My Father in law brought a gun to Mother's Day

[removed9556]

 

[Sean]

No wonder Farage loves it so much. His constituency writ large. But what about the bits that aren't? I like the sound of Portland, for example.

Interesting that all the Brexiteer types, who claim to be patriotic, are obsessed with us becoming indistinguishable from America. For all people's fears about being assimilated with Europe we are already far more enmeshed with the US.

There's a wider difference between the coasts in the US and flyover country than there is between us and France.

 

[HisArpy]

I get what you're thinking about the gun being a very physical object that one could definitely leave somewhere else rather than introduce it into the environment. Even though that's not something that you personally find to be an important part of your kit for your day-to-day life and frankly it's not mine either there are people for whom it is part of how they kit up for the day.. I actually think it would be unreasonable to assume that such a person should simply leave their tool at home simply because you don't approve of their use when you have no reason to think that it's going to be used in your environment. That seems irrational. To me.

As someone who carries every day, asking me to leave my gun at home is tantamount to telling me I'm not welcome.

I carry because there are active threats against my life. Those threats don't go away just because I'm at a dinner party at friends/family. While I try to minimize the actuality of the appearance of the threat, I cannot say it won't happen. In such an event, there will be no "dealing with it" without deadly force being used.

If that makes my host uncomfortable, I can understand that. In such a situation, don't invite me. If you do, expect that I will be armed despite your preferences that I come disarmed. A deadly encounter may happen whether I'm armed or not. If it happens while I'm disarmed that means it will turn out badly for my host and everyone else present at the time. Thus being armed actually protects those I'm with even if they don't like it.

Beyond that, it's just irrational fear based on "what if X happened..."

 

[Que]

We are getting to the stage where almost everything you write is so alien to me that the areas of agreement are fast disappearing!

Let me try to put it as neutrally as possible. I have not been to the US, and the more I read about gun attitudes the less likely that is. My loss, I am well aware, and certainly not the US's. For someone to see carrying a gun as a normal part of getting dressed is truly, without exaggeration, as strange to me as the thought of putting on a mermaid's tail every day. n both cases I am sure people do, but in neither case can I think why. I understand, rationally, because you have no reason to lie to me, that what you say is true, and that tens of millions of Americans carry a gun everywhere they go. But emotionally that is such a world away from anything I want anything to do with.

You are as likely to suffer an attack from an armed intruder in my house as you are to suffer a shark attack in the Sahara. There is absolutely no need for a gun. I use the word absolutely there in its proper sense.

I don't at all exaggeratte the prevalence of guns here although admittedly, I definitely exaggerate (as as do most gun owners) the need for one.

I don't know if it is still the case or whether it has become habitual for him to carry even when not in uniform but when my brother was a relatively young policeman he routinely chose not to carry off duty. If he was carrying it increased his level of responsibility to engage if he happened upon some sort of event while off duty. He did a fair amount of balancing at bars went off duty to earn extra money. This was generally done in uniform in that is appropriate and Allowed by his department when in uniform he needs to carry..

These days went off duty he does some sort of security work for a major corporation and I think that basically consists of supervising some other security Personnel in a large corporate office. I would be surprised if he carries in that environment.

I'm purposely giving the impression that I carry frequently when I do not. For the most part it would be an encumbrance and a responsibility that in certain instances I would prefer not to have to involve myself for the same reasons that my brother gave. I gave that a lot of thought when making these sorts of decisions as to when and where I would and would not.

Generally speaking if I absolutely have to be somewhere where I think it would be prudent to carry I do and if it would be prudent to carry I try to think of some way I can schedule that particular assignment in such a way so that I can either shift either location or time. There are no places in the city that are unsafe at all times.

I have never found myself in an uncomfortable situation after 4 am but before 9 on a Saturday morning.

I strongly approve of my States decision to allow concealed carry for anyone who is not prohibited from having a firearm. Frankly though that's a fairly new occurrence I forget when that was passed a lot of people simply then and now maintain a firearm locked in their vehicle.

I've never felt secure that way because what's the point of a firearm nearby but Out Of Reach? It's also one more thing to think about when you try to remember whether or not you remember to lock your car. Which I frequently forget.

 

[Sean]

I carry because there are active threats against my life.

I'm shocked.

 

[removed9556]

 

[removed9556]

 

[beew]

As someone who carries every day, asking me to leave my gun at home is tantamount to telling me I'm not welcome.

I carry because there are active threats against my life. Those threats don't go away just because I'm at a dinner party at friends/family. While I try to minimize the actuality of the appearance of the threat, I cannot say it won't happen. In such an event, there will be no "dealing with it" without deadly force being used.

If that makes my host uncomfortable, I can understand that. In such a situation, don't invite me. If you do, expect that I will be armed despite your preferences that I come disarmed. A deadly encounter may happen whether I'm armed or not. If it happens while I'm disarmed that means it will turn out badly for my host and everyone else present at the time. Thus being armed actually protects those I'm with even if they don't like it.

Beyond that, it's just irrational fear based on "what if X happened..."

Now This explanation has a lot of common sense in it.

Please thump coachey on his head for me.

 

[Mello_SixtyNine]

The USA is a fascinating country, but we British far too often underestimate the vast, vast differences between it and us. The GB helps to illuminate those. We would never think of waltzing into, say, China, and expecting it to be just the same, but because of the language I think we often expect the US and Britain to be broadly similar.

Being a Brit, you may find this video interesting. It compares FBI violent crime statistics against the Home Office's violent crime statistics of England & Wales.

 

[Mello_SixtyNine]

I can completely understand this and, as you say, provided that your host knew, it would be unfair to invite you and not expect you to be armed in the circumstances. I might also add that I am extremely sorry you are in this situation, and I hope the murderous person(s) threatening you are soon in prison to allow you to get on with your life.

I would add, though, that a fear of guns is anything but irrational, given what can be done with a gun, and frequently is.

It could definitely be irrational. I read a story awhile back about a police officer in uniform that would drop his kid off to school each morning. One day the principle was waiting for him and he asked the officer to not come to school in uniform because he was getting complaints from students and parents about his holstered (police issued) handgun.

 

[RoryN]

The conceal carry rate in America is about 16%, so in any given day in which you cross paths with Americans, and you’ve been in the presence of at least 16 guns

^^^^ Ladies and gentlemen: deplorable math!

(What a moron.)

 

[schism666]

The conceal carry rate in America is about 16%, so in any given day in which you cross paths with Americans, and you’ve been in the presence of at least 16 guns, guns that are there to protect their owner, and has no effect on your day unless a bad guy shows up, in which case you’ll be glad a friendly gun was on hand.

you might want to go back and edit this before someone quotes you saying something so specfuckular.

 

[von_Bismarck]

The conceal carry rate in America is about 16%, so in any given day in which you cross paths with Americans, and you’ve been in the presence of at least 16 guns, guns that are there to protect their owner, and has no effect on your day unless a bad guy shows up, in which case you’ll be glad a friendly gun was on hand.

Absolute frequency is not the same thing as relative frequency, dumbass. You'd know that if you had earned that Mensa membership you claim.

 

[Ann_Tagonist]

Absolute frequency is not the same thing as relative frequency, dumbass. You'd know that if you had earned that Mensa membership you claim.

But what does RoryN think, vB? I hear you guys are twins...triplets if you throw in Palpatine.

 

[Que]

The USA is a fascinating country, but we British far too often underestimate the vast, vast differences between it and us. The GB helps to illuminate those. We would never think of waltzing into, say, China, and expecting it to be just the same, but because of the language I think we often expect the US and Britain to be broadly similar.

England and America are two countries divided by a common language - George Bernard Shaw

 

[Taint_mAnn]

As someone who carries every day, asking me to leave my gun at home is tantamount to telling me I'm not welcome.

I carry because there are active threats against my life. Those threats don't go away just because I'm at a dinner party at friends/family. While I try to minimize the actuality of the appearance of the threat, I cannot say it won't happen. In such an event, there will be no "dealing with it" without deadly force being used.

If that makes my host uncomfortable, I can understand that. In such a situation, don't invite me. If you do, expect that I will be armed despite your preferences that I come disarmed. A deadly encounter may happen whether I'm armed or not. If it happens while I'm disarmed that means it will turn out badly for my host and everyone else present at the time. Thus being armed actually protects those I'm with even if they don't like it.

Beyond that, it's just irrational fear based on "what if X happened..."

The irrational fear is feeling the need to carry at a family gathering.
Americans are dopey fucks, just look at queefy.

 

[Que]

The irrational fear is feeling the need to carry at a family gathering.
Americans are dopey fucks, just look at queefy.

No, what would be irrational is you running and hiding behind an armed security guard when you're 6 foot 5, and a self-professed Army Golden Gloves, division champion because a black woman asked you if you could spare some change.

 

[HisArpy]

The irrational fear is feeling the need to carry at a family gathering.
Americans are dopey fucks, just look at queefy.

Tell that to megastars who often get stalked and their stalker can show up anywhere/anytime. Tell it to President Reagan who's attempted murderer flew across country just for that single purpose. Tell it to the thousands (if not millions) of battered spouses who get shot at work, play, grocery shopping, and elsewhere.

You NEVER know when the threat will materialize. IF there's a real threat, there's no safe haven or time period that dictates when/where it will happen.

Thinking there is, is stupid.

 

[Hypoxia]

I carry because there are active threats against my life.

Why are there active threats against your life?

Tell it to President Reagan who's attempted murderer flew across country just for that single purpose.

Reagan was surrounded by armed guards who were rather useless when he was shot.

 

[Que]

Why are there active threats against your life?

Reagan was surrounded by armed guards who were rather useless when he was shot.

He could tell you but then he'd have to kill you.

How is avoiding Reagan getting a second bullet and getting the person into custody useless?

 

[Boxlicker101]

The best part of my post was "wiping is for pussies"!

one of these days somebody's gonna catch me ridin' dirty.

Licking is for pussies. Wiping is for asses.

 

[HisArpy]

I can completely understand this and, as you say, provided that your host knew, it would be unfair to invite you and not expect you to be armed in the circumstances. I might also add that I am extremely sorry you are in this situation, and I hope the murderous person(s) threatening you are soon in prison to allow you to get on with your life.

I would add, though, that a fear of guns is anything but irrational, given what can be done with a gun, and frequently is.

Fear of guns is irrational. The gun is a tool. Nothing more than a machine that can be misused or abused. Left by itself it is nothing. It can't go off by on it's own. It won't jump up and start murdering everything in sight on it's own. It won't explode into violence and havoc on it's own.

To do any of that requires a human.

So does a sword. Or a car. Or a pipe bomb. Or pressure cooker. Or airplanes flown into buildings. Yet where is the "anything but irrational fear" of those things?

 

[HisArpy]

Why are there active threats against your life?

Perhaps it has something to do with what I do for a living and where. Beyond that I will not say because that would advertise what should not be advertised.

Reagan was surrounded by armed guards who were rather useless when he was shot.

Correct. So, tell me, would it have been a better outcome if the guards were unarmed?

 

[coachdb18]

Tell that to megastars who often get stalked and their stalker can show up anywhere/anytime. Tell it to President Reagan who's attempted murderer flew across country just for that single purpose. Tell it to the thousands (if not millions) of battered spouses who get shot at work, play, grocery shopping, and elsewhere.

You NEVER know when the threat will materialize. IF there's a real threat, there's no safe haven or time period that dictates when/where it will ,
}"{:?happen.

Thinking there is, is stupid.

It's probably too much to ask that anti-gun zealots take on fact that the number of murder victims who knew exactly where and when their murder would take place going into that situation with full knowledge today was the day approximates zero. The fact is, as stated, one never knows where and when personal violence against oneself will take place

 

[HisArpy]

It's probably too much to ask that anti-gun zealots take on fact that the number of murder victims who knew exactly where and when their murder would take place going into that situation with full knowledge today was the day approximates zero. The fact is, as stated, one never knows where and when personal violence against oneself will take place

They can't get beyond the fact that the "gun" is scary. Worse, they project that they are afraid of the gun when in reality it's the PERSON they're afraid of. It's their family member, friend, neighbor, etc who is not trustworthy.

Which makes one wonder about the type of family member, friend, neighbor, etc these people hang around with. Or if it's just projection of the fact that they don't trust themselves and blame everyone else on the planet as the cause of their fears.



Oh yeah, almost forgot:

*head thump* *Indian dutch rub* *back slap*

Those are from Beew who is too shy to do them himself because you might misunderstand and get all teary-eyed or something over it. Seriously, you guys need to end this unrequited romance thing you got going on.


P.S. I tossed the roses he wanted me to give you. I just ain't that kinda guy.