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Quote:

Originally Posted by n4k33n /img/forum/go_quote.gif My girlfriend was a staunch gun control advocate while she was an undergrad at the University. She ended up questioning this, and wondering what was at the root of her feelings. For her honors thesis, she entered into the gun culture. She attended gun shows, went to the ranges, read the literature, and made an honest attempt to confront her feelings. When it was over, she was a convert. She now is a proud gunowner (she owns a .40 glock for those interested). I won't go into the reasons for her conversion, because I don't want to be the one to start (the inevitable) flamewar. But my question is, how many of those who don't like guns, or favor gun control, have actually ever fired a firearm? This is an honest question, as my experience has been that much of the fear behind this issue is from the unknown. My girlfriend (and my) experience was that once we had gone to the range a couple times, much of the fear and doubt about guns went away after we actually tried them.

I have had a similar experience myself, though things are somewhat different in the UK.
I guess some people might find such threads distasteful, but as another poster mentioned there have been threads on drinking. [and smoking]
And what about fast cars and fast driving?
More people are killed in auto acidents....

Fact is, unless this place only allows headphone subjects someone somewhere is will find something to take offence at.
But too many limitations will make this place awfully boring!


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[Edwood]

I guess I should be more specific. It's hand guns / pistols in the home that I have problems with. Hand guns / pistols first and foremost function is to kill a human being, usually in close quarters, hence the compactness of their design.

But again, it's not the guns themselves I have an issue with, it's their intended application and location. I mentioned my friend that uses guns in a sporting event. I know of people that shoot for recreation too at a shooting range. But since they only shoot there, they actually can and do keep their guns locked up at the shooting range and not at home (they have kids). They don't feel the need to have a gun for personal safety, quite the contrary, they keep their guns out of their homes for safety reasons. But they still love guns and shooting.

So guns in themselves aren't the problem. But there is a great deal of care and responsibility involved since the original design of a gun was to kill another human being.

I will also draw an analogy to archery. The bow and arrow was the ranged weapon of choice in the past, but is now used primarily in sports and Olympic competitions. Guns are also used in such a capacity. And perhaps in the future when our people killing weapons are lasers, plasma, and who knows what, our projectile firing weapons of today will see use primarily in sporting events as well.

-Ed

 

[amphead]

Well, I lived in the UK, when I was young and guns were not allowed. So the local kids in London made a crude rifle with a pipe that was bent on one end. This was fastened to a piece of wood and it was filled with fireworks powder, then a ball bearing. It was called a banger gun. So for those who live where guns aren't legal, well I see why you wouldn't want a gun.fi thread. Edit: I'm stradling the fence on this one. oops wasn't supposed to post sorry.

 

[bowraboy]

I had a look at the last gun thread & it really freaked me out (especially the comment "two to the chest & one to the head"). I went to work the next day & told a workmate about it, she just shook her head & just said "where America".

 

[Thermionic]

I was interested in firearms for many years and used to be allowed to shoot them once. But now here in the UK we are not allowed to buy anything that even vaguely looks like a gun. No need for such dangerous things in an advanced society perhaps, but punching small holes in paper at 10 Metres seemed a fairly cerebral activity. But the criminal side of it seems to be getting out of hand here though.

As regards threads about them in an audio site, I think it is completely inappropriate.

 

[RockCity]

I have no particular stance on this. Guns are a form of population control. At the right times, no one cares if you kill thousands or even millions of people. At the wrong times, people would dramatize the death of a single human being.

 

[Kees]

Does anybody think it is strange that I don't trust people that say: "I LOVE to handle an instrument that is designed to kill?"

I don't believe any of these people truly realise what it does to you if you kill somebody.

My wife has been managing director of a jail for a long time.
She says: I have seen no normal person ever recover from an experience like that. No matter how it happened.

I find it scary that there are obviously so many people not brave enough to stay away from guns.


Yes, these threads about guns in HeadFi scare me.

 

[Marados]

I don't mind people that own firearms to hunt. Rifles and shotguns are ok.

However, what really scares, and almost sickens me in a way, are guns that are solely designed to kill and hurt other people. Handguns, etc.

That being said, in my country it's illegal to carry any type of concealed weapon, be it knives, etc. And you're not able to buy any type of tasers, or pepperspray IIRC.

And to be frank, I like it this way.

 

[Lazarus Short]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kees /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anybody think it is strange that I don't trust people that say: "I LOVE to handle an instrument that is designed to kill?" I don't believe any of these people truly realise what it does to you if you kill somebody. My wife has been managing director of a jail for a long time. She says: I have seen no normal person ever recover from an experience like that. No matter how it happened. I find it scary that there are obviously so many people not brave enough to stay away from guns. Yes, these threads about guns in HeadFi scare me.

Well said. I recently read an article about a German machine gunner who was posted at one of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He shot off 12,000 rounds from his machine gun, and finished with 400 from his rifle. He estimated that he had killed 3,000 men, and it haunts him to this day. Very sad. If I must, I will kill in self-defense, but the prospect is not something I relish. The best form of self-defense is to avoid places where it may be necessary.

Laz

 

[Quaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus Short /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well said. I recently read an article about a German machine gunner who was posted at one of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He shot off 12,000 rounds from his machine gun, and finished with 400 from his rifle. He estimated that he had killed 3,000 men, and it haunts him to this day. Very sad. If I must, I will kill in self-defense, but the prospect is not something I relish. The best form of self-defense is to avoid places where it may be necessary. Laz

hi, do you know where i could possibly find that article, or where it was, sounds very interesting?

thanks v. much for any pointers.