Psychology of Gun owners

[McClaud]

how much the dollar is degrading.

The dollar is not "degrading." Stop using that as an excuse.

The dollar has lost value, but it is far from being a reason for the nation to collapse.

 

[The Bandit]

Self-defense. What more reason do you need? If a guy breaks into my house (and I don't care if he's holding a legal gun, an illegal gun, a knife, a chainsaw, or a block of wood) I want to be able to defend myself.

 

[Bobzer77]

We use them to go hunting or shoot targets. It relives stress the same way shooting pool

You shoot pool?!?

Now if that isn't gun control gone wild I don't know what is!

; )

 

[Skeleon]

As an outsider, my view might be oversimplified, but...
I think they are taught to fear everything and everybody, including their government, their neighbours, their countrymen.
And the idea behind it, is to make bank.
I've seen a lot of American news shows and it's amazing how sensational and fearmongering they are, compared to the news shows I usually get to see here in Germany.

 

[Daveman]

Most of the time, the Good guys will also have guns, but are more reluctant to use it, or use it only when necessary or use it only as a deterrent.

what, like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLIOtBLqoU&NR=1

we in britain think the best of people and dont think that absolutely anybody who breaks into your house definitely wants to kill you. you guys clearly smoke too much dope cause you're all so paranoid.

I'm so fucking superior! lol

 

[gremily]

Go to Youtube and look at Nutnfancy's channel. If you look at some his videos he explains the importance of owning, understanding, and using firearms.

HURRAY FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT!

 

[Pletch]

I also live in california, but my immediate family doesn't own guns. I do enjoy shooting them when I get the opportunity, but I definitely don't agree that they are a necessary deterrent to the governments abuse of power. People need to remember that our government in the U.S. isn't just one giant entity (despite all of the conspiracy theories) It already has it's system to keep itself in check, the division of powers, impeachment, blah blah blah. Also, any civilian revolt against the government is doomed to fail. They have very extensive resources. Unless the military revolts, all you can really achieve is a bunch of death before it's put down. Sure I enjoy using guns, but I do believe the world would be safer without them.

Also, I lived in a small town, about 60,000 people, just the suburbs. When people there had a gun "for security" it seemed like a joke. So maybe I just can't understand why people want to own them for protection.

 

[Aitruis]

On the government side of things, all the people who have spoken about the government not being able to completely sack your rights if you bear arms are absolutely correct. People with all the money and power can do many things, but if your entire populace is armed and you're trying to screw them, the oppressive silliness won't last long.

Personally, if my state or the US enacted total gun control, I would instantly become a criminal. I refuse to allow anyone to take away my basic right to defend my family.

On the other side of things, I wholly believe in partial gun control. There is no reason I can possibly think of why a civilian needs to own military grade assault rifles. That's going way beyond the scope of home defense. I mean, I'm not talking about an off the shelf AR-15, I'm speaking of a pimped-out, switched to full auto assault rifle with more military hardware than the actual military uses. It's just not necessary.

 

[McClaud]

Pletch:

Live in Chicago.

You'll see why some people want to own guns for safety.

Again, different location, different mindset - in both the criminals and the regular people.

 

[DeathWyrmNexus]

Here is the thing. The worst lesson about Cinderella is that if your life is bad, somebody else will fix it for you. Thinking people realize that you are responsible for your own life. Now while I like cops, met some nice ones, and the idea of cops, I've met enough bad ones to not make me want to rely on them entirely for my own defense. So if I can defend myself, I save the cops from having to clean up my body. They can just haul what is left of the asshole who broke in.

Best possible scenario is that I hold the guy at gunpoint and summon the cops. See, cops mostly exist as a deterrent and as a clean up. The deterrent obvious doesn't work that much since cops aren't omnipresent and usually show up After a crime has started. This seems a bit late for my tastes to have a solution. A criminal does Not deserve anything I own and threatens my safety just by being there. So I want the strongest yet most reasonable defense possible.

I currently don't own a gun simply due to money issues and lack of training. No need to shoot my toe off when I have a perfectly good sword. However, I am sympathetic to gun owners since the gun nuts I know happen to be the most responsible folks I know.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Honestly when it comes down to it, People want their guns because they want to be free enough to do so. In order to take guns away you have to be in a position where you can actually take them away. The majority of Americans(Including myself) would go absolutely berserk if our government showed what they really think by taking them away. Humans want to be free, and true freedom is having the option to do the wrong thing, not that we should or even want to.

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have. "
Apparently Gerald Ford said that and not Thomas Jefferson but you never know any more eh?

It's not very often someone says something quite so intelligent in their first (and as of yet, only) post. This is why I like the Escapist. It attracts people like this.

I have to agree with you here.

 

[The Bandit]

Most of the time, the Good guys will also have guns, but are more reluctant to use it, or use it only when necessary or use it only as a deterrent.

what, like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLIOtBLqoU&NR=1

we in britain think the best of people and dont think that absolutely anybody who breaks into your house definitely wants to kill you. you guys clearly smoke too much dope cause you're all so paranoid.

I'm so fucking superior! lol

Congratulations, you're a moron.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

Personally, I've never owned a gun in my life (I don't think the M-16s the Air Force made me fire count; I only did that, like, three times in four years). I'm on the verge of landing my first post-graduation job, and while I'm looking forward to it, it doesn't actually pay that well, which means I'll probably end up living in a not-so-great neighborhood in a state where I don't know anyone. So for the last day or two, I've been reading up on home defense shotguns--maybe I won't actually buy one, but I do like having the option.

 

[Treblaine]

Humans don't have claws, big/sharp teeth nor are even can run particularly fast. We have always depended on tools as weapons, Homo Sapiens evolved from Homo Erectus who used spears to hunt and would have died out without them. We evolved completely dependant on weapons for our survival, it is built into our DNA. It is as natural as clothing to us. People are quite right to laugh at naturists but someone goes about banning weapons...

It is natural for humans to want tools and weapons and that includes the best weapons you can get a hold of (including consideration to law), it used to be a rapier on your belt (with a Buckler shield is origin of the word "swashbuckling"), which nowadays would be firearms and eventually it will be laser guns.

It's human to want a gun.

 

[Venatio]

Gun laws are overated,

Just watch Penn and Teller on Gun Laws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCXtfR0_roE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtqufzEFCzw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoIKlO20RqM&feature=related

2) ... a person who's fat/weak/small etc cannot take on a regular person in a fist/knife fight.

Theres no such thing as an actual knife fight, thats an oxymoron. You go up to a guy stab him and put him down. Its not a fight its survival.

Go here for more info:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifefighter.html

It may seem stupid to refer to sources but really they help to put things into perspective.

 

[El Dingo]

12. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved.

I absolutely love this one here, mate.

I think there are numerous reasons why people enjoy their right to exercise their freedoms and rights concerning guns, one of which is probably the same reason we here all enjoy exercising our right to freedom of speech all the time. You look around these forums, and people are constantly pushing the boundaries of that little freedom.

I'm a gun owner and greatly enjoy shooting. I use my guns primarily for defense (Professionally and privately) and, in fact, JUST got back from the range. I work security in a casino in Las Vegas. I get to see normal people, good people, and bad people on a daily basis. From everything I've seen, I've come to one basic conclusion:

It's better to have something and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

I'd love for a world where there is no war, no violence, no need for weapons of any kind. Sadly, this world will never exist, no matter how hard we try and force it by removing guns. Guns are only a single type of weapon designed for killing.

Let's say they DO remove all guns in America (And for some reason everyone is fine with it...), and are actually able to prevent ALL guns from entering the states. No one has guns, good guys or bad guys. Is it really going to be any safer when they come after you with a knife? A chain? A baseball bat? If someone wants to kill, they will find a way to do it. Guns do NOT kill people. People kill people (Excluding all jokes based off that phrase, of course.).

If you make guns illegal, because they are dangerous and kill/harm people, then you also need to make all, swords, bows, and martial arts illegal too. Each of those items were designed with the sole purpose of harming/killing people. Seems kind of silly to outlaw martial arts, when so many of us have our children learning it. So why do we allow it? Because we teach discipline with it. Only use it when you have no other choice. Only use as much of it as is necessary. Are there still people that learn it and use it to intentionally harm others? You better believe it.

We carry arms today for the same reasons we carried arms during the founding of this great nation. For peace of mind in knowing that if someone were to try and cause harm to ourselves or our loved ones, we will be able to fight back and defend ourselves.

Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

There are still plenty of people who don't own gun for defense though. The hunters and the hobbyists. But I guarantee you, if their wife/husband/children/loved ones were to come under attack and their lives threatened, they would use what they've learned with their weapons to protect them.

Some of you folk live in nice neighborhoods, nice towns, nice areas of the country where there is no crime. No 'need' for defense. That's absolutely great! I'd like to know where those places are, cause I'd want to move there. But if you think there's no real 'need' for guns there, then talk to you local police department and ask them to give up all of their guns and listen to what they have to say about how safe seemingly safe communities really are.

Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

If you don't want to carry a weapon, that's entirely up to you. One of the great things about this nation is our freedoms. We are free to carry guns, or not carry guns as it pleases us. I don't want to force a gun into your hands, but at the same time, I don't want anyone forcing the gun OUT of mine.

And in case I haven't emphasized my main point here enough, here it is, one last time:

Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

 

[Daveman]

Most of the time, the Good guys will also have guns, but are more reluctant to use it, or use it only when necessary or use it only as a deterrent.

what, like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLIOtBLqoU&NR=1

we in britain think the best of people and dont think that absolutely anybody who breaks into your house definitely wants to kill you. you guys clearly smoke too much dope cause you're all so paranoid.

I'm so fucking superior! lol

Congratulations, you're a moron.

Congratulations, you can't take a joke OR come up with anything better than "Congratulations, you're a moron". I think we both deserve prizes.

 

[Akai Shizuku]

I hate guns. If I could, I would exterminate them from the planet. But I can't, and they're here, and the bad guys are going to get them. So, I want one to be able to protect myself from them. Laws to restrict them have no effect on those who already intend to break laws. The police are not some omnipresent force which will always be there to protect you. Someone needs to call them. You might not have a phone. If they are called, they will take time to get there, and even then they still might not be able to protect you.

That is why I promote unrestricted (but not unregulated) civilian ownership and carrying of firearms and other weapons. The police will not always be there to protect you, and even if they are there you can't always count on them no matter how well they're trained. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

 

[FiveSpeedf150]

On the government side of things, all the people who have spoken about the government not being able to completely sack your rights if you bear arms are absolutely correct. People with all the money and power can do many things, but if your entire populace is armed and you're trying to screw them, the oppressive silliness won't last long.

Personally, if my state or the US enacted total gun control, I would instantly become a criminal. I refuse to allow anyone to take away my basic right to defend my family.

On the other side of things, I wholly believe in partial gun control. There is no reason I can possibly think of why a civilian needs to own military grade assault rifles. That's going way beyond the scope of home defense. I mean, I'm not talking about an off the shelf AR-15, I'm speaking of a pimped-out, switched to full auto assault rifle with more military hardware than the actual military uses. It's just not necessary.

What kind of commie-speak is this?

Since when does necessary have anything to do with it? A gun is a gun is a gun.

 

[Akai Shizuku]

12. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved.

I absolutely love this one here, mate.

I think there are numerous reasons why people enjoy their right to exercise their freedoms and rights concerning guns, one of which is probably the same reason we here all enjoy exercising our right to freedom of speech all the time. You look around these forums, and people are constantly pushing the boundaries of that little freedom.

I'm a gun owner and greatly enjoy shooting. I use my guns primarily for defense (Professionally and privately) and, in fact, JUST got back from the range. I work security in a casino in Las Vegas. I get to see normal people, good people, and bad people on a daily basis. From everything I've seen, I've come to one basic conclusion:

It's better to have something and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

I'd love for a world where there is no war, no violence, no need for weapons of any kind. Sadly, this world will never exist, no matter how hard we try and force it by removing guns. Guns are only a single type of weapon designed for killing.

Let's say they DO remove all guns in America (And for some reason everyone is fine with it...), and are actually able to prevent ALL guns from entering the states. No one has guns, good guys or bad guys. Is it really going to be any safer when they come after you with a knife? A chain? A baseball bat? If someone wants to kill, they will find a way to do it. Guns do NOT kill people. People kill people (Excluding all jokes based off that phrase, of course.).

If you make guns illegal, because they are dangerous and kill/harm people, then you also need to make all, swords, bows, and martial arts illegal too. Each of those items were designed with the sole purpose of harming/killing people. Seems kind of silly to outlaw martial arts, when so many of us have our children learning it. So why do we allow it? Because we teach discipline with it. Only use it when you have no other choice. Only use as much of it as is necessary. Are there still people that learn it and use it to intentionally harm others? You better believe it.

We carry arms today for the same reasons we carried arms during the founding of this great nation. For peace of mind in knowing that if someone were to try and cause harm to ourselves or our loved ones, we will be able to fight back and defend ourselves.

Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

There are still plenty of people who don't own gun for defense though. The hunters and the hobbyists. But I guarantee you, if their wife/husband/children/loved ones were to come under attack and their lives threatened, they would use what they've learned with their weapons to protect them.

Some of you folk live in nice neighborhoods, nice towns, nice areas of the country where there is no crime. No 'need' for defense. That's absolutely great! I'd like to know where those places are, cause I'd want to move there. But if you think there's no real 'need' for guns there, then talk to you local police department and ask them to give up all of their guns and listen to what they have to say about how safe seemingly safe communities really are.

Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

If you don't want to carry a weapon, that's entirely up to you. One of the great things about this nation is our freedoms. We are free to carry guns, or not carry guns as it pleases us. I don't want to force a gun into your hands, but at the same time, I don't want anyone forcing the gun OUT of mine.

And in case I haven't emphasized my main point here enough, here it is, one last time:

Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

Thank you for this explanation. I have little to say or contribute in this post except that I agree entirely and I wish you well.