s/o: Guns

[gozf]

It seems like a lot of you have them. I have questions.

Did you grow up with them?
Do you hunt?
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity?
Are they simply for protection?
Are they loaded in your home?
Do you have children?
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home?
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?)

I'm not judging responsible gun ownership, even though it's something that doesn't interest me. In fact, it terrifies me. I'm a pretty hardcore pacifist, conscientious objector type. Even if I had a gun that I knew how to use, I'm fairly certain I couldn't ever pull the trigger if there was an actual human standing in front of me. I'm also of the mindset that my own weapon is more likely to be used against me than to protect me. Guns are just not for me.

So tell me why they're for you.
Also. Tell me if you also like country music. I have a theory about this correlation....

[Bernadine]

lol, I do NOT like country music.

I didn't grow up with them.
I don't hunt.
I've been to the range once, and I'd go again.
Yes, I would want one for protection. Not even so much against a home invasion. More for in the case of civil unrest/civil war. I'm not even kidding.
I would not keep it loaded.
No kids
I'd keep it a home.
Suburbs

[jojoandleo]

I don't have or like guns, but H has guns (he does not like country music) and they are in the house, but he has a safe and I don't have anything to do with them. He served in the Marines until he was medically discharged for injuries sustained in Iraq about 3 years ago. I think being military, he is just used to always having a gun and feels safer that way.

Guns scare the shit out of me personally. I am way too accident prone to be around one, and like you, I am pretty sure I couldn't shoot another person. I do think people should be able to own them, though. If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.

[explorer2001]

Oct 10, 2012 8:23:27 GMT -5 gozf said:

I don't own yet but am considering it.

Did you grow up with them? Military family, I learned to shoot as a kid
Do you hunt? Personally no, but I have nothing against it. I know where meat comes from.
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? Yes
Are they simply for protection? No, see above about range time as fun time
Are they loaded in your home? N/A
Do you have children? No
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? N/A
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) Suburbs of a major metro area, nice, middle of the road, safe but not fancy neighborhood

I'm also of the mindset that my own weapon is more likely to be used against me than to protect me. Statically you are correct, this is part of why is hesitant to pull the trigger about owning

Tell me if you also like country music. I have a theory about this correlation.... Yes, I was raise around it.

[BookLover]

Did you grow up with them? Yes
Do you hunt? No
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? Yes
Are they simply for protection? Yes and No. I like going to the range.
Are they loaded in your home? The clip is loaded, but not in the gun.
Do you have children? Yes
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? It's where I can get to it if need be and my child has no idea where it is at.
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) I live in a suburban area. It has been going downhill for a few years now. Will probably move in the near future.

[blackkitty]

I like country music
I like guns but they scare me and I agree with everything you outlined except one thing. If there was someone in my house I would have no problem pulling the trigger. None at all.

[udscoobychick]

Did you grow up with them? Nope
Do you hunt? Nope
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? Sort of--I target practice from time to time in BF's backyard (he has 3 acres)
Are they simply for protection? No
Are they loaded in your home? I'll answer for BF here, since I don't own a gun yet--yes
Do you have children? He does have children
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? Both--he carries frequently (open or concealed, depending on his mood), and the rest live at his house. They are all out in the open, not locked up...the rationale being that if you needed them for self-defense, you wouldn't have time to go find the key to the gun cabinet, unlock said cabinet, load the gun, etc. So, they're kept loaded and within easy reach. He takes care that they are all stored pointing in a safe direction, though, in case of accidental discharge
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) I live in an older, but reasonably nice, neighborhood...I'm ~15 minutes from downtown. BF lives out in the country.
So tell me why they're for you: Meh. I'm not in a huge hurry to go out and buy one, because I usually feel very safe in my town. I took the course required for my concealed carry permit probably 6 months ago and still haven't bothered to fill out the application. It would definitely make me feel more comfortable sometimes, though. The plus over most other weapons is that you can use it from further away or up close. BF's theory is that when people see him carrying, they don't mess with him...so he truly hopes to never have to use it. It just helps him to not be an easy target, which will discourage most ill-intentioned people.
Tell me if you also like country music: Hate it. With a passion.

[prettyinpearls]

Did you grow up with them? Yes

Do you hunt? No, but my family members do (dad, uncles, etc)

Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? My parents have 60 acres and their own gun range...so yes, I do

Are they simply for protection? Protection and recreation

Are they loaded in your home? Never. The ammo is kept separate from the gun and out of reach of children

Do you have children? Yes

Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? We have guns at home and FF has one in his truck for his own protection when he cleans his dad's carwashes late at night (one of his many odd jobs)

Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) Small town (55,000) on the outskirts/close to the "country" lifestyle

And yes, I love country music

GOZF -- Have you ever shot a gun before? Sometimes I think that people who are apprehensive about guns just haven't been exposed to them and/or eductated about them enough. Guns aren't dangerous -- it's the people behind the gun whether they be inexperienced, ignorant or just plain dangerous.

[gozf]

I haven't shot a gun. I'm sure that a lot of my apprehension is due to my lack of exposure. I have to admit, though, it's not something that interests me at all.

This post is fascinating to me!

[jm5855]

Did you grow up with them? NO
Do you hunt? NO
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? NO
Are they simply for protection? N/A
Are they loaded in your home? N/A
Do you have children? Yes, tons of them.
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? N/A
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) Burbs

Don't like country music.

A male from IA who doesn't like country music or guns. Maybe I am not a redneck afterall...lol.

[gozf]

Oct 10, 2012 10:30:56 GMT -5 jm5855 said:

Did you grow up with them? NO
Do you hunt? NO
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? NO
Are they simply for protection? N/A
Are they loaded in your home? N/A
Do you have children? Yes, tons of them.
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? N/A
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) Burbs

Don't like country music.

A male from IA who doesn't like country music or guns. Maybe I am not a redneck afterall...lol.

Sooo.... Maybe there's hope for us yet.


Whatcha doin' later? Having hate-sex with me?

[gozf]

lololol

I crack myself up.

/wheezes

[jm5855]

Oct 10, 2012 10:35:54 GMT -5 gozf said:

Oct 10, 2012 10:30:56 GMT -5 jm5855 said:

Did you grow up with them? NO
Do you hunt? NO
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? NO
Are they simply for protection? N/A
Are they loaded in your home? N/A
Do you have children? Yes, tons of them.
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? N/A
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) Burbs

Don't like country music.

A male from IA who doesn't like country music or guns. Maybe I am not a redneck afterall...lol.

Sooo.... Maybe there's hope for us yet.


Whatcha doin' later? Having hate-sex with me?

Depends. Can we blast Ministry or Nine Inch Nails in the background?

[gozf]

Oct 10, 2012 10:41:01 GMT -5 jm5855 said:

Oct 10, 2012 10:35:54 GMT -5 gozf said:

Sooo.... Maybe there's hope for us yet.


Whatcha doin' later? Having hate-sex with me?

Depends. Can we blast Ministry or Nine Inch Nails in the background?

Um, yes.

Speaking of gothy/industrial stuff, I'm seeing My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult next weekend! Super excited!

[redredwine]

Oct 10, 2012 8:23:27 GMT -5 gozf said:

It seems like a lot of you have them. I have questions.

Did you grow up with them? Nope. Apparently my dad had a few hand guns, but I never really knew about them.
Do you hunt? Nope. Not opposed to it though.
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity?
Are they simply for protection? I went for the first time this summer to shoot skeet...it was fun! I don't think of it as a fun time activity like say...shooting pool. But I think shooting guns is more for practive and happens to be fun.
Are they loaded in your home? Um...nope. It's just me. I just shot my first rifle.
Do you have children? Nope.
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? n/aWhere do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) I live in the city


I'm fine with guns and am all for gun rights as I think they are an important part of a free society. I lived in Germany where even cops aren't allowed to have guns-that's weird to me.

I didn't grow up in a gun-lovin' home but my dad had a few handguns he kept from us and I have several family members in law enforcement, so I guess that's the extent.

XH was into guns and owned a few rifles, one of which he bought and a few of which were gifted to him. They scared the be-jesus out of me and I was opposed to them. I tihnk it was because it was the unknown. They freaked me out. I recently became much more comfortable with them and even went to shoot my first rifle...I want to move onto to hand guns and just become more comfortable with them. Would I ever own one? Porbalby not. But I'm not opposed to having them in the house.

And I like country music...correlate away that we ALL like guns!

[jm5855]

Oct 10, 2012 10:43:10 GMT -5 gozf said:

Oct 10, 2012 10:41:01 GMT -5 jm5855 said:

Depends. Can we blast Ministry or Nine Inch Nails in the background?

Um, yes.

Speaking of gothy/industrial stuff, I'm seeing My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult next weekend! Super excited!

Sounds fun.

Not sure why I am admitting this, but when I was 18 I thought I was hot shit and would always play "Closer" from NIN when having sex with my girlfriend. Sometimes I would even say the infamous line from that song during doggie. It is hilarious for me to look back at my younger self and realize just how big of a dork I was...hahaha.

[achase123]

I grew up with them, somewhat. My dad would go on an annual hunting trip.

I do not hunt, although I've shot a few soda/beer cans and one grouse (sp?)

I don't go to the range.

I live in the country but there are no guns in my home. I actually thought about taking a class, just for fun.

I do like country music, for the record.

[sebd12]

Did you grow up with them? Yes. Taught to shoot/ respect guns at a very young age. They were always loaded and in the house but until we were old enough to grasp the concept of having to shoot an intruder we did not know exactly where they were kept.

Do you hunt? I sit in the woods! But i have yet to shoot anything other than a squirrel and a tomcat, both of which kind of hurt my feelings. I happily "process" and eat anything my dad or husband harvests though.

Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? We have a safe shooting area in our backyard and shoot for fun often.

Are they simply for protection? That is the main purpose of the handguns. We have other guns for hunting/ sport.

Are they loaded in your home? yes. one in his nightstand, one in mine, one in a drawer by the backdoor, the rest locked in a safe.

Do you have children? No. When people bring kids over we make sure bedroom doors are shut and everything else is put away.

Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? I have a concealed carry permit. I take a small one with me when walking the dogs or running.

Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) VERY rural. I run/walk on country roads surrounded by corn fields and cow fields and houses can be pretty far apart. I commute to the city. I've had to stop and get gas late at night in some unsavory areas and was glad to have the comfort of the means to protect myself "just in case."

Read more: pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=so&action=display&thread=71112#ixzz28uoOuTl0

[aliciar6]

Did you grow up with them? yes, my dad was military and i was shooting from age 6.
Do you hunt? yes
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? yes and for work
Are they simply for protection? no, they are fun to shoot
Are they loaded in your home? some of them
Do you have children? not yet, though when i was a kid, they were out and loaded so we could get to them if necessary. i remember my dad left me with the M1 carbine when someone escaped the prison and my parents went out on a date and i was home alone (i think i was in middle school)
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? DH has a concealed carry permit and does carry, when i become a PA resident i will too
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) PA, but my residency is still NJ

[gozf]

I'm curious about why one would shoot a tomcat....

[leahmel]

No on all counts, including not liking country music.

I did not grow up with guna nd have no desire to shoot one. They scare me a bit, but I am guessing that is from lack of exposure here as well.

[sebd12]

Feral cats would show up a lot. My (outside) cat had kittens once and a tomcat killed them all. They would also get into bloody scuffles with our dogs and since they are wild, we had to assume they were carrying diseases.
The particular one I decided to shoot had been treed by our dog and was going to face the inevitable very violent death-by-dog, as well as my dog getting injured in the process. I think it was the best option for both creatures but it was very traumatizing and I haven't killed a cat since.
It wasn't ever a pleasant thing but the feral cat population was out of control in our rural area and my parents weren't exactly the bleeding hearts for animals that I turned out to be. (I trap at my farm, neuter/spay, and re-home.)

[cutter21]

Did you grow up with them? yes- law enforcement family
Do you hunt? yes - mostly bow hunting for deer though
Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? not frequently, but i have
Are they simply for protection? no
Are they loaded in your home? yes
Do you have children? no
Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? FI carries sometimes
Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) Detroit. actually, I am about 25 miles outside of Detroit in a fairly large city.

[heavenly]

Gosh - my life growing up is WORLDS apart from my life now in sunny California. This post got me going down memory lane.

Where do you live? (Not necessarily the city town, but what type of environment?) I had to answer this question first since it impacts my responses. I was raised in Montana; city is in the valley of the mountains all around us and a river that goes through town. I am a country girl without the cowgirl. You couldn't catch me wearing cowboy style boots growing up unless it was to use for country dancing (they help me spin really fast). I wasn't in the norm of my environment.

Did you grow up with them? Yes, My family was big on the Military and Hunting.

Do you hunt? I have tagged along with my family, my dad would not let me get my hunting license then because I was deaf - Whatever - Most of the time, we were fed game meat instead of store brought meat.

Do you go to the range as a fun-time activity? Back in high school and college, we either shoot in our back yards or just go somewhere in the mountains. We practice with all sorts of gun types. This is a very normal activity for the area.

Are they simply for protection? No

Are they loaded in your home? The house I grew up, yes. My home now, no.

Do you have children? Yes

Do you carry it with you, or does it live at home? Don't own one.


Country Music - Could not be avoided in Montana since it’s what’s always playing in weddings, bars, even the grocery stores, fairs and rodeos. I never brought a Country CD growing up but I do dance to them at events. I was big on pop like Whigfield (anyone remember 'Saturday Night’? Ace of Base, Madonna (I am showing my age here) anything you can dance to back then.

Oh Ya... Country dancing lessons for 1 week every year at school was a requirement or we would not pass!