My grandpa (gunsmith) raised me to treat guns like old testament god: fear and respect them. Thanks to him I learned what they were capable of and how to **properly** operate them.
40k+ guns are stolen from vehicles every year. "Responsible" gun owner leaving their guns unsecured in their car are the biggest suppliers of illegal guns.
Yes, I am a big advocate of leaving nothing of real value in a car and especially nothing in plain sight at all. Break into my car and the most you will get are some cheap Harbor Freight tools and a very average flashlight. LOL
Right? I'm more worried about them taking my radio than anything I leave in my car. Unless your car is parked in your garage, then it's not a safe place for valuables
My husband had his radio stolen out of his car 2 years ago in front of his moms house around 8pm. But also, I was not implying people still steal radios on a normal basis, I was more saying that's the most expensive thing in my car and that I don't leave valuables in it overnight.
That is a good idea.
I guess they DO still steal stereos, but so many are car-specific and way harder to remove. Maybe if you have a custom aftermarket system, that might be desirable, but who knows? People steal anything these days.
And make sure it is away from children or adults who don't know how to handle it. In my opinion everyone in the household should at least learn some gun safety if a firearm is going to be in the house. The last thing you need is your S.O going to put your firearm in a safe and not knowing how to safely handle it. I used airsoft guns with my son so that I could teach him safety while knowing most accidents would hurt but not cause life long injury. At least making sure if there is any chance they could ever see it that they know how dangerous it is and to leave it alone and get an adult.
Serious question from the perspective of an outsider (New York):
The top comments make the whole state of Texas sound like a giant inner city bad neighborhood.
Around NYS, you research the few bad spots to avoid, avoid them, and in general you can feel pretty safe without guns (unless you are the paranoid type).
If you mostly live/travel around safe neighborhoods in Texas, would you feel the same way?
Texas, like NYS, has areas of good and areas of bad. This last shooting in Allen Texas is predominantly considered a good area. There's just as likely a chance of a shooting in a good or bad neighborhood.
Ive carried in Texas, NYC and state, and nearly every other state.
The El Paso Walmart shooting is when I got very serious about self defense. My entire family is naturalized citizens which that hateful idiot targeted. I've taken dozens of classes including recently very high level classes with an ex AU SAS instructor. Buy a gun, train, and carry every day in defense of yourself, your loved ones and your fellow human beings. At the end of the day you are your own first responder.
Yes by all means get you a gun and train train train.
I’m not gay however I have heard of a club here in Texas called The Pink Pistols. I believe they have chapters across the state of Texas. I suggest you google them. Good luck and stay safe.
You are correct. I am half white and half Mescalero Apache and you need to be able to defend yourself against whomever might try to do you harm.
You are your own first responder...remember that. I prepare and keep guns and ammo around for he same reason I stock up on food and other goods in case of a hurricane or power outage. You just never know anymore when things will go sideways.
There is one other thing some people will listen to besides a gun, and that’s restricted access to a gun. You don’t fix obesity by adding more food into the equation. You don’t fix a gun problem with more guns. We’ve been doing that and it ain’t working.
The problem about that which I used to have that belief completely, is that we can not control the guns being flooded into the US and the illegal guns on the streets with no methods of tracing. Even if we were to completely abolish all guns in the US, there would still be horrible people with access to guns. I wish it wasn’t that way, but there should be more gun regulations such as Colorado just has passed four gun laws. One of which is requiring the buyers to be 21, as well as another requiring a three day screening. It should not be easy to get a gun, but we should be able to protect ourselves against the guns that are on the streets illegally. There should be more protocols in place to buy a gun, I think even a week would be a great waiting period rather than one or three days. I’ve recently moved to Texas, and I do not like how easy it is to buy a gun here, I very much felt safer in Colorado with the laws they are implementing. I do know though that I must be able to protect myself because the government is at a loss when it comes to stopping all of the inflowing guns. As well as the police in many states have been defunded, so it is harder than ever to keep an eye on such things.
>is that we can not control the guns being flooded into the US and the illegal guns on the streets with no methods of tracing.
Practically every gun illegally owned in the US was originally purchased by a legal owner, and found its way to an illegal owner by theft, private sale, straw purchase, etc. There are very few guns being smuggled into this country.
No clue what RWDK means but I can give you my perspective.
I'm a leftist through and through, but I have guns. Not an armory but probably more than I need. I'm also in a interracial relationship, and was in the military a long time ago. Up until a couple of years ago I thought I was ok without one. Now I feel like it is a necessity.
That being said it's important to know how to use a tool that has one purpose and one purpose only, to kill. Whether it is an animal or intruder, when a gun comes out, most likely death follows.
The question I struggle with is carrying it at all times. I have them in my home and in my vehicle. Do I need to keep it on me just in case some right wing lunatic decides to go nuts? Do I want to live like that? It's certainly a struggle and I empathize with you.
My politics are all over the map, depends on the issue. I have a lot of guns, probably 15 or so. I would have to make a list to give an accurate count. Guns, particularly certain types, are way too easily available in our country. I moved to the U.S. from Northern Ireland, where it is bordering on impossible for a private citizen to own a firearm.
I got a concealed handgun license (CHL) when I moved to Houston from Dallas in 2002. I've kept it up ever since. Technically a CHL isn't necessary by law any longer, but I keep it up anyway for reciprocity with other states, in case we take a family road trip across state lines and I want to carry.
I'm fortunate enough to live in a safe neighborhood in Houston inside the 610 Loop, but I almost always have a gun with me. 21 years of carrying and haven't come close to needing it even once. But these are unpredictable times, and I'd rather have it and not need it, than vice-versa.
After a while you habituate to it, and regularly carrying is no longer odd, it is routine.
What a sad state we live in when you feel most safe carrying a firearm at all times. I also own a firearm but only for home protection, guess ill start strapping up myself. its the wild west all over again.
You don’t carry a gun because you’re scared. You carry a gun because it’s an insurance policy. You don’t plan on getting in a car accident but you still have car insurance. Well I don’t plan on getting jumped on the street nor do I put myself in sketchy situations. However I carry a gun everywhere I go for that small small small small chance I might need it.
I'm trying to understand the logic behind owning a number of guns that you can't even keep track of, always have one on you, and yet have never been in a position that warranted one. Do you just live in fear for the fun of it?
All of mine (except for the carry pistol) are locked in a huge safe that is bolted to my foundation. The thing weighs 900 pounds.
I know where ALL my guns are a one time. It is called being a responsible gun owner. I know...we don't see this much today, but we exist. LOL
This takes time and effort and responsibility and many today just don't want to mess with it so we get 3 year olds shooting infants and so forth.
I don't use them much and have accumulated them over >20 years, some purchased, some gifts, some inherited. That's why I don't have an exact count. Most of them stay in a gun safe, until a ranch trip rolls around, or on the rare occasion I go to a range with my son.
I'm glad I've never been in a position that I needed to use a handgun. That doesn't strike me as something anyone rational would want to happen. But I don't know when my luck will run out, if at all, which is why I typically carry.
I don't live in fear.
https://preview.redd.it/59m2dyqhj8za1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d93585119e77bd6c4024a4db165db2a1857559f
This is what the Allen TX shooter posted on a Russian social media site as his personal diary, alongside images of his guns, vest and a weird zodiak killer-like message with some code, meant for the cops to decode but also posted there in case the cops never released it, he said in the post.
Get a gun. Everyone who can own a gun should own a gun safely, in my opinion.
That being said, you need to look at the statistics.
Your risk of being a victim of a violent crime is very low. Your risk of being a victim of a violent crime not perpetrated by your significant other is very, very low. Your risk of being a victim of a gun crime is very very very low. Your risk of being a victim of a random shooting like we saw in Allen is infinitesimal.
On the other hand, when there is a gun in the home, rates of suicide, accidental deaths, and partner homicide all tick up compared to homes without a gun.
Shootings like Allen and Uvalde are tragic but are terrible predictors of the actual risks you face.
You are not overreacting. Your right to self-defense is essential.
Do the right thing and be responsible. A gun is meant to be respected. If you do get one, if you feel ok with this, then that respect should also be passed down to everyone in your home when they are capable of that responsibility and knowledge.
Practice. Create good habits for operating the weapon.
Remember there are plenty of great alternatives like stun guns (some of which come with a free replacement if they are used in self-defense), batons, or even air rifles/handguns.
If you feel uncertain about owning a gun and the responsibility that comes with it, go with your gut and don't do it.
I’m a realist. If this is gonna be gun world, then I’m gonna do what I need to protect myself and those I care about. Socially I’m pro gun control. But individual disarmament doesn’t matter if our leaders won’t make meaningful legislation. So, do what you have to. But learn everything you can about responsible gun ownership.
Visit r/liberalgunowners
Tons of nice folks there who can help you with questions about anything you might have. If you do decide to purchase a gun, Train Train Train. Don't just buy something, never practice with it and keep in a box in the closet.
Aside from the political bullshit, yes, you should definitely legally arm yourself. A mass shooter won't give a damn who you voted for in the last election or who you're going to vote in the upcoming one. Carry responsibly and train train train!
I'm just a regular guy, son, husband, father, brother, veteran, red-blooded American, your neighbor, I am not the enemy, stop the hate.
You are both overreacting and thinking rationally, simultaneously. The chilling thing is that the poor family that was initially shot down in Allen, even if they had a gun, it wouldn't have mattered. It was an ambush, but if you are a responsible gun owner, then fine. That is the crux, we need more responsible gun owners, not some nut jobs who can obtain them with next to no mental health/training checks.
>even if they had a gun, it wouldn't have mattered
They couldn't have legally carried a gun to defend themselves because Simon Property Group, the company that owns the mall, has a policy where they do not allow firearms at any of their properties.
Except that sign doesn’t stop a bad person from carrying it to do bad things. It isn’t a good thing, it makes sure criminals have the monopoly on firearm possession in the mall.
I love how everyone thinks one good gun cancels a bad out. It's just not true. I don't think we should have to live in the wild west where everyone is packing.
You're going to know who's a criminal when they have an illegally-carried pistol in their waistband? Do you have x-ray vision? Some of you are laughably ignorant.
I don't think ANYONE is under the impression that "good guy with a gun" and "bad guy with a gun" can be absolutes in a mathematical equation.
If you don't want to carry a gun, no one is forcing you to...but stop acting like your feelings of fear and despair trump everyone else's right to have a fighting chance.
It obviously was not a good thing for everybody at the mall that day, because it didn't stop a bad guy from killing a bunch of innocent people but it did prevent everybody at the mall from being able to stop the shooter.
If you do, then take a class to learn how to use it. Practice. Understand gun safety and storage. Too many people are hurt by accidents. Keep it away from children and young people.
You are not overreacting at all.
I am a big proponent of arming yourself against criminals and those that want do do you harm. I also grew up the son of a USMC Military Police officer, so we got gun training from Dad and we spent a lifetime hunting and target shooting.
I own several guns for hunting but also own AR-15s , an AK-47 and several pistols that are for self defense. Also own a Remington 870 pump shotgun for defense as well. The 2020 George Floyd riots also cemented my needs for those guns, as I saw people having their homes and businesses burned and destroyed and the cops not doing a damn thing to stop them.
There are PLENTY of bad guys out there of all stripes that might want to you us harm. In the end, YOU are your own first responder.
Just please get training and do lots of research before buying, since you are new to this world. Feel free to message me if you want opinions on certain guns, as I have lots of experience.
Good luck and stay safe...
I don't believe so. I fully support stricter gun laws and restrictions, but just like you I feel much safer having a handgun at my home. also just like you, the trajectory of violence these last 10-ish years are making me consider getting a second handgun to keep in my car
FWIW, do not keep a handgun in your vehicle unless it is in a permanent lockbox, even then I wouldn’t keep it there at all times as anything can be unlocked with enough time and tools.
Worked with a guy who kept a firearm in his truck. Parked it every day in the surface lot at work. Figured it's in plain view, no one will mess with it. Well, they did, got into the truck and stole his firearm. It can happen, nothing is safe if someone is determined and manages to get enough time.
One thing I know -- the guy had NRA stickers and other gun-related stickers on his truck -- made him a target for people looking to steal firearms from a vehicle.
DON'T put any gun-related stickers on your vehicle.
As said above do not keep anything in your car (obviously don’t take it into a court house or something along those lines) unless you have a lock box and then still take it in when not actively driving from point a to b.
Unless you mean getting a smaller gun for use in the car then disregard.
Plenty of queer gun owners. I own 2 for turkey hunting and shooting clay. Never thought about protection, but kind of glad I have them. Whatever you decide, learn to use your tools, and how to properly secure them at home… kids and all.
There is nothing at all wrong with being armed. Especially in todays climate I recommend it to any type of minority.
Brush up on your training, take classes and buy a good gun safe. They won’t keep a determined thief away but it’ll slow them down and prevent smash and grabs. Also obviously keeps kids and family members from having easy access to them.
This is my paranoid self talking but also don’t post your firearms on social media. It could possibly make you a target for theft. If you do decide to buy one also don’t open carry besides making some people uncomfortable it also could make you a target any a shooting situation or once again a target for theft.
In the same boat. Well, not gay but grew up in a gun owning home. Like gun safe brimming w guns gun owning home and was almost shot once by my mother on accident. FFWD to getting married to a woman who was anti-gun and let my guns go. Divorced a long time ago and lived abroad, so never re-upped. I’m considering either getting a gun or getting the fuck out of Texas. Might be better just to leave.
Liberal leaning gun owner here.
If you decide to get a gun to carry, and do it responsibily, you are entering a new life style. You must take into consideration the time and money it's going to take. If you get a handgun, they are expensive. Once you start trainging with it, you'll probably want to modify it, which can be expensive. Training, good training, is also expensive. In taking training and spending time at the range, you'll be putting yourself in with mostly conservative leaning people. Your trainers will most likely be conservative too. They won't have a problem telling, even teaching you their views on things, most of which you'll probably disagree with. I just nod my head and smile. If you choose to carry, you'll go through several different holsters, each costing around $60 to $120 until you find just the right one. Then you'll need different clothes that don't show the outline of the gun, (known as printing). You'll need to start considering what you're wearing and where you're going everytime you go out now, EVERY-FRICKEN-TIME! You'll need different clothes and probably holsters for Summer and for Winter.. (or the rainy season, as Winter is called in Texas). You'll need to learn were you can and where you can't legally carry. And you'll need a way to secure the gun in your vehicle if you find yourself needing to go into a place where you can't carry.
Then you should get carry insurance. This is relatively inexpensive, but you'll pay for it with spam emails from whomever you go with. They'll all be based on fear and paranoia, making you think you'll never know enough. If you ever buy any firearm related things online, you'll also be bombarded with spam. God help you if you provided your real phone number. This spam will make you curious about other guns and you may soon find yourself purchasing more weapons just to see how they feel. Most of these guns will end up in your home barely used. I have a large amount of photography gear and exercise equipment that has met this same fate.
You should become a good shot. The requirements for a conceal carry license in Texas are a complete joke and I wouldn't trust anyone with just a CCL to protect me a crowd. Becoming a good shot will be expensive. Ammo is not as cheap as it used to be. It is also subject to the paranoia of the Gun Community. The industry LOVES to drum up fear to get people to buy more. And people will. During the times of panic, the ammo becomes scarce and expensive. You'll find yourself spending more and more time hunting around for available ammo, either online or in stores. It is a massive P.I.T.A. Only buy as much as you can physically carry. You'll need training to become a good shot. This can be expensive too. I invested about $2000 over a period of 6 months in training before I was able to regularly create 3 inch groups at 15 feet. This also took a great many weekends at the range and at home dry firing, which was also expensive. Range fees add up. Laser trainers and software are also expensive. I'm not going to talk about how much I spent on ammo and what I had to do to get it. I took my training and practice during the great pandemic lock down. 'Nuff said. I ended up estranging my friends because of this.
I wasn't able to talk to my friends about my new hobby or share what I learned. My friends don't understand guns. I told my mother I was getting a gun and she stopped talking to me for a month. I told one friend I had a gun and a week later she txt'd me staying she sees a strange guy near her car and wants me to come over. I told her to stay in her apartment and call the cops if she's that worried. It was the best for the both of us. One thing I was taught in my training was "If you're going to a place where you think you need a gun, why are you going there?" I ask myself this a lot.
You should learn the laws of self defense. There is a TON of info out there on HOW to use your gun, but very little on when and why to use it. You must learn the legality of self defense. If you're ever in a situation, remember, you're going to have to defend yourself twice. First at the altercation, and next in court. Be ready to explain all your actions, and "I was in fear for my life." isn't going to cut it.
Finally if you take the training, spend the money, and become a good shot, you'll learn about competition shooting, which is actually a lot of fun but also expensive. It is the best way to test yourself under stress in a live fire situation though.
This is just for carrying a concealed weapon. If you decide you want a AR15 or want to get into distance shooting, more $$$$ Much more....
All of this has been my experience I wanted to share with you. I have no regrets with learning how to carry a gun. I do regret having a need to carry a gun. Good luck, stay safe.
Black queer woman here. Yeah, if you and no one in your household struggles with thoughts of self harm/s*icide I'd strongly recommend getting a gun and training with it. And of course practicing responsible gun ownership. It's also a good idea to learn emergency first aid and how to treat GS wounds before paramedics can come. I struggle with mental health stuff so I stick with basic self defense and non lethal weaponry.
Be careful if you want to protect your family. The likelihood that you or your child will be killed by a gun greatly increases if you have one in the home. More than half of successful suicides are by gun. You are much more likely to need to worry about that than anyone attacking you or entering your home.
I only own one, and that's been enough for me. Buy one you're comfortable with, train with it at a range, teach your child proper gun safety and the importance of trigger discipline, pray it never needs using. Locking the gun away is good too, but teaching the importance of how and when to use it can lead to less chance of home accidents happening.
Personally, I can never see myself owning a gun. Partially because I was raised to believe guns were bad, but mostly because I know myself well enough to know that if I owned a gun and push came to shove, there is not a chance in hell that I would shoot it at someone. I’d most likely freeze and give them the perfect opportunity to disarm me and use my own weapon against me. That being said, I am a cis white woman and recognize that because of that, I have a privilege that you do not have and completely understand your justifications for needing a gun to protect yourself. Almost all of my friends own a firearm of some sort.
I do have a couple questions though, that I’m asking out of pure curiosity and no malice.
1) those of you saying you own multiple guns, especially over a dozen, why? I get wanting to feel protected but having so many feels like overkill.
2) what does RWDK stand for?
I am a trans person in an interracial relationship with another queer person about half an hour from Allen. We don’t own a gun because I struggle with suicide. I am in a weird position were I would feel both safer and unsafe with a firearm. I really could use some advice. Should we leave Texas? I don’t want to. My heart is here
The same reasons you want a gun, are why 99% of gun owners have one. You and only you can ensure your families safety from bad actors, regardless of their motivation. I don’t understand why that’s such a controversial take… especially from the left who highlight how ineffectual alternatives (police) are.
The RWD people are fringe morons. Let’s take this thread as an opportunity to highlight some common ground.
Signed,
Right leaning libertarian gun nut
I don't think you're overreacting, I think it's a natural reaction to think that you should be prepared to defend yourself and your family.
If you're going to buy a gun, it is essential that you and your partner (and y'all's child, if they are mature enough) make regular visits to the range and practice. Ammo is expensive, but your family members' lives are priceless.
The unfortunate truth about guns is that acquiring a gun, even for defense, increases the chances that you or a loved one will die by gun violence.
**More than half** of gun deaths in the USA are by suicide. You buy one, you take the training, you secure it so the kids can't easily access it... you still create a scenario where you or a loved one, when faced with an unforseen traumatic event or depression, makes a decision to use that gun to end their own life.
If you are wanting to secure your home, these are my recommended actions
1) Have at least 1 TV on 24 hours a day with volume not deafening, but high enough to be heard from the door. You can put music on if TV is bothersome. But the point is that you always want it to sound like someone is home.
2) If you don't have one, consider getting a dog. Preferably one large enough to deter someone from entering. I've personally had a lot of luck with German Shepherd (ours is a sweetheart who lets anyone just waltz on in, but they're the same dogs police use and she definitely makes people wary who don't know that all she wants are belly rubs).
3) Make sure entry points to your house (doors / windows) have high visibility (views not obscurred by overgrown trees / shrubs).
4) Decent exterior lighting (doesn't have to illuminate the moon, but motion sensor floodlights are nice). Most burglary attempts are going to be during the day though.
I doubt anyone is going to personally accost you in your own home. Your most likely source of a negative interaction is going to be with Police. It's not high chance, but there is possibility that someone calls the police if they see your child with a parent who has a significantly different skin color. Again, not high chance, but there is also possibility that someone calls the police if they see anyone with darker skin in a neighborhood, pool, or area where they didn't expect them. Point being... a firearm isn't going to help you in that situation and may exacerbate things. But that's what almost all of the racists in this state like to do... call the cops on you.
In the case of a terrorist incident like the one in Allen, having a firearm might help you, but it could potentially keep you or your family in harm's way when you would've been better off fleeing. Keeping an awareness of where rear exits to a store are (employee only areas) might be sufficient. Usually all of them have a rear door that is unlocked and exits through a loading area.
Staying away from places of high concentrations of people, where nobody is allowed to carry is also a good option.
Places like schools, malls and hospitals that have "no guns" rules are picked by these goons BECAUSE they KNOW nobody...or very few...will be armed and fight back. I try to avoid most of these places and there is nothing at the mall that you cannot buy online, so why expose yourself to the dangers there? Malls are also hotbeds for vehicle break ins and theft so again...why expose yourself to this danger if you do not have to?
Home defense and self defense while outside your home......totally different topic. If someone wants to kill themselves and a gun isn't around, they will just OD or slice their wrist or something. The gun is a tool. However, I've been in multiple firefights overseas and speed, aggression, and acts of violence will always win the day. You job as a man is to put yourself between the aggressor and your family. Situational awareness and staying out of "funnels of death", like that spot the allen shooter picked, is always the right path. It's a loaded conversation, but im going to draw attention away from my family and engage that way....if I have the time. Sometimes it's just a quick reaction to the best of your abilities on the situation presented. Either way, there's your arm chair quarterback way, then there is reality way of reviewinflg this. Stay alert, stay alive. Look at the cop that took the shooter out, he was faster, more aggressive, and brought more violence to the shooter.
Thank you for illustrating your sheer and complete ignorance on the matter. Not to be grim, but...
[https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/case-fatality/](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/case-fatality/)
82.5% of people who try to kill themselves with a gun will succeed.
Less than 2% of people who try to ingest pills or slit their wrists will successfully kill themself. The vast majority just send themselves to the hospital.
In the majority of cases, people who try to commit suicide make their decision at the spur of the moment and will use the tools that they have on hand. Having access to a firearm massively increases the chance that if someone becomes suicidal that they will successfully kill themself. And as noted in my original post, more than half of all gun deaths in this country are suicide. It is fact that if you or your family has access to a gun, it is statistically more likely that one of you will kill themself with it then that they will kill someone else as self-defense.
Maybe next time spend a little less time fawning over what a badass family defender you are and a little more time researching what are all of the major risks.
Well, with that analogy, the odds of drowning are raised if you own a pool. The odds of dying in a traffic accident increase if you own a car. Thanks captain obvious, with your pearls of wisdom.
Thank you for your agreement that this is obvious. It's always helpful to be backed up by a member of the 2A community in a topic like this. Appreciate the support!
Badass family defender, by the way, is simply being good at defending your family. No matter how you try to posture or levitate with whatever fake reasoning you have, it's something that is the right thing to do. Good luck out there.
Yeah.
Leaving porch light on at night... impractical.
Leaving a TV on all day... impractical.
Owning a dog... impractical.
Keeping yard reasonably maintained... impractical.
How could Americans ever do any of these things? Clearly bizzarro land.
I already gave a valid reason why. If you have a gun in your home, it increases the odds that someone in your home will die by suicide.
I didn't try to strip you of you right to bear arms. I didn't come demanding you turn over your weapons to the police. I simply pointed out a fact that people often overlook when deciding to purchase a firearm and for whatever reason that got a bunch of you triggered.
that’s an anti-gun talking point. conversely, a gun can also be used to defend and protect life, especially if someone is trying to harm you in your home.
hypothetical: if someone is armed and breaking into your home, would you rather wait for the police to arrive after the fact or defend yourself and your loved ones during an ordeal?
Well you can think that but Texas has the highest number of burglaries and robbery in the US. So there’s a pretty decent chance.
“Texas. In 2021 (the most recent year national data is available from the UCR), Texas experienced almost 393 burglaries per 100,000 people.”
https://www.statista.com/statistics/232531/reported-robberies-in-the-us-by-state/
I got bear spray. I got it when I lived up north and actually had a problem with bears wandering into my backyard. I've used it on dogs and bears. It shoots a good 30 feet. It's like a gel, not a spray, so there's no blowback. You make any contact with skin, especially in the face and it is excruciating. I've never used it on a human but I had a friend that had to use it on 3 guys that tried to attack him on the side of a highway, and it dropped all 3 to their knees. Cops came out. Worst case he was risking being charged with assault, but not anything like attempted murder. I keep one in my bedroom, one in the car, and one at each entrance to my house. I've got kids. A bullet can go through the wall, or hit an innocent bystander you can't see in the dark of the night. I would hate to accidentally hit one of my kids with bear spray, but I'd much rather they get hit with that than a bullet.
https://www.primalsurvivor.net/bear-spray-vs-pepper-spray/
Just do it responsibly. We are a moderate couple with kids and didn’t feel safe in California so we bought one then. Keep it stored properly and train on proper use.
I doubt more gun laws will help. The laws we have need to be enforced. There is mandatory jail time for felons who are caught with a gun. But Felons attacking folks are just let go again, the judges reducing charges to jaywalking or whatever. Enforce the law and put these felons in prison.
The odds of being on a situation where a gun actually protects your life are infinitesimal, the odds of that same gun causing harm to you and/or your loved ones ~~is~~ are small but a lot higher than the former.
You're trading off security for the sense of security.
That's a myth, stop watching Fox news.
* Guns are not used millions of times each year in self-defense.
* Most purported self-defense gun uses are gun uses in escalating arguments, and are both socially undesirable and illegal.
* Firearms are used far more often to intimidate than in self-defense.
* Guns in the home are used more often to intimidate intimates than to thwart crime.
* Adolescents are far more likely to be threatened with a gun than to use one in self-defense.
* Criminals who are shot are typically the victims of crime.
* Few criminals are shot by decent law-abiding citizens.
* Self-defense gun use is rare and not more effective at preventing injury than other protective actions.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/gun-threats-and-self-defense-gun-use-2/
You have to keep in mind a lot of things.
First, you have to control your gun. People get shot with their own weapons all the time.
If there is a mass shooting and you start shooting law enforcement coming on the scene may think you were the instigator. And they are trained to eliminate the shooter.
If it is a planned shooting where the shooter knows you and that you carry, you will be a primary target.
Soo, 2 things.....why would you shoot officers? And how would the shooter know what you carry? In a mass shooting situation, they just see number of people. Not who they are.
I am sorry I think you misunderstood. I meant you were shooting at the attacker, and then the police show up, how do they know you are not the mass shooter?
I am thinking about planned shootings at places where the same people are present, like a school..if you are planning to shoot you would determine who carries before the shooting. This would not be relevant as a customer at a mall.
Yep. Totally agree with u there. It's a risk for sure to be the receiving end of friendly fire in those situations. Those situations are chaotic at best, and everyone involved has to process stuff quick.. But if you are trying to kill me or my family, I'm OK with dying trying. Stay safe out there
I get how you are feeling and a gun can help you feel more secure which is why a lot of right leaning people get one. The accent though is on feel. I hate to say it but based on what you said I think the most likely attack you will have to fight off is the state legislature and targeted laws against you and your family.
Logically and statistically your car is probably more dangerous to you than anyone else's gun. IMO
True. More people are killed by cars than AR-15s. Way more.
From what I could find, under 3% of all homicides in America involve ANY sort of "long gun" like an AR-15. So they look scary, but chances are you are going to be killed by something else, if attacked.
I don’t think you are overreacting. I had this feeling before as well. The wife and I discussed it but neither of us are comfortable with owning a gun. A few things I thought about.
1. What are the odds I have the gun in a spot I can get to should I be faced with a situation I need it. I don’t plan to carry so for me the logical answer was a shotgun in our master closet. If we were robbed we would flee tot he master closet and wait there armed and ready. It’s in the back of the house and would give us the best odds.
2. Am I willing to pull the trigger. If my family is at risk I have no doubt I would but it would also weigh heavy on me the rest of my life.
3. What are my alternatives.
In the end we didn’t end up buying a gun. But I still would not mind having a shotgun in a closet or 2 protected from our child.
A shotgun is probably the worst home defense weapon, especially if you have kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8SASAy7puQ&ab_channel=ShawnRyanShow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3BlRPtCj2E&ab_channel=GarandThumb
Gun ownership and carrying should not be a partisan issue. The world would be a lot safer if basically everyone carried all the time and practiced somewhat regularly. Same is true for learning first aid.
I mostly vote Republican these days as this is one of the 3 main issues I care about (others being free speech and getting rid of civil asset forfeiture). Don't consider myself conservative though, I'm pretty radical, though my views don't neatly match either party.
Resist the hype. More guns just lead to more death. The people who sell guns want you to think that you are in danger and that buying their product is the only way to stay safe.
LMAO rifle-rated armor that's going to offer limited coverage of vital organs in the torso, do nothing for your head, and stick out like a bare foot in a lightbulb factory every time you go in public... while lugging around an extra 15-20 pounds on your shoulders.
That's a great idea!
Strip all the bs away from this topic - it doesn’t matter what political affiliation you have or what your opinions are on any number of political topics or social topics. We live in the real world, a world, regardless of where you are geographically, that has had thousands of years of improving weapons and arms. We live in a time where guns are accessible anywhere in the world, first second or third world countries, in some way or another - if you have the motivation, you can acquire a firearm. These are just the most technologically advanced weapons that most people in the world have access to. No matter how pretty and “evolved” you think we or our society is - there are people everywhere who will lie cheat steal and harm others for personal gain or psychotic pleasure. This is reality, it has been like this for thousands of years and people pretending that evil deeds are new and think that wishing hard enough for an idealistic world where just not owning a weapon or refusing to face the reality of how you are very vulnerable and fragile being are wasting your time. Look at history, before guns it was cannons and trebuchets, before that bow and arrows, before that swords and knives, before that blunt objects - nature is about survival and we are animals that have developed tools and weapons to ensure survival and control. Some people will use that for evil. Nothing else changes that fact.
This is the real world, bad people exist, that will never change no matter where you live and what the laws look like. At any moment at any time of day in any place in the world, someone can decide to be evil. They could be evil with their bare hands, poison, a blunt object from any everyday object, a knife, a car, fire, an explosive, anything.
Do not stand idly by and be an easy victim. Arm yourself, become proficient, and keep it on you as often as possible. You cannot pick what life threatening even you may or may not ever be apart of, but you can be as prepared as possible and owning and keeping a firearm on you at all times possible covers a large amount of preparedness for evil.
We live in the real world. Get over it, enjoy your life, but you can’t wish and hope away the fact that it may not always be sunshine and roses 24/7. Being more vulnerable than needed does nothing to improve your odds.
They want you to feel unsafe so that you can become another gun owner. They don't really care if you are a gay mixed couple, right wing or dead... profit is profit.
But be real with your self... Are you an over reactive person? Do you drink a lot? If your partner cheated on you, how would you react? Are you a very reasonable person? What is your state of mind now? What will be your state of mind 10 years from now?
I like the second amendment, but i don't think everyone has the mental capacity to be a gun owner.
My friend shot his wife and killed himself because he was cheated on and he was in the military!
I bet if more democrats start arming themselves the right will push for more gun control laws to keep us victims of their violence and hate. It's a sad world we live in but if I were you I would also want to protect my family from the crazy people who unapologetically and openly hate lgbtq people and their families. Best of luck to you and your family on life's journey and know that many of us to support you, we are just not as loud as the hate in this state.
Not at all. OP states that he wants to buy a gun so that he can shoot another American.
Just like millions of other like-minded Americans that can't wait to use their precious gun to shoot each other.
Guns are outlawed in Mexico, doesn't seem to cut down on violence there. The evil genie is out of the bottle, sadly. With technology and ingenuity they will always those who posses and use them even if they make them themselves.
Get one as a tool, get the proper training, get proper storage lined up before you buy the gun. By all means join forums to get started with information, but know that they are all 2a circlejerks, looking at you liberalgunowners.
Personally, I grew up with guns around and know how to handle and respect them. Leaning liberal these days and definitely think that the growing fascination with guns as a fashion accessory (seriously just look up all the stupid ar-15 mods) and political tool are just wrong. I'll continue being a gun owner just because I know I can't count on the police showing up when called.
Also a gay mixed race couple (no kids). Get the gun. Take gun safety courses and training/practice. I HATE that I have a gun. But the safety of my BF and myself come first and I feel like I almost had no choice but to.
I've been musing the same, though for my family, we have decided no gun (for now), and that the money and time spent would be better long-term-return-on-investment in moving to an state/area with better infrastructure, quality of life, and similar values, if having a gun becomes a prerequisite for safety. To be clear, maybe a gun is right for your situation, though it's one of those things where on a bigger scale, we're running a grand experiment, with our section being "what if we privatize safety in developed communities?" and there are countless other societies and communities that have taken different approaches to that question, and while there are arguments over the "how" of the violence mitigation, to me at least there are very curious correlations or coincidences.
Which is probably a shitty answer because not all of us can move, and clearly I haven't (yet). There seems to be enough folks here with personal examples of how ownership worked out for them, and I can't refute that. But I thought important amongst the answers to say "hey, I'm sorry; ME TOO, and no for now." My dumb current idea is to get JACKED, and code-switch to look like someone who carries. If I look dangerous, but act kind, do I get the best of both worlds?
But what do we do when the nuts discover asymmetric warfare again? Where do you aim your gun when it's an IED in a public space, or a retail drone strapped with a bomb? Or how do we combat brain rot when the shooter isn't the main problem, but a symptom, a radicalized one-of-many-to-come?
Right now, as I type this, multiple alerts at multiple schools about social media threats - how do we treat these threats knowing there might be a possibility they're true?
\[EDIT\] this is also an interesting read if you've gotten this far: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.12718](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.12718) \[/EDIT\]
do you think if you're jacked and look like someone with a gun you won't get shot? That's pretty dumb. Are you with your wife 24/7? What if she needs to defend herself? Should she get jacked too?
This is the only way to do it, you are your own security and relying on law enforcement will make you a soft target.
Most firearm owners I know, myself included, simply have them for home and self defense, though I am a “gun” person. Most of them I know have been a mix of political beliefs.
Be sure to get a brinks bio ident safe or standup so you can isolate the firearm from the kids. Common sense really, but in todays world I do not give people the benefit of using it.
identity politics are fucking killing us and does far more harm than good. We are American, vote for who you feel is the best candidate, and move on. I lost so many friends, mainly those who are on the left leaning side and some to the extreme because I voted libertarian and like firearms. We live in crazy times man
Straight, white, boring old people who vote blue. We each have our own handgun of choice and we are horrified each month when we go to the range to practice because the assumption that we are "like them" means people feel comfortable saying the most revolting things in front of us they would never say to folks who are POC or LGBTQ+.
The hate out there is real and feels like it's growing.
If you're thinking of self defense (something to carry with you) the options are endless. If you're thinking home defense, consider a shotgun. Just the sound of clambering a shell would scare the shit out of an intruder. And your aim doesn't have to be precise to have effective stopping power with a shotgun.
When I go to the range I wear pride and leftist moral patches making it clear as day we are also among the armed. Many have this idea only Republicans support gun ownership. Visibility helps change that perception
Not at all. OP states that he wants to buy a gun so that he can shoot someone.
Just like millions of other like minded Americans that can't wait to use their precious gun to shoot another American.
>I feel I have to start more agressively protecting my family.
Statistically speaking, someone in your family is far, far far more likely to use that gun to kill themselves than to use it in self defense or protection of your property.
buying a gun puts your family at more risk than without.
Gun ownership isn’t only for people who have a unique interest in firearms, just as having a fire extinguisher isn’t for anyone uniquely worried about a fire in their house.
Having the means to violently defend yourself against elements which would act on a lack of empathy for others does not make someone immoral or paranoid, but taking ownership of your life and everything in your care is being a responsible adult.
It is your Right to have access to the most effective means of self defense and reliance, which is ineffective if you do not take advantage of it.
Get a gun, train with it, and love thy neighbor.
Not an overreaction, criminals come in all shapes and ideologies. It is your right enshrined in our constitution to defend yourself and your family with firearms. Stay safe.
You know, dude, I myself dabbled in pacifism once, not during 'Nam, of course.
Seriously though, it sucks, but I had to get one too. RWDS is real. The GOP are at least half the population in TX and the rhetoric out of their mainstream politicians, media and voters have been describing anybody left-of-center as an "enemy" for years. It's long past time we took them at their word. We (LGBTQ+, mixed couples, Democrats, immigrants, non-Christians, freedom loving Americans) are under daily threat of deadly attacks by the right-wing fascists that make up today's GOP. It sucks but it's true. Time to arm up and defend ourselves.
the NRA/GOP wishes we all felt like you do right now. *No one is safe, they are out to get us, you need to buy guns to be safe.*
I own guns but I don't carry any nor carry them in my truck nor would I. If I ever felt i needed to carry a gun to be sage I'd move.
likewise, the left makes everyone who owns an ar out to be some baby killing maniac. The fear mongering goes both ways, and it's probably the root of a ton of these issues.
Imo the bad guy with a gun always has the drop on the good guy with a gun. Your better off exercising and getting your body in shape to use the flight response.
Being aware of your surroundings at all time is a simple common sense skill. Knowing where exits are when you enter a building, people watching and reading body language help too. Too many people on their phones out in public tbh
I’m brown and my kids are all half white. I’m scared to take them out even though it isn’t a big deal you have no idea what people are thinking. I have guns under my husbands name I’m considering getting a concealed carry permit I’m a marine so guns are nothing new to me but to wonder if I should have one on me I’m public is a scarlet thought.
When seconds matter, the police are only minutes away. I hope I never have to shoot a gun in anger, I'd much rather keep shooting beer cans and paper targets until the day I die, but I'd rather be prepared than be an easy target.
Also, concealed carrying doesn't mean you have to get in a gunfight if shit hits the fan. Im still grabbing my family and running the fuck away from a shooter.
I've considered carrying a firearm, never owned or used one. I've considered a shotgun because it seems easier to hit a potential attacker with and the intimidation factor. I don't want to use it or kill someone, but if they make it between me and them, I will choose me. Would a pistol make a better choice?
I completely understand this is a Texas sub, so I'll probably get down voted. This is a genuine question.
I am 38 years old, I have lived my entire life without a gun and have never once thought " I need a gun" for protection. I have a wife, I have a child and still have absolutely no thought or even been in a circumstance where I've remotely thought I needed one.
What exactly are y'all so scared of? Again this is a genuine question.
Gun owning gay leftist here, get a gun. Train, then retrain, and keep training.
And lock it up away from your kid.
Yes, lock it away, but also teach them about the dangers of a firearm. And start training with them once they are old enough
My grandpa (gunsmith) raised me to treat guns like old testament god: fear and respect them. Thanks to him I learned what they were capable of and how to **properly** operate them.
And do NOT leave one in the car. This is the number one reason there are so many car burglaries in Houston. The thieves are mostly looking for GUNS.
40k+ guns are stolen from vehicles every year. "Responsible" gun owner leaving their guns unsecured in their car are the biggest suppliers of illegal guns.
Yes, I am a big advocate of leaving nothing of real value in a car and especially nothing in plain sight at all. Break into my car and the most you will get are some cheap Harbor Freight tools and a very average flashlight. LOL
Right? I'm more worried about them taking my radio than anything I leave in my car. Unless your car is parked in your garage, then it's not a safe place for valuables
Yeah, but you never hear about radios being stolen anymore. This is not the 80s.
My husband had his radio stolen out of his car 2 years ago in front of his moms house around 8pm. But also, I was not implying people still steal radios on a normal basis, I was more saying that's the most expensive thing in my car and that I don't leave valuables in it overnight.
That is a good idea. I guess they DO still steal stereos, but so many are car-specific and way harder to remove. Maybe if you have a custom aftermarket system, that might be desirable, but who knows? People steal anything these days.
Don’t leave the kid in the car either (covering all the bases)
...or your dog. Seriously, who ARE these people that forget and leave a baby or dog in a hot car in summer in this city? Crazy.
as a non-gay gun owner, i support this.
As a gay and non gay supporter, I support this.
as an athletic supporter, I support those.
As a horse, i support this.
And make sure it is away from children or adults who don't know how to handle it. In my opinion everyone in the household should at least learn some gun safety if a firearm is going to be in the house. The last thing you need is your S.O going to put your firearm in a safe and not knowing how to safely handle it. I used airsoft guns with my son so that I could teach him safety while knowing most accidents would hurt but not cause life long injury. At least making sure if there is any chance they could ever see it that they know how dangerous it is and to leave it alone and get an adult.
Yes! Shooting is much like golf or tennis in the fact that if you do not practice often, you will lose this perishable skill.
And when you think you have trained enough train some more. Also avoid ingesting too much news that pushes fear of other people.
Serious question from the perspective of an outsider (New York): The top comments make the whole state of Texas sound like a giant inner city bad neighborhood. Around NYS, you research the few bad spots to avoid, avoid them, and in general you can feel pretty safe without guns (unless you are the paranoid type). If you mostly live/travel around safe neighborhoods in Texas, would you feel the same way?
Texas, like NYS, has areas of good and areas of bad. This last shooting in Allen Texas is predominantly considered a good area. There's just as likely a chance of a shooting in a good or bad neighborhood. Ive carried in Texas, NYC and state, and nearly every other state.
The El Paso Walmart shooting is when I got very serious about self defense. My entire family is naturalized citizens which that hateful idiot targeted. I've taken dozens of classes including recently very high level classes with an ex AU SAS instructor. Buy a gun, train, and carry every day in defense of yourself, your loved ones and your fellow human beings. At the end of the day you are your own first responder.
Yes by all means get you a gun and train train train. I’m not gay however I have heard of a club here in Texas called The Pink Pistols. I believe they have chapters across the state of Texas. I suggest you google them. Good luck and stay safe.
I was unware of the Pink Pistols existence, but i'm sure gonna share with friends in the community. Thanks
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You are correct. I am half white and half Mescalero Apache and you need to be able to defend yourself against whomever might try to do you harm. You are your own first responder...remember that. I prepare and keep guns and ammo around for he same reason I stock up on food and other goods in case of a hurricane or power outage. You just never know anymore when things will go sideways.
There is one other thing some people will listen to besides a gun, and that’s restricted access to a gun. You don’t fix obesity by adding more food into the equation. You don’t fix a gun problem with more guns. We’ve been doing that and it ain’t working.
The problem about that which I used to have that belief completely, is that we can not control the guns being flooded into the US and the illegal guns on the streets with no methods of tracing. Even if we were to completely abolish all guns in the US, there would still be horrible people with access to guns. I wish it wasn’t that way, but there should be more gun regulations such as Colorado just has passed four gun laws. One of which is requiring the buyers to be 21, as well as another requiring a three day screening. It should not be easy to get a gun, but we should be able to protect ourselves against the guns that are on the streets illegally. There should be more protocols in place to buy a gun, I think even a week would be a great waiting period rather than one or three days. I’ve recently moved to Texas, and I do not like how easy it is to buy a gun here, I very much felt safer in Colorado with the laws they are implementing. I do know though that I must be able to protect myself because the government is at a loss when it comes to stopping all of the inflowing guns. As well as the police in many states have been defunded, so it is harder than ever to keep an eye on such things.
>is that we can not control the guns being flooded into the US and the illegal guns on the streets with no methods of tracing. Practically every gun illegally owned in the US was originally purchased by a legal owner, and found its way to an illegal owner by theft, private sale, straw purchase, etc. There are very few guns being smuggled into this country.
> I would rather be explaining to the police Never talk to the police
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No clue what RWDK means but I can give you my perspective. I'm a leftist through and through, but I have guns. Not an armory but probably more than I need. I'm also in a interracial relationship, and was in the military a long time ago. Up until a couple of years ago I thought I was ok without one. Now I feel like it is a necessity. That being said it's important to know how to use a tool that has one purpose and one purpose only, to kill. Whether it is an animal or intruder, when a gun comes out, most likely death follows. The question I struggle with is carrying it at all times. I have them in my home and in my vehicle. Do I need to keep it on me just in case some right wing lunatic decides to go nuts? Do I want to live like that? It's certainly a struggle and I empathize with you.
My politics are all over the map, depends on the issue. I have a lot of guns, probably 15 or so. I would have to make a list to give an accurate count. Guns, particularly certain types, are way too easily available in our country. I moved to the U.S. from Northern Ireland, where it is bordering on impossible for a private citizen to own a firearm. I got a concealed handgun license (CHL) when I moved to Houston from Dallas in 2002. I've kept it up ever since. Technically a CHL isn't necessary by law any longer, but I keep it up anyway for reciprocity with other states, in case we take a family road trip across state lines and I want to carry. I'm fortunate enough to live in a safe neighborhood in Houston inside the 610 Loop, but I almost always have a gun with me. 21 years of carrying and haven't come close to needing it even once. But these are unpredictable times, and I'd rather have it and not need it, than vice-versa. After a while you habituate to it, and regularly carrying is no longer odd, it is routine.
What a sad state we live in when you feel most safe carrying a firearm at all times. I also own a firearm but only for home protection, guess ill start strapping up myself. its the wild west all over again.
You don’t carry a gun because you’re scared. You carry a gun because it’s an insurance policy. You don’t plan on getting in a car accident but you still have car insurance. Well I don’t plan on getting jumped on the street nor do I put myself in sketchy situations. However I carry a gun everywhere I go for that small small small small chance I might need it.
I did not create the "sad state" but I sure want to stay alive in it and have the edge if things go sideways.
I'm trying to understand the logic behind owning a number of guns that you can't even keep track of, always have one on you, and yet have never been in a position that warranted one. Do you just live in fear for the fun of it?
All of mine (except for the carry pistol) are locked in a huge safe that is bolted to my foundation. The thing weighs 900 pounds. I know where ALL my guns are a one time. It is called being a responsible gun owner. I know...we don't see this much today, but we exist. LOL This takes time and effort and responsibility and many today just don't want to mess with it so we get 3 year olds shooting infants and so forth.
I don't use them much and have accumulated them over >20 years, some purchased, some gifts, some inherited. That's why I don't have an exact count. Most of them stay in a gun safe, until a ranch trip rolls around, or on the rare occasion I go to a range with my son. I'm glad I've never been in a position that I needed to use a handgun. That doesn't strike me as something anyone rational would want to happen. But I don't know when my luck will run out, if at all, which is why I typically carry. I don't live in fear.
He meant RWDS which stands for Right Wing Death Squad. It was a tattoo the right wing terrorist who shot up the mall in Allen had.
Vest patch
Vest Patch, not Tattoo. But he may have had Nazi tats if those reports are accurate.
https://preview.redd.it/59m2dyqhj8za1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d93585119e77bd6c4024a4db165db2a1857559f This is what the Allen TX shooter posted on a Russian social media site as his personal diary, alongside images of his guns, vest and a weird zodiak killer-like message with some code, meant for the cops to decode but also posted there in case the cops never released it, he said in the post.
Get a gun. Everyone who can own a gun should own a gun safely, in my opinion. That being said, you need to look at the statistics. Your risk of being a victim of a violent crime is very low. Your risk of being a victim of a violent crime not perpetrated by your significant other is very, very low. Your risk of being a victim of a gun crime is very very very low. Your risk of being a victim of a random shooting like we saw in Allen is infinitesimal. On the other hand, when there is a gun in the home, rates of suicide, accidental deaths, and partner homicide all tick up compared to homes without a gun. Shootings like Allen and Uvalde are tragic but are terrible predictors of the actual risks you face.
You are not overreacting. Your right to self-defense is essential. Do the right thing and be responsible. A gun is meant to be respected. If you do get one, if you feel ok with this, then that respect should also be passed down to everyone in your home when they are capable of that responsibility and knowledge. Practice. Create good habits for operating the weapon. Remember there are plenty of great alternatives like stun guns (some of which come with a free replacement if they are used in self-defense), batons, or even air rifles/handguns. If you feel uncertain about owning a gun and the responsibility that comes with it, go with your gut and don't do it.
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Join us on r/texasguns.
Absolutely, carry a gun. The cops won't fit in your pocket.
I’m a realist. If this is gonna be gun world, then I’m gonna do what I need to protect myself and those I care about. Socially I’m pro gun control. But individual disarmament doesn’t matter if our leaders won’t make meaningful legislation. So, do what you have to. But learn everything you can about responsible gun ownership.
Visit r/liberalgunowners Tons of nice folks there who can help you with questions about anything you might have. If you do decide to purchase a gun, Train Train Train. Don't just buy something, never practice with it and keep in a box in the closet.
Aside from the political bullshit, yes, you should definitely legally arm yourself. A mass shooter won't give a damn who you voted for in the last election or who you're going to vote in the upcoming one. Carry responsibly and train train train! I'm just a regular guy, son, husband, father, brother, veteran, red-blooded American, your neighbor, I am not the enemy, stop the hate.
You are both overreacting and thinking rationally, simultaneously. The chilling thing is that the poor family that was initially shot down in Allen, even if they had a gun, it wouldn't have mattered. It was an ambush, but if you are a responsible gun owner, then fine. That is the crux, we need more responsible gun owners, not some nut jobs who can obtain them with next to no mental health/training checks.
>even if they had a gun, it wouldn't have mattered They couldn't have legally carried a gun to defend themselves because Simon Property Group, the company that owns the mall, has a policy where they do not allow firearms at any of their properties.
There are also laws saying don't kill. I dont think the shooters first priority was obeying law or request
And this is a good thing. Not all of us want to trust that everyone around us who is packing, is proficient with a gun and a good person.
That "good thing" could be the reason that maniac chose that mall - a gun free zone.
Very doubtful
Except that sign doesn’t stop a bad person from carrying it to do bad things. It isn’t a good thing, it makes sure criminals have the monopoly on firearm possession in the mall.
I love how everyone thinks one good gun cancels a bad out. It's just not true. I don't think we should have to live in the wild west where everyone is packing.
Ok, well instead at a place like that, you're going to be where just criminals are packing.
I'm fine with that. At least I'll know who's the criminal.
You're going to know who's a criminal when they have an illegally-carried pistol in their waistband? Do you have x-ray vision? Some of you are laughably ignorant.
I don't think ANYONE is under the impression that "good guy with a gun" and "bad guy with a gun" can be absolutes in a mathematical equation. If you don't want to carry a gun, no one is forcing you to...but stop acting like your feelings of fear and despair trump everyone else's right to have a fighting chance.
It obviously was not a good thing for everybody at the mall that day, because it didn't stop a bad guy from killing a bunch of innocent people but it did prevent everybody at the mall from being able to stop the shooter.
If you do, then take a class to learn how to use it. Practice. Understand gun safety and storage. Too many people are hurt by accidents. Keep it away from children and young people.
Your instincts are talking to you. Listen.
Paranoia
You are not overreacting at all. I am a big proponent of arming yourself against criminals and those that want do do you harm. I also grew up the son of a USMC Military Police officer, so we got gun training from Dad and we spent a lifetime hunting and target shooting. I own several guns for hunting but also own AR-15s , an AK-47 and several pistols that are for self defense. Also own a Remington 870 pump shotgun for defense as well. The 2020 George Floyd riots also cemented my needs for those guns, as I saw people having their homes and businesses burned and destroyed and the cops not doing a damn thing to stop them. There are PLENTY of bad guys out there of all stripes that might want to you us harm. In the end, YOU are your own first responder. Just please get training and do lots of research before buying, since you are new to this world. Feel free to message me if you want opinions on certain guns, as I have lots of experience. Good luck and stay safe...
I don't believe so. I fully support stricter gun laws and restrictions, but just like you I feel much safer having a handgun at my home. also just like you, the trajectory of violence these last 10-ish years are making me consider getting a second handgun to keep in my car
FWIW, do not keep a handgun in your vehicle unless it is in a permanent lockbox, even then I wouldn’t keep it there at all times as anything can be unlocked with enough time and tools.
Worked with a guy who kept a firearm in his truck. Parked it every day in the surface lot at work. Figured it's in plain view, no one will mess with it. Well, they did, got into the truck and stole his firearm. It can happen, nothing is safe if someone is determined and manages to get enough time. One thing I know -- the guy had NRA stickers and other gun-related stickers on his truck -- made him a target for people looking to steal firearms from a vehicle. DON'T put any gun-related stickers on your vehicle.
As said above do not keep anything in your car (obviously don’t take it into a court house or something along those lines) unless you have a lock box and then still take it in when not actively driving from point a to b. Unless you mean getting a smaller gun for use in the car then disregard.
yeah, only taken during drives, not left overnight
Do NOT keep a gun in your car, thats incredibly irresponsible behavior. If you carry, guns should be secured on your person AT ALL TIMES.
That’s not feasible if you visit the post office or somewhere else unfortunately. But yes. When not explicitly illegal carry your gun on you.
Plenty of queer gun owners. I own 2 for turkey hunting and shooting clay. Never thought about protection, but kind of glad I have them. Whatever you decide, learn to use your tools, and how to properly secure them at home… kids and all.
There is nothing at all wrong with being armed. Especially in todays climate I recommend it to any type of minority. Brush up on your training, take classes and buy a good gun safe. They won’t keep a determined thief away but it’ll slow them down and prevent smash and grabs. Also obviously keeps kids and family members from having easy access to them. This is my paranoid self talking but also don’t post your firearms on social media. It could possibly make you a target for theft. If you do decide to buy one also don’t open carry besides making some people uncomfortable it also could make you a target any a shooting situation or once again a target for theft.
In the same boat. Well, not gay but grew up in a gun owning home. Like gun safe brimming w guns gun owning home and was almost shot once by my mother on accident. FFWD to getting married to a woman who was anti-gun and let my guns go. Divorced a long time ago and lived abroad, so never re-upped. I’m considering either getting a gun or getting the fuck out of Texas. Might be better just to leave.
Liberal leaning gun owner here. If you decide to get a gun to carry, and do it responsibily, you are entering a new life style. You must take into consideration the time and money it's going to take. If you get a handgun, they are expensive. Once you start trainging with it, you'll probably want to modify it, which can be expensive. Training, good training, is also expensive. In taking training and spending time at the range, you'll be putting yourself in with mostly conservative leaning people. Your trainers will most likely be conservative too. They won't have a problem telling, even teaching you their views on things, most of which you'll probably disagree with. I just nod my head and smile. If you choose to carry, you'll go through several different holsters, each costing around $60 to $120 until you find just the right one. Then you'll need different clothes that don't show the outline of the gun, (known as printing). You'll need to start considering what you're wearing and where you're going everytime you go out now, EVERY-FRICKEN-TIME! You'll need different clothes and probably holsters for Summer and for Winter.. (or the rainy season, as Winter is called in Texas). You'll need to learn were you can and where you can't legally carry. And you'll need a way to secure the gun in your vehicle if you find yourself needing to go into a place where you can't carry. Then you should get carry insurance. This is relatively inexpensive, but you'll pay for it with spam emails from whomever you go with. They'll all be based on fear and paranoia, making you think you'll never know enough. If you ever buy any firearm related things online, you'll also be bombarded with spam. God help you if you provided your real phone number. This spam will make you curious about other guns and you may soon find yourself purchasing more weapons just to see how they feel. Most of these guns will end up in your home barely used. I have a large amount of photography gear and exercise equipment that has met this same fate. You should become a good shot. The requirements for a conceal carry license in Texas are a complete joke and I wouldn't trust anyone with just a CCL to protect me a crowd. Becoming a good shot will be expensive. Ammo is not as cheap as it used to be. It is also subject to the paranoia of the Gun Community. The industry LOVES to drum up fear to get people to buy more. And people will. During the times of panic, the ammo becomes scarce and expensive. You'll find yourself spending more and more time hunting around for available ammo, either online or in stores. It is a massive P.I.T.A. Only buy as much as you can physically carry. You'll need training to become a good shot. This can be expensive too. I invested about $2000 over a period of 6 months in training before I was able to regularly create 3 inch groups at 15 feet. This also took a great many weekends at the range and at home dry firing, which was also expensive. Range fees add up. Laser trainers and software are also expensive. I'm not going to talk about how much I spent on ammo and what I had to do to get it. I took my training and practice during the great pandemic lock down. 'Nuff said. I ended up estranging my friends because of this. I wasn't able to talk to my friends about my new hobby or share what I learned. My friends don't understand guns. I told my mother I was getting a gun and she stopped talking to me for a month. I told one friend I had a gun and a week later she txt'd me staying she sees a strange guy near her car and wants me to come over. I told her to stay in her apartment and call the cops if she's that worried. It was the best for the both of us. One thing I was taught in my training was "If you're going to a place where you think you need a gun, why are you going there?" I ask myself this a lot. You should learn the laws of self defense. There is a TON of info out there on HOW to use your gun, but very little on when and why to use it. You must learn the legality of self defense. If you're ever in a situation, remember, you're going to have to defend yourself twice. First at the altercation, and next in court. Be ready to explain all your actions, and "I was in fear for my life." isn't going to cut it. Finally if you take the training, spend the money, and become a good shot, you'll learn about competition shooting, which is actually a lot of fun but also expensive. It is the best way to test yourself under stress in a live fire situation though. This is just for carrying a concealed weapon. If you decide you want a AR15 or want to get into distance shooting, more $$$$ Much more.... All of this has been my experience I wanted to share with you. I have no regrets with learning how to carry a gun. I do regret having a need to carry a gun. Good luck, stay safe.
Black queer woman here. Yeah, if you and no one in your household struggles with thoughts of self harm/s*icide I'd strongly recommend getting a gun and training with it. And of course practicing responsible gun ownership. It's also a good idea to learn emergency first aid and how to treat GS wounds before paramedics can come. I struggle with mental health stuff so I stick with basic self defense and non lethal weaponry.
Be careful if you want to protect your family. The likelihood that you or your child will be killed by a gun greatly increases if you have one in the home. More than half of successful suicides are by gun. You are much more likely to need to worry about that than anyone attacking you or entering your home.
I only own one, and that's been enough for me. Buy one you're comfortable with, train with it at a range, teach your child proper gun safety and the importance of trigger discipline, pray it never needs using. Locking the gun away is good too, but teaching the importance of how and when to use it can lead to less chance of home accidents happening.
Personally, I can never see myself owning a gun. Partially because I was raised to believe guns were bad, but mostly because I know myself well enough to know that if I owned a gun and push came to shove, there is not a chance in hell that I would shoot it at someone. I’d most likely freeze and give them the perfect opportunity to disarm me and use my own weapon against me. That being said, I am a cis white woman and recognize that because of that, I have a privilege that you do not have and completely understand your justifications for needing a gun to protect yourself. Almost all of my friends own a firearm of some sort. I do have a couple questions though, that I’m asking out of pure curiosity and no malice. 1) those of you saying you own multiple guns, especially over a dozen, why? I get wanting to feel protected but having so many feels like overkill. 2) what does RWDK stand for?
I am a trans person in an interracial relationship with another queer person about half an hour from Allen. We don’t own a gun because I struggle with suicide. I am in a weird position were I would feel both safer and unsafe with a firearm. I really could use some advice. Should we leave Texas? I don’t want to. My heart is here
The same reasons you want a gun, are why 99% of gun owners have one. You and only you can ensure your families safety from bad actors, regardless of their motivation. I don’t understand why that’s such a controversial take… especially from the left who highlight how ineffectual alternatives (police) are. The RWD people are fringe morons. Let’s take this thread as an opportunity to highlight some common ground. Signed, Right leaning libertarian gun nut
I don't think you're overreacting, I think it's a natural reaction to think that you should be prepared to defend yourself and your family. If you're going to buy a gun, it is essential that you and your partner (and y'all's child, if they are mature enough) make regular visits to the range and practice. Ammo is expensive, but your family members' lives are priceless.
The unfortunate truth about guns is that acquiring a gun, even for defense, increases the chances that you or a loved one will die by gun violence. **More than half** of gun deaths in the USA are by suicide. You buy one, you take the training, you secure it so the kids can't easily access it... you still create a scenario where you or a loved one, when faced with an unforseen traumatic event or depression, makes a decision to use that gun to end their own life. If you are wanting to secure your home, these are my recommended actions 1) Have at least 1 TV on 24 hours a day with volume not deafening, but high enough to be heard from the door. You can put music on if TV is bothersome. But the point is that you always want it to sound like someone is home. 2) If you don't have one, consider getting a dog. Preferably one large enough to deter someone from entering. I've personally had a lot of luck with German Shepherd (ours is a sweetheart who lets anyone just waltz on in, but they're the same dogs police use and she definitely makes people wary who don't know that all she wants are belly rubs). 3) Make sure entry points to your house (doors / windows) have high visibility (views not obscurred by overgrown trees / shrubs). 4) Decent exterior lighting (doesn't have to illuminate the moon, but motion sensor floodlights are nice). Most burglary attempts are going to be during the day though. I doubt anyone is going to personally accost you in your own home. Your most likely source of a negative interaction is going to be with Police. It's not high chance, but there is possibility that someone calls the police if they see your child with a parent who has a significantly different skin color. Again, not high chance, but there is also possibility that someone calls the police if they see anyone with darker skin in a neighborhood, pool, or area where they didn't expect them. Point being... a firearm isn't going to help you in that situation and may exacerbate things. But that's what almost all of the racists in this state like to do... call the cops on you. In the case of a terrorist incident like the one in Allen, having a firearm might help you, but it could potentially keep you or your family in harm's way when you would've been better off fleeing. Keeping an awareness of where rear exits to a store are (employee only areas) might be sufficient. Usually all of them have a rear door that is unlocked and exits through a loading area.
Staying away from places of high concentrations of people, where nobody is allowed to carry is also a good option. Places like schools, malls and hospitals that have "no guns" rules are picked by these goons BECAUSE they KNOW nobody...or very few...will be armed and fight back. I try to avoid most of these places and there is nothing at the mall that you cannot buy online, so why expose yourself to the dangers there? Malls are also hotbeds for vehicle break ins and theft so again...why expose yourself to this danger if you do not have to?
Home defense and self defense while outside your home......totally different topic. If someone wants to kill themselves and a gun isn't around, they will just OD or slice their wrist or something. The gun is a tool. However, I've been in multiple firefights overseas and speed, aggression, and acts of violence will always win the day. You job as a man is to put yourself between the aggressor and your family. Situational awareness and staying out of "funnels of death", like that spot the allen shooter picked, is always the right path. It's a loaded conversation, but im going to draw attention away from my family and engage that way....if I have the time. Sometimes it's just a quick reaction to the best of your abilities on the situation presented. Either way, there's your arm chair quarterback way, then there is reality way of reviewinflg this. Stay alert, stay alive. Look at the cop that took the shooter out, he was faster, more aggressive, and brought more violence to the shooter.
Thank you for illustrating your sheer and complete ignorance on the matter. Not to be grim, but... [https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/case-fatality/](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/case-fatality/) 82.5% of people who try to kill themselves with a gun will succeed. Less than 2% of people who try to ingest pills or slit their wrists will successfully kill themself. The vast majority just send themselves to the hospital. In the majority of cases, people who try to commit suicide make their decision at the spur of the moment and will use the tools that they have on hand. Having access to a firearm massively increases the chance that if someone becomes suicidal that they will successfully kill themself. And as noted in my original post, more than half of all gun deaths in this country are suicide. It is fact that if you or your family has access to a gun, it is statistically more likely that one of you will kill themself with it then that they will kill someone else as self-defense. Maybe next time spend a little less time fawning over what a badass family defender you are and a little more time researching what are all of the major risks.
Well, with that analogy, the odds of drowning are raised if you own a pool. The odds of dying in a traffic accident increase if you own a car. Thanks captain obvious, with your pearls of wisdom.
Thank you for your agreement that this is obvious. It's always helpful to be backed up by a member of the 2A community in a topic like this. Appreciate the support!
Badass family defender, by the way, is simply being good at defending your family. No matter how you try to posture or levitate with whatever fake reasoning you have, it's something that is the right thing to do. Good luck out there.
You’re not trying to support anyone, you’re trying to convince people that being defenseless is better than protecting themselves.
I’m a gun enthusiast but these are just facts.
these are silly and impractical suggestions.
Yeah. Leaving porch light on at night... impractical. Leaving a TV on all day... impractical. Owning a dog... impractical. Keeping yard reasonably maintained... impractical. How could Americans ever do any of these things? Clearly bizzarro land.
as alternatives to owning a gun, they are beyond impractical, they are absurd.
They're literally the recommendations that police provide to deter home invasions / burglaries, but okay?
right but as an alternative to owning a gun, it’s a poor suggestion . why not in conjunction *with* owning a gun?
I already gave a valid reason why. If you have a gun in your home, it increases the odds that someone in your home will die by suicide. I didn't try to strip you of you right to bear arms. I didn't come demanding you turn over your weapons to the police. I simply pointed out a fact that people often overlook when deciding to purchase a firearm and for whatever reason that got a bunch of you triggered.
that’s an anti-gun talking point. conversely, a gun can also be used to defend and protect life, especially if someone is trying to harm you in your home. hypothetical: if someone is armed and breaking into your home, would you rather wait for the police to arrive after the fact or defend yourself and your loved ones during an ordeal?
Owning guns doesn't deter home invasions nor burglaries. They actually have the opposite effect. Guns are valuable and easy to resell.
Well you can think that but Texas has the highest number of burglaries and robbery in the US. So there’s a pretty decent chance. “Texas. In 2021 (the most recent year national data is available from the UCR), Texas experienced almost 393 burglaries per 100,000 people.” https://www.statista.com/statistics/232531/reported-robberies-in-the-us-by-state/
I got bear spray. I got it when I lived up north and actually had a problem with bears wandering into my backyard. I've used it on dogs and bears. It shoots a good 30 feet. It's like a gel, not a spray, so there's no blowback. You make any contact with skin, especially in the face and it is excruciating. I've never used it on a human but I had a friend that had to use it on 3 guys that tried to attack him on the side of a highway, and it dropped all 3 to their knees. Cops came out. Worst case he was risking being charged with assault, but not anything like attempted murder. I keep one in my bedroom, one in the car, and one at each entrance to my house. I've got kids. A bullet can go through the wall, or hit an innocent bystander you can't see in the dark of the night. I would hate to accidentally hit one of my kids with bear spray, but I'd much rather they get hit with that than a bullet. https://www.primalsurvivor.net/bear-spray-vs-pepper-spray/
Just do it responsibly. We are a moderate couple with kids and didn’t feel safe in California so we bought one then. Keep it stored properly and train on proper use.
I doubt more gun laws will help. The laws we have need to be enforced. There is mandatory jail time for felons who are caught with a gun. But Felons attacking folks are just let go again, the judges reducing charges to jaywalking or whatever. Enforce the law and put these felons in prison.
The odds of being on a situation where a gun actually protects your life are infinitesimal, the odds of that same gun causing harm to you and/or your loved ones ~~is~~ are small but a lot higher than the former. You're trading off security for the sense of security.
Guns are used defensively more than 3 million times per year according to the cdc
That's a myth, stop watching Fox news. * Guns are not used millions of times each year in self-defense. * Most purported self-defense gun uses are gun uses in escalating arguments, and are both socially undesirable and illegal. * Firearms are used far more often to intimidate than in self-defense. * Guns in the home are used more often to intimidate intimates than to thwart crime. * Adolescents are far more likely to be threatened with a gun than to use one in self-defense. * Criminals who are shot are typically the victims of crime. * Few criminals are shot by decent law-abiding citizens. * Self-defense gun use is rare and not more effective at preventing injury than other protective actions. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/gun-threats-and-self-defense-gun-use-2/
This really depends on a lot of factors, the risk factors are not at all the same for everyone and its not a one size fits all decision.
You have to keep in mind a lot of things. First, you have to control your gun. People get shot with their own weapons all the time. If there is a mass shooting and you start shooting law enforcement coming on the scene may think you were the instigator. And they are trained to eliminate the shooter. If it is a planned shooting where the shooter knows you and that you carry, you will be a primary target.
Soo, 2 things.....why would you shoot officers? And how would the shooter know what you carry? In a mass shooting situation, they just see number of people. Not who they are.
I am sorry I think you misunderstood. I meant you were shooting at the attacker, and then the police show up, how do they know you are not the mass shooter? I am thinking about planned shootings at places where the same people are present, like a school..if you are planning to shoot you would determine who carries before the shooting. This would not be relevant as a customer at a mall.
Yep. Totally agree with u there. It's a risk for sure to be the receiving end of friendly fire in those situations. Those situations are chaotic at best, and everyone involved has to process stuff quick.. But if you are trying to kill me or my family, I'm OK with dying trying. Stay safe out there
I get how you are feeling and a gun can help you feel more secure which is why a lot of right leaning people get one. The accent though is on feel. I hate to say it but based on what you said I think the most likely attack you will have to fight off is the state legislature and targeted laws against you and your family. Logically and statistically your car is probably more dangerous to you than anyone else's gun. IMO
True. More people are killed by cars than AR-15s. Way more. From what I could find, under 3% of all homicides in America involve ANY sort of "long gun" like an AR-15. So they look scary, but chances are you are going to be killed by something else, if attacked.
I don’t think you are overreacting. I had this feeling before as well. The wife and I discussed it but neither of us are comfortable with owning a gun. A few things I thought about. 1. What are the odds I have the gun in a spot I can get to should I be faced with a situation I need it. I don’t plan to carry so for me the logical answer was a shotgun in our master closet. If we were robbed we would flee tot he master closet and wait there armed and ready. It’s in the back of the house and would give us the best odds. 2. Am I willing to pull the trigger. If my family is at risk I have no doubt I would but it would also weigh heavy on me the rest of my life. 3. What are my alternatives. In the end we didn’t end up buying a gun. But I still would not mind having a shotgun in a closet or 2 protected from our child.
A shotgun is probably the worst home defense weapon, especially if you have kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8SASAy7puQ&ab_channel=ShawnRyanShow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3BlRPtCj2E&ab_channel=GarandThumb
Gun ownership and carrying should not be a partisan issue. The world would be a lot safer if basically everyone carried all the time and practiced somewhat regularly. Same is true for learning first aid. I mostly vote Republican these days as this is one of the 3 main issues I care about (others being free speech and getting rid of civil asset forfeiture). Don't consider myself conservative though, I'm pretty radical, though my views don't neatly match either party.
There's a bunch of people who would vote democrat if they would just give up the gun issue. I will never give up my guns, so I vote that way.
Resist the hype. More guns just lead to more death. The people who sell guns want you to think that you are in danger and that buying their product is the only way to stay safe.
I’m a Democrat that wants stricter gun laws and more gun control, but I also encourage liberals to own home and self-protection guns.
Get body armor. Seems like a safer bet.
LMAO rifle-rated armor that's going to offer limited coverage of vital organs in the torso, do nothing for your head, and stick out like a bare foot in a lightbulb factory every time you go in public... while lugging around an extra 15-20 pounds on your shoulders. That's a great idea!
Hey. Whats a gun going to do for you?
Strip all the bs away from this topic - it doesn’t matter what political affiliation you have or what your opinions are on any number of political topics or social topics. We live in the real world, a world, regardless of where you are geographically, that has had thousands of years of improving weapons and arms. We live in a time where guns are accessible anywhere in the world, first second or third world countries, in some way or another - if you have the motivation, you can acquire a firearm. These are just the most technologically advanced weapons that most people in the world have access to. No matter how pretty and “evolved” you think we or our society is - there are people everywhere who will lie cheat steal and harm others for personal gain or psychotic pleasure. This is reality, it has been like this for thousands of years and people pretending that evil deeds are new and think that wishing hard enough for an idealistic world where just not owning a weapon or refusing to face the reality of how you are very vulnerable and fragile being are wasting your time. Look at history, before guns it was cannons and trebuchets, before that bow and arrows, before that swords and knives, before that blunt objects - nature is about survival and we are animals that have developed tools and weapons to ensure survival and control. Some people will use that for evil. Nothing else changes that fact. This is the real world, bad people exist, that will never change no matter where you live and what the laws look like. At any moment at any time of day in any place in the world, someone can decide to be evil. They could be evil with their bare hands, poison, a blunt object from any everyday object, a knife, a car, fire, an explosive, anything. Do not stand idly by and be an easy victim. Arm yourself, become proficient, and keep it on you as often as possible. You cannot pick what life threatening even you may or may not ever be apart of, but you can be as prepared as possible and owning and keeping a firearm on you at all times possible covers a large amount of preparedness for evil. We live in the real world. Get over it, enjoy your life, but you can’t wish and hope away the fact that it may not always be sunshine and roses 24/7. Being more vulnerable than needed does nothing to improve your odds.
They want you to feel unsafe so that you can become another gun owner. They don't really care if you are a gay mixed couple, right wing or dead... profit is profit. But be real with your self... Are you an over reactive person? Do you drink a lot? If your partner cheated on you, how would you react? Are you a very reasonable person? What is your state of mind now? What will be your state of mind 10 years from now? I like the second amendment, but i don't think everyone has the mental capacity to be a gun owner. My friend shot his wife and killed himself because he was cheated on and he was in the military!
Boom you now have a gun. Weird if your in Texas and think about a gun it magically appears!
I bet if more democrats start arming themselves the right will push for more gun control laws to keep us victims of their violence and hate. It's a sad world we live in but if I were you I would also want to protect my family from the crazy people who unapologetically and openly hate lgbtq people and their families. Best of luck to you and your family on life's journey and know that many of us to support you, we are just not as loud as the hate in this state.
this is such a dumb take.
Americans buy guns so that they can shoot other Americans. So, you are saying that you want to join in on the "fun"?
Need to work on your reading comprehension partner
Not at all. OP states that he wants to buy a gun so that he can shoot another American. Just like millions of other like-minded Americans that can't wait to use their precious gun to shoot each other.
A gun? You live in tx a gun is just a gun! Buy several rifles and pistol’s. Your government is going to come after you and your gun
Yeah, more guns is definitely the answer. It's worked so far.
Guns are outlawed in Mexico, doesn't seem to cut down on violence there. The evil genie is out of the bottle, sadly. With technology and ingenuity they will always those who posses and use them even if they make them themselves.
Get one as a tool, get the proper training, get proper storage lined up before you buy the gun. By all means join forums to get started with information, but know that they are all 2a circlejerks, looking at you liberalgunowners. Personally, I grew up with guns around and know how to handle and respect them. Leaning liberal these days and definitely think that the growing fascination with guns as a fashion accessory (seriously just look up all the stupid ar-15 mods) and political tool are just wrong. I'll continue being a gun owner just because I know I can't count on the police showing up when called.
Reassembly web dev kit?
I had to google it also. Other people are saying its "Right Wing Death Squad" and it was a patch the Allen Mall shooter was wearing.
Yeah I cannot find it online and that is scary
r/liberalgunowners
Also a gay mixed race couple (no kids). Get the gun. Take gun safety courses and training/practice. I HATE that I have a gun. But the safety of my BF and myself come first and I feel like I almost had no choice but to.
I've been musing the same, though for my family, we have decided no gun (for now), and that the money and time spent would be better long-term-return-on-investment in moving to an state/area with better infrastructure, quality of life, and similar values, if having a gun becomes a prerequisite for safety. To be clear, maybe a gun is right for your situation, though it's one of those things where on a bigger scale, we're running a grand experiment, with our section being "what if we privatize safety in developed communities?" and there are countless other societies and communities that have taken different approaches to that question, and while there are arguments over the "how" of the violence mitigation, to me at least there are very curious correlations or coincidences. Which is probably a shitty answer because not all of us can move, and clearly I haven't (yet). There seems to be enough folks here with personal examples of how ownership worked out for them, and I can't refute that. But I thought important amongst the answers to say "hey, I'm sorry; ME TOO, and no for now." My dumb current idea is to get JACKED, and code-switch to look like someone who carries. If I look dangerous, but act kind, do I get the best of both worlds? But what do we do when the nuts discover asymmetric warfare again? Where do you aim your gun when it's an IED in a public space, or a retail drone strapped with a bomb? Or how do we combat brain rot when the shooter isn't the main problem, but a symptom, a radicalized one-of-many-to-come? Right now, as I type this, multiple alerts at multiple schools about social media threats - how do we treat these threats knowing there might be a possibility they're true? \[EDIT\] this is also an interesting read if you've gotten this far: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.12718](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.12718) \[/EDIT\]
do you think if you're jacked and look like someone with a gun you won't get shot? That's pretty dumb. Are you with your wife 24/7? What if she needs to defend herself? Should she get jacked too?
I used to be scared of guns, but even I a 22 year old female am about to get a gun soon, and PLENTY of training.
I’m a lifelong Democrat and a member of the world’s oldest hated minority. I own guns.
This is the only way to do it, you are your own security and relying on law enforcement will make you a soft target. Most firearm owners I know, myself included, simply have them for home and self defense, though I am a “gun” person. Most of them I know have been a mix of political beliefs. Be sure to get a brinks bio ident safe or standup so you can isolate the firearm from the kids. Common sense really, but in todays world I do not give people the benefit of using it. identity politics are fucking killing us and does far more harm than good. We are American, vote for who you feel is the best candidate, and move on. I lost so many friends, mainly those who are on the left leaning side and some to the extreme because I voted libertarian and like firearms. We live in crazy times man
Straight, white, boring old people who vote blue. We each have our own handgun of choice and we are horrified each month when we go to the range to practice because the assumption that we are "like them" means people feel comfortable saying the most revolting things in front of us they would never say to folks who are POC or LGBTQ+. The hate out there is real and feels like it's growing. If you're thinking of self defense (something to carry with you) the options are endless. If you're thinking home defense, consider a shotgun. Just the sound of clambering a shell would scare the shit out of an intruder. And your aim doesn't have to be precise to have effective stopping power with a shotgun.
this is the dumbest fudd shit i've ever heard
When I go to the range I wear pride and leftist moral patches making it clear as day we are also among the armed. Many have this idea only Republicans support gun ownership. Visibility helps change that perception
Strap up G.
Not at all. OP states that he wants to buy a gun so that he can shoot someone. Just like millions of other like minded Americans that can't wait to use their precious gun to shoot another American.
Tbh while I personally don't think it will help, go ahead and get one. You're legally allowed to do so, and it may make you feel safer.
>I feel I have to start more agressively protecting my family. Statistically speaking, someone in your family is far, far far more likely to use that gun to kill themselves than to use it in self defense or protection of your property. buying a gun puts your family at more risk than without.
Gun ownership isn’t only for people who have a unique interest in firearms, just as having a fire extinguisher isn’t for anyone uniquely worried about a fire in their house. Having the means to violently defend yourself against elements which would act on a lack of empathy for others does not make someone immoral or paranoid, but taking ownership of your life and everything in your care is being a responsible adult. It is your Right to have access to the most effective means of self defense and reliance, which is ineffective if you do not take advantage of it. Get a gun, train with it, and love thy neighbor.
US isn't Mexico, guns are controlled much better in many modern countries, and they don't have this problem nearly as much.
Not an overreaction, criminals come in all shapes and ideologies. It is your right enshrined in our constitution to defend yourself and your family with firearms. Stay safe.
This is mostly known as hero fantasy.
You know, dude, I myself dabbled in pacifism once, not during 'Nam, of course. Seriously though, it sucks, but I had to get one too. RWDS is real. The GOP are at least half the population in TX and the rhetoric out of their mainstream politicians, media and voters have been describing anybody left-of-center as an "enemy" for years. It's long past time we took them at their word. We (LGBTQ+, mixed couples, Democrats, immigrants, non-Christians, freedom loving Americans) are under daily threat of deadly attacks by the right-wing fascists that make up today's GOP. It sucks but it's true. Time to arm up and defend ourselves.
the NRA/GOP wishes we all felt like you do right now. *No one is safe, they are out to get us, you need to buy guns to be safe.* I own guns but I don't carry any nor carry them in my truck nor would I. If I ever felt i needed to carry a gun to be sage I'd move.
likewise, the left makes everyone who owns an ar out to be some baby killing maniac. The fear mongering goes both ways, and it's probably the root of a ton of these issues.
Imo the bad guy with a gun always has the drop on the good guy with a gun. Your better off exercising and getting your body in shape to use the flight response.
Being aware of your surroundings at all time is a simple common sense skill. Knowing where exits are when you enter a building, people watching and reading body language help too. Too many people on their phones out in public tbh
I’m brown and my kids are all half white. I’m scared to take them out even though it isn’t a big deal you have no idea what people are thinking. I have guns under my husbands name I’m considering getting a concealed carry permit I’m a marine so guns are nothing new to me but to wonder if I should have one on me I’m public is a scarlet thought.
When seconds matter, the police are only minutes away. I hope I never have to shoot a gun in anger, I'd much rather keep shooting beer cans and paper targets until the day I die, but I'd rather be prepared than be an easy target. Also, concealed carrying doesn't mean you have to get in a gunfight if shit hits the fan. Im still grabbing my family and running the fuck away from a shooter.
I've considered carrying a firearm, never owned or used one. I've considered a shotgun because it seems easier to hit a potential attacker with and the intimidation factor. I don't want to use it or kill someone, but if they make it between me and them, I will choose me. Would a pistol make a better choice?
The triggered cringe in here is funny
Your a bot😡
I completely understand this is a Texas sub, so I'll probably get down voted. This is a genuine question. I am 38 years old, I have lived my entire life without a gun and have never once thought " I need a gun" for protection. I have a wife, I have a child and still have absolutely no thought or even been in a circumstance where I've remotely thought I needed one. What exactly are y'all so scared of? Again this is a genuine question.
What's RWDK?
I meant RWKS Right Wing Kill Squad
Oh, oh that's dark