I Am A Proud Gun Owner, NRA Trained And Certified. Mass Shootings Would Not Happen Without Guns.

The sad part about this is that although you're right in just about everything you say, solving the problem by fixing social media/bullying/influences ... will never happen. Every generation has the 'problem of their day'. Those problems never get solved. Ever. They just move on to the next generation, morphing into something else, or being replaced by something as bad or worse.

Sure, fix the ills of the world and the mass shootings will stop. A great idea, but impossible.

This is why people go after the gun-toters, and guns in general. It's an comparably easy solution. It's a measurable quantity, a known target, and something they can aim at when they pull the trigger of anti-gun legislation.

Side note: I do like the fact that you note the context of a lot of those quotes from Thomas Jefferson. Everything looks different in context.

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

I just wanted a discussion.

If I hadn’t been in situations where I have had guns pulled on me, or felt like the government had my interest I wouldn’t need one.

Around here they shoot first then rob you.

pop pop pop “Thanks for your wallet.”

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designedbyjoe (44) · 7 years ago

I agree with the liberty to protect yourself.

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whatamidoing (69) · 7 years ago

I can not pro gun by any stretch of the imagination but you’ve laid a really solid argument that I think most reasonable people would be able to respect and think about. You cut through the bullshit on both sides of the media debates. I hope more people start to realize that the two sides of any popular debate are usually exaggerated through mass media in order to radicalize both sides and keep people divided. It may be a slow process but we are waking up.

Thanks for this.

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j3dy (60) · 7 years ago

Thanks for the resteem and bringing me to a reasonable person, plus the conversation here is great too :)

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lexiconical (72) · 7 years ago

Agreed with much of your post.

I'm afraid bullying just "is". It's not a "problem of the times", it's a reality everyone needs to simply deal with. Humans have in and out groups. Sack up and become the in group, or deal with your second-tier status.

Kids need more real talk today so they can make decisions accurate to reality, and less snowflake status.

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

You’re right. This was an in the moment rant. It’s just what came out.

I think social media has a huge influence. Or at the least the internet. This stuff has increased exponentially.

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gduran (70) · 7 years ago

The owning a gun as self defense doesn't work that good, in spite of people feeling that a gun makes them Rambo. I live in Honduras which has
a) a very high number of weapons, this includes a lot of semi automatics like AR-15 and AK47.
b) also happens to have one of the highest murder rates in the world.
A good percentage of people murdered here are armed, but you actually can't do anything if the killer doesn't even give you a chance to touch your gun, he just shoots you dead and walks or probably drives away. Also remember, even if you do get to your gun, you probably will start thinking about the consequences of your killing someone, for example-prison or you'll go to hell(if you believe in that) and most of all how you will feel mentally after doing that, this will make you lose a second or two, the criminal facing you, on the other hand will probably not have those moral problems, he'll just shoot to kill.

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gweedy (50) · 7 years ago

I enjoyed your post and agreed with some of it but here is my take.

Back in the day when we lived up in the mountains of Montana we needed guns for hunting and for a while for the trouble making bears that the Park service kept dumping behind our property.

I sold all my guns years ago as I no longer hunt as it's just cheaper to go buy food at the supermarket. So my view is, that if you don't need a gun to hunt for food or are on the farm or living in the bush there is really no reason to own a gun unless you want to use it as a toy.

And therein is the problem. Americans have somehow been taught to treat guns as toys and really do not understand the consequences. Not to mention there is more than one gun for every person in the USA. All this leads to mass shootings.

I'm not sure it's wise to wait for decades for attitudes to change and for America to get a handle on the mentally ill, especially since Congress seems to want to eliminate health care as it is.

To me the logical step would be to remove hand guns & weapons of war, Semi & automatic weapons. And leave the rest to those that actually need them.

Now living in Canada and I could get a gun any time I wanted. But I would now have to take a gun safety course & prove that I had the means to store them properly. The enthusiasts I know leave their guns in storage at the range.

We have people take test to drive why not to own a gun?

So in closing do we want the toys that kill kids or kids that reach adulthood?

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

I sympathize with your view.

I really wish I felt the same way.

I grew up with guns as a kid on the farm. We hunted for food, protected our livestock, etc.

Didn’t have one or feel the need for one for years until I lived in an urban setting where I’ve hand a gun pulled on me a few times this past year.

Thanks for reading and adding to the discussion. That’s all I wanted was a real discussion.

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gweedy (50) · 7 years ago

I wish you could feel the same way.

Living in fear for your life so much that you feel you need a gun for protection is no way to live, in my opinion. Canadians have the luxury of not having this fear. I wish that for my fellow Americans

Years back Australia rounded up all all hand guns, & automatic and semi automatic weapons and let everyone keep the rest and guess what they have fewer killings.

If hand guns were banned you would not have the need. Whether America has the morality and conscious to do so remains to be seen.

I too enjoy a rational discussion, which seems to be a rarity these days.

In the end it all boils down to money. The first question we as a society should be asking when we discussing many current issues, What's more important? Profits or People?

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boatsports90 (60) · 7 years ago (edited)

So I think I pretty much agree with everything you've said, so I'll try to add something new. I grew up with guns on the farm, same as you, and have guns now. While I have never had a gun pulled on me, it definitely gives me a feeling of comfort knowing I would be able to defend myself and family if someone were to break in.

Related topic: You mention finding the underlying problems, which I absolutely agree with. At the same time, I don't think it will be simple and could take years to really get to the bottom of it, if ever. What are your thoughts on allowing teachers to have guns in the classroom? Now I am not saying it's a free for all, any teacher who wants one gets one. Obviously, there would have to be hours of training and only teachers who were comfortable and proved themselves would have access.

I know this brings up another point, having more guns in schools is a danger. I totally understand that. So my solution would be the guns would be locked in a safe in the classrooms. If there were to be an active shooter, the principal, vice principal, and resource officer would have like a code that one of them would use to unlock the safes, the teacher would then go and put another code to get it to open.

Thoughts/comments on any of this/arming teachers in general?

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

I haven’t given it enough thought to be honest.

More guns near kids seems bad.

Nothing to defend innocent children sounds bad too.

One thing I am for sure on is that it would either work or fail magnificently.

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boatsports90 (60) · 7 years ago

Absolutely, I would like to think it would work. I mean, at least it would be something different rather than the failing ways now. But regardless, it's all a shitty situation

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shayne (68) · 7 years ago

I don't own a gun (unfortunately), but I absolutely agree with and promote gun ownership for the sake of defense against tyranny. People like to pretend that an armed citizenry would stand no chance against a tyrannical government, but I don't think there's any evidence to support that idea, especially when you notice that effective tyrannies reeeeeeealy like to disarm the citizens before going full-Stalin.

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

Always.

Also they seem to be having a relatively tough time with less sophisticated enemies. Look at the terrorists. Or Vietnam.

I wish I lived in a world with overseers I could trust.

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lennstar (66) · 7 years ago

People like to pretend that an armed citizenry would stand no chance against a tyrannical government, but I don't think there's any evidence to support that idea, especially when you notice that effective tyrannies reeeeeeealy like to disarm the citizens before going full-Stalin.

It is easier. But you know, the tyrant always stands and falls with the army. If the army steps aside, no tyrant can defend his palace even against unarmed citizens. That is the reason why countries, the more tyrannical they are, the more the pay for the army.

But let me ask another way: 33'000 people dies in the US in the last year because of guns. That makes more then 3 million people in the last century. Don't you think it needs a bloody bloody tyrant to reach that numbers? One who is backed by the army, an military that consists of everyday people? How could that happen?

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lemony-cricket (61) · 7 years ago

It's disturbing to me to see people so quick to give up their natural rights (and seize them from others) in the name of safety and security.

Some people seem to truly believe a tyrannical government is impossible. Have they stuck their head in the sand? Do they not realise that there will come a day when we have to defend our society from our own corrupt government?

Here's an uncomfortable truth: no amount of groveling before the State is going to bring back dead kids. "Give an inch and they will take a mile." No amount of government interference in private affairs is tolerable for this reason.

Today they will come for our guns. Tomorrow they will ban strong encryption. Next week, they'll ban 3D printers.

Every time this happens, it gets more and more tempting to give in to warm fuzzy authoritarian promises of no more dead kids. Please don't. That's what they want you to think.

I'm willing to bet half of these things are secretly set up by anti-gun people anyway. Ends justifying means.

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

I haven’t decided completely what it is.

It’s either the state being greedy and more restrictive or people being that fucking selfish to use dead children to make a point.

Either way the answer is get a gun. You never know. People, government, no one is going to watch out for your interests better than you.

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arkstrikle (41) · 7 years ago

chainsaws are more my style. but texas chainsaw massacre is so unrealistic the chain would fall off the chain all stuff does it the movie..if gonna massacre someone its going to be with a Husqvarna and not a stihl

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lennstar (66) · 7 years ago

"No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms."

That btw does not mean you shall not be debarred from owning them.

I always wonder what internal tyrants you want to defend the US against.
I mean, you have the army, right? And the army is there to protect the country, not the tyrant, and it consists of normal, everyday people, right?

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happymikes (39) · 7 years ago

Upvoted ☝ Have a great day!

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jerryt (45) · 7 years ago

Very well articulated, as this is such a difficult topic. I believe in the right to keep and bare arms, to protect myself and those around me. I've been around guns for most of my life , received proper training and have concealed carried for years. As far as banning any one particular firearm I think it is just a lesson in futility, nothing would be accomplished. When it comes to protecting our children and those trusted with their care, no expense should be spared. If we can protect banks, government buildings, stadiums and such with metal detectors and armed security why wouldn't we do the same for our most prized possessions, our children . Just my opinion, peace, JerryT

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builderofcastles (64) · 7 years ago

Detroit/Chicago, with their strictest of gun laws should be a place were very few are shot, correct? Well, wrong.

The only thing that stops a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun.

The gun exists. It is not going away.
The only people who follow gun control laws are good people.
Bad people don't. So, why are we talking about gun control laws?

Unless your intention is for more shootings,
with people who are unable to defend themselves.
Like those people under Mao and Stalin.

And, bringing up russian bots? Everything must be the russians. What about the CIA bots? What about the FBI bots? What about the democron bots? They are all active.

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stirling (52) · 7 years ago

Yup.

Thank you for sharing, and phrasing uncomfortable things so eloquently. ..

All guns are designed to kill.

And I stand by my right to arms.

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rawdawg (61) · 7 years ago

I have to say kryptik, I can feel your passion in this piece of writing and that is usually when the best writing is done. IMHO, anyone who commits a mass shooting or unprovoked use of a weapon on another human being has some mental disorder. I don’t have the answers so I will just leave that as my comment. The US is definitely over medicated and I don’t think treatment and drugs are the answer. More often than not I would take a guess and say that many of the mass shootings are committed by those hopped up on pharmaceuticals.

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

Thanks for reading man.

There have been some really good comments on this post. Yours is one. I can say I disagree with the point in pharmaceuticals. Usually it’s never one problem but a combination of many.

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stephmckenzie (62) · 7 years ago

I've never heard it put more perfectly, @kryptik.

I never wanted a gun. I carry pepper spray, a kitchen knife, and a pair of scissors, and I know how to use my keys as a weapon, so I thought I was good on self-defense. Then, about a month ago, one of my neighbor's dogs got out of its yard, and charged me while I was in mine. It was NOT friendly, it was growling and snarling, and I wasn't sure if I could get back to my door in time to get away from it. It's a medium-sized, muscular pit bull mix.

So, I screamed, and a good Samaritan heard me and came to my rescue, WITH a gun. He fired his gun at the ground by the dog to scare it away, and it worked. I've NEVER heard a gun fired in person before, so even though I was standing behind him, I still ducked and screamed. It was scary, hearing that gun fired.

But, I now realize the value of having one. I called my dad and asked him if he would get me one for my birthday, just a small, personal handgun. He is a gun collector, and since I've never had any interest in them, he was pleased. He's offered to not only get me the gun, but also pay for me to take the concealed carry class and pay for my permit.

Sometimes, pepper spray simply won't do, like when a huge, snarling dog is chasing you in your own yard.

I complained to the police and animal control about the dog, and the neighbors were spoken to. The dog has been out roaming free again twice since then, but I've been in the house both times. There is an 89 year old woman who lives behind me. What if the dog went after her? If it happens again (third violation), I'm told the neighbors will be fined. I just wish they would keep their dog in their yard.

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kryptik (63) · 7 years ago

Hi Steph!

Thanks for the amazing comment and taking the time to read my post.

I’ve been wanting to read some of your work but I can’t find the time to read a novel at the moment.

Have you checked out The Writer’s Block here on Steemit?

It’s a really cool group. They help with critiquing and everything.

Good people.

I actually lived in a town once with an archaic law that said if a neighbor’s dog came on your property, you could shoot it and charge the owner’s a removal fee. Nuts right?

I literally used to get off the school bus and grab a gun as a boy. Until recently I went probably almost 20 years without feeling the need for one.

I remember being a boy that loved to shoot. My mother was from the city and I got her to try. The sheer noise was enough to scare her. The moment you shoot one you realize it’s not a toy. It should never be treated as a toy.

I was taught, only pull a gun when absolutely necessary and only if you’re ready to fire.

Sorry if this reply is fragmented lol. I just woke up.

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