Prepared to defend yourself?


NeuroTypical
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Does someone in your home own a gun or other means of self defense?  

115 members have voted

  1. 1. Does someone in your home own a gun or other means of self defense?

    • Yes
      81
    • No
      33
    • Other (explain)
      4


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This is all reminding me of poor little Shasta Groene from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Pervert comes to the home, ties up and then kills her mother, teenage brother, mom's boyfriend... just so he can abduct Shasta and her brother Dylan for sex. That was the intruders goal. That's what he was after. Then after a couple months of Shasta and Dylan being tortured and raped...only little Shasta survived. The creep killed Dylan, too.

What if there had been a firearm in the home when that creep showed up?

Would the story have a happier ending?

Oh, and LOCK YOUR DOORS. He entered through an unlocked door. When the cops interviewed him, he said he was thinking of not committing the crime and then thought to himself, "if the door is locked, I'll leave" and "if the door is unlocked it's a sign to proceed".

At least make the intruder have to work to get into your home. That little bit of noise he'll make might be enough to give you time to react.

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I'm kinda laughing here about the comment that because there aren't many guns around in that other country, the criminals tend to use knives. Is that supposed to be reassuring? I know with 100% conviction to the bottom of my very soul, that if I was given a choice between being quickly shot to death, or stabbed over-and-over-and-over-and-over-somemore... I'd totally choose the bullet.

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I don't remember saying there weren't many guns around certainly in my area there are plenty its the mentality thats different they are not kept for defence they are kept for hunting. My area is made up of people who hunt and a huge proportion of military there are plenty of people who can shoot and shoot very well.

I grew up surrounded many personal heroes who had lived through WW2 and like them I refuse to live my life in fear because of someone else's actions, My Gran didn't even use an air raid shelter because she believed it would effect her way of life and my Auntie was not Evacuated, her attitude was you were better dead than to bow to terror and its an attitude I admired. My Gran and her sisters who all had the same attitude were in Liverpool and London -

My greatest hero was a Great Uncle who was an incredibly good shot courtesy of Uncle Ken we all ate well -however during WW2 refused to carry a firearm - he went into the medical corps and saved many lives, of the people I knew that went to war and came back he had seen the greatest atrocities faced some of the worst danger but came back with the least mental distress. Between himself and my Uncle David who was a well respected police officer - they taught me your mentality with a gun is important. If you have that gun because of fear because you are already afraid you are more likely to be frozen by fear at the time you need to use it. If your intention when holding a gun is to kill someone it affects you inside.

Actually as a family we own a 22 calibre pistol, a .380 pistol, 9mm pistol, 22 calibre rifle, 30-06, and a 45-70,shotguns 20 gauge semi automatic, and a short barrelled 12 gauge. A very old 38 special they are currently with my Mother in Law in California - I have no problem with my husband having those guns back when we move to the US, but not for defence, if they get used for that fair enough but i do not believe fear is a good reason for a person to have a firearm. My husband grew up around firearms (My Father in Law had a stockpile a third world dictator would be jelous of) also and was taught respect not just for them but when hunting respect for the animals, his family background has been ranchers, farmers, sherriffs, and military for hundreds of years they are part of his and my childrens heritage.

There are much worse things in life than death

-Charley

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ok something I have been told by my husband he learned from his Dad, well respected US air force officer of many years, if your gun is not at the ready its not the most effective weapon over less than 21 feet, reduced to 15-17 if you are trained to fire, your opponent can stab you before its drawn and fired, he kept a k-bar for defence, and my Mother in Law a baseball bat and she a better shot. Both taught my husband for home and personal defence a gun was not his best option. It jogged my memory of my Uncle and his basic self defence he taught me if someone has a gun already pulled on you, your unlikely to get the chance to shoot them he said out and about nothing was better than a set of keys and a willingness to stick it or your fingers up an attackers nose or in his eyes or in his ears.

That fits well with the advice given to people during WW2 who were advised to have knives at the ready in case of invasion,

All I see you do with having a gun for self dence most of the time is worry yourself and be more likely to either be shot by it or to accidently shoot a family member

-Charley

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Ka-Bar -- excellent knife! I love mine. Oh, and I've learned if you pull out your ka-bar to cut a loose thread off your skirt, it freaks people out... hahaha :)

Because I have a couple years food storage, lots of water and a Katadyn, and up to 20 years other items in storage, I don't worry much about food shortages, job loss, being forced to stay home a few months during a pandemic, etc.

Because I have guns, I don't worry much about someone breaking into my home. My gun is always loaded and ready.

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Well, it's clear to see we have those who are very pro-gun for self-defense and those who aren't.

Let's step another direction...

For those who are pro-gun and own guns, what would you do if Marshal Law was declared and/or another country took over and wanted to confiscate guns and/or all citizens were ordered to turn in their guns and/or guns were outlawed in your community? Would you comply? Would you follow the new laws and rules or would you go the civil disobedience route?

My answer: I WILL keep my guns.

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Whoops - I see I should have said something up front.

I'm hoping this won't turn into a US vs. UK bashing thread. It's primarily intended for folks in the US. Indeed, America has a rather unique situation not shared in most any other country in the world - we were created by rebels who'se notions of govt are very much different than the subjects of the British Crown.

So please, let's not bash the UK and how they choose to handle their own issues. And also please, no statements about how you just can't see how armed folks do anything except worry and shoot themselves in the feet.

The reason I took this poll, is the number of people who figure they'll just take their neighbor's stuff when times get hard. 60% of the poll respondants on this thread say they might get more than they bargained for.

I'm thinking this percentage should become common knowledge.

LM

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"I'm hoping this won't turn into a US vs. UK bashing thread. It's primarily intended for folks in the US. Indeed, America has a rather unique situation not shared in most any other country in the world - we were created by rebels who'se notions of govt are very much different than the subjects of the British Crown. "

hahaha my excuse is my bloodline is a mix of Menominee Indian and French-Canadian fur-trader. I'm not sure if I should shoot 'em, trap 'em, or scalp 'em :)

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"The reason I took this poll, is the number of people who figure they'll just take their neighbor's stuff when times get hard. 60% of the poll respondants on this thread say they might get more than they bargained for. "

There are a limited number of people who know I do food storage. A few have commented, "I know where to come when times are bad". (The neighbors do not know because I bring stuff into the house after dark when they are not home). But anyone who visits my home, well it's hard not to notice I've basically turned the place into a very nice "bunker".

I firmly, yet politely, tell them they are not welcome. I point out they (usually) earn more than I do. The stores are all open right now, nobody is forbidding them from stocking up now during the good times, and it's not my responsibility to feed and care for them. I tell them if they don't want to be cold/hungry/thirsty, they best go buy some blankets, canned goods, and water instead of wasting their money on other things.

I tell them I will help them with any questions, etc. to prepare to take care of themselves, but they cannot count on me at all during an emergency, so don't bother making the trip. My home will be in shutdown-mode and the only people who will be entering are my two children.

I even had to have a heart-to-heart with my mom who was refusing to prepare. I told her if it came right down to it, I'd have to do a family triage... and that means the young get fed and the old get nothing. Especially the very old, since they already have had a really nice life and it's unfair for the old to take food from the mouths of the young. If it appeared times were going to be awful for a long time, then even I would stop eating and give all my provisions and preps to my daughters (ages 21 and 28).

Mom's now prepping... hahaha She's been out every day for the last couple of weeks. She's already got three months water and multiple cases of food, cat items, toilet paper, first aid, propane, etc. etc.

Sometimes, a little tough love is what's needed.

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not speechless just sad its a viewpoint I hear at church a lot and its right for them but for Elgapa, myself and our house we share what we can with people even when we are poorer than most in our branch, I consider myself rich as long as I am warm, clothed and well fed. I store extra and hope we can share with others when we need to in fact I have done when people around me have been short of food etc even when I am short of money I have been able to raid my store for food. Everything I have is a gift from my Heavenly Father its not mine

-Charley

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Ok guys and girls, i can see your point as to why you feel that you have the right to bare arms, i can see that you are passionate about it, and i can see that if things are as bad as you say, i would probably feel the same way if i lived in the USA.

I do hope that things do not get as bad here.

I understand also the great need to protect the family from those that would seek to destroy them.

Now let me ask this.

How many hungry people would you be prepared to "KILL" to protect your tin of Beans, because this is also what is being said isn't it.

What would Jesus do with all this food should a great devastation fall upon the land.

1, Would he keep it for himself if he encountered hungry people.

2, Would he distribute it among the needy.

I ask you this as a person who seeks to be as much like Jesus as i can, in thoughts and in deeds.

So i know exactly what i would "try" to do. (rampaging crowds or not).

You see i have not ever thought about having to take somebody's right to life away, i have never had the need to think this way, i am not saying that it will never happen, but i will wait until it does rather than dwell on that fact waiting for it to happen, if somebody takes my life, then so be it, it will be that persons downfall in the end.

I am not here to have fun poked at me, so please, don't put the uk down because we are not a Gun toting nation.

You have the right to bare arms, i do not and i thank my heavenly father for that. "This is my rights".

Edited by jimuk
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To insure the security & welfare of MY loved ones... I'd even make a pre-emptive strike.

I had to do a load of soul searching back in '99 with the Y2K scare. I had several families of 'no good' welfare bums down the street from me. They were perfectly able to work but chose to be a burden on society ie: me.

If things had gotten bad I'd have not been able to leave the house to garden, tend the stock, nor collect firewood for fear that they would have taken all I owned & burned the rest in my absence.

Imagine a den of snakes near your childrens playground, do you leave them alone until they strike? Certainly not! To even imply otherwise would show a decided lack of judgement. When men behave in a feral manner, it becomes the duty of civilized people to put an end to their predations. Any thief allowed to escape with that can~of~beans may resort to murder of an innocent party to get the next meal. The person who allowed him to get away is just as guilty as he is in my eyes.

Edited by wy0mn
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One of the things I like most about this particuar forum is the way that people can debate an issue and remain civil and polite with each other. I hope that we can continue this discussion as I am enjoying peoples differing views and philosophies. There have been a few times in this forum that discussions I was following have been closed. I hope this wont be one of them

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Agreed. I do think there's times when we need to be ready to defend. But sometimes I think we are too ready to use deadly force, rather than other means.

Perhaps, as with the Anti-Nephi-Lehites, we would gain more converts with love than with force? And as Brigham Young taught, it is easier to feed the Indians than fight them....

If all your neighbors are starving, how many do you think you can hold off by shooting them, and still keep the Spirit? Even if you can, you are eventually going to have to sleep. Or reload.

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I don't think this is about food storage per se...but about the lawlessness and looting that sometimes accompanies disaster scenarios.

A weapon is not a guarantee of safety. This is false confidence. Certainly it's not going to hold off desperate people for very long. In a longterm disaster scenario people will be coming for the guns and ammo rather than the food. Just stating the obvious.

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not speechless just sad its a viewpoint I hear at church a lot and its right for them but for Elgapa, myself and our house we share what we can with people even when we are poorer than most in our branch, I consider myself rich as long as I am warm, clothed and well fed. I store extra and hope we can share with others when we need to in fact I have done when people around me have been short of food etc even when I am short of money I have been able to raid my store for food. Everything I have is a gift from my Heavenly Father its not mine

-Charley

+1.

I figure my food supply is probably good for about a month or two. I have enough stored for my kids, my wife, and myself. Problem is, my kids are married and don't have storage. So if we tell my daughter to come to our house, we have food, she isn't going to come without her kids and her husband. Her husband isn't going to come to our house to eat while his brother and sister or his parent starve so they have to be welcomed as well. If his parents come, they're certainly going to insist that their parents and siblings have food to eat or they won't eat... and the list goes on.

Add to that any neighbor who comes with an empty bowl. Those that come with weapons won't get the same treatment but I wouldn't turn away a starving neighbor or friend.

So, I figure no matter how much food I store, it will last as long as it takes to get it passed out to others.

Or maybe the world won't come to an end and I'll lose my job and it will feed my wife and I through a year or two of hard times... *shrug*.. who knows.

Edited by dalepres
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I wish I could be as magnanimous, but I'm truly not. My low opinion of mankind has always been reinforced thru experience.

"Don't Feed the Bears", the sign says. Why? Because they will keep coming back time & time again, even turning violent when you try to convince them that there is nothing else left to eat.

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