On November 1, 2015 at 09:40, buzz said...
I view guns as a tool. There is a time and place for every tool. I once used a subcontractor who purchased a Sawzall and couldn't wait to use it because it gave him an incredible sense of power. Finally, that day arrived and he blasted that interfering member away. Unfortunately, it was a structural member and we had to re-frame a complex folding double door. And, that was the last bit of business I gave to that sub.
I worry about ready access to a gun "tool". If everyone is carrying a gun, it is too easy for a situation to degenerate into a classic western gunfight as everyone whips out the "tool" that they have been carrying around for so long, yearning for an excuse to use it. I once had a fellow in my store reach for an item on a shelf, and a .38 slipped out from under his coat, crashing to the floor. He explained that he was a sheriff and had a permit, but I was not comforted or amused.
Yet 11.1 million people now have concealed carry permits, and so far there have been no run of gunfights in the streets. Your fear is as irrational as my own fear of leaving things sitting on a stove. My wife comes in from the grocery store and sets the bags on the counter. Usually there's not enough counter space and she places a couple bags on the stove. I can't stand this because part of me worries that someone may walk through and just turn the stove on for the heck of it or the stove may malfunction and turn itself on. I know it won't happen, but I still have this fear of it.
As for the sheriff dropping his weapon, obviously he didn't have it retained properly. That would make me question his competence at his entire job.
This is different from having a secured gun at home. The "secured" aspect requires a little thought before the tool is whipped out and discharged. I'm not against owning guns and certainly, if a gang is working its way down the street, shooting, terrorizing, and pilfering, go for the gun.
If a fire breaks out in your kitchen, do you want to have to put some thought in getting the fire extinguisher out? or do you want to do it as quickly and simply as possible?
Growing up I knew where the (unsecured) gun was kept and I knew where the (unsecured) ammunition was kept. I had no desire to play with the thing, but I worried about my brother who would pull the thing out from time to time -- especially because he was aggressive and had a temper. He could be a NRA poster boy and pass any screening for gun ownership, but I don't think that he should have guns at home.
This is really where each parent must determine what their children are capable of. But personally, I do think if a gun is in the house, the children should be taught how it works, shown the damage it can do (melons are good) and taught how to fire the weapon and experience firing it. That for one takes the mystery away and rids the glamour. And I do think firearms should be stored securely when I'm not home. even if my kids are raised around guns and I know I can trust them to follow the rule that they don't touch a gun without me, I have no idea about what their friends are taught or capable of. However, currently my kids are not old enough to be left alone, so it's not something I have to worry about too much.
I think that the 2nd amendment was envisioned as a hedge against invasion by a foreign army, not as an excuse to carry a "tool" to be used in order to settle petty spats. Certainly, at the time of passage, guns could commonly be used for food hunting.
Actually, it was a hedge to keep our own government in check. Remember what Jefferson wrote about when a government becomes tyrannical, it's the duty of the people to do something about it. When the BOR was written, some argued the 2nd amendment should be listed first because it protects the other rights (currently I can't remember who. I would have to look it up again). Invading foreign forces was a secondary concern.
