BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Crime Do you have a gun?

Ever since the school shootings have been raised in the media, the mention of gun control has come up quite frequently.

Let's talk and open up this forum.....

Personally, I do not have a gun and probably never will. I am afraid one day it could be used against me if I ever tried to use it to protect myself.

I grew up around a father who did trap shooting and had many rifles. Guns were for recreation, and killing animals for meat in the winter. The guns were in a storeroom, not in the house. They were also locked up in a cabinet in that storeroom.

Dad taught us how to use a gun, but it was never to be pointed at anyone. In fact, even when we were using our hands as a play gun, we couldn't point our finger at anyone.

I have found out in the last year what made my father so adamant about that. When he and my aunt were young, their neighbor in Washington, DC had a gun. His kids were playing and one of the boys shot his sister to death. That was back in the 40's.

Remember the myth about the movie, "Three Men and a Baby"? If you watch when the camera pans across the room in a scene with Ted Danson and his mother, you see a boy in the corner. It is a standup cutout of a person that someone forgot to remove from the scene.

Rumor had it that it was the ghost of a child that died in the house they were renting as the movie set. It was an urban legend, but what a statement it made about accidental shootings!!!

Guns can definitely get into the wrong hands. Columbine, Kent State, The Amish shootings, NIU, Virginia Tech, the sniper attacks,......and unfortunately the list goes on.........

Do you have a gun? How do you use it? How do you keep it out of the wrong hands?

I do own a gun, I was on a target shooting team for many years. It is kept in a locked safe.

Anything you used to defend yourself could be used against you. This is true for a Taser, a kitchen knife, or anything else. The real question is, if a burglar came into your home how *would* you defend yourself? Or would you just hope you could call the cops and they'd arrive in time?

I had someone try to break into my house about 10 years ago and if they had gotten in, there is no way the cops could have made it there in time to save me or my son. Luckily I did have a gun - called out to them that I was prepared to use it - and they ran off. But if I hadn't had a gun, if I had picked up a knife or the phone or anything else, I would have been doomed.

A gun can be used from a distance. If they are close enough for you to attempt to use a knife against them, you're pretty much going to be overpowered.

Yes, I have a gun. We also have a farm - the gun is used for putting down livestock when necessary. We also use it to scare off or kill predators. And I was very glad to have it the night I walked out the back door at 1:00 am and came face to face with a 2 legged varment high on meth. No, I didn't have to shoot but, had it come to more than a verbal confrontation, at least I would have had a chance.

Wow Llyn that must have been VERY scary!! At least in my case the burglars were on the other side of a door. If I had been face to face with them, I would have been petrified ...

Scary, yeah. But the trick is to not show any fear. Plenty of time to be scared silly after everything is over with.

Yes, we have them. We're way out in the boonies on several acres. "Animal Control" is non-existent. They're needed and kept locked up. The children know guns are not toys; and we don't permit "toy" guns in the house (no mixed messages).

Llyn - I suppose that's very true - when I had the burglars at my house, my first thought was of my son. I was not going to let anybody into the house to get to my son, no matter what it took. So I was determined. But yes afterwards I was quite shaky.

Lynn - we have coyotes and deer around, but there haven't been any bear reports really in our area. That being said, I'm sure there *are* bears in our town and in neighboring towns too. So there is definitely the chance that one could try to get in for whatever reason. So far they haven't.

The house right next to ours had an attempted break-in during the middle of the day - I in fact saw the car with the men who did it!! I thought they were friends of the house. They just looked like they were going in for a casual visit. It was only later when the neighbor talked to us that I realized they were burglars. Right in the middle of the day!! In a way I'm SO happy they didn't decide to come to our house instead. There were four of them and I don't like those odds ...

We have coyotes, cougar, bear, and foxes - all of which are predators of sheep and lambs. So I always carry when I need to go out to the barn at night. You just never know what may be lurking out there when you live in the sticks.

I also keep my gun handy during the day - didn't always do that but then there came the day when a dog pack went after the sheep and all I had at hand to fight them off with was a double pointed knitting needle (size 6). Fortunately a Size 6 double pointed knitting needle makes a very handy weapon.

Ok, you all have the guns for rational reasons. Owning a gun and keeping it properly locked is much different than carrying a gun. Living on a farm using it to protect yourself is different that carrying it with you to the grocery store to protect yourself.

I grew up in a residential quiet neighborhood. No wild animals, not a high crime rate. I have had two break ins, but not when anyone was home. To this day, I have never even seen a gun unless it was on a uniformed person. I am totally afraid of guns.

I live near NY. Gangs are moving closer and closer. I am a little concerned about "the other person" that may have a gun. Road rage getting out of control... As it is, the police are having trouble telling the good guys from the bad guys.

I am a strong believer in gun control. I don't mind people owning licensed guns as long as they can be accountable for their actions. It is the unlicensed ones that scare me.

Llyn - yikes a KNITTING NEEDLE??? That must have been quite an adventure! But I can completely understand what you mean - if an animal under your protection is being hurt, you leap in to help them! I know if one of my cats was being attacked by a coyote or raccoon I would dive in headfirst without thinking about it to save them.

I just read that Massachusetts has 3,000 bears here, and we're a small state, so they're out there!

Carol - I agree with you completely, and I am all for harsh penalties for criminals with guns. Unfortunately with the reality we live in right now, many criminals own guns and they actively break into homes.

Stats I found say:
* In the USA, a burglar occurs every 8 seconds.
* On average, 1 out of every 6 homes will be burglarized this year.

In some ideal world where there weren't criminals with guns or knives, I perhaps would not have a gun myself. But I have to live in the world we have

Actually the stats I see say that residential neighborhoods are *far* more likely to have break-ins than, say, cities. It actually makes sense if you think about it. In a city people live in apartment buildings with nearby neighbors and locks on the main doors. People would hear a break-in. In residential areas everybody goes away during the day - a thief has free reign. All it takes is for you to be home sick - or to get home early - to intersect the thief's path.

I'm not saying that anyone who is afraid of guns should get one!! But I definitely feel very strongly about all women being able to defend themselves. The rates of women being raped or hurt are HUGE. Can you get a taser where you live? Would that be OK with you since it's non-lethal and push-button?

I fully agree that no one who is afraid of guns should have one.
Having a weapon of any type does you no good if you're not willing to use it if need be.

I also agree on gun control to some extent. There is no reason for people to have automatics or semi-automatics.

As to keeping guns unloaded and locked up in a gun safe well....it has it's good and bad points. It's certainly the safe way to store them. But, should something happen and that gun is needed, it also makes it impossible to get to it quickly.

I don't have one.

I learned to use one as a kid (my father owns a few) but I don't know if I'd ever feel comfortable owning one.

My dad always recommended keeping a revolver with one chamber empty. He believed that one empty chamber would prevent an accidental shooting but keep the gun handy if you had to have it. I'm not sure that's the best way to keep a gun around, but he taught gun and hunting safety classes and that's what he believed.

I was taught from early on to always assume guns were loaded and ready to fire so I never bothered, but I can remember having to caution some of the visitors to our home NOT to open his gun case. Visiting children are a huge concern for me. Even if we teach our girls gun safety are we prepared to watch every child that comes into the home? So, we have decided to lock all the guns but one in a safe and install a good burglar alarm rather than take chances.

I own several long guns. My daughter has her own too. My dad bought me my first shotgun at twelve years old. I wasn't allowed to touch it until I took safety courses and watched him teach me the proper way to handle them.
My daughter also took courses and hunts alongside of me. So I grew up with guns in the house.
It never bothered me but I do know that everyone is different.

Those are terrible stats for break ins! Too high for me to take at face value. If one out of six homes were to be burglarized this year that would truly be awful. In many ways we haven't evolved much, have we? We are still just animals.

The thing is, most break ins in my area are when the homeowner isn't home. They really don't want to come face to face with the owner. As long as I don't get to meet my burglar they can have all that I own! I agree with your comment that you would do whatever it takes to protect your son. I too, would probably step in front of a bullet to protect my kids. I don't know why; they drive me crazy, but I would do it.

But how would I defend myself if I found myself face to face with a burglar? I don't know.

Self defense classes teach woman to carry their keys when walking to the car and use a key to poke eyes out. Or, woman can give the obvious kick in the crotch. Also, every woman should take a course in self defense. It is possible to overpower a man, even if you are tiny and petite. I have taken a few classes, but of course you never know until your in that situation. A taser doesn't seem like a bad alternative, but can you get it out fast enough to be effective? Obviously, I am not outrunning a bullet. If a gun was involved, game over, I lose.

OK on burglaries they say

"Most (62.4 percent) of residential burglaries in 2005 for which time of occurrence was known took place during the day, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m."

So yes 62% are when people are probably away - that still leaves 40% that happen when people are probably home. So I do still really feel it's important that we all have a way of protecting ourselves. I'm not saying to be paranoid But I'm saying to be safe.

Another survey shows that 34% of burglars come in through the front door, 22% the back door, 23% a first floor window. So that's most of the options right there. The house next to me, they tried the back door. When they tried my home (where I lived before, not this one I'm in now) they tried the back door. So it seems like if you keep your "first floor secure" as it were that that right there gives you a huge advantage. They will probably move along elsewhere.

If I *could* have a taser I would keep it up on the dresser top. That way I could run for the bedroom if there was any trouble and close the door. If they came in after me, they'd get tazed but if they didn't come in the room I'd just hide there and call for help.

Right now we have one gun up there in a locked gun safe with a finger entry. That is, there is a secret code to enter it that you press with your fingers and it pops open. The other guns are in a large, normal safe in the basement. So we do have quick easy access to one self defense gun in the bedroom. But I'd rather have a taser for that I think.

Are tasers really good for women? Wouldn't we have to get too close to the "perp" (I'm talking like a cop show! LOL) to shock them? I would be afraid a strong man would overpower me and turn the weapon on me!

I work from home, I live in a nice neighborhood but I still have taken the precaution to have a loaded gun in my bedside table.

When I am not home but my daughter is, I have a trigger lock on it so you can't pull the trigger.

I also have a security system and always have the doors locked, curtains around the house are drawn so that people can't gaze inside at something they might want to steal.

I don't want to have to shoot someone but by god, if you break in my house, you will leave feet first if I am at home.

When we lived in the city, we had them locked up and really I don't like guns but on the other hand if someone comes to rob me I will shoot them period. But now we live in a rural area and because of where we live I have to have access to one so they are in a closet. My 11 year old knows how to use it and we also have a way to lock them up if we need to (gun safe). I plan on getting a smaller one that I can have with me when I am outside working in the yard. I had an encounter with a badger last year that scared the you know what out of me. Don't get me wrong I don't want to kill anything but sometimes you have to.

Right that is exactly how I feel. I would never ever want to have to shoot someone. But if someone came into the house intending to kill me, I want at least a chance of defending myself. If my son was here that is definitely true, nobody is hurting him without a fight from me.

We have bears and coyotes around here, and if for example Bob was in the back yard and one went after him, I would want something better than a baseball bat to go out with and help him ... calling the police and waiting 10 minutes doesn't seem like a good alternative.

Taser -

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Lisa is so right! City dwellers are not immune to wild animal issues. Urbanites might be prepared for violence on two legs, but what about threats from four legged creatures?

I can attest to the fact that these threats exist. I was treed in my own carport by a raccoon and my DH has had to kill a possum in our master bedroom with a golf club!

It was easy to understand how the raccoon got inside the carport, but we still are puzzled over how the possum wound up in our bedroom.

Not that a possum is particularly dangerous (unless trapped in a corner), but rabies is always a concern.

Thanks for the link on tasers. I had wondered what happened if the attacker was wearing a jacket with no exposed skin. I wonder if the two inch thick layer of clothing that they mention is compressed thickness or fluffy? I would imagine if, say, the coat was down filled you might be dealing with four or five inches of thickness albeit lightweight and easily penetrable.

A possum in your bedroom?? Wow, that is amazing! I don't know what I would have done - we do have 2 sets of golf clubs so that is probably the safest option you have then ... longer than a baseball bat ...

The electrode things are propelled at high velocity and the 2" is probably how long they are to impale through to the flesh - so it would probably matter a lot how squishable the material was. If it was fluffy down jacket I imagine it would just squash it as it went. But if the person was wearing 4 layers of heavy wool sweater it might end up being more than 2" thick total.

However I suppose there's always going to be things to worry about, I would still go with a taser as being most likely to help out in most situations.

Time to write my state rep ...

I do not own a gun and am not sure if I ever will. I would worry that my grandson or his friends would somehow get hold of it, even if I took every precaution to keep it under lock. Here in Reno we have had a recent abduction/murder that has everyone very aware of personal safety; and gun use and safety classes are being offered to women. I just have not sorted out my feelings about this yet. The killer, by the way, is still on the loose.

I definitely understand the nervous about guns thing. A gun is a powerful weapon and needs to be respected. I wish that tasers and other "powerful but non lethal" weapons would be more readily available. That would provide an option for women who do not want to handle a gun but who need to be safe. It really concerns me that women are completely defenseless. Women should have the ability to defend themselves.

Hi Robin,

It's Sam - Editor of the Animal Rights site. I dropped by to snoop around the site and found this topic - I don't know if you guys are still discussing it, but I can address this with a little knowledge. This is my other soap box

I am the state coordinator for the Second Amendment Sisters. We are a group of women nationwide who own guns and fight for the preservation of the Second Amendment. We have events, regular training and safety workshops around the country so women can feel more comfortable handling a gun correctly and feeling secure about defending herself, her loved ones and her property if need be.

We don't have a gun problem in this country, we have a violence problem. For example, stricter gun laws would have had no effect whatsoever on what happened at Columbine. Harris and Klebold violated close to 20 firearms laws in obtaining weapons. Would 21 laws really have made a difference? The two shotguns and one rifle used by Harris and Klebold were purchased by a girlfriend who passed a background check, and the TEC-9 handgun used was already banned.

Of the 2,500,000 annual self-defense cases using guns, more than 7.7% (192,500) are by women defending themselves against sexual abuse. When a woman was armed with a gun or knife, only 3% of rape attacks are completed, compared to 32% when unarmed.

The probability of serious injury from an attack is 2.5 times greater for women offering no resistance than for women resisting with a gun. Men also benefit from using a gun, but the benefits are smaller at 1.4 times more likely to receive a serious injury.

28.5% of women have a gun in the house.

41.7% of women either own or have rapid access to guns.

In 1966, the city of Orlando responded to a wave of sexual assaults by offering firearms training classes to women. Rapes dropped by nearly 90% the following year.

Women who have rapid access to or carry a gun are far less likely to be slapped, shoved, pushed, hit, hair pulled or thrown against the wall during domestic disputes. They are also far less likely to be robbed or assaulted in parking lots.

OK, I'll put the box away now <laughing>

Sam