here's the thing

[smibbo]

when certain types of people make snide cracks about legal gun owners being scary, you are essentially saying that even though we FOLLOW THE LAW you equate us with criminals. If I register my gun, get my lisence, follow the rules and laws then WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM GOING TO SUDDENLY PULL OUT MY GUN AND SHOOT YOU UNLESS YOU ARE THREATENING ME? DUH. I am a reasonable, rational person. That is why when I decided to get a gun I learned what I needed to learn and did what I was supposed to do. Criminals do not have this regard for "the rules" - kind of related to their being, ya know, CRIMINALS. So those of us who LEGALLY own guns are NOT the people you need to be afraid of. Its fucking retardedly ass-backwards to say so. And you accuse us, the people who consciously decide to own a tool of self-defense as "living in fear"?!

Parse that a second... the person who decides to get an alarm system for their house is "living in fear" but their friend who makes constant comments about that alarm system magically going off and therefore resulting her false imprisonment is NOT the one who is obsessed or paranoid? Who is really living in fear? The person who owns a gun or the person who assumes anyone with a gun is going to kill them?

YES accidents happen. Stupid people abound. This can be said for automobiles as much as guns. But I do not see the same people regarding car owners with fear and condescension.

(my husband has a motorcycle, I do not want a motorcycle. I do not however make snide remarks to him or any other cyclist just because I personally do not want a motorcycle. Yet motorcycles kill people every day. And somehow I am not assuming everyone on a motorcycle is looking to get into an accident and kill me)

Comments

[your-lifeis-now.livejournal.com]

I want these people to answer me:

I've been raped. By a stranger, in my home.

I weigh 120 pounds. My rapist was 6'2, approximately 250 lbs. I screamed, kicked, clawed, bit, you name it. Ultimately, I survived, so I guess from the standpoint of rape crisis, I did the right thing. However, he still raped me.

There is NOTHING in a woman's self defense ::::vomits:::: class that would have stopped someone with that much muscle mass from overpowering me. Nothing.

However, there is a reason for the bumper sticker, "God didn't make man equal. Samuel Colt did."

See, the gun levels the playing field in terms of that muscle mass. When the anti-gun crowd can come up with a non lethal solution that can level the playing field that effectively, then I'll listen to them. Until then, then they can kiss my gun toting ass.

*nods* preach it sister

[not-hothead-yet.livejournal.com]

when I was raped, I was walking down the street with my 6' boyfriend. He was beaten down by two other guys while the third attempted to render me unconscious. Suffice it to say, even being "big" and male won't protect you in certain circumstances. But if either of us had been armed, it really would have been a different story. And yes, I'd rather one of those fuckheads had been accidently killed than me been raped. And no, that wasn't the incident that changed my mind about guns at all.

Re: *nods* preach it sister

[your-lifeis-now.livejournal.com]

I just think that it's a very basic rule- sort of like, if you use the potty, flush it. If you break it, you buy it. If you try to rape me, I get to shoot you.

[your-lifeis-now.livejournal.com]

Apparently, today is my day to spam your journal...

So in terms of the motorcycle thing... See my ex drives a brand spankin' new Harley Sportster. He knows that right now, I'm not comfortable with the kids riding on the back of the bike. It's not because I think he's a shitty driver. It's not because I'm morally opposed to motorcycles. It's because I know that other people have a hard time seeing them and I own the fact that my anxiety level is higher than normal right now (I still have PPD from Quinn.)

Rather than go to him and freak the hell out, I just own it and asked him if he would mind holding off on them riding it for a while. No big deal. He was like, "Sure, no problem."

And it hasn't been. I didn't attack his sanity. I didn't freak out about it. I didn't tell him he was evil for riding the bike. I talked about my comfort level... and why I had an issue.... and the problem was taken care of.

*nods*

[not-hothead-yet.livejournal.com]

one of my dearest friends is afraid of guns. As in, she can't listen to people talk about them without getting anxious. I think its the same as my fear of roaches really. I don't talk about guns around her (I rarely talk about them anyway) and she knows I'm not going to threaten her with my gun in any way. She still can come to my house and be comfortable. No snark, no looking down on me, no terror. Its not that hard to respect people's choices AND their boundaries.

[not-hothead-yet.livejournal.com]

go right ahead. Spread the word!

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

I found your via wolven, but I have seen you around LJ before and you seem cool. Mind if I add you?

(Also, I agree with you on gun ownership. It makes me sick inside how many people assume that the desire to own a gun legally is a sign of some sort of psychological problem or a criminal mindset.)

[zachariahskylab.livejournal.com]

Also if someone is going to say that gun owners are scary, they should at least be consistent and mantain the same attitude about the police and soldiers.