Accusing people of being racist/ asking people if they are racist/accusing people of accusing people of being racist does not seem to be a conversation that will lead anywhere good. FWIW, I think it's a rare person who doesn't make assumptions about people based on their looks and background. Certainly it is something that I struggle with on occasion.
A question that I would like to know the answer to (but that you don't have to answer, of course), are the reasons why specifically every gun owner here feels that they need a gun or want a gun. I sincerely would like to know, and I will try not to use this info "against" you in this debate, though I may question your reasons.
For instance,
- did you get your gun(s) for protection, whom are you protecting, and who from? For example, do you walk home late at night through a sketchy area of town, and why do you feel it is sketchy? How would you feel if you did not have your gun(s)?
- do you simply enjoy guns for their design and/or history? Have you spent a lot of money (for you) on guns?
- are they part of your job, or were they part of your job at one time?
- is gun ownership a part of your family culture?
And I guess a question to consider is
- how do you think specific proposed gun regulations would impact you?
I imagine that most regulations would present some sort of pain in the neck for many gun owners or prospective gun owners; the point of them being to present a hindrance to impulse buyers, careless people, and criminals means they would naturally also present hurdles to law-abiding users
Thanks, if you choose to answer any of these questions.
I shoot 1-2x a month at a range in a pretty diverse/working class area. As a white guy, I’m probably not the majority when I go in there. However I’ve had great conversations about all sorts of things with the other patrons of all ages, colors and genders. Everyone there has to have a FOID to shoot, and I’ve never seen anyone make another lawful gun owner or first time shooter feel unwelcome.
To answer the questions:
-Did you get your gun(s) for protection?
No. Not entirely. You see, guns are useful for a lot of different things. I hunt, I target shoot, I enjoy modifying and tweaking them, and yes, they are useful for protection. But for me protection is mostly a side benefit. There are certain aspects as to how I own and store and modify my guys to make them more useful for protection, but it’s not a main reason. For me, many of the places I go (notably to work and to my daughter’s school) I’m prohibited from carrying so I generally don’t carry anywhere except the range or the woods because most of my trips involve going to a non-gun-friendly place.
-do I enjoy guns for their design and history? Have I spent a lot of money on guns?
Yes I enjoy the craftsmanship that goes with even my lower end Weapons. Guns are fun because they’re like legos, you can add on and replace parts and even if you start with something pedestrian you can upgrade and tweak it to something better. I wouldn’t say I’ve spent a lot on guns, maybe $2k total, but I spend more on range time and ammo. Better to be good with the tools you have than to get better tools. Also, aside from hunting, I generally just punch paper at relatively short range, you don’t need anything exotic for that.
-are/we’re guns part of your job?
Not really. I served in the Navy and very occasionally carried a side arm, and qualified annually with rifle and pistol, plus did a short stint helping to run a firearms trainer, but other than that no.
-Is gun ownership part of your family culture?
My side of the family no. Many of the men on my side served but few were into guns in any meaningful way. However my wife’s dad and brother in law are huge gun nuts and much more serious hunters than I am. So I shoot with them frequently (tomorrow!).
-How would increased regulations affect you?
Generally they’re an annoyance, but thy could also be used against me to arrest me on a technicality. Arbitrarily make some aspect of my guns illegal, make me a technical offender. Many gun laws are nonsensical or ambiguous and a bully cop could give me a hard time. For instance, the rules about transporting guns are that it not be readily accessible to you in a car. It’s understood that means locked in a trunk. Well, what if you have an SUV or station wagon without a separate trunk? Is it being in the way back inaccessible enough? Another one, a gun must be transported unloaded with the ammo stored separately from the weapon. My range bag has a zippered main compartment where the gun goes, and a separate zippered compartment for magazines. Is that considered “stored separately”? That’s the kind of shit gun owners fear, some power hungry cop looking to give me a hard time on a technicality.
I also have a really hard time with rules that are arbitrary or poorly thought out. “Cooling off” periods are my favorite whipping boy. In IL to purchase a firearm I need to get a FOID. That takes a couple months. And then once I get my FOID I need to wait another 72 hours from purchase to pickup to get my gun? Come on, I just waited 2 months! Also, I already have guns. Why does waiting 72 hours to get my 4th, 5th, 6th gun do anyone any good?
I could go on and on, but the point is that generally more laws do very little to stop criminal but are a big PITA for law abiding citizens, which makes them worthless in my eyes.