Text 5, 174 rader
Skriven 2007-04-20 13:49:35 av Jeff Smith (1:14/0)
     Kommentar till en text av Björn Forsström (2:203/614.61)
Ärende: Shootings
=================
Hello Björn.

20 Apr 07 09:14, you wrote to me:


 JS>>>>      Because holding or owning a gun should be a sign or
 JS>>>> indication of being a bad guy. I don't consider myself to be
 JS>>>> THAT bad of a guy yet I own a dozen or so guns including three
 JS>>>> handguns.

 BF>>> Isn't this just one of those macho-things?

 JS>>      Far from it.

 BF> Then explain why you need all those guns for.


     Well... I have three 12G's one for target shooting, one vintage 410
as a keepsake, and one for shooting slug rounds. I have a 20G which I aquired
from a relative. I have two 22's for small game hunting. I have a 300W magnum
and a 30.06 for medium and large game. Except for maybe the 20G each gun
has a intended use. A couple haven't been fired in years.

 BF> This is where you and I differ. You are brought up in it while I'm
 BF> not. I don't see any reason for owning any gun what so ever unless I'm
 BF> a hunter and then a hunting rifle is OK but having a dozen or so and
 BF> three handguns...... Just because it's legal to have a weapon no one
 BF> says that you *have* to have any. In Germany there is no speed limit
 BF> on some autobahns but nothing says that I *have* to drive at 150 mph.


     I have no problem with someone that doesn't believe in the need for
guns. They are one of those things that along with their use comes the
responsibility for their safe use. Just like guns here you have the option
of driving 150mph and risk killing yourself or someone else. You are smart
enough to drive your vehicle responsibly even though you have a legal right
to drive faster. I have the legal right to own a gun(s) but try to use those
guns in a responsible way.

 BF>>> I'm allowed to have my AK 4 at home but have said that I will
 BF>>> NEVER do that because I don't trust my own psychic health.

 JS>>      You make it too easy sometimes Björn. <g>

 BF> You know what I mean.....healty today but who knows what will happend
 BF> tomorrow. A neighbours SIL was perfectly OK untill he got a tree over
 BF> himself and hurt his head and today he's having trouble with fixing
 BF> the day.

     I could have a stroke tonight and become a drooling fool by morning. If
we start outlawing things and enacting new laws to try to control and/or
prevent what might happen or what someone might do things would be alot worse
than they are now.


 BF>>>  I can never guarantee that some day I might take a drink or
 BF>>> two and then be so angry so I will use it.

 JS>>      A drink or two? Chug a jug of Jack Danials and then we will
 JS>> talk.

 BF> If I want to drink catpiss I have to cats.

     Nah... Too tart for my pallet. <g>

 BF> Had a small 18 yo. Highland Park yesterday.....

     I had a 18 Yo once. Many, many years ago. Umm... nevermind.

 JS>>      You would probably be too busy staggering around puking your
 JS>> guts out to worry about hurting anyone. When I have gotten drunk
 JS>> (Been about 10 years) I get happy and start acking like a
 JS>> smartass.

 BF> Until the day when it backfires and you just have to show how good you
 BF> are with guns.

     Never was able to predict the future. All I can say is that while
drinking the thought of guns or their use has never occured to me.

 JS>>      Yup, not much of a change there. <g>

 BF>>>  Can you guaratee that your mental health will stay stabil?

 JS>>      I can't guarantee my mental health IS stabil. <g>

 BF> That's what I mean.

 BF>>> After a few drinks your wife says she have had enough of
 BF>>> you.....or you find her in bed with another guy etc.?

 JS>>      I would offer the other guy my condolenses.

 BF> Or that someone are offending your daughter or that she has been
 BF> raped. Wouldn't you feel like getting back on him. Taking a few drinks
 BF> and a gun to show him what you think of him?

    In that scenario I wouldn't need a gun to show him what I thought
of him. Again guns would be an option for me. I am more of a face to
face guy. To be honest I wouldn't be above putting some major hurt upon
the guy but don't think I would go to the point of killing him. He can
pay/suffer for his actions longer if he is still alive.


 BF>>> Obviously something went wrong in the head of the shooter in VA
 BF>>> and we have had that here too so who can guarantee that this
 BF>>> will not happend to you or me?

 JS>>      Absolutely nothing.

 BF> And you are willing to take that risk by having the house full of
 BF> weapons? That's like letting a alcoholic loose in a liquer strore.

 JS>> Each of us is a variable and one can never really
 JS>> know or guarantee the actions of another. As is the case here
 JS>> most are unable to understand the reasoning of why it happened or
 JS>> what motivated him to do such a thing.

 BF> Bingo. And free access to weapons......this is the result.

 BF>>> Many years ago one of my neighbours didn't like when I walked in
 BF>>> the wood with my dog during hunting season (which I didn't know
 BF>>> at that time). He came here shouting at me and had several guns
 BF>>> in his car and you can guess that I almost pissed in my pants.
 BF>>> In his angry state I was sure he was goint to take a shot at me
 BF>>> but he didn't but what if he had?

 JS>>      You would like be dead? Seriously though, if we take away or
 JS>> outlaw things that could be used to hurt or kill someone else. We
 JS>> would end up outlawing most everything. Guns, knives, etc. don't
 JS>> kill people by themselves. If you take guns away they only the
 JS>> bad guys will have the guns and it would be like an "Open Season"
 JS>> call on the good guys.

 BF> If it's outlawed it means that not even the bad guys are going to have
 BF> weapons


    Since when do the bad guys care about the law or what they are not
supposed to have?

 BF>  and then it's up to the police to make sure they doesn't have
 BF> any. The only way for a criminal to have a gun here is to steal them
 BF> or import illegal. You just have to start doing something sometime.

 JS>>>> Must provide certificate of completed authorized firearms
 JS>>>> training.

 BF>>> And how do you know that this guy isn't planning to commit
 BF>>> murder or a bank robbery or to kill his wife? Is he mental
 BF>>> stabil to have a gun? When it's this easy to get a gun you can't
 BF>>> complain about all this shootings.

 JS>>      Around here if there is reason to believe that someone has a
 JS>> history of mental instability they are denied a permit to
 JS>> purchase a handgun. A seperate permit is required to carry the
 JS>> handgun on your person in public.

 BF> Reason to believe.....see what happend in VA. He had been acting
 BF> strange for a long time and had threatned girls before but nontheless,
 BF> he had two guns.....


     Then the system failed him. Guns are going to be obtainable regardless
of their legal status. If the system had dealt with him as it should have
the availability of guns wouldn't been a issue.

 BF> ---
 BF>  * Origin: . (2:203/614.61)

Jeff

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