new here thought I would say hi.

[Prog_gun_owner]

3. Nice to meet you.

Answers:

1. Some laws are worthless. Texas Sodomy laws for instance. Consenting adults in their own bedroom. Now there is a worthless law. But I suspect you mean Gun laws. My point is more that I understand that you could make all guns illegal, and criminals would still get Uzis (compact sub machine guns). I think that we may not need new law, but that we should at least try to close the loop holes in our current gun law. I'm just not in favor of knee jerk reactions.

2. Well I would guess that about 40% of gun owners are as you describe uber-responsible, but I hope that number is much higher. I am a thoughtful human being who carefully considered the need of a weapon, as well as all the responsibility that comes along with it. I hope and pray that my fellow human beings who may have need of a weapon go through the same mental process and accept the responsibility before hand.

3. Are they my rules? Pretty sure its law to keep guns away from your kids. I guess there is a moral aspect to my view too in regards to the fact that I feel responsible for what ever my gun kills weather or not I pulled the trigger. I would not impose that on any one, but in my heart I would know I was responsible. In regards to not leaving your gun laying around, that's just common sense. You go to bed with your gun on the coffee table in the living room and a crook breaks in..... Darwin Award.

4. Yes. I know this will be different for every one. In my mind, the Weapon is for one thing only. Defense of my life, or the life of my family. I would also use it hunt for meat and fur if I needed to feed and cloth myself and my family. I feel that guns should have no other uses. If you get in to an argument, and you make the mistake of even brandishing, you are probably going to jail, and will most likely have your weapon confiscated. If you make the mistake of Brandishing in an argument with some one who also has a gun, they can legally shoot you and claim self defense. If some one brandished at me wile I was armed, depending on the situation, my first choice might be to back away slowly in the direction of the nearest cover wile trying to calmly talk to the person. Of course there are situations where that would not work at all and it would be a split second decision as to what action to take. In a situation where a fire fight was eminent, I think it would be best to seek cover before drawing my weapon if possible for two reasons. 1: My assailant all ready has his gun drawn. 2: My assailant does not yet know that I am armed. This is how I know I would maintain control. To give up the element of surprise could be a life ending mistake.

5. Short answer is yes. If by "lose your emotional stability" you mean become a danger to myself or others, then yes. If you mean feeling depressed because my wife left me, or my dog died, etc. then I would probably just keep it locked up. if I entered a deep depression and started to feel suicidal, or homicidal then I would call 911 give them my gun and ask to be taken to a psych ward.

6. Sadly very few, but that is not their fault. I have witnessed mental illness. I know what it looks like on multiple levels, and I would recognize the symptoms in myself if I should fall. Few have this understanding, and mental illness such as depression isn't even recognized as a real illness by a majority of the population who have never had friends or family members struggle with it.

7. Yes again. Because I know that a person with a psychotic disorder truly believes that there is nothing wrong with them, and that every one else is "stupid/crazy/blind,etc." because they don't know what the ill person know. Perhaps we should make gun owners take a Psych course...

8. I would guess <5%. It's not just about gun owners. We are now discussing mental illness. God can't we see it? yes the mass killings are horrible. did the gun cause it?? May have made it easier to kill more people, but cause it??? No. A gun does not go off by itself. may be what we need is not more gun laws, but to enforce the ones we currently have. At the same time, and even more importantly, we need to educate our populous about Mental illness especially Psychotic Disorders like Schizophrenia.

Thanks for the thought provoking questions.