Gun Ownership: Fear vs Respect

[herbstin]

Gun Ownership: Fear vs Respect

Zendo Deb mentions that a reporter for the St. Petersburg Times (FL) finally got sick of the crime in his neighborhood and purchased a handgun. Normally I’d applaud reading an op-ed about someone coming to their senses but on close examination, I’m not so sure the writer, Brendan Watson, is a good candidate for such a step. Here are some quotes:

"But the destructive appeal to a teenage boy of shooting soda cans off tree stumps long ago waned. I would have been content never to shoot a gun again. My brain knew that statistically, a gun in the home is more likely to kill a family member than an intruder. And even in the hands of a well-intentioned citizen, a gun can be stolen and used to commit another crime. The fewer guns on the street, the safer we’d all be.

[…]

I’m really not comfortable having it in my house, but I promised myself I’ll keep the weapon locked in a safe and will get as much training and practice as I can. I may apply for a concealed weapons permit.

Still, it’s still hard to imagine that owning a gun offers anything but a false sense of security, which comes from the sheer power of the weapon. Sometimes, though, even a false sense of security is enough to keep a person from coming unglued."


Throughout the article, local cops tell him to buy a gun and he resists because he doesn’t like, and in fact seems to fear guns. And that’s fine — there are plenty of people who are afraid of guns. If that’s the case, then they shouldn’t own one and neither should this guy unless he can overcome that fear.

See, it’s important to respect your gun. Sure, it can, if improperly handled, if safety rules are ignored, cause great injury to others and to yourself. So you learn how to use it and above all you have to be comfortable having it around, carrying it, and above all else, trusting it. That’s respect.

Fear is a whole ‘nother matter. If you are afraid of your handgun then that means you are NOT comfortable with it, don’t trust it, and obviously don’t know how to handle it. Fear of the gun is really fear of your own inability to correctly utilize it. That makes for a potentially deadly combination.

If you think the gun is only a “false sense of security” that indicates a lack of faith in yourself, your judgment, and again, your training with it. Keeping it “locked in a safe” is another indication that you really aren’t prepared to use it in an emergency: “Who is that scratching at the door lock? Where’s the gun safe? In the other room? What was the combination, again? Is it loaded? My God, he’s standing there — can I really shoot a human being?”

If you have to go through all of that, you are not a candidate to own a firearm.

People who are afraid of driving make the worst drivers on the road. Scared of crime people who purchase a gun but fear it are dangerous as well.

Maybe Watson can join a shooting club, get more training by attending a firearm self-defense class. It is possible to overcome fear of a gun but until he does that, well, maybe he should keep it locked up after all or sell it and follow the advice of his friends and move the hell out of his neighborhood.

Gun owners should respect their firearms but never fear them.

Alphecca

[leobold1]

See, it’s important to respect your gun. Sure, it can, if improperly handled, if safety rules are ignored, cause great injury to others and to yourself. So you learn how to use it and above all you have to be comfortable having it around, carrying it, and above all else, trusting it. That’s respect.

Fear is a whole ‘nother matter. If you are afraid of your handgun then that means you are NOT comfortable with it, don’t trust it, and obviously don’t know how to handle it. Fear of the gun is really fear of your own inability to correctly utilize it. That makes for a potentially deadly combination.

If you think the gun is only a “false sense of security” that indicates a lack of faith in yourself, your judgment, and again, your training with it. Keeping it “locked in a safe” is another indication that you really aren’t prepared to use it in an emergency: “Who is that scratching at the door lock? Where’s the gun safe? In the other room? What was the combination, again? Is it loaded? My God, he’s standing there — can I really shoot a human being?”

If you have to go through all of that, you are not a candidate to own a firearm.

Darn it...you took all my comments away from me!

[herbstin]

Cheer up. It just means that genius is not so rare!

[Woodmonkey]

Dare I post with geniuses?

My father always had guns so I grew up with them and I had them in the house when I was raising kids. I took them all target shooting like my father took me so they were familiar with them, knew how to handle them, clean them, how to be safe with them.

[Manchu34]

I too was raised around guns. Did target and hunting. But, from day one my Dad taught me what later became the 3 GOLDEN RULES

1. Always assume a gun is always loaded, until you personal clear it.
2. Never point it at anyone, unless you plan on shooting at that person.
3. Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

added later: [b]Never leave a gun in an unsafe place.

Those are the same rules I taught my own children. A few years back, all three surprised me and made me proud. I had just got back from hunting deer all morning (4.5 hours). No didn't get one. Anyways, as soon as I got home, I put the rifle behind the front door an ran to the bathroom. To make a long story short, when I came back out all 3 chewed me top to bottom about leaving my rifle next to the front door.

[Woodmonkey]

Good for them - and kudos to their teacher!

[Shooterman]

Originally Posted by Manchu34

I too was raised around guns. Did target and hunting. But, from day one my Dad taught me what later became the 3 GOLDEN RULES

1. Always assume a gun is always loaded, until you personal clear it.
2. Never point it at anyone, unless you plan on shooting at that person.
3. Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

added later: [b]Never leave a gun in an unsafe place.

Those are the same rules I taught my own children. A few years back, all three surprised me and made me proud. I had just got back from hunting deer all morning (4.5 hours). No didn't get one. Anyways, as soon as I got home, I put the rifle behind the front door an ran