General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I'm 55 years old and have never owned a gun in my life. [View all]sweetloukillbot
(11,007 posts)One is a .22 revolver I use for target shooting. I don't keep ammo around the house, I buy it when I'm going to the range. I take it out two or three times a year and plink at targets at my local range. And a couple other times in between to clean it. Other than that it is disassembled and locked in a carrying case.
The other is an antique saddle rifle we inherited from my wife's grandparents - I don't even know where to get ammo for it. But I still keep it locked and secure.
I don't keep it because I feel afraid, or because I'm worried about self-defense. I fully recognize the potential that both of them carry to take a life - it is something I take very seriously. If we had children, I'd probably have them in a safe, as it is, I have the one dissasembled in a locked case and the other has a trigger lock on it. Keys to both are on my keyring.
I don't belong to the NRA - I hate their propaganda and think they do more damage than good - I see them in the same light as I see fundamentalist evangelical Christians - they are perverting my beliefs into something reprehensible.
I believe the "well regulated" part of the second amendment needs to be looked at - and more regulations put in place, but I admit that I don't know what the regulations would change.
I don't like being called a gun nut, or told that I'm compensating for my manhood or other such nonsense. These attitudes have soured me on a lot of arguments for gun control. I'd like to be able to have a conversation that doesn't devolve into name-calling - that's the only way we can solve the problem.
I'm saddened at the carnage wrought at every one of these mass shootings, but I don't feel partially responsible for the tragedy as a gun owner.
I do however, feel partially responsible as a member of a society that has ignored these people, or helped break these people, to the point that they feel that the only solution is to do something horrific.
And that is what we need to change - our interactions with those around us - respect, empathy, care and compassion.