Quote:
Originally Posted by MiddleAgedAl
Unlucky for me? More like, unlucky for your brother and his wife. I'm sorry to hear this happened; I know others in a chair, and they dont make it sound like they are often targeted, despite their increased vulnerability. I know a guy who's not in a chair and has been beaten and robbed more then I've heard the chair bound folks talk about it.
Maybe it is apples and oranges, maybe it's crazy to suggest that if people in other places can live an entire life without buying guns out of fear that their own government is coming to get them, then maybe I should be able to aspire to sleep that soundly too.
Perhaps the following statement will sound odd: I can't quickly think of a better way to word it: if others in modern civilized democracies get to enjoy a certain level of freedom (freedom of fear from being shot, freedom of fear the gov will harm me), then why cant I have that too ? What happened to "greatest country in the world" and all that? Doesn't anyone at all the idea I'm trying to convey here??
As far as I can tell, these people elsewhere dont endure absolute misery or anything in most other aspects of their life to enjoy such freedoms. OK, they cant as easily carry a gun with them to the grocery store, but they dont seem to feel they need one while buying eggs. They can (and do) buy guns for hunting in places like Canada and Australia, so I'm not advocating a total ban, clearly a total ban isnt needed to get to a much safer place.
Of course we'll never get to 100% safety. Some comments people make about the fact there are still some shootings in these other places, so therefore even moderate gun control is a total waste of time, is an argument I dont get. That's like saying having 100 preventable deaths is not better than having 1000 preventable deaths. Of course zero preventable deaths is better, but we all agree that will never happen.
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No disrespect was meant by unlucky for you, i just meant choosing that example was unlucky.
My brother is as resilient as they come so no worries.
I've read several of your pre-election posts and from what i've seen, you seem to be a sharp guy. It's wonderful that you can argue your view point without resorting to name calling as well.
Because you're a sharp guy, i'm assuming that you don't really believe that someone posing an argument about the 2nd amendment being related to stripping a tyrannical government from power means they live in fear that the government is coming to get them, right?
Do you live in fear of being shot? I most certainly don't. For a short time when i was younger i did, but i channeled that fear into preparedness and that fear is no more.
I was the victim of a random gang initiation shooting. Luckily after recognizing the situation, some skilled driving only left my car with holes in it and not any in me or my passengers. But i learned that day, people, were at random, attempting to get a reaction from someone by offending them while at a stop light. Once that reaction was gained it was the new gang member's duty to walk up to the driver of that vehicle and shoot the driver. For this he would be admitted into the gang. The gang members in the car gave us the finger. My 2 passengers were Irish and were more than willing to get out and fight all 5 of these guys, so they gave them the finger back. That was go time as all 5 gang members got out of the car. Long story short the light turned green at the very best time it could have and a chase ensued. After a few miles and 3 blown red lights they realized they weren't going to catch us as i headed towards open road. It was then when they leaned out the window and open fire. For about 6 months i wouldn't park in a parking lot that had a black Galant parked in it. i wouldn't pass a black Galant on the road and i was about as paranoid as one could be when sitting at a red light. Then i turned 21, got a pistol, learned how to use it. What ever is responsible, being proficient with a pistol or time passing, i no longer have any fear of being shot.
In part, what made this country great was it's constitution, guaranteeing people the freedom to pursue what ever it is that makes them happy. Frivolous laws and regulations taking the freedom of many because of a few is what happened to this country.
Decent example...
When i was in JR High i couldn't wait to get into high school because you were allowed to leave campus for lunch. The year before high school a student was hit by a car when crossing the street for lunch. At first it seemed like a logical decision to do a way with free lunch. (really it was called free lunch) Then while in high school i learned that the year before wasn't the first kid to get hit by a car crossing the street. I probably would have been more pissed about this if it weren't so funny. 3 years prior to me getting to high school another kid was hit. This guy was just j-walking while talking with someone already across the street. Well, the kid who was hit the year before i arrived was the 1st kids brother! To top it off he also was j-walking and on a dare attempted to jump over the hood of a car while crossing the road. Free lunch forever suspended because of two RELATED idiots. Ask any kid at high school today about free lunch and they will have no idea that they were missing out on something. Why would they be upset about a lost freedom they never had? But for 3 to 5 years students were pissed off and in defiance many were skipping out and leaving school illegally at lunch time.
With regards to guns however; if i recall correctly, gun ownership has decreased from the 50's. Prior to that decade the majority of house holds in this country had a firearm with in it. So you tell me what happened? I don't think that guns and law abiding gun owners have done anything to detract from the greatest country on earth.