This is an interesting thread that I spent some time reading and considering...
I have quite a lot of sympathy with some of what POV said up there and the bits that struck a chord with me ring true on other internet communities too, however, as I will mention further on, I have also seen quite a lot of distasteful stuff from the other side of 'the debate'.
I, too, sometimes feel distinctly uncomfortable at the behaviour and apparent attitude of some people in 'gun nut' (handy term, not intended derogatorily) communities like this. I maintain that any firearm is a tool, its purpose depending mostly on the user but clearly some types are better suited to some tasks. I fail to see any justification, for example, for ownership of a Barrett "Light Fifty" (M82/M107) rifle on grounds of hunting or self-defence, as it's clearly a weapon intended for a battlefield role and eminently unsuited to practical use in either of those categories. I do understand the 'gun porn' aspect of such things and I have a fascination with firearm mechanics that way well take me down the route of formally qualifying in the field of gunsmithing, but I honestly don't feel comfortable with the idea of a neighbour buying one, just because he can or worse "for home defence" (let's not even touch on people who mutter stuff about "To fight off the Feds when they come...").
The separation, however, must be made between what I feel makes sense and what is legal or intended to be legal. I'm quite happy to distance myself from people who feel they need to walk the streets of major cities with a couple of concealed guns and an openly carried one, merely to buy their groceries BUT it's clear to me, from reading the laws and documents, that so long as such a person complies with the relevant laws (CCW permit, if required, etc) I don't have to like it, it's quite legal and they're free to do it.
Furthermore, it's actually clear to me that many laws surrounding this issue do, in fact, infringe upon the rights the Second Amendment was intended to protect; some moreso and more unreasonably than others, to be sure. These laws may or may not be sensible in intent but I have to agree that the only LEGAL thing to do is roll them back and then hold honest public debate about the entire topic.
On the other side, as I mentioned, I find it deeply disturbing to see people hysterically pointing at guns as they will jump out and shoot them and then chanting some nonsense about killing children. I'm not exaggerating, I have witnessed this and it's every bit as unreasonable, uncomfortable and disturbing as the people who give their guns names and fantasize about 'street encounters' where they dispatch hordes of thugs.
In closing, will I (when the time comes, not in the USA at the moment) carry firearms? Aye, certainly. Will I carry a concealed firearm? Probably at some time, although I have reservations about permitting it, to be honest. Will I carry openly, as an exercize of my rights and for no other purpose? Aye, I will, from time to time, until we have calmed down a lot of irrational notions and restored the idea that responsible Americans can carry firearms legally, openly and not be presumed guilty of some undetermined crime.
I have quite a lot of sympathy with some of what POV said up there and the bits that struck a chord with me ring true on other internet communities too, however, as I will mention further on, I have also seen quite a lot of distasteful stuff from the other side of 'the debate'.
I, too, sometimes feel distinctly uncomfortable at the behaviour and apparent attitude of some people in 'gun nut' (handy term, not intended derogatorily) communities like this. I maintain that any firearm is a tool, its purpose depending mostly on the user but clearly some types are better suited to some tasks. I fail to see any justification, for example, for ownership of a Barrett "Light Fifty" (M82/M107) rifle on grounds of hunting or self-defence, as it's clearly a weapon intended for a battlefield role and eminently unsuited to practical use in either of those categories. I do understand the 'gun porn' aspect of such things and I have a fascination with firearm mechanics that way well take me down the route of formally qualifying in the field of gunsmithing, but I honestly don't feel comfortable with the idea of a neighbour buying one, just because he can or worse "for home defence" (let's not even touch on people who mutter stuff about "To fight off the Feds when they come...").
The separation, however, must be made between what I feel makes sense and what is legal or intended to be legal. I'm quite happy to distance myself from people who feel they need to walk the streets of major cities with a couple of concealed guns and an openly carried one, merely to buy their groceries BUT it's clear to me, from reading the laws and documents, that so long as such a person complies with the relevant laws (CCW permit, if required, etc) I don't have to like it, it's quite legal and they're free to do it.
Furthermore, it's actually clear to me that many laws surrounding this issue do, in fact, infringe upon the rights the Second Amendment was intended to protect; some moreso and more unreasonably than others, to be sure. These laws may or may not be sensible in intent but I have to agree that the only LEGAL thing to do is roll them back and then hold honest public debate about the entire topic.
On the other side, as I mentioned, I find it deeply disturbing to see people hysterically pointing at guns as they will jump out and shoot them and then chanting some nonsense about killing children. I'm not exaggerating, I have witnessed this and it's every bit as unreasonable, uncomfortable and disturbing as the people who give their guns names and fantasize about 'street encounters' where they dispatch hordes of thugs.
In closing, will I (when the time comes, not in the USA at the moment) carry firearms? Aye, certainly. Will I carry a concealed firearm? Probably at some time, although I have reservations about permitting it, to be honest. Will I carry openly, as an exercize of my rights and for no other purpose? Aye, I will, from time to time, until we have calmed down a lot of irrational notions and restored the idea that responsible Americans can carry firearms legally, openly and not be presumed guilty of some undetermined crime.
