Weapons: what do you think?

I have been thinking about this for long and finally decided to ask you some opinions... the idea came in my mind when I talked to a guy who lives in the USA. He told me that he owns a gun because he wants to be able to protect himself and his family in case something happen.
He also wants his children to be able to do the same when they grow up enough.
Now, I have to say that here in Italy, it's kind of difficult to own a weapon, and still most of people that commit crimes in family (homicides etc), or most of people who's children die for shooting themselves for mistake, own a registered weapon and have a license, wich makes it kind of scaring.
Here (and in most Europe, I think), if somebody comes into your property, even if you have reasons to think he might hurt you or your family, you will still be legally considered a killer if you shoot at him.
Now, correct me if I'm mistaking, they told me that in the US this is different and that you are kind of justified if you shoot at people that violate your property (is it the correct verb?).
How do you feel about this? Do you think it's fair to be able to shoot people like that?
Do you own any weapons? If the answer is yes, what is the reason why you own them? Do you know a lot of people who own them? Would you ever own one? Do you think that people that steal deserve to die?
Do you think that there are some other ways to defend yourself and your family without needing a weapon?
Do you think it's correct to educate children to the use of weapons since they are young?


Lots of questions, I know , but I'm curious to know what you all think about weapons :smt071 in general.

 

Yeah, it's different in the US. But some states are shitty about it. My dad was telling me in Alabama, you can shoot a man in your house, ONLY if he is in your bedroom. And I've heard stories about homeowners getting sued because a burglar busted ass on their property and injured themselves, and the burglar winning. I know a couple people who have weapons.


If somebody is breaking into your house, I say shoot the chump. Fuck the mercy. Dude catches one to the face, that's his bad. Shouldn't have been in the person's house. I don't feel bad for the burglar. I feel bad for the people who have to clean his splattered brain off their walls, couch, and carpet. I own a razor, but I don't like guns. Then I have a huge ass kitchen knife under my bed too. I don't know if there are ways to protect your family without a weapon. I guess it depends on the situation. Educating kids on weapons use? Not really sure about that one. I guess educating them on responsibility with weapons, yeah.

 

I grew up around weapons. I learned to shot at a very young age. My children were (and are) raised to respect weapons.

Different states have different laws about gun registry and ownership. Carrying a concealed weapon is different than having a weapon in your home in most states too.

Just because someone breaks into your home doesn't mean you get a free pass to shoot them. Even if they assault you it doesn't mean you'll get away with shooting them. There are many variables that come into play.

I'm not going to answer if I currently own weapons. Most people I know have some sort of weapons. Some are gun enthusiasts. All have been trained to use the weapons well.

 

I grew up with guns in the house, I know gun safety and how to shoot. I would never own a gun. I have no reason to own a gun. I could never justify having one for the safety of my family.

 

I wouldn't own a gun or carry a knife. I've been tempted to carry a knife but I don't think I need one.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7424606.stm

If you carry a knife you're more likely to get stabbed, plus it's illegal, obviously.

 

I grew up going to shooting ranges. I've shot all types of guns. I know how to handle them, if need be.

My brother has a collection of guns. I don't own any, nor do I have an FOID card. However, I wouldn't balk at owning one in the future.

And if I do, I will be sure to teach my daughter (and any future kids I may have) how to handle it, but most importantly how to respect it.

I do feel that if you own a gun with children in the house, keeping the guns a secret from the kids is a bad idea. I think that leads to curiosity on the children's part which can lead to very, very tragic accidents.

As long as kids are raised to respect them and handle them properly, I see no reason to fear gun ownership. I grew up in a house with guns, I respected them and didn't touch them unless I was at a firing range.

 

I'm not married yet, and don't yet have a family to protect, but i absolutely would feel the need to protect my family from burglars. First let me say, i hate guns. I wish guns didn't exist. But, they do. It's the world we live in. Secondly, i hate the thought of having a gun in my house, where children could possibly get to it and harm themselves. That would scare me. But then i think about the fact that the intruders who are breaking into your house have guns, and if you don't have anything to fight them off with, they'll easily have their way with you, your belongings, and your family. If they were coming in there with knives and bats, i think it would be a good idea to have knives and bats in the house to fight them off with.

If they're gonna come in there with guns, i think it's a good idea to have something of the same caliber to fight them off with. However, having a gun alone probably won't be enough to protect you. Starting a gun fight with burglars, while your family is in the house, is dangerous. So, it's a difficult question. I wouldn't mind owning a gun, and storing it in a very safe place for emergency purposes, but i would probably invest more money into a security system than i would into guns, because at least a security system gives you comfort in knowing that help is on the way.

 

I don't own a firearm, but I have been trained and have experience in using them. I have never lived in a place where I felt it was necessary to keep one in the house.

I strongly support the right of responsible citizens to own guns, and not just for hunting.

Some of my European friends have told me that they are under the impression that most Americans own several guns.

 

I saw my first person die of a gun shot at age 5. All total, I have seen 7 people get shot, 5 of which died. I will never own a gun. I dont want the responsibility. Just having one in your home means it can be stolen and used to kill people. I refuse to be a part of the problem.

 

Thanks, Allilyn.

I've never touched a gun and only the thought horrifies me. I would never allow my children to touch one, and the thought that somebody has the right to shoot somebody else because is stealing etc horrifies me too. I will never understand what's up with you guys in the USA. I made this thread at my own risk, I knew I would have been disgusted to read some posts, but I wanted to know your opinions anyways.

 

Respect for a gun? Oh-My.

 

:smt070I definitely support the right to bear arms, as well as those who choose not to.

Anyone who invades the safety of your home with criminal intent is subject to the owner's discretion of protection IMO.

You better hope I'm a bad shot, you get a warning, then I'm taking out a knee-cap, big-toe, or sumthin'.

 

America is perhaps the sole country in the developed world where buying a gun is considered a wise response to the potential for violence.

 

Speaking of guns...

count em'.

[youtube]Q8F495aMd50[/youtube]

 

I don't recall seeing anyone describe it as a wise response. If an individual chooses to keep a firearm in his home as a deterent, that's his/her personal judgement. Nothing unwise about an upstanding citizen keeping a firearm.

However, I don't know too many criminals who target a home they know they can get peeled if they take a chance.

 

Ah yes, that's a good idea, if you can afford it.

I lived in a house with a security system, at one time. Which made me feel very safe. But, I was always going into the basement and forgetting to turn of the alarm and then have to explain to ADT that no one was breaking into the house. And then having to remember the "safe" word was a pain in the ass. Then I had to wait for the cops to show up and show them my ID, etc. It was always a fiasco. LOL. I ended up having to put a sign on the door of the basement to remind me to turn off the dang alarm. :smt081 But, I lived in that house alone, alot, because my hubby was away on business. So, it felt nice knowing that I was all alone in a big house, but that I was protected by the security system.

However, I can't afford to have one now. LOL.

 

Respecting a gun for me means that I don't fear them. I don't fear holding them. I don't fear using them if my life depended on it, or my daughter's life depended on it, or another member of my family's life depended on it....

You'd hate to think that a situation would ever arise that would make you need to use a gun on a person or an animal (bear attack, or something), but the simple fact is, those situations do happen every day around the world, and I'd rather be prepared and know how to use it, if I absolutely needed to. Chances are extremely good that I'd never find myself in that situation, which is why I don't presently own a gun.

But, fear of something is never good.

 

Exactly and having people arm themselves instead of addressing the causes of crime (.e.g. poverty) does nothing but recycle the same problems indefinitely.

 

Interestingly enough, those parts of the US where gun laws are the most restrictive are where you will find the highest level of crime.

In other words, the ability of private citizens to own and carry firearms is inversely proportional to the rate of violent crime.

 

:smt028Exactly. D.C. is a good exmple of this. The gun-ban did nothing to curb violence, just the opposite took place.