OP
OP
Soapbox Killer
Oct 28, 2017
30,449

echoshifting

very salt heavy
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
16,509
The Negative Zone
My dad keeps urging me to get a gun for home protection and this is why I keep saying "no".

Anger, sadness, and fear don't mix well with guns, and there's just too many ways for things to get tragically out of hand.

Thank you, OP, for cementing my decision: no guns in the house.

Good for you. I mean it. If all Americans were so committed to their own safety and the safety of others, it would save a lot of lives. A lot of needless death and destruction could be avoided.
 

Devilgunman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,679
Yeah I saw the video it's really fcked up. The carries part is that this isn't uncommon. So many people die senselessly like this.
 

Hidant

Member
Oct 27, 2017
233
I saw that video on Reddit, holy shit I thought it was faked, that is fucking horrible. He even went ahead and executed them after shooting them the first time, you never fucking know when people are going to snap.

I have never gotten into a fight but nowadays it's not worth it(has it ever?), even when driving no matter the reason it's not worth it to get into some road rage incident because you don't know who's behind the other wheel.
 
OP
OP
Soapbox Killer
Oct 28, 2017
30,449
My dad keeps urging me to get a gun for home protection and this is why I keep saying "no".

Anger, sadness, and fear don't mix well with guns, and there's just too many ways for things to get tragically out of hand.

Thank you, OP, for cementing my decision: no guns in the house.


mind you , I'm not fully anti-gun (yet) but this will not go any longer without deep reflection.
 

Sendero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
924
Guns, that by its own definition are meant to cause permanent damage or death.
There is zero reason for those to be as freely available.

But laws for controlling its acquisition and ownership is just a step.
Heavily taxing associated hardware and mods and Clamping hard on its heavy fetishized culture is just as important.
 

Brinbe

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
65,504
Terana
abcnews.go.com

Woman killed, 3 police wounded in hourslong standoff

Authorities say three North Carolina police officers were shot and wounded by a man who barricaded himself in a home with a woman and two children in an hourslong standoff

like it's crazy seeing it on video like that but yes, the reality is that gun violence exactly like that happens everyday. its taken a backburner as an issue because of covid and trump but they gotta do something about this.
 

Lobster Roll

signature-less, now and forever™
Member
Sep 24, 2019
37,168
I am GunEra or I was. I'm just not sure anymore. I am not a reactionary person so I will think, speak with my mens council, reflect and decide.
I'm sorry that it came at the price of you having to watch that video, but it's good to know that the grim reality shown to you has you reconsidering your stance.
 

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,520
I wonder how many shootings in America involve the kind of rage these neighbors had towards each other right before the murder. When I lived in DC there seemed to be one or two road rage murders a year.

I always thought this was a violent country. We are probably violent enough without the guns. But guns are always going to make things worse.
 

Deleted member 11039

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,109
I can understand why someone might feel safer having a gun, especially given the recent escalation from the gun loving right wing nuts. But feelings aren't truth. The truth is guns, to any kind of extent, do not make you safer. They do the opposite. They make it more likely that you'll die from a gun. Guns for safety is as anti science as anti-vaxers, flat earthers, whatever.

I keep seeing the sentiment that the left or minorities need to arm themselves to push back against the right wing terrorists. But arming themselves isn't a counter to white supremacists. Its just contributing to a race to the bottom.

The majority of gun deaths are suicides from white males. Most gun homicide victims are black men. Guns aren't helping anyone. More people arming themselves, regardless of political ideology or training etc, is only going to make it worse.

I watched that video too and its deeply disturbing just how pointless yet fatal all of it was. Neighbors stupidly bickering over shoveling snow ended up with two people executed and a suicide because guns became involved.

Honestly Sandy Hook sapped almost all of my hope that the US will ever do anything in regards to guns. If that didn't motivate people to change, its hard for me to imagine what could. But I don't know. Like others mentioned, maybe if we're able to boost our safety nets and address some of the desperation people feel maybe that will solve it from a different direction.
 

jerf

Member
Nov 1, 2017
6,489
Guns, that by its own definition are meant to cause permanent damage or death.
There is zero reason for those to be as freely available.

But laws for controlling its acquisition and ownership is just a step.
Heavily taxing associated hardware and mods and Clamping hard on its heavy fetishized culture is just as important.
ALL. OF. THIS.
A guns sole purpose is to destroy whatever you point it at
 

Lost Lemurian

Member
Nov 30, 2019
4,472
mind you , I'm not fully anti-gun (yet) but this will not go any longer without deep reflection.
I just don't want one in my house. And I grew up around guns. I know how to use them, I know how to be safe with them.

And, well, because of my skin color, I can call the police if I feel in danger, without worrying that they'll shoot me on sight when they arrive. I appreciate that's not an option for everyone and I don't begrudge anything you do to be secure.
 

echoshifting

very salt heavy
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
16,509
The Negative Zone
I can understand why someone might feel safer having a gun, especially given the recent escalation from the gun loving right wing nuts. But feelings aren't truth. The truth is guns, to any kind of extent, do not make you safer. They do the opposite. They make it more likely that you'll die from a gun. Guns for safety is as anti science as anti-vaxers, flat earthers, whatever.

I keep seeing the sentiment that the left or minorities need to arm themselves to push back against the right wing terrorists. But arming themselves isn't a counter to white supremacists. Its just contributing to a race to the bottom.

The majority of gun deaths are suicides from white males. Most gun homicide victims are black men. Guns aren't helping anyone. More people arming themselves, regardless of political ideology or training etc, is only going to make it worse.

I watched that video too and its deeply disturbing just how pointless yet fatal all of it was. Neighbors stupidly bickering over shoveling snow ended up with two people executed and a suicide because guns became involved.

Honestly Sandy Hook sapped almost all of my hope that the US will ever do anything in regards to guns. If that didn't motivate people to change, its hard for me to imagine what could. But I don't know. Like others mentioned, maybe if we're able to boost our safety nets and address some of the desperation people feel maybe that will solve it from a different direction.

Great post. And I agree with you about Sandy Hook. After that, I lost most of my hope that anything will happen in my lifetime. Or my daughter's lifetime.
 

Cup O' Tea?

Member
Nov 2, 2017
3,667
I'm so glad I don't live in America. In my country we banned most of the guns and it was a conservative politician who did it. The fact the issue of gun control in the US has become so partisan means nothing will ever change.
 

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,520
I'm so glad I don't live in America. In my country we banned most of the guns and it was a conservative politician who did it. The fact the issue of gun control in the US has become so partisan means nothing will ever change.
Sadly I don't think it's that partisan. I think the love of guns is something that can cross party lines.
 

Arebours

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,656
The real mind virus is this idea of home protection. That just isn't a thing in most other developed countries where protection simply isn't a valid reason for owning a firearm.
 
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Kasumin

Member
Nov 19, 2017
2,228
I saw a commercial warning about the risk of a gun in the home leading to suicide that acts out a worried parent not being able to find their gun and then trying to find their kid, but the kid won't answer them. I'm used to PSAs against texting while driving, but that one was new to me. Wasn't expecting it at all. It legit had me shook.

I say this as someone who is for gun control. I guess some people see commercials like that and just roll their eyes.

This thread reminds me of some comments I read on r/conservative in a post about some gun control news story. Even when it was pointed out that it would be reasonable to require training before someone can buy a gun, the responses were like, "But the Constitution says I have a right to one, so I'm entitled to guns." That's the kind of bullshit that gun control advocates are up against.

Wasn't gun ownership politicized by the NRA decades ago, anyway? It's insane that the 2nd Amendment states a "well-regulated militia" but courts in the US have twisted that into, "everyone has a right to own a gun." It's made the country so much worse.
 

mAcOdIn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,992
I think it's more or less the same thing as "you're a good gun owner until you aren't" but I think the biggest thing about having a firearm is, like anything else you buy, you look for a reason to use it. I've had a gun for years and everytime something crazy comes up, and I have something crazy happening in my neighborhood about once a year, I think I should get my gun incase this shit turns south and have to actively decide not to. And so far I've never grabbed it and I've never once regretted not grabbing it.

Basically, if you don't have a gun you learn to deal with shit without a gun and if you have a gun eventually you're going to decide to deal with something that could have been dealt with any other way with that gun. And sure, I think some people would be dead that wouldn't be if they had a gun but I think the country is safe enough that more people are escalating to gun violence when a beating, successful theft, argument or whatever would have been the alternative without it.
 

Mechaplum

Enlightened
Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,777
JP
Very happy I live in Australia. We have some fucked up policies here, but I have never feared being shot.

We have gun violence here as well, though they are usually confined to the gangs.

Guns are like swords, they are made to kill. They are not "defensive" tools. They are only defensive in that you use it to kill the other party before they kill you in a threatening situation.
 

CheeseWraith

Member
Oct 28, 2017
618
I never shoot a gun, but I've practiced target archery for a few years. I'm well aware that a well placed arrow can kill, so we all took extra precautions when training at the range. One day one of our trainers produced a small bowgun, the size of a handgun, and let us try it. It was so friggin accurate and powerful, especially in comparison with our big recurves, that literally terrified me. One shot was all it took to make never want to shoot that thing again. It was simply too dangerous in my mind. Even in my country where there's proper gun control that thing is "fair game" and does not require a gun license. And that's definitely not a good thing in my mind.
 

regenhuber

Member
Nov 4, 2017
5,580
We have gun violence here as well, though they are usually confined to the gangs.

Same here in Germany.
Really hard to get a legal gun and super tough sentences for illegal gun owners.
So basically you would only own a firearm illegally if you are gangster with nothing to lose.

That said, we have the same kind of neighbourhood conflicts here and they get violent quickly. But without a gun in play they almost never with dead people.
 

McScroggz

The Fallen
Jan 11, 2018
6,013
I don't necessarily know if I believe in taking away all guns...but I certainly think we should take away most guns and regulate them significantly more.
 

psynergyadept

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 26, 2017
17,397
Saw it on Reddit the other day; it's fucking crazy that a neighbor dispute can end like that. Everyone wants to believe they're a good guy with a gun when they're really the unhinged maniac like this guy waiting to explode.
 

TechnicPuppet

Member
Oct 28, 2017
11,157
Gun discussions on here have always seemed bizarre to me. This one seems to be ok though. Others ones I've seen in the past have been pretty Pro gun.

A site full of Trump and Republican haters should be as against guns as Trump. It's actually astonishing to that people think it's acceptable to think that way.
 

Raggie

Member
Oct 16, 2018
491
As the saying goes: for a person with a hammer, all problems start to look like nails.

Once someone has a gun, using it becomes an option. A troubled person has the option to shoot themselves, instead of seeking aid. Or shoot someone else. Murder or suicide are always possible by other means, but guns make it too easy.
 

Huey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,389
Good on you for coming at this from a different perspective OP. This is what the evidence shows, that gun ownership makes people less safe.
 

Necromanti

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,099
Just some attempt at gun control would make a significant difference. Mandatory background checks, training, psychological evaluations, and what have you. Knowing how the average person behaves and how responsible they tend to be, having ready access to deadly weapons will have predictable results. It only takes one mistake for someone to pay the price, usually a child in the household or someone escalating a situation when unnecessary (which is one of the issues plaguing law enforcement). It makes suicide attempts a lot more final. How many more people have to die until it's no longer acceptable? Though some people make me wonder if the dystopian nature of it is the point.
 

Afrikan

Member
Oct 28, 2017
18,812
Edit- I initially commented about what happened in the video, because I'm just now learning about it.. but this thread is more about discussion of gun ownership.

Growing up in the City in the 90's, I never felt the need to own a gun... even in tough neighborhoods. I just felt I'd end up using it one day. And till this day I still feel the same about guns, there no good. I don't like being around them.

But I do think my feelings might change if I lived in house in the country side. But I don't so, whatever.
 
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Imperfected

Member
Nov 9, 2017
11,737
People like to have a good laugh at "heated Karen moments", until they realize that the reason they don't end in absolute tragedy anywhere near as often is because women are less likely to carry guns. The equivalent interactions with men are much more likely to end up with someone shot as a consequence.
 

Twister

Member
Feb 11, 2019
5,979
Are states allowed to restrict gun ownership? Obviously it wouldn't be the ideal solution, but I live in a particularly liberal state and I'm pretty sure harsh gun restrictions could pass here if we were given a referendum vote on it but I'm not sure how things like this work. If enough states and regions of the US move to enact their own gun control, maybe the federal government would feel more pressured to act
 

Cels

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,910
Are states allowed to restrict gun ownership? Obviously it wouldn't be the ideal solution, but I live in a particularly liberal state and I'm pretty sure harsh gun restrictions could pass here if we were given a referendum vote on it but I'm not sure how things like this work. If enough states and regions of the US move to enact their own gun control, maybe the federal government would feel more pressured to act

no. once upon a time, chicago banned handguns altogether, but the supreme court overturned the ban with the reasoning that the 2nd amendment applies to state and local governments
 

TheMadTitan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
28,593
Gun discussions on here have always seemed bizarre to me. This one seems to be ok though. Others ones I've seen in the past have been pretty Pro gun.

A site full of Trump and Republican haters should be as against guns as Trump. It's actually astonishing to that people think it's acceptable to think that way.
Read Nepenthe's post. I can hate Trump and not be explicitly anti-gun in America.
 

Deleted member 17289

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,163
The guy who killed the couple committed suicide afterwards. He probably realized what he did in a moment of anger and couldn't live with it.
 

jimtothehum

Member
Mar 23, 2018
1,604
I clicked on the video not fully realizing what I was getting into and the shear brutality and senselessness of it just stays with you. It was a difficult watch.
 

DarthMasta

Member
Feb 17, 2018
5,055
a) Don't let people have guns with little effort (much of the world, Australia).
b) Don't have people want to shoot each other (I dunno, look at Switzerland and Israel, try be more like them, whatever that means).
c) Live with it.

Pick one, I'd say only a) has a proven track record of being practical, maybe c) might be doable, ED-209 might be around the corner.
 

iapetus

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,112
That isn't a crazy person in that video. It isn't a bad guy with a gun.

It's a responsible, trustworthy, careful, trained gun owner. Just like everyone who defends widespread gun ownership in the US.
 

Marz

Member
Oct 30, 2017
4,282
Probably the most disturbing thing I've ever seen and I've seen some fucked up shit
 
Oct 26, 2017
595
That's the issue with normalization.

You ever been next to a piece of heavy duty machinery, for wood cutting or whatever? It provokes a terrible feeling, the idea that one false move is all it takes to irremediably change your life. The idea that there is a very real possible causality chain where you might get maimed, or worse.

I live in a country with firearm regulation, so I only see them when I happen to walk by military personnel. It always give me the same feeling of awe and dread.

The normalization of firearms always leads to a progressive attenuation of this feeling. The more time you spend around them without an accident, the less dangerous they seem. That's inevitable. That's how our brains are wired. At some point down the line, we end up registering them as not too dangerous, or not at all. That's when shit happens.
 
Dec 16, 2017
2,205
I saw a video that cut out right before the shooting, but I was struck by how unafraid the woman was, walking toward the armed man and daring him to "do it". I suspect that the woman was desensitized to the idea that guns are killing machines.

The whole thing was disturbing, and I agree that the outcome wouldn't have been possible without guns.
 

AM_LIGHT

Member
Oct 30, 2017
3,901
I wish I haven't searched twitter for the video. It's the most horrible and brutal thing I've ever seen.
 

bawjaws

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,722
This thread reminds me of some comments I read on r/conservative in a post about some gun control news story. Even when it was pointed out that it would be reasonable to require training before someone can buy a gun, the responses were like, "But the Constitution says I have a right to one, so I'm entitled to guns." That's the kind of bullshit that gun control advocates are up against.

Wasn't gun ownership politicized by the NRA decades ago, anyway? It's insane that the 2nd Amendment states a "well-regulated militia" but courts in the US have twisted that into, "everyone has a right to own a gun." It's made the country so much worse.
This reminds me of watching the news a couple of days before January 6 and seeing some MAGA chud being interviewed at a protest rally, wearing full military kit and toting a massive rifle and a pistol. When the interviewer asked him why he was armed, he just said "because it's my constitutional right." Absolute bullshit. Just because you can doesn't mean you have to, or should. But it seems that these people put the cart before the horse to justify wanting to intimidate (or even hurt) others.
 

Zutroy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,653
From a non-US perspective, after Sandyhook and no action was taken, it's when I gave up on thinking you'll get any sort of gun reform in the US.

Maybe in like 30 years when the millennial generation will hold most seats of power there might be another chance?