I'd like to point out that if your Dad had had good gun ownership habits, you wouldn't have been able to get ahold of the gun and ammunition in the first place.
The bullets were already in the pistol. I didn't have to load it or anything.
But no, I think it's not a sad story at all. I nearly did it, but rationality won out. That's happy, not sad.
The bullets were already in the pistol. I didn't have to load it or anything.
Exactly. A responsible gun owner wouldn't have had the gun where you could get to it and certainly wouldn't have kept it loaded where you could get to it.
Moreover, if there was effective gun control in place, the attacker would not likely have a gun
Are you insane? Exactly as Sail said, "If guns were outlawed, then only outlaws would have guns".
Look, do you go around police officers? Do you go around people in the military, hell, do you go to Wal-mart? There are guns there, and likely in a lot more places than you think. Guns aren't some tool of death.
(I'm beginning to wonder if you had a gun related event in your past that causes all of this hate towards guns, because as someone that normally sees the rational and intelligent viewpoint, you sure are being stubborn about this.)
The bullets were already in the pistol. I didn't have to load it or anything.
Exactly. A responsible gun owner wouldn't have had the gun where you could get to it and certainly wouldn't have kept it loaded where you could get to it.
Wouldn't it have been better for Dad to have been unable to buy a gun?
My Mom never had a gun in her house, and I contemplated plenty of creative ways of killing myself without one. If you were really going to go through with it, the kind of weapon available would not have mattered.
My Dad owns a shotgun and I never even knew it *existed* until I was in college. He was a responsible gun owner. He kept it locked away where my curious brother and I never found it. And yet I still had my suicidal period without thinking about the gun at all. Suicide isn't prevented by bad weapon maintenance...it is prevented by a person's own will. The thought that "this might not actually kill me, and then I would be in a hell of a lot of pain" has kept numerous kids alive.
Short of random inspections, I'm not sure how the government could enforce a policy of required maintenance on firearms. They can make sure you are educated about safety and maintenance, but they can't really make you do it...at least not right now.
Don't be sad Joe! You're the coolest old person I know. Even cooler than my Contracts prof, and he brings rubber chickens to class and reads poetry about cows.
That remark started to make me sad; but then I realized that the Scotch I'm drinking right now is older than you, so I'm happy again.
Haha, enjoy that, sir.
Don't be sad Joe! You're the coolest old person I know. Even cooler than my Contracts prof, and he brings rubber chickens to class and reads poetry about cows.
If I remember correctly, Joe isn't even really that old We just play him up to be older than dirt.
Don't be sad Joe! You're the coolest old person I know. Even cooler than my Contracts prof, and he brings rubber chickens to class and reads poetry about cows.
If I remember correctly, Joe isn't even really that old We just play him up to be older than dirt.
What exactly are the prerequisites for buying a rifle in the state of New York? Does anyone know?
My uncle was murdered by a convicted felon who bought a rifle while on parole with the sole intent of murdering him. My mother has been very anti-gun ever since, and I can't say I'm their biggest fan myself. I really don't have a lot of education on this issue, but why are we so ridiculously lax when it comes to purchasing rifles? They do the exact same thing that handguns do, and as evidenced by the above story, they're just as dangerous in the hands of a crazy, crazy man.
Yeah, rifle laws are frighteningly lax. I'm frankly shocked that I can walk into a sporting goods store and come out carrying a bolt-action rifle for $50-200. I think they should have the same strict purchasing rules as handguns (background check, etc).
True, but it's possible (non-trivial, but possible) to conceal smaller rifles if you have a large coat or somesuch. I mean, look at Columbine. There should be, in the very least, a criminal background check/waiting period before buying a rifle.
One big difference is that handguns can be concealed, and rifles cannot.
Hack saws are wonderful inventions.
I fail to see how more gun control is the answer, they've been trying that for the last century or so with limited success. It's gotten to the point in VA where the laws are so convoluted that I'm not even sure I'm allowed to purchase a firearm.
"With the barrel of a gun in your mouth, you only speak in vowels."
I think I've expressed my position on guns in other threads plenty enough. I don't see a use for them at all, no reason to own them and if I ever saw one I'd probably know that something went very wrong or that I live somewhere where I probably don't want to live. Possibly both.
I think I've expressed my position on guns in other threads plenty enough. I don't see a use for them at all, no reason to own them and if I ever saw one I'd probably know that something went very wrong or that I live somewhere where I probably don't want to live. Possibly both.
Hunting, sport shooting, and perhaps self-defense (though it hopefully never has to come to that).
no reason to own them
See the above reasons. Also, you can own a piece of history by owning an antique rifle, and they can be decorative.
and if I ever saw one I'd probably know that something went very wrong or that I live somewhere where I probably don't want to live
This is a veiled judgment against those who do own firearms. You don't have to have something go "very wrong" in your life in order for gun ownership to seem like a good idea. The gun owners I know are all extremely well-adjusted people who happen to enjoy hunting or target shooting.
I understand perfectly well that your reasons are your own, but your reasoning here is weak and flimsy.
With "saw one" I meant a reason to own one, though probably the sentence is also true with seeing a physical gun in front of me.
The cops in GCT have mp5s every day, and the military guards around here are fairly often carrying carbines. Nevermind that they're all carrying pistols. I see guns every single day of my life.
Also, for the gun-paranoid, New York City has some of the strictest gun laws there are. It's probably the best place to be if you want to avoid civilian gun ownership.
No permit is required for the purchase of a rifle or shotgun (except in New York City).
If issued, the license is valid until revoked, except in New York City...
In fact, in general, cities are where gun control is the most common and makes the most sense. In rural areas, guns are much more useful. My family keeps them around to deal with dangerous animals (rattlesnakes or predators attacking the goats) in Arizona. My family has guns for subsistence hunting in Michigan (rifle for hunting, handgun for mercy killing in the event of a bad shot).
Guns are rightly restricted in cities, where they're less practical and more dangerous.
Comments
But no, I think it's not a sad story at all. I nearly did it, but rationality won out. That's happy, not sad.
Look, do you go around police officers? Do you go around people in the military, hell, do you go to Wal-mart? There are guns there, and likely in a lot more places than you think. Guns aren't some tool of death.
(I'm beginning to wonder if you had a gun related event in your past that causes all of this hate towards guns, because as someone that normally sees the rational and intelligent viewpoint, you sure are being stubborn about this.)
My Dad owns a shotgun and I never even knew it *existed* until I was in college. He was a responsible gun owner. He kept it locked away where my curious brother and I never found it. And yet I still had my suicidal period without thinking about the gun at all. Suicide isn't prevented by bad weapon maintenance...it is prevented by a person's own will. The thought that "this might not actually kill me, and then I would be in a hell of a lot of pain" has kept numerous kids alive.
Don't be sad Joe! You're the coolest old person I know. Even cooler than my Contracts prof, and he brings rubber chickens to class and reads poetry about cows.
There really ought to be stricter blowgun laws.
My uncle was murdered by a convicted felon who bought a rifle while on parole with the sole intent of murdering him. My mother has been very anti-gun ever since, and I can't say I'm their biggest fan myself. I really don't have a lot of education on this issue, but why are we so ridiculously lax when it comes to purchasing rifles? They do the exact same thing that handguns do, and as evidenced by the above story, they're just as dangerous in the hands of a crazy, crazy man.
I fail to see how more gun control is the answer, they've been trying that for the last century or so with limited success. It's gotten to the point in VA where the laws are so convoluted that I'm not even sure I'm allowed to purchase a firearm.
I think I've expressed my position on guns in other threads plenty enough. I don't see a use for them at all, no reason to own them and if I ever saw one I'd probably know that something went very wrong or that I live somewhere where I probably don't want to live. Possibly both.
I understand perfectly well that your reasons are your own, but your reasoning here is weak and flimsy.
Also, for the gun-paranoid, New York City has some of the strictest gun laws there are. It's probably the best place to be if you want to avoid civilian gun ownership. In fact, in general, cities are where gun control is the most common and makes the most sense. In rural areas, guns are much more useful. My family keeps them around to deal with dangerous animals (rattlesnakes or predators attacking the goats) in Arizona. My family has guns for subsistence hunting in Michigan (rifle for hunting, handgun for mercy killing in the event of a bad shot).
Guns are rightly restricted in cities, where they're less practical and more dangerous.