OK THIS IS NOT POLITICAL YET

[UtahPete]

I said that. When I first went into the Navy it was my first real contact with people who regarded carrying and using guns as normal. There were the rural guys who grew up with guns and had a healthy attitude toward them. And then there were the inner city guys who scared the hell out of me with their macho talk about blowing people away.

My only experience with guns prior to that was going out with the pastor's son and his friend with their dad's shotguns (in Connecticut) 'hunting'; we walked around in the woods with them blasting away at anything that moved and laughing crazily at the explosion of fur and feathers. I began to associate gun ownership in America (I'm a british import) with macho swagger and the notion of becoming a man. Hand guns in particular have only one purpose it seems to me; to shoot people with.

That's the context in which I made that remark; as a young person in the military, trying to figure out the world around me and what it means to be a man.

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: I'm sorry to hear that you met the wrong people...
and perterbed that you've decided to paint ALL of us, with the same broad brush! :shocked:

 

[UtahPete]

:shocked: I'm sorry to hear that you met the wrong people...
and perterned that you've decided tp paint ALL of us, with the same broad brush! :shocked:

I'm sorry you think I am doing that. I'm not at all. I'm providing another viewpoint (mine alone) on the guns-in-the-hands-of-civilians discussion. It's so commonplace in the US that I don't think you realize how extraordinary our gun culture is to the rest of the civilized world. I am puzzled why ordinary folks feel the need to own and carry a handgun. I'm not judging, although I can see why you might think that.

 

[Fatcycledaddy]

I said that. When I first went into the Navy it was my first real contact with people who regarded carrying and using guns as normal. There were the rural guys who grew up with guns and had a healthy attitude toward them. And then there were the inner city guys who scared the hell out of me with their macho talk about blowing people away.

My only experience with guns prior to that was going out with the pastor's son and his friend with their dad's shotguns (in Connecticut) 'hunting'; we walked around in the woods with them blasting away at anything that moved and laughing crazily at the explosion of fur and feathers. I began to associate gun ownership in America (I'm a british import) with macho swagger and the notion of becoming a man. Hand guns in particular have only one purpose it seems to me; to shoot people with.

That's the context in which I made that remark; as a young person in the military, trying to figure out the world around me and what it means to be a man.

I see where you are coming from and I am sorry you experienced guns that way. The majority of legal gun owners are not that way and do have a healthy respect for them. When my dad trained me on using a firearm he was very good and very strict. His rule was if you shot it you ate it. I ate some strange animals in my day, possum, raccoon, and many birds ,and not all of them were good, but it kept me from randomly killing things.

 

[Bob Denman]

His rule was if you shot it you ate it. I ate some strange animals in my day, possum, raccoon, and many birds ,and not all of them were good, but it kept me from randomly killing things.

Our Dads must have learned from the same Grandfather! :thumbup:

:shocked: Cousin?

 

[cuznjohn]

my dads brothers taught me how to hunt and shoot. when my dad got out of the air force he didn't really want anything to do with guns. he was a gunner in B24'S AND B17'S and then became a staff sergeant and was in charge of German prisoners overseas, and has a 45 side arm and a Thompson sub machine gun. so when he got out, he had enough. but when i was 9 and he knew i loved to go with his brothers, he got me a single shot 22 and they taught me how to shoot. it was the best. and they were the same, eat what you kill. so i never killed anything i didn't think tasted good.

 

[Fatcycledaddy]

my dads brothers taught me how to hunt and shoot. when my dad got out of the air force he didn't really want anything to do with guns. he was a gunner in B24'S AND B17'S and then became a staff sergeant and was in charge of German prisoners overseas, and has a 45 side arm and a Thompson sub machine gun. so when he got out, he had enough. but when i was 9 and he knew i loved to go with his brothers, he got me a single shot 22 and they taught me how to shoot. it was the best. and they were the same, eat what you kill. so i never killed anything i didn't think tasted good.

I wasn't that smart, but I caught on quick.
Not a lot to eat on a red winged blackbird.:banghead:

 

[Bob Denman]

Did you ever get to try woodchuck? :shocked:
For all of the good stuff that they eat: they taste pretty darn gamey! :yikes:

 

[Fatcycledaddy]

Did you ever get to try woodchuck? :shocked:
For all of the good stuff that they eat: they taste pretty darn gamey! :yikes:

That's one I didn't try, possum was bad enough for me.

 

[cuznjohn]

i have shot a few woodchuck, but we never ate them. you just reminded me of my uncle Pete. he also taught me how to drive because he was obsessed with one chuck. there was one abandoned house in greenwood lake NJ where my grand parents had a summer home. at the house there was a big field in front of it, and a giant woodchuck would sun itself on a stump in the middle of the field. my uncle Pete tried for months to kill this chuck, but it was too smart. it knew his station wagon, and when it saw his car stop, it would go in it's hole and hide. so for a few days uncle Pete taught me how to drive this big wagon, once i got it down pat, he put down the rear door of the wagon, laid down in the back with his rifle, told me to drive down the road very slow, and as we would pass the open field, he would look for the chuck. i don't remember how many time we did this, but he got that chuck one day.

 

[Bob Denman]

It's pretty amazing how aware they are of everything within their field of view... :2thumbs:

 

[jwulf74]

Also, one of the least densely populated. What are you so afraid of up there you feel the need to carry all the time? What happened to 'home of the brave'?

For starters, mountain lions in the greater backyard... hell, even in town. Darn right hard to reason with the buggers if they decide you or your dog look tasty...

There is a fair amount of crime that comes up from the reservation and we do have MS13 in the area... things get a little nuts during Rally too with all the out of states and bike gangs that roll in.

It is usually very peaceful. But as a former boy scout... be prepared.

 

[Bob Denman]

:agree: It's always better to have a handgun, and not need it: than need one, and not have it! :shocked:

 

[UtahPete]

:agree: It's always better to have a handgun, and not need it: than need one, and not have it! :shocked:

That could be true of just about anything.

 

[Saluda]

I said that. When I first went into the Navy it was my first real contact with people who regarded carrying and using guns as normal. There were the rural guys who grew up with guns and had a healthy attitude toward them. And then there were the inner city guys who scared the hell out of me with their macho talk about blowing people away.

My only experience with guns prior to that was going out with the pastor's son and his friend with their dad's shotguns (in Connecticut) 'hunting'; we walked around in the woods with them blasting away at anything that moved and laughing crazily at the explosion of fur and feathers. I began to associate gun ownership in America (I'm a british import) with macho swagger and the notion of becoming a man. Hand guns in particular have only one purpose it seems to me; to shoot people with.

That's the context in which I made that remark; as a young person in the military, trying to figure out the world around me and what it means to be a man.

I'm going to do a conservative estimate of something to reply to your underlined section above. Over the years I have hunted and done a lot of target shooting. Most of it has been with 1 or 2 relatives and about 4 friends. Rounds expended ? Easily several thousand (once again conservative). People killed (shot), 0.

 

[UtahPete]

I'm going to do a conservative estimate of something to reply to your underlined section above. Over the years I have hunted and done a lot of target shooting. Most of it has been with 1 or 2 relatives and about 4 friends. Rounds expended ? Easily several thousand (once again conservative). People killed, 0.

You hunt with a handgun? Really?

Look, I understand the fun of shooting a gun. I lived in Eastern Oregon for awhile and target practice with a hand-gun was an absorbing past-time. What I've been talking about is feeling the need to carry a loaded handgun, hidden or otherwise. As I said, that has only one intended purpose for the great majority of gun-owners, particularly in an urban area, which is to shoot people at close range.

 

[Saluda]

You hunt with a handgun? Really?

Look, I understand the fun of shooting a gun. I lived in Eastern Oregon for awhile and target practice with a hand-gun was an absorbing past-time. What I've been talking about is feeling the need to carry a loaded handgun, hidden or otherwise. As I said, they have only one intended target for the great majority of gun-owners and that is to shoot people.

Yes, you apparently lack more knowledge about the subject than I thought.
You are wrong and couldn't be farther from the truth. I also find it comical that you can speak for a group that you apparently so strongly disagree with. Please don't speak for me.
Your original post is above. That is what I replied to, not the edited version.

 

[Bob Denman]

You hunt with a handgun? Really?

Look, I understand the fun of shooting a gun. I lived in Eastern Oregon for awhile and target practice with a hand-gun was an absorbing past-time. What I've been talking about is feeling the need to carry a loaded handgun, hidden or otherwise. As I said, that has only one intended purpose for the great majority of gun-owners, particularly in an urban area, which is to shoot people at close range.

:shocked: Wow... the level of your ignorance is fantastic. :clap:
Between the generalities that you espouse as Gospel, and your very limited exposure to responsible use and ownership of Firearms: perhaps you should listen more, and preach less. nojoke

 

[UtahPete]

[/U]Yes, and you are wrong and couldn't be farther from the truth. I also find it comical that you can speak for a group that you apparently so strongly disagree with.

My best friend is a gun-owner :joke: so I can't be anti-gun. And I'm not. I'm just pointing out the obvious - that there is NO reason to carry a handgun around with you in public unless you intend to use it to shoot someone at close range, if confronted with a life-threatening situation. Don't tell me all you intend to do with it is wave it around in the bad guy's face!

If I'm wrong about that, please enlighten me.

 

[Saluda]

If I'm wrong about that, please enlighten me.

You are wrong, as far as the second part, you've proven that to be impossible.