What formed your pro or anti gun mindset? [W:438]

[Daddyo]

This thread is intended to have both pro and anti gun members give their personal stories that they feel caused them to think like they do. Don't want to fight just hear the incident/s that formed your opinion.

I will start us off. I have three major events that happened in my life when I was young. I feel like they formed my pro gun mindset. I will share one now.

A stranger (to me) knocked on our door at my childhood home. I go get my dad and he opens the door and let's them in. As I begin to walk away I hear my dad say no like very deep and strange. He calls for my mother and they walk over to her and she says no multiple times and begins to cry hysterically. After the guy leaves and my mother calms down I asked my dad what happened. Apparently my pediatrician, the doctor who delivered me, had been murdered along with one of his young sons and a good samaritan. My doctor had gone fishing and while preparing to go home at the Courtney Campbell Causeway boat ramp it began to rain very hard. The good hearted doctor allowed a man who was caught out in the rain into their vehicle. The man soon after pulled a small pistol and shot everyone in the head. My doctor, his father, and both sons all shot in the head. My doctors dad and one of the boys lived. As the killer fled, a good samaritan followed him. The killer realized he was being followed and shot and killed the good samaritan as well.

I remember thinking how evil someone had to be to do that and that I would always have a gun of my own.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

I remember thinking how evil someone had to be to do that and that I would always have a gun of my own.

Not really following your "logic" here. I must admit.

 

[BirdinHand]

I grew up in a family that hunts, in an area where everyone either hunted or had friends and family that did.

I’ve never known life without hunting, and wouldn’t want to.

 

[Nickyjo]

I grew up in a family that hunts, in an area where everyone either hunted or had friends and family that did.

I’ve never known life without hunting, and wouldn’t want to.

Actually, my attitude comes from a radically different experience. I was raised in NYC, where guns were pretty controlled. My cousin killed himself with a pistol at a family gathering. I was almost shot by three NYC plainclothes cops who assumed I was armed, and on other occasions saw cops holding their guns as they approached me.

US gun culture seems as exotic to me as French eating snails, and as I understand it from reading about it, has its roots in equal parts paranoia and frontier myths. My solution fantasy is to have a solution worked out by a team of rural hunters worried about gun rights talking things over with inner city moms worried about stray billets killing their children.

 

[TurtleDude]

My father and most of his friends were hunters. My father also had been a competitive shooter-a varsity rifle shot in college and the top prep school skeet shooter at the prep school he attended in Connecticut. I grew up hunting-not as much as my father, but I was far more involved in competitive shooting. All kinds of competitive shooting. Shot air rifle, shotgun and archery in HS, Shot skeet and trap in college. Shot on ISU skeet Circuit for 20 years, shot on the USPSA circuit for 10+ years, still shoot ISU Trap and steel (pistols and PCC) and archery.

 

[Rich2018]

I grew up in the UK where gun crime is rare...
I was serving in the army in 1996 when the Dunblane tragedy occurred and like everyone, I was both shocked and outraged - that a person like Thomas Hamilton could go out and buy handguns and pick any public place or school and did what he did

There weren't too many people who objected to the 1997 gun control act - I knew a couple of people in my my company (one a corporal, one a captain) who owned handguns and kept the in the regimental armory. They weren't too happy but had to admit the public feeling (and that they got a pretty good price from the government)

Fast forward to 2001 and I emigrated to the USA, I was in a DIY shop (I think Lowes) with my American wife and we were stood in line, in the garden center, to check out, when I noticed that the man in front of me was openly carrying a pistol on hip.
And I shied away thinking I had moved to an alien land where this is considered "normal".

 

[CLAX1911]

Actually, my attitude comes from a radically different experience. I was raised in NYC, where guns were pretty controlled. My cousin killed himself with a pistol at a family gathering. I was almost shot by three NYC plainclothes cops who assumed I was armed, and on other occasions saw cops holding their guns as they approached me.

US gun culture seems as exotic to me as French eating snails, and as I understand it from reading about it, has its roots in equal parts paranoia and frontier myths. My solution fantasy is to have a solution worked out by a team of rural hunters worried about gun rights talking things over with inner city moms worried about stray billets killing their children.

So your position is strictly emotional, interesting. My position has more to do with rationale and the way I was raised.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

So your position is strictly emotional, interesting.

Well, yeah I guess some people do get "emotional" when their children catch stray bullets from our fabulous gun nuts.

Those bereaved parents should just focus on how GREAT it is when every idiot has a gun!! Keep it "rational". You can have another kid later!!

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

I grew up in the UK where gun crime is rare...
I was serving in the army in 1996 when the Dunblane tragedy occurred and like everyone, I was both shocked and outraged - that a person like Thomas Hamilton could go out and buy handguns and pick any public place or school and did what he did

There weren't too many people who objected to the 1997 gun control act - I knew a couple of people in my my company (one a corporal, one a captain) who owned handguns and kept the in the regimental armory. They weren't too happy but had to admit the public feeling (and that they got a pretty good price from the government)

Fast forward to 2001 and I emigrated to the USA, I was in a DIY shop (I think Lowes) with my American wife and we were stood in line, in the garden center, to check out, when I noticed that the man in front of me was openly carrying a pistol on hip.
And I shied away thinking I had moved to an alien land where this is considered "normal".

You also have to wonder about the mental stability of a person that feels a need to wear a gun around? I mean unless you're a cop or something?
Just that they want to do it should raise a lot of red flags right there.
Many have an inferiority complex and they want to feel like they are "equal" to others as one of our fabulous gun nuts recently explained to me here on DP.
Carrying a gun makes them feel powerful and equal to others.

 

[TurtleDude]

Well, yeah I guess some people do get "emotional" when their children catch stray bullets from our fabulous gun nuts.

Those bereaved parents should just focus on how GREAT it is when every idiot has a gun!! Keep it "rational". You can have another kid later!!

nothing rational there. people most likely to kill a kid with a gun are the least likely to obey a gun law

 

[TurtleDude]

Not really following your "logic" here. I must admit.

why not honestly answer the question posed in the thread?

 

[Rucker61]

Well, yeah I guess some people do get "emotional" when their children catch stray bullets from our fabulous gun nuts

Do you have data on how often a child-age bystander has been shot accidently by a CCW holder?

 

[Rich2018]

You also have to wonder about the mental stability of a person that feels a need to wear a gun around? I mean unless you're a cop or something?
Just that they want to do it should raise a lot of red flags right there.
Many have an inferiority complex and they want to feel like they are "equal" to others as one of our fabulous gun nuts recently explained to me here on DP.
Carrying a gun makes them feel powerful and equal to others.

Indeed, especially when they carry it openly
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated a little by it.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

why not honestly answer the question posed in the thread?

OK. I realized a long time ago that most people in the USA are probably WAY TOO MENTALLY HILARIOUS to have anything more deadly than a Crayola crayon on their person.


There was a mass shooting event at my high school where several students were killed, there was an AK47 attack on a couple cops in the sleepy little next town over from me, but I already knew long before that how dumb it is to have an "Open Borders" policy when it comes to guns in every hand.

 

[CLAX1911]

nothing rational there. people most likely to kill a kid with a gun are the least likely to obey a gun law

They can't be rational if they were they wouldn't hold the position they do.

Sad thing is this makes them easy to manipulate. And people who want to oppress people by taking away their ability to fight against oppression use these easy to manipulate emotional people to their benefit.

Essentially they are pawns. If I had any ****s left to give I would feel sorry for them.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated a little by it.

Totally natural to feel that way, you cant help wondering if it will go from "good guy with a gun" to rampaging lunatic in a matter of a split second, happens ALL THE TIME in the Gun Nut Nayshun unfortunately.

 

[CLAX1911]

Do you have data on how often a child-age bystander has been shot accidently by a CCW holder?

See this for what it is they don't care about facts this is emotional manipulation. The most common cause of death in children from one to four is drowning. If these people really cared about the emotional manipulation they were engaged in they would be far more interested in banning all pools and public access to swimming facilities and Open water.

The truth is the only time they give a shit about kids dying is when they can use it to manipulate someone else.

 

[CLAX1911]

Indeed, especially when they carry it openly
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated a little by it.

If you a perfectly rational human being is intimidated by it think about a criminal that would do him harm you have nothing to fear the reason the person carries the gun is to use against the criminal so what you're saying here is this works.

I would disagree to an extent I think concealing is better in most cases because surprise gives you tactical advantage. But I think people should be allowed to open carry if police are.

 

[NolanVoyd]

You also have to wonder about the mental stability of a person that feels a need to wear a gun around? I mean unless you're a cop or something?
Just that they want to do it should raise a lot of red flags right there.
Many have an inferiority complex and they want to feel like they are "equal" to others as one of our fabulous gun nuts recently explained to me here on DP.
Carrying a gun makes them feel powerful and equal to others.

Guns are tools. I don't bring one to Lowes when I go to buy wood screws or when I take my wife out to dinner because I don't plan on shooting anything, and I don't bring my roofing hammer because i am not planning to pound any nails, and I don't bring my chainsaw because I don't plan on cutting wood.

Most people that do bring guns to places like that (not counting law enforcement) are just playing dress up because they think it makes them look cool. Either that or they are shaking in their boots scared of the world around them.

Either way it's sad.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

If these people really cared about the emotional manipulation they were engaged in they would be far more interested in banning all pools and public access to swimming facilities

And it BEGINS.

 

[CLAX1911]

Totally natural to feel that way, you cant help wondering if it will go from "good guy with a gun" to rampaging lunatic in a matter of a split second, happens ALL THE TIME in the Gun Nut Nayshun unfortunately.

So the point is stay away from the person with the gun well good that's why people carry them. They want people that would otherwise do them harm to stay away that's the whole point. That's actually a function of carrying a firearm if people stay away from him he is using the firearm to keep people away from him.

That's its proper use in that situation.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

They want people that would otherwise do them harm to stay away

I can see where a timid type of person could think that way I guess, but the reasonable folks will want to "stay away" from you, the "bad guys" really won't care that you're openly armed they'll just shoot you first. And take your gun. (Thats how these things go down!)

 

[Rucker61]

And it BEGINS.

What doesn't seem to be beginning is your willingness or ability to answer a direct question:

Do you have data on how often a child-age bystander has been shot accidently by a CCW holder?

 

[CLAX1911]

Guns are tools. I don't bring one to Lowes when I go to buy wood screws or when I take my wife out to dinner because I don't plan on shooting anything, and I don't bring my roofing hammer because i am not planning to pound any nails, and I don't bring my chainsaw because I don't plan on cutting wood.

Well no guns are weapons. I carry one when I go to Lowe's or when I take my partner out for dinner because I don't intend on shooting anyone. But because I will if his or my life is threatened.

It is a privilege you have to be able to go anywhere you want without your life being threatened I simply do not have that privilege.

Most people that do bring guns to places like that (not counting law enforcement) are just playing dress up because they think it makes them look cool.

Not really I carry mine concealed and hope that people don't know it's there.

Why do you make an exception for law enforcement why are they allowed to defend themselves but someone who you think is doing it to look cool isn't?

You do understand why a police officer carries a gun right?

Either that or they are shaking in their boots scared of the world around them.

Well I carry a fire extinguisher in my car hoping I never use it I'm not shaking in my boots because I want to be able to successfully fight a fire if I need to. Any kind of preparedness can be translated by someone who refuses to prepare in that way as fear. But a lot of fear is merited if we're going to go with this meaning of the word fear. In my job I wear steel toe boots I've never dropped anything on my toe but it's for that time that that could possibly happen it's there to stop something from destroying my foot.

That's what any form of protection you can think of is for.

Either way it's sad.

I won't tell you how to feel about it. It just doesn't matter to me if you feel sad because of it if you're sad that I carry a fire extinguisher in my truck I'm not going to stop carrying it because you feel sad. How many vehicle fires have you witnessed I've witnessed a couple and if I'm there with the fire extinguisher I might be able to save a life. I think it's sad that you wouldn't.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

What doesn't seem to be beginning is your willingness or ability to answer a direct question:

Do you have data on how often a child-age bystander has been shot accidently by a CCW holder?

Why do you include the qualifier of "ccw holder"?

I'll tell ya what. I'll answer your question.

But you have to have a good poster ask me.