Came here to post this poll:
Guns:
Fuck your guns
No, seriously, fuck your guns
Re: Guns
12I grew up in the middle of Missouri where they treat guns like a god-given right. My family is really into hunting. Having said that, guns are a hugely CRAP. Real talk though. Let's start by making assault rifles and handguns completely illegal. Full stop. No one needs these. I don't have a huge issue with low caliber rifles, but I personally don't need them either. But whatever. Let them keep them, just make it harder to get them.
Re: Guns
13It's like having a teenage driver; until they show that they are mature enough to handle the privilege to drive, they aren't getting behind the wheel. The US hasn't shown the maturity to handle guns, so we don't get them until we show that we can handle it. Which we probably won't. And that's ok. Fuck guns.
Re: Guns
14another fuck guns vote. Even as a kid in the early '70's, even though I did have a toy gun or two, they weren't really a part of my upbringing and I recall being done with them as toys by the time I was 10. My dad was on the front lines in Italy during WWII. He more than got his fill of guns and killing and the clear message we got was that guns were for cops and criminals, not regular people.
I work with a guy now. Super nice guy, always helpful, cheerful, curious. But dude is a gun freak. He says he has "well over 200 guns in the house" when questioned about his "hobby". Has a picture of his 6 year old boy holding one of them with the stock on the floor and the fucking thing is taller than the kid. He bought a 3D printer just so he could make parts to turn a semi-auto to a full auto. Why? What's the fascination? I just don't get it and it makes it really hard to work with someone who I otherwise would think is a totally stand up dude. There's another guy here at work. Also a smart guy, hard worker, lots of experience at his job and always willing to share his knowledge and help out even in areas that aren't nominally his responsibility. There's a huge bumper sticker covering the entire tailgate of his pick'emup truck that says "Two things that aren't taught in school that every American should know" and there's a picture of a Bible and a picture of an AR-15. Madness.
I've come to the conclusion that those of us that don't own guns can't solve this problem because we've been trying for years. The only people who can fix this are gun owners and they simply don't give a fuck.
I work with a guy now. Super nice guy, always helpful, cheerful, curious. But dude is a gun freak. He says he has "well over 200 guns in the house" when questioned about his "hobby". Has a picture of his 6 year old boy holding one of them with the stock on the floor and the fucking thing is taller than the kid. He bought a 3D printer just so he could make parts to turn a semi-auto to a full auto. Why? What's the fascination? I just don't get it and it makes it really hard to work with someone who I otherwise would think is a totally stand up dude. There's another guy here at work. Also a smart guy, hard worker, lots of experience at his job and always willing to share his knowledge and help out even in areas that aren't nominally his responsibility. There's a huge bumper sticker covering the entire tailgate of his pick'emup truck that says "Two things that aren't taught in school that every American should know" and there's a picture of a Bible and a picture of an AR-15. Madness.
I've come to the conclusion that those of us that don't own guns can't solve this problem because we've been trying for years. The only people who can fix this are gun owners and they simply don't give a fuck.
Re: Guns
16It's something I'll never understand. Maybe it's a collector thing. I mean, I get that part of it (maybe). I have a pretty good collection of guitars, and I have more old cars than my wife thinks is necessary. But the gun thing, it's like a fetish. It's almost worship. And it's arguably built around some sort of fantasy overthrow the tyrant overlord government wet dream. The equivocation with Christianity baffles me too, since it's about the furthest thing from Christianity one can get. Even when a person seems like they are a few standard deviations away from the apex of the crazy curve, they bristle at the notion that maybe fewer guns in the world and tightened/restricted access could be a step in the right direction away from children getting mowed down in schools.djimbe wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:44 am another fuck guns vote. Even as a kid in the early '70's, even though I did have a toy gun or two, they weren't really a part of my upbringing and I recall being done with them as toys by the time I was 10. My dad was on the front lines in Italy during WWII. He more than got his fill of guns and killing and the clear message we got was that guns were for cops and criminals, not regular people.
I work with a guy now. Super nice guy, always helpful, cheerful, curious. But dude is a gun freak. He says he has "well over 200 guns in the house" when questioned about his "hobby". Has a picture of his 6 year old boy holding one of them with the stock on the floor and the fucking thing is taller than the kid. He bought a 3D printer just so he could make parts to turn a semi-auto to a full auto. Why? What's the fascination? I just don't get it and it makes it really hard to work with someone who I otherwise would think is a totally stand up dude. There's another guy here at work. Also a smart guy, hard worker, lots of experience at his job and always willing to share his knowledge and help out even in areas that aren't nominally his responsibility. There's a huge bumper sticker covering the entire tailgate of his pick'emup truck that says "Two things that aren't taught in school that every American should know" and there's a picture of a Bible and a picture of an AR-15. Madness.
I've come to the conclusion that those of us that don't own guns can't solve this problem because we've been trying for years. The only people who can fix this are gun owners and they simply don't give a fuck.
Re: Guns
17likewisetwelvepoint wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:03 am
Put me down as “crap”, although I really feel America’s gun obsession, at its core, is a symptom of our hyper-individualism and disdain and devaluation of caring for others, particularly as it applies in raising our boys.
Re: Guns
19Crap, until I might need one for food. I’ve seen the supermarket shelves go bare a couple of times over the last couple of years, and I keep my grandfather’s duck hunting rifle and some shells around, just in case. I’ve never kept them around because I’m worried about the boogeyman. My dad became a little obsessed toward the end of his life and amassed a small arsenal because he began worrying about all of those boogeymen that Fox News kept telling him about. I have no desire to own his old glock or whatever.
I think assault weapons should be banned, 100%.
I think assault weapons should be banned, 100%.
Re: Guns
20I just can't for the life of me understand why anyone would bother with some massive arsenal, even for some "shit hits the fan" scenario. You can use exactly one at a time, unless you're in Bad Boys 2. It's also way too much to have to think about and maintain. I also don't get telling the world you're armed, that's just asking for trouble. And finally, the second you actually use a weapon against another human, you have entered the mother of all legal woes, even if you were somewhat justified. It's just all such ridiculous toxic masculinity bullshit.