Anyway my take is that if you have a good and realistic answer to "who/what am I going to shoot" (and "paper targets for fun" is a perfectly valid answer) you shouldn't run out and buy an emotional support gun because trump became president.
Reallllly hate that we're here. But we are. It's not for everyone, but for those that think it might be, I hope they'll put the thought and work into it, and then seek out the help and instruction that's out there.
Ceding gun ownership to the people who want us all dead isn’t the move. If the country is awash in guns, get one (or more!) and make these dickheads think twice before messing with marginalized folks
Been thinking a lot about this lately. Should I buy a gun? Although I have done a bit of shooting before, I really don’t like having them around. HOWEVER, what if some crazy shit does go down? We shouldn’t be ceding gun ownership to the fascists, right? But I’m just so conflicted…
Counterpoint to your counterpoint: I don’t see how the right to self-defense equates to a right to own a particular type of weapon that can be used for loads of things other than self-defense.
Ms. Coaston was talking about guns, and I was replying to her. That being said, my comment applies to all types of weapons. Humans didn’t lack means of exercising their right to self-defense before the advent of the gun, after all…
I also “wish that guns didn’t exist” but they do. And they are still an equalizer. There’s a reason the right wing openly supports disarming black people & labeling LGBTQ folks as “mentally ill” for red flag laws
We need to be embracing our 2A rights at this point in time. It is not the time to be banning guns. We all should be able to protect ourselves and family if needed.
As a public defender and lifelong gun skeptic, I can say pretty confidently that nothing good comes from gun ownership. The answer is definitively not to arm everyone. That just makes everyone less safe
Your risk of being a victim of gun violence goes up considerably when you own a firearm including accident or suicide. Safe storage is antithetical to use for self defense. Skeet shoot or do target practice but private ownership of guns is always a net negative.
I’m happy to hear you’re not suicidal but best practices are designed not for one person but for people writ large and there are a lot of suicidal people out there. Non violent resistance has a statistically greater chance of success than a violent one.
and I’m sorry but do you hear yourself? “Unless shit gets hair here…” why does every gun owner think they’re John Wick? Again you’re as likely to hurt yourself or an innocent person if you go to “Cond. 0” and think you can Jason Bourne your way out of it
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But the vast majority of guns kept for self defense are serving a psychological purpose and not a physical security purpose.
“Either this shit is serious, or it ain’t”
I also “wish that guns didn’t exist” but they do. And they are still an equalizer. There’s a reason the right wing openly supports disarming black people & labeling LGBTQ folks as “mentally ill” for red flag laws
People who feel threatened by the state should in fact prepare for all possible situations including the worst one.
That means get a gun and find likewise-minded armed individuals.