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Guns, The First and Last of a Series
Guns, The First and Last of a Series Don't Try Read This - Check the first comment. The Gun Owner's Mind This entry will serve as the finale the firearm extravaganza I've written over the past few weeks. It's intended provide a bit of illumination into the minds of gun owners, which may be helpful for those who don't live abroad or believe we buy guns in order to stoke the evil in our hearts. By now, you know I like to deal in facts, so I'll start with some additional statistics relevant to this discussion. According to a 2019 Pew Research poll, 44% of Americans say they either own a gun or live with someone who does. Among those who own guns, 66% report owning more than one gun, with 29% owning more than five guns. 32% admit to providing a lower number to reflect what they've told their wives. I may have made that last one up. At 67%, protection is the number one motivation for gun ownership, followed by hunting (38, sport shooting (30, gun collecting (13, and because it's required for their job (8. The piece of data that I think brings illumination into the mind of a gun owner is that roughly half grew up with guns in their household. I know a lot of folks that fall into this category, including myself. My grandfather had guns and he taught me how to shoot at an early age. He had a lever action 22 rifle (which is now in my safe) and we'd go shoot cans on his property. It was a lot of fun, learning how to aim, properly pull the trigger, and satisfying when you hit what you were aiming at. He heavily stressed gun safety, along with being responsible and cleaning your gun immediately after you were done. How Gun Owners See Firearms This is the meat and potatoes that I think is important for those not familiar with guns to read. There is one important concept the reader needs to if not grasp, recognize. Most of us who own guns find shooting them to be enjoyable. Yesterday, I grabbed a couple of guns and went to my club. It was both relaxing and rewarding to put four bullets through the same hole at one hundred yards. Once I'm fully vaccinated, I'll begin competing again. If you read my original entry where I outline that decision, you already know I did it for the social aspect as much as the shooting itself. In order to drive my point home, I'll share one additional experience for those who still think we're nuts for enjoying these death machines. A few of the women I've dated, including my now ex-wife, were hardcore anti gun liberals. They didn't want anyone to have a gun, particularly an evil AR-15. In each of those instances, I offered to take them shooting, so they could experience the AR-15's dearth of evil for themselves. All took me up on the offer (partially because they knew I would have dumped them had they not) and said roughly the same thing to me: When can we go again? Shooting is fun, people! As an ambassador for gun owners everywhere, I'm willing to make the same offer to any other attractive women who've never been shooting and want to sleep with me. Recognizing shooting as a legitimate and non-evil hobby brings us that much closer to a meeting of the minds. With that established, it wouldn't be unreasonable for those in that hobby to want a variety of guns to enjoy. Guns are typically at a median price point where you won't bankrupt yourself for acquiring more than one; $800-$1,500. But prices run across an entire spectrum. The least expensive gun I own is a Russian Makarov I bought when they first became available in the US. I bought it because 'first Russian gun you can buy in the US and it's only $0'. That gun is worth $550 now, which illustrates another point; you'll almost never lose on one. You can spend a whole lot more, obviously. A custom 19 can set you back up $8k and taken sixty steps further, a pair of shotguns built by Holland and Holland can set you back close half a million dollars. They'd better come with a concierge blowjob service for that . If you grew up with guns, you may have also inherited a few that live in your safe, such as the 22 lever action rifle I mentioned above or the 32 caliber revolver that my great great grandfather carried as a constable. Those can add up as well. Touching on owning a gun for protection, I think I'm similar to others in that I consider such as gun to be a tool. Along with the vast majority who own guns for protection, I didn't make the decision from an imminent threat, rather something to have in case it's needed. Unless we live in a certain type of neighborhood or are employed in a high risk job, we recognize the need to utilize that tool to be infinitesimally small. However, just like a flashlight or fire extinguisher, it's there if we find ourselves in a situation where that type of tool is required. At the risk of another digression, let me address a common misperception / belief that many non-gun owners have about law enforcement. Specifically, that only law enforcement (LE) is properly trained and should therefore be the only ones to carry guns. In my experience, and that of many other shooters I know, LE as a whole is comically unskilled, when it comes to firearm capability and safety. According to a friend of mine, one of the favorite past times for local shooters is to go to a particular indoor range when the Overland Park PD is about to requalify with their handguns. Just don't be in the same room, because you'll see the cops put bullets into the floor, through the ceiling, and everywhere else, save the target they were supposed to be shooting. When I was actively competing, I also served as the range safety officer for the squad I was with. I only ever had to disqualify shooters for unsafe gun handling. One accidentally put a round into the dirt midway between the of us (which was about 18") and the other swept my chest with a loaded gun, when they turned the wrong way during a stage (closest I've ever come shitting my pants). What they had in common was, you guessed it, both were LE. Hopefully, that answers the most common questions those of us who own guns: Why do you own guns? Do you really need a gun? Why do you feel the need have so many guns? I've done my best be a good ambassador and provide some insight those who the concept of owning guns may be alien or unsettling. Culture of Fear Perhaps I've cleared up a few misconceptions, but the media and libs continue stoke the fear of guns. Today provides a perfect example. CNN is reporting that there have been TWENTY mass shootings between the time of the Atlanta spa killings and yesterday, when a gunman killed four in Los Angeles. (I obviously wrote this a few days ago.) Holy shit! There really is an epidemic! Except CNN is manipulating the numbers to make a more sensational story. As I noted in my other entries on the topic, the FBI / Federal Government defines a mass shooting as an event that claimed four or more lives. Mother Jones uses a lower threshold of deaths. However, CNN considers a mass shooting be one that has a total of four deaths or wounded. Others don't use the number of wounded specifically because of how broad the definition can be. Taking a small bullet fragment into your leg doesn't do anything but hurt (been there, done that), but it still counts as a wound. In other words, I could fire a few rounds into the sidewalk of a crowded street and it would be considered a mass shooting by CNN, due to bullet fragments finding people's legs. Worth noting is that the Mother Jones database doesn't list any mass shootings during the same period CNN claims twenty took place. One could argue that the right has stoked fear among gun owners over civil unrest and the government coming for their guns, causing them to buy and hoard everything they can get their hands on. One could just as easily argue the left has done the same thing. This is one area in which I'll admit to being biased. To me, having a sufficient firepower to deal with as many zombies that come my way is called being properly prepared. Wrapping Up Throughout this series, I've done my best to be an ambassador for my fellow gun owners. Hopefully, readers no longer view owning firearms, particularly multiples, as some sort of aberrant behavior. That owning multiple guns makes one even more dangerous to society. I'm tired of being demonized by the left because they want an easy villain, instead of taking action against the real problems. There's no way the libs can't recognize taking away guns will only cause more people to want them. However, most Americans don't have the attention span to digest complex social issues. They want someone or something to blame and government to make it go away. Thanks for making it through the long slog on the gun topic. I hope you consider the time you spent reading these entries to have some value. |
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The Gun Owner's Mind This entry will serve as the finale to the firearm extravaganza I've written over the past few weeks. It's intended to provide a bit of illumination into the minds of gun owners, which may be helpful for those who don't live abroad or believe we buy guns in order to stoke the evil in our hearts. By now, you know I like to deal in facts, so I'll start with some additional statistics relevant to this discussion. According to a 2019 Pew Research poll, 44% of Americans say they either own a gun or live with someone who does. Among those who own guns, 66% report owning more than one gun, with 29% owning more than five guns. 32% admit to providing a lower number to reflect what they've told their wives. I may have made that last one up. At 67%, protection is the number one motivation for gun ownership, followed by hunting (38, sport shooting (30, gun collecting (13, and because it's required for their job (8. The piece of data that I think brings illumination into the mind of a gun owner is that roughly half grew up with guns in their household. I know a lot of folks that fall into this category, including myself. My grandfather had guns and he taught me how to shoot at an early age. He had a lever action 22 rifle (which is now in my safe) and we'd go shoot cans on his property. It was a lot of fun, learning how to aim, properly pull the trigger, and satisfying when you hit what you were aiming at. He heavily stressed gun safety, along with being responsible and cleaning your gun immediately after you were done. How Gun Owners See Firearms This is the meat and potatoes that I think is important for those not familiar with guns to read. There is one important concept the reader needs to if not grasp, recognize. Most of us who own guns find shooting them to be enjoyable. Yesterday, I grabbed a couple of guns and went to my club. It was both relaxing and rewarding to put four bullets through the same hole at one hundred yards. Once I'm fully vaccinated, I'll begin competing again. If you read my original entry where I outline that decision, you already know I did it for the social aspect as much as the shooting itself. In order to drive my point home, I'll share one additional experience for those who still think we're nuts for enjoying these death machines. A few of the women I've dated, including my now ex-wife, were hardcore anti gun liberals. They didn't want anyone to have a gun, particularly an evil AR-15. In each of those instances, I offered to take them shooting, so they could experience the AR-15's dearth of evil for themselves. All took me up on the offer (partially because they knew I would have dumped them had they not) and said roughly the same thing to me: When can we go again? Shooting is fun, people! As an ambassador for gun owners everywhere, I'm willing to make the same offer to any other attractive women who've never been shooting and want to sleep with me. Recognizing shooting as a legitimate and non-evil hobby brings us that much closer to a meeting of the minds. With that established, it wouldn't be unreasonable for those in that hobby to want a variety of guns to enjoy. Guns are typically at a median price point where you won't bankrupt yourself for acquiring more than one; $800-$1,500. But prices run across an entire spectrum. The least expensive gun I own is a Russian Makarov I bought when they first became available in the US. I bought it because 'first Russian gun you can buy in the US and it's only $100'. That gun is worth $550 now, which illustrates another point; you'll almost never lose money on one. You can spend a whole lot more, obviously. A custom 1911 can set you back up to $8k and taken sixty steps further, a pair of shotguns built by Holland and Holland can set you back close to half a million dollars. They'd better come with a concierge blowjob service for that money. If you grew up with guns, you may have also inherited a few that live in your safe, such as the 22 lever action rifle I mentioned above or the 32 caliber revolver that my great great grandfather carried as a constable. Those can add up as well. Touching on owning a gun for protection, I think I'm similar to others in that I consider such as gun to be a tool. Along with the vast majority who own guns for protection, I didn't make the decision from an imminent threat, rather something to have in case it's needed. Unless we live in a certain type of neighborhood or are employed in a high risk job, we recognize the need to utilize that tool to be infinitesimally small. However, just like a flashlight or fire extinguisher, it's there if we find ourselves in a situation where that type of tool is required. At the risk of another digression, let me address a common misperception / belief that many non-gun owners have about law enforcement. Specifically, that only law enforcement (LE) is properly trained and should therefore be the only ones to carry guns. In my experience, and that of many other shooters I know, LE as a whole is comically unskilled, when it comes to firearm capability and safety. According to a friend of mine, one of the favorite past times for local shooters is to go to a particular indoor range when the Overland Park PD is about to requalify with their handguns. Just don't be in the same room, because you'll see the cops put bullets into the floor, through the ceiling, and everywhere else, save the target they were supposed to be shooting. When I was actively competing, I also served as the range safety officer for the squad I was with. I only ever had to disqualify two shooters for unsafe gun handling. One accidentally put a round into the dirt midway between the two of us (which was about 18") and the other swept my chest with a loaded gun, when they turned the wrong way during a stage (closest I've ever come to shitting my pants). What they had in common was, you guessed it, both were LE. Hopefully, that answers the three most common questions to those of us who own guns: Why do you own guns? Do you really need a gun? Why do you feel the need to have so many guns? I've done my best to be a good ambassador and provide some insight to those who the concept of owning guns may be alien or unsettling. Culture of Fear Perhaps I've cleared up a few misconceptions, but the media and libs continue to stoke the fear of guns. Today provides a perfect example. CNN is reporting that there have been TWENTY mass shootings between the time of the Atlanta spa killings and yesterday, when a gunman killed four in Los Angeles. (I obviously wrote this a few days ago.) Holy shit! There really is an epidemic! Except CNN is manipulating the numbers to make a more sensational story. As I noted in my other entries on the topic, the FBI / Federal Government defines a mass shooting as an event that claimed four or more lives. Mother Jones uses a lower threshold of three deaths. However, CNN considers a mass shooting to be one that has a total of four deaths or wounded. Others don't use the number of wounded specifically because of how broad the definition can be. Taking a small bullet fragment into your leg doesn't do anything but hurt (been there, done that), but it still counts as a wound. In other words, I could fire a few rounds into the sidewalk of a crowded street and it would be considered a mass shooting by CNN, due to bullet fragments finding people's legs. Worth noting is that the Mother Jones database doesn't list any mass shootings during the same period CNN claims twenty took place. One could argue that the right has stoked fear among gun owners over civil unrest and the government coming for their guns, causing them to buy and hoard everything they can get their hands on. One could just as easily argue the left has done the same thing. This is one area in which I'll admit to being biased. To me, having a sufficient firepower to deal with as many zombies that come my way is called being properly prepared. Wrapping Up Throughout this series, I've done my best to be an ambassador for my fellow gun owners. Hopefully, readers no longer view owning firearms, particularly multiples, as some sort of aberrant behavior. That owning multiple guns makes one even more dangerous to society. I'm tired of being demonized by the left because they want an easy villain, instead of taking action against the real problems. There's no way the libs can't recognize taking away guns will only cause more people to want them. However, most Americans don't have the attention span to digest complex social issues. They want someone or something to blame and government to make it go away. Thanks for making it through the long slog on the gun topic. I hope you consider the time you spent reading these entries to have some value.
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The stupid emojis are supposed to be percent signs. Because no on can communicate like an intelligent human anymore.
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4/5/2021 6:09 pm |
I don't know what the answers are to the mass shootings. More people are killed each year by drunk drivers but liberals would balk at banning cars or alcohol just because a few nuckleheads abuse them. Going to the local range and shooting our handguns is a favorite hobby of my wife and I.
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great job on this blog excellent writing
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Guns, their ownership, justification, rights and legitimisation... is a very American thing and one, the REST of the planet just doesn't fucking get; no matter HOW one paints or tilts and splashes history, or that twisted 'Amendment'. But, you've backed yourselves into a position where ya mighta's well get the latest AK-40. For fucks sake — your neighbour just bought one. Ya never know when ya might wanna shoot a rabid squirrel. Yep. It's what it is — in YOUR part of the world. It's all good. 👍 ... is there another way to look at it Going Too Fucking Far NEW Blog Features RevealeD O O A Foolproof Method Posted Over on that NEW site O O
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I fall into that 29% owning more than 5 guns...and at one point that 8% because it was required for my job. Even though I no longer fall into that 8%, I'm not giving up my guns. I'll be keeping the crossbow as well.
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Another well put together discussion McMid. Unfortunately I can't agree with much of what you say, but your reason is apparent throughout. Well done. The post about gun ownership and suicides is here: Gun deaths . I also read an article, think it was in the Guardian, about the success rates in attempted suicides relative to methods, and the difference between a true attempt at ending life and a cry for help. I can't find it unfortunately, but I do remember the figures being stark. I'm not sure I got my point across about fear culture in the US. By that I mean the fear the average person has that the person approaching them is doing so with criminal intent, possibly life-threatening. This seems in my own experience to be the single main reason your average person carries a handgun, but it seems to be almost completely without any basis in truth. My own view is that it is the right which has perpetuated this view, as evidenced by Mr Graham and his assertion that there are armed gangs roaming the street with intent to kill and steal property. I keep coming back to the fundamental question - why? I get the recreational interest, I understand the reasons for the origins of gun culture and its basis in pop culture, I just don't think gun ownership is an essential part of every day life in a modern forward thinking society. To close, thank you again for the reasonable and open discussion, and for not closing me down or dismissing me in anger. Very refreshing!
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ps - if you leave a space between the % and the ) it won't read an emoji........really annoying all the same! I think L and ) do something similar - - and there are a couple of others I've seen before.
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I also fall in the 29 % ! I also do Competitive Shooting in two different forms of Cowboy Shooting !! Without giving too much detail ; My favorite is my original condition 1893 rifle that is still in shooting condition and used in competition !!
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Forgot too say that Your Blog is Very Well Written !!!
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