Wow. Surfing around in the interest of self-education tonight and I find this heartwarming story. (sarcasm)
So 57% of all guns manufactured world wide every year end up in the U.S. Gun owners are soooo abused here, aren’t they? Um, people, I think we have enough.
Lots of people think we have “enough” things, like teachers, funding for education, health care for children, gun laws, and funding for seniors.
Those same folks, along with still others, think we have enough sports venues, and parks, laws, and greenspace.
Those folks also, for the most part, think we not only have enough, but too MUCH of things, such as liberals, abortions, athletes making big money, hunting regulations, government, and taxes.
Ironically, many (most) of those same people who feel that way, however, don’t have a problem with their freedoms being taken away by the very people they elected to office.
Those people also feel, however incomprehensible that it may seem, that we DON’T have ENOUGH gun rights.  Huh? I think this story I’ve linked to suggests otherwise.
7 responses so far ↓
1
Anon E. Mouse
// Oct 12, 2007 at 7:41 am
Thanks for bringing this up BJ. I have a wife and four kids but only 5 firearms. I will show this to my wife and explain to her why I need another rifle.
I also have a BB gun and a toy M-1.
The toy M-1 is the “practice gun” my kids use when we go hunting. You have to handle the practice gun just like a real one. You have to show me you can be safe with the practice gun before you can even get close to the BB gun. The kids have also seen (and heard) what a real firearm can do to a piece of 2×4. They know the danger. The real issue is responsibility.
As far as “enough guns” – there are different guns for different purposes.
Funny thing is, you’ve listed this in your “Redneck” category. I would be willing to bet that most gun crimes are committed by people who fall outside of what most people consider “redneck”.
2
Vonster
// Oct 12, 2007 at 7:42 am
57% is because of all those other countries having dumb ass gun laws?
3
bjstone
// Oct 12, 2007 at 7:47 am
The “redneck” designation was a mistake, accidently checked when it shouldn’t have been. It’s been edited.
4
Anon E. Mouse
// Oct 12, 2007 at 10:57 am
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301379,00.html
The kid has a couple of .22’s (a rifle and a pistol).
Daddy is a convicted felon (and soon mommy will be too).
5
Brad’s Bloviating Bantering Bodacious Blog » Blog Archive » Gun Ownership
// Oct 13, 2007 at 3:33 pm
[...] or religious beliefs. The subjects that tend to bring out the most passion in people. Anyway, this post on BJ Stone’s site on whether there are too many guns in America is what I’d like to focus on in this [...]
6
Anon E. Mouse
// Oct 15, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Hey, BJ – I can go back and find the link if you want, but the count shows only ~35% of American households are gun ownership households.
Breaking down this story problem, 35 of 100 people own 90 guns. That is 2.57 guns per each gun owner (man woman and child). With 2.59 people per household, that’s 6.65 guns per gun owning house.
SO
I don’t think it is so much.
If you count the handmade muzzle-loaders (1 from kit, 1 from scratch) I inherited from my grandfather, then I have 7 firearms in my household (population, 6), including a .22 single-shot rifle I learned on, a .223 rifle (for coyotes). a .410 ga shotgun, and my Dad’s 12 ga. pump, as well as a .40 cal pistol. (Note, I don’t have a single ball, patch, cap, or grain of black power for the muzzle-loaders.)
My dad still has a antique .22 in his household (population, 2)
I really don’t think that is so much.
My uncle has dozens of firearms in his home (population 4), but then his family are very avid hunters. Different guns serve different purposes much the same way you don’t have just a single golf club in your bag.
I’d be more interested to see the breakdown, by weapon.
How many households own a center-fire handgun?
How many own a shotgun?
How about low power rifle (.17, .20, .22, .25).
Then there is High Power rifles.
How many are antique or collector weapons that aren’t actually useful?
Also, breaking it down between urban/suburban and rural areas might be interesting.
My point is, I think your 90/100 ratio sounds very scary, but really isn’t.
7
Chef Kevin
// Oct 16, 2007 at 8:59 am
As with Mouse, I add to the 90/100 number. I have my “fair share”.
But I do complain about my rights taken away because most of the “control” laws initiated only affect law abiding guns owners because the criminal element isn’t going to adhere to them. Banning semi-auto shotguns doesn’t affect criminals because they aren’t going to abide by that law. However, would it force me to hand over a 1960’s model Remington that is a keepsake from my grandfather? Why should I be subjected to that? It hasn’t been used in 30 years. How would handing over that gun to authorities ensure every other US citizen sleeps safer at night? It doesn’t and that is my point. Laws need to be made that illegally using firearms puts you in a cell by Matt Hale in ADX Florence for a long, long, long, long, long time.
On the other hand, I do have enough and don’t feel I need any more.
I have more Chef’s knives than I could ever use at one time, too. I’m sure the 14″ Grauton slicer and 12″ Victorinox Cimeter could do some serious damage to a person if they were in the wrong hands….but they aren’t.
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