Gun Control Debate

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Who was that masked angel?

[Jude]

Anthybaby!!!!!! How's it going?????

[Frelga]

ANTHY!!!

[Inanna]

Anthy! *crashtacklehug*

[anthriel]

Hi, sweet friends!

[tinwë]

[Primula Baggins]

[Dave_LF]

So how long can we hope to have you stick around?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

This is certainly the friendliest "Gun Control Debate" to be found anywhere on the internet.

[anthriel]

This is certainly the friendliest "Gun Control Debate" to be found anywhere on the internet.

We never have done the barbed hate thing very well. Darned crazy Hallofirians.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Thank Eru for that.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[anthriel]

We have actually been "debating" this topic in my home quite a bit lately. Mr. Anth has long acquiesced to my plea for no firearms in our home when our children were small, but since the kids now both tower over me, I can no longer use that leverage to quell his desire to own a gun. He recently went to a CCW class, and is awaiting his certification in the mail. When that occurs, we are going to be the proud owners of our very own handy-sized instrument of death in our home.

I'm not particularly happy about that.

[axordil]

At least he took a class. That puts him head and shoulders above a lot of people.

[Frelga]

Anthy, what are his reasons for wanting a gun?

[anthriel]

Anthy, what are his reasons for wanting a gun?

Home defense, and the fact that he likes going to the gun range. Shooting is fun, and several of his friends (and both of his brothers) also have guns and will go to the range with him.


Ax, I agree. That was something he was very interested in doing before we had a gun in the house. Now I'm wondering if I too should attend a class. If we are going to have that sleek little weapon of death in our HOME, I probably should understand its care and feeding.




I just feel... I feel... odd about the whole thing. Like we have now opened Pandora's box right in the midst of my family, and are now inviting the possibility of a gunfight and death and disaster into our home. I feel a spine-brushing whisper of tales of foretold tragedy. It's like I can see it... like a flash of white light just out of my vision, just in the corner of my eye as I turn my head, what was that?, the bright second of white light that is the disaster to come. I can't quite see it, but I saw it. Just for a second. It's now there.

I feel fey. Fey in the old Scots. Scared. Marked.

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But hey, it's just a gun. Lots of folks have them, right? Hardly anything bad ever really happens.

[River]

Anth, the statistics aren't really in your husband's favor. Not that that's stopping him, but your concerns aren't unwarranted and you do deserve to feel safe in your home. If having a gun in your home chisels away at that, that's something that needs to be taken into consideration.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

There is, unfortunately, less empirical evidence either way than would be desirable (in large part, I have to say, because the allies of the NRA have blocked federal funding of research about gun violence), but from what I have seen, River is correct. Most studies that have been done have pointed to a much greater likelihood of members of a home being the victims of a violent act when they own a gun than otherwise. Here is site that discusses some such studies: http://smartgunlaws.org/dangers-of-gun- ... tatistics/ I am sure, however, that gun rights advocates can point to studies that say just the opposite. My feelings are very similar to yours, Anth (big surprise, there! ). I have a strong visceral antipathy towards "handy-sized instruments of death." But I recognize that plenty of good people feel differently.

The difference, of course, is that no one that I love is looking to bring one into my house, which makes is a much more academic issue for me, than for you.

[RoseMorninStar]

We no longer have guns in our home, but when we did they were old civil war replica muzzle-loading muskets and a carbine. Neither could easily be used to shoot anything, which made them less threatening. I would not be comfortable with hand guns or semi-automatic weapons in my home. That's tough Anthy.

[Teremia]

Anthy!!!

Can't you rent guns at the firing range, maybe?

I personally would find myself very, very bothered by the presence of a weapon in the house. For all sorts of reasons. It would feel to me like installing an elevator shaft with no elevator in it, and no locks on the door except "self control" to make sure you never tumbled down it.

Of course, I also did not want a dog, and yet we have one, so I'm a fine one to talk when it comes to putting one's foot down.

[anthriel]

River, I've had that discussion. The best I could do was put it off into the future. The future, however, is quickly becoming now.

Thank you, Voronwë, I had a feeling you would be on the same wavelength I am.

Hi, Rose! I appreciate the understanding. My husband really doesn't understand my reservations.

Teremia, I suggested that very thing. He reminded me that this is something that he has really wanted for the 20 (23? Sometimes I have to do the math) years we've been married. I fended him off for quite a while, but he wants this. He's being responsible, and we will have a gun safe, etc.

I Just. Don't. Like it.

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And I guess I did talk him into the dog, come to think of it. BOTH dogs, as a matter of fact. And I'm pretty sure the cat... errr, cats... were something he agreed to against his will. Not to mention the ONE horse, and then, you know, the OTHER horse. Not his dream, not his first, second or countable choice. And then, ummm, there's the chickens. Can't forget the chickens. He *did* say something like *no WAY* to the chickens, three years ago when we first got chickens.



Maybe I owe him.

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But none of them is a GUN!