So, it seems that California is coming after your guns even if you don't live in California, using its red flag laws on people who aren't even in California.
Please explain to someone from Europe (me) why you need so many weapons I'm aware of the 2nd amendment, I'm not so much interested in the laws, why do you want to own guns? Wouldn't it be better not to need guns? Isn't that much more of a goal to work towards? It doesn't have to mean that I immediately give up all weapons and trust that things will get better.
Why do you have life insurance? Why do you have car insurance. Just in case, right? The Boy Scout motto is "Be prepared" so we're prepared just in case.
Just a fact that if we aren't allowed to own guns, how do we protect ourselves from the criminals that will always have guns?? And don't tell me you think criminals are going to give up their guns if our 2nd amendment is taken away, right?? Our enforcement of laws anymore is falling short, let alone getting guns away from the unlawful
First, welcome to you, Thomas. When you need a cop right now he’s always 10 minutes or more away and that is not a joke. A lot can happen before the police arrive. We are short on police and quick to put criminals back on the streets. Open borders have brought Venezuelan gangs and basically we are often on our own for protection. There are other reasons as well. That said, I’ve been hearing a lot about knife crime in Europe. Would you consider knife control to be the answer or might it be something else? We have stabbings too but we hear much more about gun crime. Hatred lives in the heart, not in the choice of weapon.
Sometimes many people do wonder why a family would have so many weapons in their home. For protection, it only takes one handgun or rifle, not ten or more. We are very much for firearms ownership, but like anything else, there are those that want to own an arsenal of firearms. We don't Conceal, Open Carry or have a firearm in our vehicle, but that's our choice. For home protection, it can really depend on where a person lives.
Denise, nobody says that "you can't own firearms". There are still plenty of Americans that have at least one firearm in their home for protection and/or the hobby of target shooting, like we do.
I was always a long gun guy, as that was what I grew up with, hunting and such, but I became interested in handguns when the government began threatening to take them away. The need for handguns has certainly increased recently s gun crime has increased, but I sometimes carry a handgun around the place to protect the crops from rabbits (hares) and to drive off coyotes occasionally. We do sometimes have bears in the yard as well, and while a rifle would be preferred, it is too difficult to carry a rifle while doing chores. I always feel sorry for Europeans, especially women, who are always at the mercy of anyone physically stronger. An old man is always vulnerable to a younger, stronger man, and women of all ages are subject to attack by almost any male. Guns even the odds.
This is why, and I don't know if they are still hired, a bank security guard would be in his 80's (or look that old) and not carry a handgun. I know it costs to put a person thru that kind of training/certification, but wouldn't it be worth it. Either that, or hire a young guy.
When seconds count, the police are minutes away. There is that, plus the fact that the police have no obligation to keep us safe. Usually, they come in later to draw the chalk lines and investigate the crime.
Then there is the thing where a person can go to jail trying to stop the theft of something they own. This is a real story about that: A man sleeping in his first floor apartment, got woke up by someone loading his locked tool box, which was inside his pickup truck. He grabbed his handgun out of his bedstand, ran out to the parking lot as the driver was pulling away to leave the complex. He fired a shot into the back window of the driver, but didn't hit the driver. Both the person that stole the tool box and the guy that owned it wound up in jail. The guy the owned the tool box was charged with attempted murder for shooting at somebody that was driving away from him. That meant the vehicle wasn't being used as a weapon and the owner of the tool box had no right to shoot his handgun the way he did. IOW, he wasn't be threatened!
Thomas- Your logical and simple to understand question is one that I have asked many times- both here and elsewhere. And the answer is always the same from the gun proponents- so I feel protected from other people who have guns... Sort of a circular discussion, don't you think? It all boils down to a certain group of people who desire guns who will not tolerate anyone else suggesting that they really don't need military-style weapons for any reason. but they WANT them. And the laws of our country have been so manipulated by special interest gun groups ( read NRA here) that there is no way any sort of real and logical gun control will ever exist here. So many people in the US desire guns because guns make them feel big and strong and able to handle any sort of situation- whether it ever happens or not is is disregarded. I am not a prissy "all guns are bad" person. I have used guns many times to protect my livestock from feral dogs and coyotes- but why military rapid fire high volume guns are so beloved here just beats the hell out of me. Thomas, there is no sense to this situation here. It is just the way it is. and that's the reason so many people die here on a daily basis. Too many guns. too many crazy people. Too many crazy people with guns. you all be safe and keep well- Ed
And may I say, "ditto." We own a number of unregistered firearms, mostly passed down through the family and inherited. They will remain unregistered and passed down in our family long after we are gone. To California I say, "Good luck with that." :smirk:
In response to @Thomas Terry and others.. some people collect guns,I do not see the fascination with fire arms,but then I don't like snakes either. Some are hunters, others like in my home born state of Texas have guns and don't mind you knowing - as its a prevention in letting you know, mess with my stuff - I am gonna get cha. Mark gave his military daughter- his- except for two rifles. Bought a cleaning kit months ago and still not cleaned them. Have not been fired in 40 years or more. Here is crime rate is Zero, but subject to change .