• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Who Is More Afraid? The One Who Feels He Needs a Gun? Or the One Who Doesn't?

Who is more afraid? The one who feels he needs a gun, or the one who doesn't?


  • Total voters
    36
Owning a gun is now a God given right? Interesting...

Is self defense a god given right? Than owning the instruments which allow one to employ said right are as well...
 
When you have more forces than the state:
10nrm81.jpg

3535yf9.jpg

vnffqg.jpg


I would much rather have the people on my side
 
You need to read the posts of some people right here on DP which make it clear they'd be downright giddy if they ever got the chance to dispatch a criminal with their firearms. I never said anything about majority or minority positions, just that there are people who think exactly as I described.

There are "some" assholes and irresponsible people in every category...I worry alot more about the ones driving deadly weapons rather than carrying them. And the stats show they are a much bigger danger to the general public (because we're not talking about intentional crime)
 
The OP is simply a baited trap, complete with presumptuous terms and thinly-veiled insult.


The poll is structured to require the assumption of fear being involved, and the implication is gun owners are fearful Walter Mitty types with delusions of manhood. This includes the implication that gun ownership is emotional and not a rationally made decision.



Sheer nonsense that is undeserving of any comment really... it's just a poke at gun owners and an attempt to get a rise... and not even a new or clever one.
Yup, this is why I never bother to vote in any polls he makes up since they are rigged to make liberals look good and insulting to everyone else.
 
Once again, the Constitution does not grant rights to the people. It preserves rights which the people already had and delegates responsibilities to the government. I know that's a hard thing for you statists to get through your heads but I'll keep on throwing it out there and hoping that at some point it sticks.
I'm not the one who said it did. *shrugs*

Is it really that hard to pay attention to a conversation? Or is it just easier to throw out strawman fallacies than address what's being said with reason and logic?
Is self defense a god given right?
Only with our bodies.

Than owning the instruments which allow one to employ said right are as well...
No, because God didn't craft our hand into the shape of a handgun. Guns are a man made invention.
 
Per usual, the question presumes facts not in evidence.

The desire to own a firearm is most often couched in the presumption that the individual is the first who should be responsible for their own safety and a firearm is simply part of being adequately prepared. It's like carrying a condom. You may not need it but when the time comes it's a good idea to have one.

However, in the interests of humoring the OP, I as the following:

Who is more afraid? The person who believes that all gun owners are violent assassins or the one who believes that gun owners are generally law abiding citizens who wish to exercise their God given rights?

Its kind of hard to be a violent assassin without a weapon. Guns just happen to be the most effective weapons to assassinate someone with.
 
There are "some" assholes and irresponsible people in every category...I worry alot more about the ones driving deadly weapons rather than carrying them. And the stats show they are a much bigger danger to the general public (because we're not talking about intentional crime)

Why? There are more regulations on driving and the mfr, registration, use, safety, and licensing of a vehicle then anything else we own. While it will not prevent people from being bad drivers, it has reduced vehicle accidents and the severity of injuries caused by vehicle accidents.

There are almost no regulations on guns. Hell, a small child could buy a gun.... But it would be almost impossible for them to buy a car.
 
Who is more afraid - the one that buys insurance or the one that does not wish to buy it?

The question is ridiculous since not all personal decisions are based on fear.

Is it better to have a tool and not need it or to need a tool and not have it? ;)
 
I didn't realize the framers of our Constitution were God. Good to know.
I can adequately defend myself and it has nothing to do with God or guns.

Just remember not to bring a knife to a gun fight...

It is interesting to see how far those who worship at the alter of the firearm are willing to go.

Interesting how some gun haters disparage with religious references yet deny the existence of God in almost the same breath.

The answer is nothing, but then again, that's really just for people who aren't obsessed with guns.

You mean people with a different perspective than you?

Please direct me to the place where it says the Bill of Rights are god given. I want the exact quote. In fact, show me any place in the actual Constitution which mentions God.

I'll wait.

The Declaration recognizes that unalienable rights are defined a priori by God. In this sense, the law governing the exercise of unalienable rights is from eternity. Lex est ab æterno.35

Neither the Declaration or the Constitution could enumerate all the rights which were to be protected. They could, however, point to the source of rights - our Creator - for reference by future generations. Each succeeding generation could then look to God the Creator and the particular rights he has granted which that generation considered were most suitable to assuring its own safety and happiness.

The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God: The Cornerstone of Inalienable Rights

Glad I could be of assistance. :thumbs:
 
Μολὼν λαβέ;1063259823 said:
Just remember not to bring a knife to a gun fight...



Interesting how some gun haters disparage with religious references yet deny the existence of God in almost the same breath.



You mean people with a different perspective than you?





The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God: The Cornerstone of Inalienable Rights

Glad I could be of assistance. :thumbs:



There are solid foundational reasons for anyone who is a theist to call certain rights "God-given", particularly the classical trio, "life, liberty and property".


Self-defense is defense of one's life, liberty and property against the wrongful initiation of force by another.

In nature, everything that lives defends itself when attacked as best it can. Fast animals run away; sneaky animals hide; tough animals fight. Even not-so-tough animals fight when they cannot escape otherwise.

Clearly it is also instinctive in humans to fight or flee when someone initiates force against them. Clearly also it is natural and correct to do so, by almost any reasonable moral standard, when someone wrongfully tries to take your life or do terrible things to your body.

If you believe God made the world and all life, then it is natural to view self-defense as a God-given right.

In the modern world, guns are the most effective overall tool for self-defense. This is doubly true when criminals tend to go armed and are often violent in pursuit of their goals. Therefore guns are an important, if not essential, part of the fundamental right of self-defense.

Not to mention enshrined in the 2a in recognition and support of this truth.



Someone is sure to bring up "turn the other cheek" and 'thou shalt not kill'. I'll address those now.

In the day in which this was written, a blow with the hand on the cheek was a punishment delivered by a person of superior status to a person of inferior status, ie master to slave... between two men of equal status, it was an insult and a provocation to combat. As such, this references not responding to insults or provocations rather than to actual violence... notice it does NOT say "if any man wishes to ram a spear through your guts and then rape your wife, stand still and let him".... er, no. :)

"Thou shalt not kill" is understood by scholars of Hebrew and Judaism to mean unjust killing, not killing in all circumstances, and Christian scholars almost universally agree this is correct. Also, Hermaneutics (interpretation) requires a holistic scriptural approach, which quickly reveals there are many exceptions to the literal translation. "Thou shalt not murder" would be more accurate... murder, as in killing unjustly/unlawfully.
 
I'm not the one who said it did. *shrugs*

Is it really that hard to pay attention to a conversation? Or is it just easier to throw out strawman fallacies than address what's being said with reason and logic?
Only with our bodies.

No, because God didn't craft our hand into the shape of a handgun. Guns are a man made invention.

Now you're just being silly.

Weapons likely predate controlled fire as one of the primary tools man has used to sustain the species. Heck, they likely predate the use of clothing. The development and improvement of weapons has been a constant in the history of Homo Sapien and their use has ALWAYS been a for combination of obtaining sustenance, personal protection and aggression. That hasn't changed since the days of sticks and rocks and it never will change.
 
IMO, the person who "feels he does NOT need a gun" is probably operating from one of the following motivations... roughly in this order of commonality...

1. Believes he lives in a "safe area" and has no need of a gun.
2. Has a political, social or philosophical belief against civilian gun ownership.
3. Is simply unfamiliar with guns and unaccustomed to gun ownership and feels no inclination to own one.
4. Has an irrational fear of guns based in ignorance or hoplophobia.

Note that only the last option actually involves "fear".


Those who do choose to own guns are typically (from my experience which is EXTENSIVE) motivated by the following... roughly in this order of commonality...

1. They grew up in a gun-owning household (and/or culture) and consider it a norm, and consider guns to be useful for various purposes.
2. They are hunters or engaged in shooting sports.
3. They are aware that their area is not safe, or that "safe areas" are largely an illusion, and wish to be armed to protect themselves against armed criminals.
4. They're paranoid and fearful.

Notice only the fourth and last (and least common) motivator is fearful or irrational. Frankly I have known several hundred gun owners and shooting enthusiasts and hardly any of them qualified as primarily motivated by fear.


Just trying to bring this thread back into the realm of reality...
 
It's the person who feels they do not need a gun but has one just in case.
 
Only with our bodies.
Than you are a luddite extremist?

You're against medicine, vaccines, and other forms of health care too I suppose? For what is a a cold or disease, a virus or bacteria, but simply one organism attacking another(in this case us)? and what are medicines, vaccines, et al but tools to aid in the preservation of life, to aid in our self defense? Exactly like a firearm. A tool to preserve life.



No, because God didn't craft our hand into the shape of a handgun. Guns are a man made invention.

He did craft our minds to invent them therefore as a product of our minds, our creation is an extension of ourselves, as we are an extension of our Creator...
 
The question's easy - there's many people out there who feel that they need a gun (or guns), usually for self-defense, but sometimes because they believe the government just might come knocking to confiscate their guns.

On the other hand, there's people out there (like myself) who simply don't want a gun, who doesn't have a need for one.

So who, really, is the one who's more afraid? The one who feels he needs a gun for self-defense, or the one who doesn't feel he needs a gun for self-defense?

I don't currently own a gun, but sometimes I do feel I need one. My house was recently burglarized and ever since that happened I feel uneasy, especially at night. I'll decide soon. My grandson says he'll take me to the gun range for shooting lessons.
 
I don't currently own a gun, but sometimes I do feel I need one. My house was recently burglarized and ever since that happened I feel uneasy, especially at night. I'll decide soon. My grandson says he'll take me to the gun range for shooting lessons.



Good grandson! :)

After my father passed, my Mom insisted on living at her home alone. We went out to my backyard range to shoot and discovered that she had serious trouble pulling the trigger on Dad's old Smith and Wesson revolver. I swapped her one my little automatics, a .380, and the lighter trigger pull agreed with her greatly... in fact she went from barely scaring the target to drilling out the center, so I told her "you keep that as long as you want it". :)
 
Good grandson! :)

After my father passed, my Mom insisted on living at her home alone. We went out to my backyard range to shoot and discovered that she had serious trouble pulling the trigger on Dad's old Smith and Wesson revolver. I swapped her one my little automatics, a .380, and the lighter trigger pull agreed with her greatly... in fact she went from barely scaring the target to drilling out the center, so I told her "you keep that as long as you want it". :)

Thank you. I'll remember this---.380
 
Thank you. I'll remember this---.380


It's a reasonably potent caliber (especially loaded with +P hydroshok or glazer slugs) with low recoil... and semi-auto pistols have lighter trigger pull than revolvers. I'd suggest a DAO (double action only) pistol so you don't have to fool around with a manual safety lever or cocking it or anything. Best wishes and PM me if you have any questions I can help you with (I am a shooting instructor and ex-cop). :)
 
I don't currently own a gun, but sometimes I do feel I need one. My house was recently burglarized and ever since that happened I feel uneasy, especially at night. I'll decide soon. My grandson says he'll take me to the gun range for shooting lessons.

Very understandable...especially if you're living alone.

Please understand, I've never been against gun ownership by law-abiding (and sane) citizens. But it's silly to not have a system to track gun ownership in order to keep them out of the hands of felons, sociopaths, sex predators, terrorists, and psychopaths. It's even sillier to oppose the sale of "smart guns" that allow only the owner to be able to use those guns - any parent should be strongly for such weapons!
 
Very understandable...especially if you're living alone.

Please understand, I've never been against gun ownership by law-abiding (and sane) citizens. But it's silly to not have a system to track gun ownership in order to keep them out of the hands of felons, sociopaths, sex predators, terrorists, and psychopaths. It's even sillier to oppose the sale of "smart guns" that allow only the owner to be able to use those guns - any parent should be strongly for such weapons!


We have a system, NICS... it doesn't work very well, because (surprise!) criminals find ways around the law.

As for smartguns, if you want one buy one... most of us don't care but we're concerned because we KNOW some one on the other side will want to make it mandatory, despite its shortcomings.
 
Very understandable...especially if you're living alone.

Please understand, I've never been against gun ownership by law-abiding (and sane) citizens. But it's silly to not have a system to track gun ownership in order to keep them out of the hands of felons, sociopaths, sex predators, terrorists, and psychopaths. It's even sillier to oppose the sale of "smart guns" that allow only the owner to be able to use those guns - any parent should be strongly for such weapons!

I wouldn't be. Then again, if I still owned guns, they'd be locked up in a gun safe so it wouldn't matter. I think people who have them in every room in the house are idiots. I'm cool with gun registration, I think people who are paranoid about the government are also idiots, but it's not going to be easy to do that because of the number of guns in the wild already that are not registered. There isn't any rational way to put the horse back in the barn at this point.
 
We have a system, NICS... it doesn't work very well, because (surprise!) criminals find ways around the law.

As for smartguns, if you want one buy one... most of us don't care but we're concerned because we KNOW some one on the other side will want to make it mandatory, despite its shortcomings.

Problem is, your side is boycotting gun stores that try to sell them...all because y'all ASSUME that somehow we're going to make the doggone things mandatory...just like y'all ASSUME that gun registration will somehow automatically turn us into Nazi Germany, never mind that no other first-world nation has done so even though they all require gun registration.

How many kids will die because they find guns they can play with, because the gun store owner was not allowed by the Right to sell the smart guns that would keep the kids from being able to fire those weapons?
 
Problem is, your side is boycotting gun stores that try to sell them...all because y'all ASSUME that somehow we're going to make the doggone things mandatory...just like y'all ASSUME that gun registration will somehow automatically turn us into Nazi Germany, never mind that no other first-world nation has done so even though they all require gun registration.

How many kids will die because they find guns they can play with, because the gun store owner was not allowed by the Right to sell the smart guns that would keep the kids from being able to fire those weapons?


The gun store owner can sell them; legal right to do so. The people who hate the technology can boycott him if they want; legal right to do so.

Would I boycott my favorite FFL for selling these so-called "smart guns"? No. But I understand why some are freaking out... after Feinstein's insane omnibus "AWB" proposal last yr I doubt not someone will soon be proposing mandatory smart guns. Hell if I'm not mistaken Gore was pushing for the development of "smart gun" tech and making it mandatory a decade ago, already.

There's a reason why we tend to assume a kick is coming... because we've seen it over and over.

Registration does tend to lead to confiscation. It happened in Australia (wide classes of semi-auto firearms and other repeating rifles), it is happening in California. Just because it isn't ALL firearms being confiscated doesn't mean it isn't confiscation.

Like many gun owners, I am not especially opposed to registration or universal background checks per se in and of themselves.... but we've seen demonstrated and proven, over and over again, that it is NEVER "okay just this, then we'll stop". Every step is a stepping stone to the next step, for the anti-gun crowd. Compromise and give them one thing, they almost immediately start agitating for the next item on their agenda, the next restriction.

We've see enough of that, that we're no longer interested in compromising or giving up any more steps, knowing that it will just be used for the next step.
 
Fear? Why fear?

look...bad **** happens. It happens millions of times every year to good people. There are bad people out there. If you arent AWARE of that you are foolish. If you think someone else is responsible for your own safety and well being, you are a victim in waiting. owning and carrying a firearm doesnt make you brave. Not carrying one doesnt make you weak.

If you are playing a sport, you scout and prep for your opponent as best as you can prior to the contest. Avoiding violent crime...no different.
 
Back
Top Bottom