-father?lite&lite=obnetwork

 

On the one hand we have a great story about what owning a gun is all about, and on the other hand we see what can happen when somebody who is completely irresponsible owns one. I am always amazed to hear stories about very young kids getting their hands on weapons and wonder what the mentality be like of the parents who leave their weapons in places where curious little hands can get them.

 

When I married my wife she practically made me get rid of all of my guns when we had kids. I fought her on it and while I was able to keep them, they've been locked in a vault ever since we were married. Not long ago my kids were surprised to hear that we even owned guns, and since I don't really hunt anymore I haven't really missed them.

 

Ownership of weapons comes with huge responsibility, and unfortunately there are too many people with kids who aren't responsible enough to own guns.

i like your comparison to the two events.  while the first one obviously supports the cause for every home to have a gun, the second one shows what can happen in a split second if proper precautions are not taken.  kudos to you LOM for keeping them safely locked away.  But then this begs to be answered... if they are locked away how accessible are they for that moment when someone is trying to break in?  seems to defeat the purpose.

 

I still can't get over all this home invasion stuff I am hearing coming from the usa.  We hardly hear of 1 home invasion a year in Vancouver here, and we are the second largest city in Canada, and have the absolute poorest neighborhood in Canada with the Downtown eastside; but it is still relatively safe to walk the streets , even at night.  

 

Don't know how you guys got to where you are now, but I do feel for you and hope things do get better.  We can only hope.  Good post lom.  We hear of these things all the time coming from the american news channels we get here.  Still boggles my mind though.

 

Last summer i had a home invasion the wife was on the couch asleep the dog barked i came up loaded found nothing went outside around the house saw nothing so i didnt think it was nothing until the wife woke me up in the morning saying where the fuck her pocketbook. The guy or girl came in the window in the kitchen found the wife's pocketbook went back out the window and closed the window behind them. There was a ceramic pot on the porch when he went back out the window he stepped on the pot and it made a noise which woke up the dog. So if the wife's pocketbook wasn't there this person would be dead today because they were in the house and they knew people were home. The chief of police lives in my neighborhood he said to me if you shoot shoot to kill. We have the castle act we no longer have to retreat i can use deadly force to protect me and mine.

[Damage_inc-]

[Tball]

Geeez only if Switzerland was in a warm climate i would go there and maybe stay

[ANGU5]

This all comes down to training. I was always into hunting and handling guns had a BB gun at 7. My dad taught me what he new about guns. I wanted a shotgun and in my state you could get your FID card at 14 but you had to take a gun safety course we had a state trooper teach the course he got through to me about safety to this day everything i learned from this man has stuck damn i wish he taught me mathematics and English Maybe i would me smarter. My point is if we want to be  a society with guns then we must train every youth on the safety and to respect a gun and what it can do. I watch the first 48 on A&E all the time and most are kids with guns and they don't realize what can happen when you point and shoot and almost every single one cry's like a baby i didn't mean to kill em.

 

 Teach gun safety we give kids condoms for safe sex why not teach gun safety

So true and well put...

[Bama]

This all comes down to training. I was always into hunting and handling guns had a BB gun at 7. My dad taught me what he new about guns. I wanted a shotgun and in my state you could get your FID card at 14 but you had to take a gun safety course we had a state trooper teach the course he got through to me about safety to this day everything i learned from this man has stuck damn i wish he taught me mathematics and English Maybe i would me smarter. My point is if we want to be  a society with guns then we must train every youth on the safety and to respect a gun and what it can do. I watch the first 48 on A&E all the time and most are kids with guns and they don't realize what can happen when you point and shoot and almost every single one cry's like a baby i didn't mean to kill em.

 

 Teach gun safety we give kids condoms for safe sex why not teach gun safety

 

Growing up in the South, I was hunting with my father and grandfather so early.. I don't really even remember a time as a boy when I wasn't familiar with guns. I remember the first time he let me shoot a .22. My dad had guns in the house, and I knew where every one of them were. I also knew, because he told me, that if I touched them without his permission that he would beat me like a dog. My dad meant what he said, so I took him at his word. My dad gave me that .22, when I was old enough and responsible enough to handle it. I was 9. My grandfather gave me my first shotgun, later that same year. I shot my first dove with it.  Looking back, I'm sure my dad took precautions when I was very young. It's not like the guns were just laying around. 

 

Casual gun ownership and use presents problems. If it isn't part of daily life and culture, then it is probably better locked up and unavailable to the members of that household. If you grow up using it like you would a lawnmower or a hammer, and understand what it does, what its for, and the damage it can do, then it's like any other tool that should be kept where it belongs... whether that is a nightstand, closet, or safe.

[Bogleg]

Hmm.

[little_old_man]

 

This all comes down to training. I was always into hunting and handling guns had a BB gun at 7. My dad taught me what he new about guns. I wanted a shotgun and in my state you could get your FID card at 14 but you had to take a gun safety course we had a state trooper teach the course he got through to me about safety to this day everything i learned from this man has stuck damn i wish he taught me mathematics and English Maybe i would me smarter. My point is if we want to be  a society with guns then we must train every youth on the safety and to respect a gun and what it can do. I watch the first 48 on A&E all the time and most are kids with guns and they don't realize what can happen when you point and shoot and almost every single one cry's like a baby i didn't mean to kill em.

 

 Teach gun safety we give kids condoms for safe sex why not teach gun safety

 

Growing up in the South, I was hunting with my father and grandfather so early.. I don't really even remember a time as a boy when I wasn't familiar with guns. I remember the first time he let me shoot a .22. My dad had guns in the house, and I knew where every one of them were. I also knew, because he told me, that if I touched them without his permission that he would beat me like a dog. My dad meant what he said, so I took him at his word. My dad gave me that .22, when I was old enough and responsible enough to handle it. I was 9. My grandfather gave me my first shotgun, later that same year. I shot my first dove with it.  Looking back, I'm sure my dad took precautions when I was very young. It's not like the guns were just laying around. 

 

Casual gun ownership and use presents problems. If it isn't part of daily life and culture, then it is probably better locked up and unavailable to the members of that household. If you grow up using it like you would a lawnmower or a hammer, and understand what it does, what its for, and the damage it can do, then it's like any other tool that should be kept where it belongs... whether that is a nightstand, closet, or safe.

 

Yeah I remember my first 22 at about age 8. The very first time I took it out by myself (against my dad's wishes) I leaned against a big beech tree and shot into a salt block that was out for the cattle. The bullet hit the salt block and wound up in the tree trunk 3 inches to the right of my head. Needless to say I never told my parents and never took it without permission again until I was old enough (and fully trained) to know what the fuck I was doing. 

[Pharticus]

@@little_old_man It's time to break those guns out and introduce the kids, providing they are responsble enough, to the shooting sport.

Gun owners are in need of responsible parents teaching the younger generation in the responsibility in gun ownership and safety.

 

There are more but thats enough.

Dammit Shamu, you're giving me a woody!

[Leadfinger]

I woke up this morning to see two stories in the news. The first was a 72 year old grandmother in southern California who scared off an intruder with her .357 mag who wasn't even bothered by the home owners barking Rottweiller.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52174596

 

The second story was about a 4 year old boy and his father who were visiting a friend at his house. This "friend" owned a handgun and let the 4 year old play with it, that is until the kid pointed it at his dad, shot and killed him.

 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/07/18834096-4-year-old-in-arizona-accidentally-shoots-kills-father?lite&lite=obnetwork

 

On the one hand we have a great story about what owning a gun is all about, and on the other hand we see what can happen when somebody who is completely irresponsible owns one. I am always amazed to hear stories about very young kids getting their hands on weapons and wonder what the mentality be like of the parents who leave their weapons in places where curious little hands can get them.

 

When I married my wife she practically made me get rid of all of my guns when we had kids. I fought her on it and while I was able to keep them, they've been locked in a vault ever since we were married. Not long ago my kids were surprised to hear that we even owned guns, and since I don't really hunt anymore I haven't really missed them.

 

Ownership of weapons comes with huge responsibility, and unfortunately there are too many people with kids who aren't responsible enough to own guns.

Well said LOM

Most parents of kids now days haven't been taught how to be responsible themselves.

We as a humans have got to find a way to ensure that future generations are taught to be responsible and respectable or we are thru 

[Leadfinger]

@@little_old_man It's time to break those guns out and introduce the kids, providing they are responsble enough, to the shooting sport.

Gun owners are in need of responsible parents teaching the younger generation in the responsibility in gun ownership and safety.

 

There are more but thats enough.

Dang Shamu that's one helluva gun collection . . .very nice indeed!

[CobraBites]

im only goin to say how i feel once bout this as this can get very heated as a topic....if u got kids in the home why the fuck would u own a gun without a trigger lock...i just dont fukn get ppl irresponsiblility .......i personally wouldnt own a gun in my house as i dont believe in them...im 39 yr old and never had to have a gun to protect myself....i dont fuk with ppl so they dont fuk with me....i belive in old school protection my fist or my louisville slugger can handle the job just fine...thanx have good day...

[CobraBites]

There are those irresponsible morons who own guns just like those that misuse alcohol, cars - you name it.   Unfortunately guns are viewed as unnecessary but getting drunk and killing with a car are somewhat tolerated. Mankind is his own worst enemy and that probably won't change.

drunk driving killings are not really tolerated just happens alot...those that get caught do some serious time in prison....guns dont kill ppl retards with guns kill ppl

[TheHammer]

IM  A  Proud member of the NRA & Goal Have a great day

[DEEJAYKEG]

 

What use are firearms if one has no ammunition to put into them?

Reserve militia personnel no longer have bullets at home.

 

It's unfortunate that pro-gun Americans seek to justify their choice by trying to locate a

gun-toting Utopia somewhere else in the world.  It doesn't exist.  That doesn't invalidate

the American choice for Americans in America but they (you) have to learn to accept it

and live with it.  It is obviously not without its drawbacks.  12,000 gun-related deaths per year

cannot be dismissed or overlooked.

 

For those of us outside, we just stand horrified, scratching our heads and unable to

understand why. 

[deerejon]

First of all...when the revolution comes I'm headed for Shamus house...

Second, I am a gun owner since before I had kids (18 & 22 now) and when they were old enough to think and hold them I taught them gun safety and when  they were old enough to shoot them we went shooting....my son couldn't be less interested in guns either way....my daughter enjoys shooting and guns are really no big deal...they never were overly interested....

the point is my Dad had guns and made a secret out of them and I touched them every time they weren't home...my kids who had the ability to ask me to see or shoot them it was no big deal...if you expose people properly to things its no biggie....I did the same with fire, fireworks mini bikes ladders etc...everything "dangerous" around the house was shown and taught to my kids....and to my surprise they never got in trouble (I did lots), messed with my stuff ( I always found my parents hidey holes)

Its like EVERYTHING...education is key....

[WolfTiS]

I am 65 years old and grew up with guns and hunting from as early as I can remember. I was taught from the beginning how to handle them and the safe use of them. I have two granddaughters that know I have guns in the house but they do not bother them and know how to handle them as I have taken them to the range with me on numerous occasions and taught them how to use them with safety being of utmost importance.  

The biggest problem today is MOST kids are not being taught and that applies to MORE than just guns. Just my opinion.

[DEEJAYKEG]

A herring gull (sky rat) shat all over my wife's tee shirt, today, when it was outside drying on the washing line.

I would love to have a .410 shotgun to take these bastards out but they are a protected species and I'd

probably fail the psych' element of the assessment for owning any sort of firearm.  If one has suffered

mental illness of any kind, I guess that's it for life! 

[Shamu]

A herring gull (sky rat) shat all over my wife's tee shirt, today, when it was outside drying on the washing line.

Too bad she was not wearing it at the time. Here having a bird shit on you is considered by some to be good luck. Can't quite figure out why.

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_it_considered_good_luck_if_a_bird_drops_poop_on_you

 

BTW, seagulls are protected here also. They have made quite a come back over the last few years. If it continues they just might lose their protection. They might best start practicing birth control.