Thread: Whats your opinion on automatic weapons?

All right, I'll venture another go at this. I like an argument.

Originally Posted by Nightblade

In all the years I have owned a firearm I have never said anything as stupid and irresponsible as that ,anybody who is a responsible gun owner would not say that. Thanks for the generalized and speculative statement. And if you have taken the proper classes for concealed law abiding carry,you would be less inclined to have an accident let alone say something as cowboy irresponsable as that.Further don't think for a moment that soldiers and law enforcement officers don't get scared in the heat of the moment.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I absolutely 100% wholeheartedly agree with that much of your post...

All right, I'll give you the longer, less simple version, as apparently you don’t see or want to see my point:

I assume and hope that MOST people who get guns are aware of the possible dangers, learn to handle them and store them properly. I have no problem with responsible gun ownership. I don't. But I also think that there are a number people who get guns for the wrong reasons and do not quite know how to handle or store them.

Me mentioning people who say "I got a gun and if anyone comes at me, I'll whip it out and shove it up their ass!!" was meant as a humourous simplification typifying SOME people who, after they get a gun, see it as leverage in a heated argument and all of the sudden think they’re Dirty Harry. Don’t tell me people like that don’t exist. They do. If they exist in Finland, they exist in the States. It probably and hopefully is only a small minority, but those people do exist and one person like that can do some serious, irreparable damage.

But I never generalized and said “all people who have guns go out and randomly shoot people for stupid reasons because they’re hot-headed, gun-toting, trigger-happy idiots with manhood issues.” I didn’t, don't pretend that's what I said. I assume you can read. I have no problem with decent, mentally balanced people owning guns. Hell, I’m considering taking up shooting at a shooting range myself (it’s just quite expensive for a poor student like me). Beats playing golf by a long shot. This was my point and I hope I clarified it.

Oh, and in the vein of the hypothetical situations (because apparently that is the right way to argue about gun ownership and use) I came up with a nice scenario too:

While driving your 4x4 back from the city with your most favourite loved one, a little girl suddenly shoots out of a drive way on her bicycle. No way you could have seen her or hit the brake in time, you hit her, she flies across the asphalt. You and your loved one get out, worried and panicking, trying to help. Her mother runs out, runs back in to call an ambulance.

Her father runs out after seeing it happen, rushes to see her, notices she's dead. He loses it. He is going for his gun and is ready to shoot you. You happen to have a gun on you as well, going for it instinctively. You draw just before he does, he is out of his mind with anger and grief and will not hesitate to shoot you, you see it in his eyes. Do you risk the life of you and your loved one or do you also shoot the father of the girl you just hit with your truck? Or as Glen so adequately put it:

Originally Posted by gssixgun

So???? Moment of truth now, pretty tough situation, huh

My point here is that it’s easy to come up with a hypothetical situation that can happen in real life to support your point of view. Of course you try to protect your loved ones, you’d be an idiot if you wouldn’t, you’ll shoot the intruders (or at least say you will). But another overlooked point is: what if you DIDN’T have that gun in the drawer next to you because you don’t own a gun because either you don't want it or your wife will leave you if you do? Does it mean you are a bad father/spouse/etc. because you didn’t buy a semi-automatic gun in case a mob running into your house tries to severely hurt your loved ones?

I dare you to tell someone whose had his family hurt by violence that it was his fault because he didn’t keep a gun within arms reach at all times and that he is a lousy husband/father/protector/etc. because of it. Because that is an implication of such a hypothetical situation: it's not so much a matter of a balanced choice, you’re really just an idiot if you don’t own a gun.