Controversial...

[amandasw]

discuss.



(someone posted on fb)

[jennlin]

i totally agree!!! i'm 100%* for guns. if someone wants to own one, DO SO! but it needs to be better regulated. when we bought our gun, i was SHOCKED at how easy the process was. it's ridiculous.

i did tell my h that he wasn't allowed to own a gun, though, unless we both took gun-safety classes..and we did..but that was a wife-regulated, not state-regulated.

[Deleted]

I'm totally against guns, even with regulation. I've never shot a gun nor do I ever care to. I told h if he ever even thinks about bringing a gun into this house it better be because he's stopping by on his way out to pick up his things.

[Deleted]

I personally think the interpretation of the 2nd amendment is beyond ridiculous and what was intended by our forefathers. They probably barely imagined something that shot accurately and could shoot more than one bullet without reloading, let alone automatic assault rifles. I don't think the 2nd amendment guarantees you the access to semi or fully automatic weapons. There is NO legitimate reason to have them!

If you want a rifle or handgun, fine...but the ease with which you can achieve those and the poor regulation makes me ill. For fuck's sake, we have more stringent laws on fucking pseudo-epinephrine!!! And how many people are seriously killed/injured from Sudafed compared to guns per day (and I'm considering those who die of meth-related issues) in this country.

I have ZERO problem and in fact, really WISH nationwide regulations were at least as stringent as car licensing yes, you will always have those who do not follow the law, but just because criminal elements exist in any society is no excuse to not keep a tighter lid on things.

[MrsH2010]

Jul 23, 2012 20:15:47 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

I'm totally against guns, even with regulation. I've never shot a gun nor do I ever care to. I told h if he ever even thinks about bringing a gun into this house it better be because he's stopping by on his way out to pick up his things.

I feel the exact same way.

[Deleted]

Jul 23, 2012 20:11:32 GMT -5 jennlin said:

i totally agree!!! i'm 100%* for guns. if someone wants to own one, DO SO! but it needs to be better regulated. when we bought our gun, i was SHOCKED at how easy the process was. it's ridiculous.

i did tell my h that he wasn't allowed to own a gun, though, unless we both took gun-safety classes..and we did..but that was a wife-regulated, not state-regulated.

I agree with this.

[niq]

I get owning a shotgun for hunting. I get owning a handgun for protection -- even if I think on net it's a bad idea (I'm looking at you, Robert Zimmerman), I get why it would give people a measure of comfort. I do not get owning high power rifles or being allowed to stockpile ammunition. There's no hunting or "home defense" use for them unless you're defending yourself from the ATF who is worried that you've got a stockpile of high power rifles and ammunition!

But I think in terms of other liberal political priorities it's just not worth it to fight the NRA. Even though they represent manufacturers rather than owners, it's very hard to beat them. I hope that at least we can start to tie mental health to permits even in shall issue states -- even if it hadn't stopped this guy it would have stopped the Va Tech shooter.

[joenali]

I didn't read much of the other responses. But even with driver training and licenses, people still drive like shit and kill people, regulated or not. Guns are the same. What we need to deal with as a society is mental illness. Why is it so hard to help someone who clearly can't take care of themselves or has gone off the deep end?

THose that get guns legally can still shoot and kill 12 people and injure 58. It's about their mental health.

[marynjoe]

I never wanted to own or have a gun in my house, but when you're in danger and the police "off the record" tell you it's the only way you're going to be able to protect yourself before they show up, you realize that sometimes a gun is necessary.

[bettylou79]

Jul 23, 2012 22:40:00 GMT -5 joenali said:

I didn't read much of the other responses. But even with driver training and licenses, people still drive like shit and kill people, regulated or not. Guns are the same. What we need to deal with as a society is mental illness. Why is it so hard to help someone who clearly can't take care of themselves or has gone off the deep end?

THose that get guns legally can still shoot and kill 12 people and injure 58. It's about their mental health.

Exactly!
I always wonder about the shooter's friends and family. Did they see warning signs of their loved one going off the deep end? Did they try to get help and no one would do anything?
I also think of the kids/adults who are bullied and think that shooting up a public place is going to solve those bullying issues. Did they try to reach out to someone but couldn't get help? Did no one stand up for them?
Ugh!

[Deleted]

Jul 23, 2012 22:44:52 GMT -5 marynjoe said:

I never wanted to own or have a gun in my house, but when you're in danger and the police "off the record" tell you it's the only way you're going to be able to protect yourself before they show up, you realize that sometimes a gun is necessary.

I'm sorry, but I beg to differ. IMO, a gun is not necessary. Smoke detectors are necessary, but a gun, not so much.

[mkate710]

I agree with the post above, and very much agree with IK. I'm fine with guns, but they absolutely need more regulation. The founding fathers who wrote the constitution didn't write the second amendment with semi automatic weapons. It was based on defending the things they'd worked for. It doesn't take a weapon of mass destruction to ward off an intruder.

[joenali]

I should also add that I still do think a gun should be regulated. However, regulation is not going to stop someone from being mentally ill.

[Deleted]

Jul 23, 2012 23:15:54 GMT -5 joenali said:

I should also add that I still do think a gun should be regulated. However, regulation is not going to stop someone from being mentally ill.

:Y:

[Deleted]

When the founding fathers wrote the amendment they were using muskets. A friend of mine posted on FB about all the people complaining about losing their gun rights were being selfish and swine commented "Yeah you don't see too many drive by musket shootings." they are exactly right.

The regulations to get a gun need to be way more than what they are now. It I way too easy for anyone to get a gun.

[sarack]

i totally agree with this.. and having children.

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2012 9:27:45 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Jul 23, 2012 23:13:11 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

I'm sorry, but I beg to differ. IMO, a gun is not necessary. Smoke detectors are necessary, but a gun, not so much.

My reading of the above is that type of comment would be made when domestic violence is the issue. Having never faced that situation myself (for which I am extremely thankful), I can't say for certain that I wouldn't buy a gun for my own personal safety if I were in that situation. We've all seen news stories out there - I'd much rather the abuser than the victim be the statistic.

Even in that instance I can't see how a gun is a necessity. yes, I have never been in that situation, but more often than not the gun is turned on the victim and not used on the intended target.

I really don't see anything good coming out of guns.

[amandasw]

Jul 24, 2012 9:38:32 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

Jul 24, 2012 9:27:45 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

My reading of the above is that type of comment would be made when domestic violence is the issue. Having never faced that situation myself (for which I am extremely thankful), I can't say for certain that I wouldn't buy a gun for my own personal safety if I were in that situation. We've all seen news stories out there - I'd much rather the abuser than the victim be the statistic.

Even in that instance I can't see how a gun is a necessity. yes, I have never been in that situation, but more often than not the gun is turned on the victim and not used on the intended target.

I really don't see anything good coming out of guns.

sorry I posted and ran, my evening got busy!

I agree with husky here. Mostly because, when people make the argument that guns make them feel safer etc, how often do people actually protect themselves with guns? Whenever there is a mass shooting (and apparently there have been 22 this year already), you never here "and then a normal citizen pulled out their gun and shot the killer". Never. There are sometimes cases in home invasion, but even then, I think people who buy a handgun for this reason are fooling themselves. It takes a well-trained gunman (police, military etc) with lots of experience to think quickly enough to know what to do in that situation IMO.

Basically though, I agree with the pic I posted. I feel like if we at least made more of an attempt to track things like this (other signs: buying a bulletproof vest, tear gas, lots of wires...) then red flags could go up more often.

[amandasw]

Jul 24, 2012 7:02:38 GMT -5 sarack said:

i totally agree with this.. and having children.

LOL :Y:

[picksthemusic]

Jul 23, 2012 20:15:47 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

I'm totally against guns, even with regulation. I've never shot a gun nor do I ever care to. I told h if he ever even thinks about bringing a gun into this house it better be because he's stopping by on his way out to pick up his things.

This is me, however... I grew up around guns because my grandfather and uncles are hunters. They use their guns for hunting and sometimes target practice. They use them wisely, keep them locked up, and are always safety-minded. I think if the owner of a gun is using their firearm responsibly, it's fine. It's when guns get into the wrong hands (and sometimes even in the right hands) that things can go so horribly wrong.

[maddysmum]

You know, this is all new to me coming from Canada.

I don't know what the answer is. I do know guns are viewed differently in Canada. I know I've never seen a gun, would NEVER have a gun in my home, don't know anyone with a gun in their home, and so on and so on.

And I think if you look at the numbers (just overall, not including types of guns) Canada has A LOT of guns. But not for "personal protection". Not hand guns. And gun violence...well, it's a non-issue compared to the US. And there is still mental illness there. There's still crime (as in houses that get broken into, people who are assaulted...all that jazz that the "self protection" people think guns will prevent). But getting a gun for one's home as a means of protection - wow, that would so never enter my mind. I'd fear an accident more than an aggressive break in. Or, if god forbid we were victims of the latter, I'd fear misusage before that gun miraculously saving our lives. I suspect stats would bear that out.

I do know that I've never thought as much about guns as I have since moving to the US. And let's be honest - I live in Bellevue. The risk isn't great! But it's definitely a different overall perspective on guns than I'm used to.

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2012 10:15:17 GMT -5 @amandasw said:

I feel like if we at least made more of an attempt to track things like this (other signs: buying a bulletproof vest, tear gas, lots of wires...) then red flags could go up more often.

Seriously. I mean, you have to sign a register to get pseudoephedrine in this state and it goes into the state database with automatic triggers when certain quantities start getting published (quantities indicative of being used to cook meth). What's so hard about a national database to track combo purchases like guns, ammo in quantities like the guy in Aurora? Oh, don't squeak at me about privacy issues...these are the same "privacy" freaks who have NO problem with the intrusion from the "Patriot" act, something that is much more invasive than simple cataloguing of gun-related purchases.

[marynjoe]

*poof*

[marynjoe]

Sometimes you have to do things you never imagined you'd have to do. Things you never wanted to do. But you have to do them.