Owning a gun is incredibly dangerous, and the only ways to make owning one less dangerous make it less effective in a personal protection scenario (keeping it locked in a safe, unloaded, etc). Easier and safer to just go without
Am I dumb or naive for not wanting to own a gun?
- Thread starter Astral
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OP
OP
I appreciate all of the insight and reassurance. I just remembered other points brought up. Am I crazy to think that if you reach for a gun while a knife is pulled at you in a robbery, you’re fucking dead? The situations this guy brought up all seemed fantastical and entirely anecdotal to me. I just kept thinking “this shit doesn’t happen.” He also argued that the only way your own family will harm themselves with a gun in the home is if your extremely careless and don’t lock it up properly. know I’ve heard of stats that indicate that guns escalate more than not and that the risk of someone in the home hurting themselves is high, but I didn’t have hard facts so my rebuttals were shut down.
Same, I will never have a gun in the house. I practice martial arts, but that's beside the point. I have two girls, 5 and 7, and while nunchucks, kali sticks, and training daggers are fine to be around (I've started training them a bit, up to them if they're interested or not, I won't push anything), I'd never want a gun in this place, they get into everything, and it'd only be a matter of time until they found that. I'd never have it loaded, but still.
Guns aren't for me.
Also OP, your inclination to not want to shoot or harm anyone, is not a bad thing. at all.
Guns aren't for me.
Also OP, your inclination to not want to shoot or harm anyone, is not a bad thing. at all.
Gun owner.
It's natural to have fear of guns. They only serve a very specific purpose and if you are unfamiliar and untrained it would be highly reckless to act all macho about guns which too many fools do cause they wanna look smart.
The best thing for anyone to do is TAKE A CLASS ON GUN ONWERSHIP. Not Youtube or your Uncle or even you ex military friend (I'm a vet and I tell people don't ask me ask a pro). It gives you context on the fear you rightly have.
It's natural to have fear of guns. They only serve a very specific purpose and if you are unfamiliar and untrained it would be highly reckless to act all macho about guns which too many fools do cause they wanna look smart.
The best thing for anyone to do is TAKE A CLASS ON GUN ONWERSHIP. Not Youtube or your Uncle or even you ex military friend (I'm a vet and I tell people don't ask me ask a pro). It gives you context on the fear you rightly have.
stop with this gatekeeping bullshit. you don't get to decide that someone else's personal choice that doesn't affect you at all is stupid.
im a single woman who lives alone and I feel much safer having something in my nightstand.
I wouldn't say that you're dumb. Owning a gun is a personal choice. Some people don't feel safe around guns. I didn't for most of my life, but I'm around guns all day every day now so I've gotten comfortable with them. However, you say that you've never been in a situation so unsafe that you would want a gun. So I might say you're a little naive. It's not a bad thing, consider yourself lucky, because the world can be a hard and fucked-up place.
As a parent I refuse to even let a gun into my home, let alone own one. You're not naive at all.
Guns aren't for everyone, I've owned multiple guns my entire life as has most of my family and if you grow up with them they are just tools like hammers. Deadly tools you respect and have drilled into your head the safety and operation of, but they aren't anything magical or things to fear.
Still, they honestly are more for recreation, it can be very fun and skill building to learn how to shoot accurately but if you aren't used to them then its totally fine not owning one. End of the day most people never have to deal with guns and thats perfectly normal. I've never once in my life drawn my gun to protect family or myself and I hope that can be true for the rest of my life, but I am prepared just in case just like any other skill you learn.
Still, they honestly are more for recreation, it can be very fun and skill building to learn how to shoot accurately but if you aren't used to them then its totally fine not owning one. End of the day most people never have to deal with guns and thats perfectly normal. I've never once in my life drawn my gun to protect family or myself and I hope that can be true for the rest of my life, but I am prepared just in case just like any other skill you learn.
My guess is that if you reach for a weapon while a robber has a knife or gun pointed at you, you're dead because you're escalating a robbery into a life-or-death situation for the robber. The robber already has a weapon pointed at you and you're pulling a gun on them. You're giving the robber two choices: Run (and hope that you won't shoot them while they run), or try to kill you before you kill him. I think they'd have a pretty decent chance of killing you out of fear, even if they didn't intend to hurt you in the first place. And since thier knife is already out and you're just pulling out your gun, chances are they'll hurt you before you hurt them.
I've always been under the impression that muggings or robberies are a matter of weighing risk and reward for the robber. A robbery is about making money by taking valuables that you own, and most likely isn't about harming people unless there's a financial reason to. That's why house robberies are best done when there's no one home - it poses the least risk to the robber.
As for the family protection thing, while responsible gun ownership is definitely a big deal, guns are also a thing that you really only have to fuck up once in your life to cause irreversible harm.
Finally, having access to a gun is highly correlated with suicide, so there's a mental health factor to consider as well. If you or anyone you intend to trust with a gun has been battling depression, you don't want them to have access to it.
Handgun ownership associated with much higher suicide risk
Men who own handguns are eight times more likely to die of gun suicides than men who don’t own handguns, and women who own handguns are 35 times more likely than women who don’t.
med.stanford.edu
Actually, owning a gun should make you more worried that you're going to hurt your family because there are more accidents and accidental deaths that happen compared to successful saving of family.
But I don't fault people who have been oppressed for so long and there have been no healthy alternatives that have worked to then resort to life-and-death decisions like owning a gun. When you can't trust institutions and systems to have your back, it's understandable even if tragic.
But I don't fault people who have been oppressed for so long and there have been no healthy alternatives that have worked to then resort to life-and-death decisions like owning a gun. When you can't trust institutions and systems to have your back, it's understandable even if tragic.
I have lived in major cities in the US my entire adult life. Cities that scare the absolute living shit out of conservative gun nuts. I have never, not once, not a single time, ever wished I had a gun with me in all that time in any situation, even the ones that actually did involve other people with guns. And I do have experience with them, and enjoy target shooting with all kinds of firearms. I'm not afraid of them, I simply know the realities in play, and I'm not any safer with one around; quite the opposite.
You're not dumb or naive for not wanting to own one. You just haven't fallen for the propaganda and the cowardice that convinces people they should.
You're not dumb or naive for not wanting to own one. You just haven't fallen for the propaganda and the cowardice that convinces people they should.
This seems like a wild misapplication of the term "gatekeeping." Thinking gun ownership is dumb is a valid and widely-held opinion supported by data. And you are way off in thinking your choice to own a gun doesn't affect other people. Every single gun normalizes gun culture and helps get guns in the homes of people who are going to kill someone with it. Every gun is another drop of poison in this toxic stew.
Same. Despite being an AFAB person who lives alone, I don't really see the point. I feel like the situations where it would be more helpful than dangerous are so specific and rare, and there's many more it would make more dangerous, that it's not worth it. That said, despite the evidence, if people want to own a gun to feel safe, I think it's fine if they follow precautions (the problem is how many people do not so its a perfect world scenario. I also understand marginalized people wanting one, despite evidence to the contrary. But I do think they should be kept at home, untrained people escalating situations or trying to play hero is just way too dangerous.
No, not at all. It’s not for everyone and it’s not the right solution for everyone.
If you put thought into it and come to the conclusion it’s not for you that’s perfectly acceptable.
If you put thought into it and come to the conclusion it’s not for you that’s perfectly acceptable.
I always say that if you're fearful of being robbed at home, invest in a home security system rather than a gun. Things like motion activated flood lights and security cameras will scare off almost all potential intruders.
I really dislike the gun culture in America... People think to themselves "If I have a gun and the other person is unarmed, they'll be scared of me." And then the unarmed person thinks "They have a gun and I don't, better arm myself as well." Then everyone has a gun and there's all these unnecessary deaths that get reported in the news which scares even more people into buying guns. It's an unfortunate cycle.
I really dislike the gun culture in America... People think to themselves "If I have a gun and the other person is unarmed, they'll be scared of me." And then the unarmed person thinks "They have a gun and I don't, better arm myself as well." Then everyone has a gun and there's all these unnecessary deaths that get reported in the news which scares even more people into buying guns. It's an unfortunate cycle.
How is what I said gate keeping?
And whilst a gun makes you feel safer, that doesn’t stop the logic that it actually makes you safer from being wrong and instead feeding and perpetuating a violent culture that ends up getting more people killed.
You have a right to want to be safe living alone. I have a right to say that a gun being the answer to actually making you safe is a dumb proposition.
Move to another country and find out that the rest of the (1st) world doesn't deal with any of this shit lol
I've never seen a gun before in real life and I think I know one person who has a rifle that shoots those little pellets.
No need for guns at all IMO, esp if you are not in the US. Honestly when I was a kid I wanted to visit the US, but nowadays
I really don't
I've never seen a gun before in real life and I think I know one person who has a rifle that shoots those little pellets.
No need for guns at all IMO, esp if you are not in the US. Honestly when I was a kid I wanted to visit the US, but nowadays
I really don't
No of course not. I live in a country where there is no gun culture and the thought of carrying a gun for protection makes me feel queasy. America is completely off the scales and I really feel for the people there that are so scared, justifiably, that they feel safer owning a gun, even if that isn't true.
Same, hate guns and I'm glad living in a country with strict gun rules and no gun culture.
But sadly I also understand why minorities are starting to buy more guns.
You are statistically more likely to hurt your family by mistake than you are to protect yourselves from something. Not saying nobody has ever protected their family with a gun of course, it happens, but the alternative happens more.
I have no interest in owning one. I keep a baseball bat near my bed. If I need more than that, its probably not going to end well regardless.
I have no interest in owning one. I keep a baseball bat near my bed. If I need more than that, its probably not going to end well regardless.
Pretty much. Fearmongering and manipulation works well in America, though.
Gun culture sucks. I don’t blame people for feeling like they need one (even though I definitely disagree). It’s just unfortunate that people think it’s necessary. I don’t even particularly dislike people who enjoy shooting guns and stuff recreationally, but I feel like it should be so easy to limit guns. I’m terrified that a future like that seems impossible in the US. Gun culture and healthcare are the two single things that make me want to leave even though my entire life is built here.
I say this as a gun owner - you are neither. You are showing gun responsibility by NOT buying one for such a silly reason. And that person sounds like an ass and probably shouldn’t have firearms.
I have a few to hunt and target shoot. I’ve never ever felt I needed one to protect myself. That’s insane. Only time I need a gun for protection is when I hike certain areas I know bears are prevalent in.
I have a few to hunt and target shoot. I’ve never ever felt I needed one to protect myself. That’s insane. Only time I need a gun for protection is when I hike certain areas I know bears are prevalent in.
I don't have a problem with responsible ownership of (licensed, registered, limited) guns for hunting, protection from wildlife, or even just sport—I grew up with them around for that purpose. But ownership for protection from other people just seems like a fantasy fraught with emotion-driven miscalculation of risk, even if I can empathize with reasons some groups might have more justification for paranoia than others.
No, it's gross. Just stay away from them. I've thought similar things but ultimately I hate them.
I'm an American. I'm very squeamish around guns, violence, and talk of war.
If news is covering something they say will be graphic, I turn my head away, and most of the time I cover my ears if there is sound. I don't want to see it. I don't want to hear it.
Sometimes, I'm not going to lie, when I hear of people I know who own guns and want it for their protection... first, it scares me... second, I hope they just use it for range shooting or hunting in worst case. It makes me uncomfortable, terrified, and even alienated to hear of a "friend" that packs heat for an awfully random and low chance of needing one for protection. It's intimidating. Enough so that I distance from them.
I try not to judge it against their character, but it seriously freaks me out. I can't help that.
A lot of times when I see news of someone who died, all I can think about is their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, and friends. I lost my dad a little over 18 months ago. It was hard. I know it won't be the same for everyone, but I can't help but imagine each one with a network of loved ones. How can any reasonable person end all of that with a fucking bullet? It's unconscionable to me. Especially for stupid reasons like property and such. Who gives a shit about a goddamn house compared to another person's life.
Obviously if another person's life is at stake, it is a bit of a grey area, but I can't imagine myself behind a gun. I go out of my way to avoid stepping on ants and killing spiders if I can help it. :)
Regardless, statistics show a positive correlation between gun ownership and gun violence. And how many times have we seen the news that some kid steals his parents gun and either shoots himself or someone else? Now compare that to how often these random acts of violence by the assortment of bigots and gangs?
It is more likely we and our children die from obesity, cancer, or automobile accidents. Where's my gun for stopping those? Do you think it would? /semi-rhetorical questions
Why should the solution for violence be more violence? That's not how we should handle these issues. How could we ever become a peaceful world society if we can't even make the first steps to trust our neighbors?
If news is covering something they say will be graphic, I turn my head away, and most of the time I cover my ears if there is sound. I don't want to see it. I don't want to hear it.
Sometimes, I'm not going to lie, when I hear of people I know who own guns and want it for their protection... first, it scares me... second, I hope they just use it for range shooting or hunting in worst case. It makes me uncomfortable, terrified, and even alienated to hear of a "friend" that packs heat for an awfully random and low chance of needing one for protection. It's intimidating. Enough so that I distance from them.
I try not to judge it against their character, but it seriously freaks me out. I can't help that.
A lot of times when I see news of someone who died, all I can think about is their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, and friends. I lost my dad a little over 18 months ago. It was hard. I know it won't be the same for everyone, but I can't help but imagine each one with a network of loved ones. How can any reasonable person end all of that with a fucking bullet? It's unconscionable to me. Especially for stupid reasons like property and such. Who gives a shit about a goddamn house compared to another person's life.
Obviously if another person's life is at stake, it is a bit of a grey area, but I can't imagine myself behind a gun. I go out of my way to avoid stepping on ants and killing spiders if I can help it. :)
Regardless, statistics show a positive correlation between gun ownership and gun violence. And how many times have we seen the news that some kid steals his parents gun and either shoots himself or someone else? Now compare that to how often these random acts of violence by the assortment of bigots and gangs?
It is more likely we and our children die from obesity, cancer, or automobile accidents. Where's my gun for stopping those? Do you think it would? /semi-rhetorical questions
Why should the solution for violence be more violence? That's not how we should handle these issues. How could we ever become a peaceful world society if we can't even make the first steps to trust our neighbors?
My dad kept a loaded shotgun under his bed, and he ended up shooting out a window after he forgot it was loaded after it sat down there for 5+ years. After that, all the guns got locked up in the safe with trigger locks and separate from the ammo.
"The safety is an illusion" cannot be stated enough.
I used to work at a gun shop for years. I had customers ask questions similar to what your asking yourself. If there is any doubt in your mind about buying one, don't buy one. I would always tell them it's not something to take lightly. It's a big responsibility. You have to treat the gun with the upmost respect. As soon as that bullet comes out that barrel there is no turning back. You are responsible for any damage, injury, or death it causes. Every round in the gun is a potential lawsuit or court case. If your not comfortable with that, you shouldn't own one.
There was that guy whose wife was attacked by a rabid bobcat the other week.
That's it. I got nothing.
If someone already has a knife out, they're within 21 feet of you, and your gun is still in your holster, they have the advantage.
An accident at home is less likely if everyone in the house has firearm training and knowledge of their operation. If kids are in the house, I would hesitate to keep guns around, personally.
But don't let anyone tell you that you need a gun to keep yourself safe. You're much more in danger of dying in a car accident than getting murdered. And gun ownership is only going to keep yourself safer if you put in the money and time to train, and I would say you should only do that if you actually like to shoot.
No OP you're smart...
Here in the world outside of America and it's crazy gun culture, guns aren't something you generally buy. So not owning one is perfectly normal..
Here in the world outside of America and it's crazy gun culture, guns aren't something you generally buy. So not owning one is perfectly normal..
