Perma-Posting a Facebook response: Why I own guns
Quoth an anti-gun bozo on Faceplant: "But that’s why you have the guns, no? Protection from the scary government"
Only as a last resort. Here's why I own guns:
I realized I'd gone over the line from "accumulator" to "collector" when I picked up the fourth one of the same type, to round out a set.
My collection includes historical reproductions from 14th Century through US Civil War, as well as firearms with designs going back to the 1890s.
I am a target shooter, ranging from paper targets to trap and skeet. And have been known to put out a hundred-yard aiming stake to zero my Coehorn mortar. For about 20 years, I belonged to an organization that does rapid-fire target-shooting competitions in Civil War uniforms, with muskets and Minie' balls.
I have guns in the house, for home defense. I also carry a gun, where legal, for self-defense. My rationale on that, goes as follows: Balance the hassle of carrying (mostly weight, but also including permit paperwork), against a combination of the odds that I'd need it, and how much it would suck not to have it. This is also why I have fire extinguishers and smoke / CO alarms on all floors of my house, fire extinguisher in my car, and first aid kits everywhere, including on me. First aid equipment goes up to, and includes, an AED.
Now, since the vast majority of homicide victims in the US are, themselves, criminals, I have an amusing paradox. In order to remain eligible for my permits, and pass background checks to buy guns, I have to keep my own nose clean. This considerably reduces the odds that I'll NEED to use the gun, since I'm avoiding sketchy places and sketchy people, and not doing sketchy shit.
Of lower odds, but still part of the reason I own guns: My area has a known gang problem. It is also possible, although less likely than elsewhere (our County Police are better than average) that someone might shoot someone and touch off riots. Of course, since the largest non-white ethnicity in my vicinity is Korean shopkeepers, this might go badly for the rioters (see LA Riots, "Roof Koreans"). There is also the possibility that some extremists, be they KKK / Nazi, or Antifa / Anarchassholes, might kick up their heels.
Then, there's natural disasters n stuff. My phone popped a flood alert during dinner (I'm in my County's Community Emergency Response Team). What do you do when shit happens, you dial 911, and they either (a) don't answer, or (b) say "We're kinda busy, we'll get to you in a day or two."? That isn't just emergency services, the cops can't get to you either.
People freak out about stuff like 9/11, Katrina, riots, and whatnot. For me, that's just the world living down to my expectations.
Finally, yes, we have an incompetent, authoritarian moron with the attention span of a toddler on meth, in the White House.
Freedom rests on a foundation supported by four boxes: Soap Box, Ballot Box, Jury Box, and Cartridge Box. I wouldn't want to open the fourth (and it IS a last resort), but shit happens. Hopefully, if Trump declares himself Dictator for Life, SecDef Mattis will shoot him on the spot. If not, I'm ready. [DW Original]
Only as a last resort. Here's why I own guns:
I realized I'd gone over the line from "accumulator" to "collector" when I picked up the fourth one of the same type, to round out a set.
My collection includes historical reproductions from 14th Century through US Civil War, as well as firearms with designs going back to the 1890s.
I am a target shooter, ranging from paper targets to trap and skeet. And have been known to put out a hundred-yard aiming stake to zero my Coehorn mortar. For about 20 years, I belonged to an organization that does rapid-fire target-shooting competitions in Civil War uniforms, with muskets and Minie' balls.
I have guns in the house, for home defense. I also carry a gun, where legal, for self-defense. My rationale on that, goes as follows: Balance the hassle of carrying (mostly weight, but also including permit paperwork), against a combination of the odds that I'd need it, and how much it would suck not to have it. This is also why I have fire extinguishers and smoke / CO alarms on all floors of my house, fire extinguisher in my car, and first aid kits everywhere, including on me. First aid equipment goes up to, and includes, an AED.
Now, since the vast majority of homicide victims in the US are, themselves, criminals, I have an amusing paradox. In order to remain eligible for my permits, and pass background checks to buy guns, I have to keep my own nose clean. This considerably reduces the odds that I'll NEED to use the gun, since I'm avoiding sketchy places and sketchy people, and not doing sketchy shit.
Of lower odds, but still part of the reason I own guns: My area has a known gang problem. It is also possible, although less likely than elsewhere (our County Police are better than average) that someone might shoot someone and touch off riots. Of course, since the largest non-white ethnicity in my vicinity is Korean shopkeepers, this might go badly for the rioters (see LA Riots, "Roof Koreans"). There is also the possibility that some extremists, be they KKK / Nazi, or Antifa / Anarchassholes, might kick up their heels.
Then, there's natural disasters n stuff. My phone popped a flood alert during dinner (I'm in my County's Community Emergency Response Team). What do you do when shit happens, you dial 911, and they either (a) don't answer, or (b) say "We're kinda busy, we'll get to you in a day or two."? That isn't just emergency services, the cops can't get to you either.
People freak out about stuff like 9/11, Katrina, riots, and whatnot. For me, that's just the world living down to my expectations.
Finally, yes, we have an incompetent, authoritarian moron with the attention span of a toddler on meth, in the White House.
Freedom rests on a foundation supported by four boxes: Soap Box, Ballot Box, Jury Box, and Cartridge Box. I wouldn't want to open the fourth (and it IS a last resort), but shit happens. Hopefully, if Trump declares himself Dictator for Life, SecDef Mattis will shoot him on the spot. If not, I'm ready. [DW Original]