Why I keep guns in my home.

[spin]

146. While I agree with most of your post but I have a question. ...

You state:

Paranoia, the world in which gun nuts live, is the real mental disorder we speak of when we mention mental illness in this equation. And because these people are mentally ill how is it even logical to argue with them? They are after all, mentally ill.

Would you define me as a "gun nut?"

I own over 20 firearms and have at least 2000 rounds of ammo in different calibers in my home. I have enjoyed target shooting handguns for 40 years and through that period of time collected a number of revolvers and pistols all of which have each been used to punch holes in paper targets.

I do not hunt but I have a Florida concealed weapons permit and I often carry. I own no firearms that would be considered an assault weapon and none have a magazine capacity of over 10 rounds. I have no problem with a semi-automatic rifle such as the AR-15 being owned by civilians but I personally have no use for one as I live inside a small town and do not target shoot rifles. If I move to a far more rural environment I may decide to buy an AR-15 for home defense as I would not endanger my neighbors. Since I live in Florida I might use an AR-15 to clear my property of hogs as they are considered pest as they are not native to the environment and cause considerable damage.

I am aware that violent crime is at a 40 year low but crime does still happen. A firearm to me is the last layer of defense when all else has failed. I would only use a firearm for self defense when there was absolutely no other choice and I never expect that I will ever find myself in such as situation. I try to secure my home to make it as safe as possible and I practice "situational awareness" while in public which mainly means that I don't walk down dark streets with a cell phone glued to my ear but am instead alert to my surroundings. If I sense any danger I simply leave the environment. The best way to avoid injury in a fight is not to get into one.

I often legally carry a firearm but I realize that I am not a cop and I definitely am not a vigilante. I definitely have no desire to ever have to use a firearm for self defense as even if I do I use one in legitimate self defense I realize that I will suffer significant psychological problems that will require professional consoling. I currently sleep well at night and have absolutely no desire to suffer nightmares due to my actions in a life or death encounter.

I know of incidents in my own family where a firearm may have saved a life but I also have personally experienced the tragedy that a misuse of a firearm can cause. There is absolutely no doubt that firearms are extremely lethal and a tragic accident can occur even to a person with good firearm safety training when firearm safety training is ignored. Basically there are two groups of gun owners. First there are those who have had an accidental discharge and secondly there are those who will. The prime factor is if the muzzle of the weapon is pointed in a safe direction.

I have no fear that our government will turn into a dictatorship or a tyranny any time in the near future but I believe that civilian ownership of firearms might be a deterrent. That may be true today but may not be so in the future.

I definitely am not a racist and I have walked thorough Back neighborhoods without fear or problems. My family had a Black teenager living in our home for over a year after he was kicked out of his home. We helped him obtain the identification to get a driver's license obtain a job. We often try to help others and sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail. Few Christians would consider us to be Christian and many tell us that ultimately we all will live in Hell but we do our best to help others in need.

So once again do I fit your definition of a "gun nut"?