A question I have had lately.

Do you have an issue with guns? If so why?

Yes, I do, but not a huge issue. I think guns tend to escalate a dangerous situation, and are a potential danger to the carrier if he or she is not quick enough on the draw (it can be taken from you and used against you).

Do you believe there are better options? If so why?

Yes, as I said, a gun is potentially a danger to its owner, especially if, when push comes to shove, they are unable to use it (and I don't think it's possible to know whether you will until you're in a situation that requires it), or if they are not quick enough on the draw and the gun is taken from them. Pepperspray and hand-to-hand fighting skills are probably more valuable tools, and pepper spray poses less of a danger if taken from you.

A gun is pretty much useless if the other person, or people, get the drop on you, especially if they pin you down. Gun's may be effective weapons against intruders, but I doubt their usefulness in self-defense on the streets. It seems quite likely that if someone fired a gun it might hit not their attacker but an innocent bystander, as aiming properly will not really be possible if you're actively being beaten up. And again, if you threaten to shoot, they call your bluff, and you can't do it, the gun immediately becomes a potential weapon against you.

Would you be able to use a lethal weapon in self defense? If not why?

As I said above, I don't know, and I won't know unless I'm in a situation where I both have a lethal weapon and could use it to defend myself.

Would you live with someone/date someone that owned a firearm?

I could date someone, but I couldn't live with them if they kept the firearm in their home. I suffer from depression which can become suicidal, and having a gun in the house is just too dangerous.

 

Do you have an issue with guns? If so why?
Yes, I have some issues with guns - probably because it is weapon to injure or kill. So pretty much it's connotation i guess.

Do you believe there are better options? If so why?
Well...I believe there are better options, but immediate ones, no. But longterm ones, improve the public environment so that the place you live do not require guns..

Would you be able to use a lethal weapon in self defense? If not why?
Wouldn't have a clue if I would be able to use a lethal weapon, never held a real gun before. Would have to see the circumstances?

Would you live with someone/date someone that owned a firearm?
Certainly would date someone who owns a firearm, but I do have issues with it as well...just there's always the chance that they could be psycho...@_@

 

Only if they are used by my enemies.

In what situation?

Never have shot a gun but I'm almost 100% certain that I would be able to shoot and shoot to kill if need be.

I would consider it a +.
It shows independence and self confidence. Also I would like someone to teach me how to use a gun.

 

I am a liberal.

I am a bleeding heart hippy-ish liberal, in fact. Save the whales, omg global warming, welcome the immigrants with open arms, etc. Vegetarian. Organic foods. Anti-fur. Birkenstock. Pot munching. Crystal healing. Solar power. Own a herd of cats. Listen to Celine Dion. You know the type.

... I'll still pump someone full of lead if they try to harm me, or the ones I love. If it's me or them, it's going to be them, and I give not a single fuck; I consider it a forfeit of their right to life if they decide I don't deserve MY right to life.

I dislike guns and I dislike the idea of having to use them, but they serve a purpose and I think knowing how to defend yourself with lethal means is a very good idea. Sometimes there are other ways to disable an attacker, but sometimes there isn't, and in the event that they are trying to kill you and all you can do is pull a trigger and hope for the best... well, then that's what you do. I don't believe one bit in letting myself be killed just because guns scare me and people think that a civilized society shouldn't need them.

While I can't be sure of what I'd do in a situation, of course, I am fully comfortable with shooting to kill if need be. Is it the ideal? Not at all. But if that's what needs to happen, it's a-okay by me.

And I'd be fine dating/living with someone who has a gun. :]

 

Do you have an issue with guns? If so why?

Nope. I like having the option to defend myself if need be, though I hope I never have to.

Do you believe there are better options? If so why?

Nope. Given the option to defend myself against someone meaning to harm me, I would much rather have a gun than anything else.

Would you be able to use a lethal weapon in self defense? If not why?

Yes. My life is more important to me than the life of someone who seeks to harm me or a loved one. If at all possible I would try to avoid it, but if it came down to my mom dies or this criminal dies, I choose the criminal.

Would you live with someone/date someone that owned a firearm?

Would be a non-issue for me.

 

Since I'm going into law-enforcement I will have to carry a gun, but I hope I never have to use it, ever. I think I would genuinely hesitate to defend myself, but I would not think twice about firing it to save somebody else. Honestly, I think guns are too readily available and should be restricted to the general public to some nebulous further extent that I don't want to elaborate on right now at this particular moment.

I would absolutely not under any circumstances date or live with a "gun enthusiast." To me, guns are simply weapons of destruction, a tool whose sole purpose is the taking of life and the infliction of bodily damage, and I don't see that as anything to celebrate. I would, however, date someone who was also in law enforcement or even in the military, someone who was required to carry a gun as part of his job in the protection of others, since that's totally different.

As a white male student I don't really see much of a point in learning to lethally defend myself right now. There's security on campus, and there's security at work. Males are not statistically likely candidates for victimization and most crimes are motivated for very interpersonal reasons. The best way to protect yourself from crimes is to be very selective in who you allow into your life. You're statistically more likely to be victimized by your own friends and family than you are a stranger on the street. I don't want to offend you Bibliophile, or any other gun enthusiasts that may be on EC, but I personally feel like enthusiasts play on people's fear to a completely absurd extent to satisfy an agenda. There's a reason most of them align with libertarian and right-wing politics.

 

Knifes are designed for cutting. If I cut a tomato, it is just a kitchen tool. If I cut someone, it is a lethal weapon.

I see guns the same as that. If I shoot targets at the shooting range, it is just a fun recreational tool. If I shoot someone, it is a lethal weapon.

 

I am not against owning a gun because there are a lot of people who hunt (which I wouldn't do myself but its not my place to judge what other people do), shot for sport or just out of interest. But I am against people arming themselves with guns to protect themselves. I don't know the statistics or research behind it so I won't presume to know it all. I feel like having a gun would indeed escalate the situation, and make a potentially bad situation worse.

 

Kidd, with those two paragraphs, you explained my thoughts on the matter perfectly and probably better than I could have (with the exception that I don't trust security to defend me, since a lot can happen in the time it takes them to get where you are, but aside from that, you hit the nail on the head), especially the bit about enthusiasts playing on people's fear. Massive kudos to you.

As for whether I could use a lethal weapon in self-defense, I've never been able to bring myself to cheat on an exam; I really don't think I'd have it in me to take another person's life, regardless of the circumstances (though I've thankfully never been in that situation, so I don't know for sure). I'd defend myself, certainly, but my aim would probably be to incapacitate, not to kill.

The way I see it, I'm a male-presenting individual who is six feet tall and 200 lbs. While there are certainly more intimidating people in the world than me, my stature discourages strangers from messing with me. Even if they did, I could use my stature to my advantage to defend myself. Couple that with the fact that I've never had even a minor scuffle with a stranger in my 21 years in this society, and carrying a gun for self-defense becomes way more trouble than it's worth. It's money I don't need to spend, and learning how to use it safely and properly takes time, time I'm not going to spend on something I don't actually think I need.

[Trigger warning: suicidal thoughts]

Plus, I'm in a similar situation to Mogget: I have anxiety that sometimes attacks me really strongly, strongly enough to make me suicidal. I have bad urge control, especially when I get emotional, so if I had a gun, the chances I'd ever have to use it to defend myself pale in comparison to the chances that I'd use it against myself. I don't even own a knife that's any sharper than a pair of scissors, and it's for the same reason.

 

Do you have an issue with guns? If so why?

Not really. We have a couple in my house and I have always been around them. I have never shot a real gun, but a couple of friends are planning on it soon.

Do you believe there are better options? If so why?

Situational awareness and knowing who you are with a really powerful skills to have. I would never feel comfortable carrying a gun because I honestly don't think I will ever need it. Knowing some sort of self defense can be a better option simply because the chances of you getting attacked with another gun are very slim.

Would you be able to use a lethal weapon in self defense? If not why?

Heck yes. If I feel like I'm going to get killed then I will take any measure necessary to make sure that it doesn't happen.

Would you live with someone/date someone that owned a firearm?

I wouldn't mind. I probably wouldn't be with someone that carries one around because, and I'm overgeneralizing here, I'm usually not attracted to the guys that do so.

I will say that I wouldn't be able to date someone who is a fanatic when it comes to weapons. Wouldn't be able to tell you why, but I wouldn't feel comfortable about it.


I will say that there is a BIG movement in the LGBT community about arming ourselves for self-dense. The idea is that if homophobes start realizing that LGBT people are carrying guns then they will be more hesitant about attacking them.

I don't completely agree with that philosophy for the simple fact that I don't want to gain respect by the use of fear. It doesn't last and some people take it like a personal challenge.

 

Do you have an issue with guns? If so why?

Nope. I'm a proud gun owner myself. I'm by no means a gun nut or weapons fanatic, but I like taking my rifle and going to the shooting range every so often.

Do you believe there are better options? If so why?

Depends on the situation and how proficient and effective the user of the firearm is. For home defense, I think it's hard to beat a gun.

Would you be able to use a lethal weapon in self defense? If not why?

I'm nearly 100% sure I'd be able to. While I detest the idea of having to take a life, if I, or someone else, is in danger, I'm not going to hesitate pulling that trigger.

Would you live with someone/date someone that owned a firearm?

Well of course. I don't know if I could live with someone who wouldn't allow a firearm in the house. Perhaps a compromise, in which I could keep the firearm I already had, but not buy any new ones.

 

100% agreed.

I honestly don't see the point of carrying a gun as a part of self-defense. Like Kidd said, you're much more likely to be victimized by people you know. On that note, you don't hear much of totally random shootings, whether hate driven or not, without some prior relationship or interaction between the shooter and victim. If it is a completely random attack you're trying to protect yourself from, then I'd politely suggest you're being a bit paranoid, and ask you how you plan to protect yourself from something unexpected. Do you really think the average person has the reflexes to stop someone from hurting them when they have no idea it's coming? And if it isn't a random occurrence, and you genuinely are fearful because of some action/person/event as of late, then call whatever police/security force and get yourself properly protected. Then after the tension passes, seriously consider who it is you're interacting with and on what terms you interact with them.

And as for LGBT carrying them as a means of protection, I agree with whoever said that its basically 'ruling with fear', and that it doesn't accomplish much. Think of it this way. We propose that we should carry guns. Why? Because they're carrying guns and it's a threat to us. Okay, so, when some other group decides that we're the threatening group, does that mean they need to start carrying guns? And at what point does using guns as a means of protection escalate into something further, whether it be more expensive/exclusive/lethal?

Really, if someone is gunning (literally) for you based on your sexuality, they probably aren't going to think of you nicely. If you turn around and pull a gun on them, what exactly is holding them back from shooting you? Now it seems like you're the threat to them, and they can justify it as self-defense (don't quote me on that, I'm no law expert).

To be honest, I really don't see what problems having a gun solves that couldn't otherwise be solved in some more professional (read: working with professionals) and safe manner, or that couldn't have been avoided altogether by altering some of your personal choices.

 

How likely do you think it is that I'll be attacked by someone who wants to kill me? Because from where I'm sitting, it isn't likely at all. None of my family or friends (the people who are statistically the most likely to try to hurt me) are particularly violent, and queer-bashings are rare to nonexistent in my hometown. As Kidd said, there seems to be a lot of fear-mongering among weapons enthusiasts and I don't really understand it. Would it be a good idea for me to learn some self-defense skills? Yes, probably, but it's hardly urgent.

 

I have no problems with guns, despite having been nearly shot in the head, and having my brother commit suicide.
My personal view is that if guns are banned, or hard for the general public to come by, then only the people who use them maliciously will find ways to get them- look at the illegal arms market, after all.
The idea here follows the same principle as in the saying "locks were only made to keep honest people honest".
I feel that if everyone had a gun at all times, then that one person would really have to think twice about doing something stupid. It would be something of a powder keg, but then there is this ideal of natural selection that would kind of play out there... I won't deny that there would be collateral damage, but it beats the alternative of only keeping responsible people away from firearms.

 

I own a few long guns. I haven't been in a few years but I enjoy target shooting.

I don't carry gun and never will. I'm going to be frank, I don't want to kill or shoot another person. For me to pull a gun would just needlessly escalate and already tense situation.

I have other defenses. I'm 6'4" and built like a line backer. People leave me alone as it is.

 

I might be misinformed since I'm not from the States (and we don't have readily available guns in Canada), but are you legally required to have some sort of training before owning a gun? From what I understood, it just needed to be registered.

Anyway, as for emergencies, the thing is we plan for emergencies where there's some viable amount of reaction time. Things like fires follow relatively straightforward protocols: get away from the danger, call the fire department, put out any flames you can, retrieve valuables, etc. Now, on the other hand, say a gas tank of some sort were to explode amidst this fire (and you got caught in the impact). There is no amount of planning that will help you out of that scenario. Common sense would tell you to avoid anything explosive in the first place, but that falls back to what I suggested earlier: avoid the problem before it becomes one.

The thing with these scenarios (and what I'm picturing is being held at gunpoint, say being mugged or something) is that you're interacting with another person. Other emergencies we can adapt to to the best of our abilities, and like you said, probably deal with it okay. With another person though, they can think for themselves, and adapt just as much as we do to achieve whatever their end goal was. And I think that anyone who had the conviction that they needed to mug someone to get through the day is probably going to find some way to follow through and get their money if they can. So, I guess this is where the conflict comes in. Sure, I suppose you could look at it as a choice of 'begging on your knees' versus 'dying while fighting', but I see it differently (I suppose that's a matter of mindset and priorities though). I do not see any value in fighting an attacker who has the potential to kill you strictly for some sort of 'pride' or 'honour'. I mean, I personally would much rather play the odds that are in my favour and try to live another day. Material goods can be replaced, but life can't.

And really, if someone comes up and holds a gun to the back of your head, what are you gonna do, pull out your gun as a reflex? They'd much quicker shoot you, and their finger is already around the trigger. Unless you're running around with your gun cocked and in your hand (or very readily accessible), I fail to see what value it has for you in an emergency situation where you're being taken by surprise. Even if you both have weapons drawn for whatever reason, the risk of someone getting seriously injured (if not killed) will definitely go up, and please remind me how that solves anything. If nothing else, they'll probably adopt the same mentality you had of 'I'm not going down without a fight', in which case both parties lose.

If the average person can be trained for firearms usage, then the average person can be trained for much safer (yet equally effective alternatives) like non-violent crisis intervention training. I have to do it for work, and I work with some arguably less-than-intelligent people. Like it says, it's non-violent, teaches you reflexes that will protect yourself and not hurt anyone else. Theoretically, it would get you out of a jam in a pinch.

If nothing else, and there are studies that show this, the number of homicides with guns compared to knives/blunt objects/asphyxiation/anything a point-blank range is RIDICULOUSLY higher. This is strictly due to the fact that killing someone with a gun dehumanizes the action; when you stab someone, you are up close and personal, and you feel them being hurt by what you're doing. This is why I argue that while people think they'd be able to shoot an attacker if needed, it's much more difficult than you'd expect. Even when you go to practice gun handling and whatnot, do you ever shoot at point-blank? Hiding from a distance may be effective as a means to an end, but in how many situations are you going to be defending yourself with a gun from a distance? If you have enough time to realize you're in trouble that you can give yourself distance, then you had some ounce of knowledge that something bad was going to happen (or you run like a champ), in which case it could have been avoided altogether.

 

A good chunk of the guns sold on the black market are stolen from people who purchased and owned them legally. It's been a while since I've looked at the numbers, but I'm pretty sure it's at 50% or higher than that. I can't remember. People say that all the time and it really bothers me. Where else would these guns come from? They didn't just appear.

Tighter gun laws would drastically help reduce crime, perhaps most noticeably gang activity, and make our police forces much safer in the line of duty. Officer deaths have spiked dramatically this year. America has one of the most lax gun laws among the developed nations and we also have the highest murder and incarceration rates. That definitely isn't a coincidence. Guns empower people and give gangs their clout. Lax gun laws have funneled and armed drug smugglers on the border. People there are living in fear. I would much rather live in a police state than one of complete and totally anarchy where gangs like MS13 are walking the police and even the military on a leash.

 

Do you have an issue with guns? If so why?

I don't have an issue with guns. While I was not at home, my house has been robbed twice and I nearly was robbed while I was in my car with my mother (I was 12 at the time). My father has always owned a gun since he is in law enforcement so it has always made me feel better to have one around in the house, especially where I used to live. If I had been robbed while I was at home, I definitely feel better knowing that there is a way for my family to protect ourselves.

Do you believe there are better options? If so why?

Yes, like everyone else has said, self defense skills, a knife or pepper spray would be very effective, however, that doesn't mean I would want guns to be made illegal.

Would you be able to use a lethal weapon in self defense? If not why?
No. I'm not 21 yet so legally, I'm not allowed to own a gun and I do not know how to use one. I really would like to learn though.

Would you live with someone/date someone that owned a firearm?

Yes, I wouldn't have a problem with that... unless the person I'm with is insane (Hopefully that won't be an issue:lol