comforting to me not those who seek to harm me and mine tho and that is the general idea eh?

i just find it curious for the reasons for owning a gun in the first place. i mean i dont know anything about how you guys were raised, how you view other people or even the safety in your neighborhood etc. so lemmie know if im WAY out but i can understand hunting or whatever but cant you just call the police to "protect your loved ones", its what they're paid for after all, plus they have the LAW behind them which is a plus. I mean you 'say' you wouldnt hesitate to use a firearm but how would you know, and how plausable is the situation in the first place? 9/10 if someone breaks into your house, theyre after things, not to attack your family.

So my question is why not get rid of the gun and just call the police??? invest in a security system on your house?

@Arcon: Sometimes a security system doesn't work. The police never get there on time. Personally, I'd rather not use a gun in that situation, but I will if necessary. Besides, I don't think that would be a problem where I live. We've got German Shephards. They bark a lot too. So I don't have to worry.

"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb!"

@Arch,

As backgrounder only, not as justification or argument for or against....

There is a historical, social and political tradition here that exists both consciouisly and subconsciously that has to do with ideals of self-reliance, independence, civil liberties, and mistrust of big government (as you likely already know).

Indeed the NRA has pretty much touched on all of these principles but no matter how politicized their commentary may be, there are a significant number of people who consciously hold to these notions as inherent and indistinguishable from a free and democratic society. And there is another significant number who adhere to some of these ideals at a subconscious level or consider them subjectively in respect to a dichotomy between what is good for "me" versus what is good for the rest of the country.

Police are welcome to keep crime at bay but they are not seen as being available at the very moment in time when the crime may be committed. In the frame of mind described, the armed citizen and would be victim is able to take action on his own to stop the crime "dead" so to speak (more or less part of ssjag's point).

Although the argument has been that in the colonial and frontier days, each citizen had to be his own law in order to survive and that today's modern conditions militate against this type of thinking, the fact is that there is a very strong appeal that is tied to believing that, living freely includes being able to take necessary defensive measures into ones own hands.

Most states in the US have laws that do not condone the use of deadly force to stop "any" crime. But it varies as to what conditions would justify the use of deadly force. In New York, one only may use deadly force in self defense when it is clear that you yourself are being confronted by deadly force. I.e., if a guy tries to pick your pocket, you cannot shoot him dead. If a guy tries to stab you with his knife, you can shoot him in the act.

In Texas, if you discover an uninvited person in your home at night, you may use deadly force... end of story. In New York, you cannot unless you can show that you yourself were in mortal danger at the time.

good and valid points Arcon but as meezookeewee said police do no always come in time on our lovely local news almost every day I hear of families being attacked robbed or worse in their house. Not just in crime ridden areas but all over the US. I dont want someone I love to be a victim. period! the possesions? Meh It would suck to lose our stuff but it is just stuff but home intruders arent just robbers sometimes they are sick twisted people who will like nothing more that to hurt you for pleasure. That is why I have weapons beyond hunting or sport. I am human Humans are meant to survive I want to survive Cops dont always make it on time. Now saying that given a choice I would call the Police if I had the time but sometimes we do not have the choice. I understand (I think ) your question about why having them in the first place. Let me ask you a counter question did you grow up in a place where all or most firearms were not allowed even in most law enforcemnt?

edited to include
@Indy thanks As you can see you got yours off before mine and much more coherently than mine as well (I cant type to save me life)

I Am Sharp like Bowling Ball


Edited by - ssjgarretjax on 4/16/2004 9:05:11 AM

Edited by - ssjgarretjax on 4/16/2004 9:05:43 AM

well seeing that i am a 20 year old college girl sitting i front of a computer in my dorm sipping at something that once was a mountain dew in my undergarments reading your comments on violence and sex in the media and games. i also have a few weapons of my own. i have decided that you are all a bunch of punk ass pseudo teenagers that get a hard on at the mer mention of brittney 'the Beotch' spears.

oh yes you also have to consider that the majority of school shooting were by missunderstood smart kids that were rejected as 'nerds' and ended up on the wrong side of town. i would know i have experianced it first hand, it is even worse for girls.

Edited by - malystryx on 4/16/2004 10:18:19 AM

I'm not having that, mal - Britney's ok when you get to know her, she was round at mine the other night for some career advice, but it had to chill out when she started coming onto me

@Mal

Of what relevance was it for you to mention that you were only dressed in your undergarments if not to cause some perturbations to those alleged punks you were referring to? And..... so where does that place you in the spectrum of cause and effect?

well it certainly perked my interest on a slow news day

let's see, i have 2 choices: do the off-site backup, or think about mal in her undies TLR-ing? no contest, is it?

oh no! - when I tried I just kept thinking of Esquilax and his ginger beer, how fookt is that?

LOL!

Easy boy. Easy. You've got the missus and two little ones to think of!

and not Esquilax? gutted

just because I'm on a diet doesn't mean I can't think about the menu!

and one of them isn't little.

Edited by - Tawakalna on 4/16/2004 12:17:51 PM

What about me, Taw?

Mal - I take umbrage at that statement. I don't even like "Britney", and I cannot recall ever hearing any of her music. I demand a retraction; or at least a statement to the effect that your comment was a gross generalisation!

I happen to rather like Brit-ney these days, now she's a complete dorty sloot and makes no more pretence at being a nayce gel. Still can't stand her stoopid records but I'll sit and watch her with the sound turned down

*ahem*

To assist in staying on the correct side of the Mods, the following party political broadcast:

Britney Spears is just ace. Drool fodder, and a briliiant musical talent.


How's that Chips? Make up for Esqy's faux pas?