Do you have, or have you, a gun/guns in your home?

[Pigeon]

I do discuss attitudes about guns with people before I allow my kids in their homes. Is it 100% perfect? Perhaps not. But knowing the people very well first is usually a pretty good indication of whether or not they have guns, and I have screened out several. Sadly, there is no way to avoid them entirely in our society, but I certainly am not going out of my way to put my kids in situations that I find unsafe. The people I tend to hang out with, and who are parents of my kids' friends, are as opposed to guns as I am or even moreso.

I don't let my kids go to houses with swimming pools unless I'm confident that they will be supervised every minute they are in the pool. I have a few friends who I know that I can trust on this issue. As for knives, etc., these things have a legitimate purpose beyond killing. There is no comparison. I wouldn't let my kids go to houses where the parents had pipe bombs "safely" stored, either.

The child who shot my cousin had been through the NRA "safety" classes. I guess it didn't take. I feel particularly badly for him, because, while he wasn't the one to die, his life had been pretty much ruined.

 

[mjkacmom]

Never. I think the risk of one of my kids finding it outweighs the chance of someone entering our home, and harming us. If you want to steal from me, although I don't appreciate it, I'm not going to kill you for it.

 

[In a hurry]

"Their sole purpose is to kill people. Handguns don't have any other purpose. Don't they worry about their children?"

I never thought of it that way, but they're right.

We target shoot with the handguns as well as the rest of the guns in our home. Our 4-H group even has a pistol class.

Broadbrush generalizations are so often inaccurate.

And, no I don't worry about my children. The guns are kept locked in a safe. Ammo locked up elsewhere, also.

 

[Charade]

Statistically speaking you are more likely to be hurt or killed by your own gun than to need it against a stranger..

If we lived next door to each other in identical houses with identical families, the chances of either of us experiencing a robbery or home invasion are exactly the same. The only difference is I have a gun and you don't. IF I don't go for the gun, then the chances for harm to either of us or our families are exactly the same. IF I decide to go FOR the gun, I have a good chance of thwarting that harm. Thankfully the 2nd amendment gives me that right to choose.

What would you use to defend youself?


If you don't want one, fine, you're choice but why in the world would anyone want to take that choice away from LAW ABIDING citizens is beyond me. The fallacy of "making the streets safer" is just that. They won't be if you take legally owned guns away just from normally law abiding citizens. Accidents and crimes are two different things. There are so many other things we could "protect" the populace from. Misuse of guns is way down on the list.

 

[Charade]

Broadbrush generalizations are so often inaccurate.

And, no I don't worry about my children. The guns are kept locked in a safe. Ammo locked up elsewhere, also.

I wonder how many people are that "safe" with household chemicals and other "everyday" things that cause so many accidents and deaths.

 

[NikiM20]

I wonder how many people are that "safe" with household chemicals and other "everyday" things that cause so many accidents and deaths.

Dont forget toilets, you can drown in an inch of water

Oh Pigeon, if your cousin had had some type of training about guns, we dont touch one etc, he may have went and told an adult. Never assume that if you dont talk about something it wont happen.

 

[NikiM20]

As for knives, etc., these things have a legitimate purpose beyond killing. There is no comparison. I wouldn't let my kids go to houses where the parents had pipe bombs "safely" stored, either.

The child who shot my cousin had been through the NRA "safety" classes. I guess it didn't take. I feel particularly badly for him, because, while he wasn't the one to die, his life had been pretty much ruined.

Pigeon you make me

So all of us with guns are out to kill people? Or at least that was our intention when we purchased them? How about personal safety? FYI:A criminal would like to break into your house better than mine, because if hes in my house, I will take care of the problem. All you can do is call the cops and wait, but they carry guns, so you would not want them in your house. So basically the will take everything you own, and theres nothing to be done.

 

[DisneyKT]

I do discuss attitudes about guns with people before I allow my kids in their homes.* Is it 100% perfect?* Perhaps not.* But knowing the people very well first is usually a pretty good indication of whether or not they have guns, and I have screened out several.* Sadly, there is no way to avoid them entirely in our society, but I certainly am not going out of my way to put my kids in situations that I find unsafe. The people I tend to hang out with, and who are parents of my kids' friends, are as opposed to guns as I am or even moreso.I don't let my kids go to houses with swimming pools unless I'm confident that they will be supervised every minute they are in the pool.* I have a few friends who I know that I can trust on this issue.* As for knives, etc., these things have a legitimate purpose beyond killing.* There is no comparison.* I wouldn't let my kids go to houses where the parents had pipe bombs "safely" stored, either.The child who shot my cousin had been through the NRA "safety" classes.* I guess it didn't take.* I feel particularly badly for him, because, while he wasn't the one to die, his life had been pretty much ruined.

Don't worry I would avoid you to. But my DH doesn't have the luxury of a choice if he gets a 911 call on what to avoid.

 

[monorailsilver]

Yep there are guns & small kids in my house.

My dh grew up with guns as did his brothers & they are all still living.

 

[SydneyBristow]

I chose other because my answer is just no.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I do not and would never have a gun in my home. Unfortunately, I live with my father who does own guns and keeps them in the house.

 

[Christopher Robin]

To those who don't and would never have guns in thier homes, would you place a sign to that effect on your front door?

If not, why not?

 

[sweetandsassyfl]

Pigeon is now on my ignore list....I prefer to avoid people that prefer to avoid me.

 

[Chicago526]

My DH has a gun collection. Right now it's here in the house but if/when we have kids, he will find somewhere else to store them. Neither DH nor I want them in the house with children (and even if DH did, I wouldn't allow it). I don't care for guns, but I don't have a problem with responsible gun owners having them.

 

[bigslim]

I knew someone who had a pigeon fly into their window while driving and caused them to have a wreck and be killed. They are very dangerous. Won't be coming to your house!

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I know many will disagree with this, but I think part of the problem with accidental shooting accidents, is people with guns not educating the kids.

People have guns, but they keep them locked up and away from the kids. Which to me just says OH LET'S SEE WHAT THIS BIG SECRET THING IS ABOUT.

I also grew up with guns. I don't think there was ever a time in my life when there wasn't a gun(rifle or shot gun) in the corner behind ever door in the house. Or when there wasn't a gun(hand gun) under the seat of the vehicle. This goes not just my parents house, but my grandparents, uncles, cousins. We were taught at a very very young age, not to mess with the guns.

OMG I'm never leaving the house knowing there are people like this driving around!! I'm sorry, but what in the world do you need guns behind doors and under seats in your car??!??! Please please please tell me you life somewhere like Alabama!

 

[freckles and boo]

To those who don't and would never have guns in thier homes, would you place a sign to that effect on your front door?

If not, why not?

Why? That is stupid. It is nobody's business WHAT I have in my home. Home invasion with the intent to harm strangers is rare and I have a reasonable expectation that nobody is going to burglarize my home. But if they do, they won't find a gun. 1.7 MILLION guns were stolen in the last ten years. That is an average of 170,000 guns per year. Statistics show that burglary rates are higher in areas of known gun ownership. America's paranoia about home invasion actually feed the black market and puts guns into the hands of criminals.

And once again I have to ask those of you who keep guns for protection in the event of a home invasion or burglary - How do you assess a situation as dangerous, unlock a gun safe, assemble a weapon, get the ammunition (that is stored separately), load a gun, and be reasonably sure you are hitting your target in a timley manner, all the while protecting your children AND calling the police? It seems like a stretch that you can effective dirvert an attack any quicker than I could by swinging a baseball bat and having my kid call 911.

 

[Christopher Robin]

Why? That is stupid. It is nobody's business WHAT I have in my home. Home invasion with the intent to harm strangers is rare and I have a reasonable expectation that nobody is going to burglarize my home. But if they do, they won't find a gun. 1.7 MILLION guns were stolen in the last ten years. That is an average of 170,000 guns per year. Statistics show that burglary rates are higher in areas of known gun ownership. America's paranoia about home invasion actually feed the black market and puts guns into the hands of criminals.

And once again I have to ask those of you who keep guns for protection in the event of a home invasion or burglary - How do you assess a situation as dangerous, unlock a gun safe, assemble a weapon, get the ammunition (that is stored separately), load a gun, and be reasonably sure you are hitting your target in a timley manner, all the while protecting your children AND calling the police? It seems like a stretch that you can effective dirvert an attack any quicker than I could by swinging a baseball bat and having my kid call 911.

I would surmise that you won't place the sign because you wouldn't want the bad guys to know.

As to how I would assess the situation, that is pretty easy. I've been trained.

 

[In a hurry]

Why? That is stupid. It is nobody's business WHAT I have in my home. Home invasion with the intent to harm strangers is rare and I have a reasonable expectation that nobody is going to burglarize my home. But if they do, they won't find a gun. 1.7 MILLION guns were stolen in the last ten years. That is an average of 170,000 guns per year. Statistics show that burglary rates are higher in areas of known gun ownership. America's paranoia about home invasion actually feed the black market and puts guns into the hands of criminals.

Actually using your information, it would be a positive thing to let the potential thieves know there aren't any guns in your home. None to steal.

We don't use ours for safety at home. We have a hunting cabin, however, and I do feel safer having one available out there. There have been too many break-ins, and it is in the middle of nowhere.

 

[bigslim]

OMG I'm never leaving the house knowing there are people like this driving around!! I'm sorry, but what in the world do you need guns behind doors and under seats in your car??!??! Please please please tell me you life somewhere like Alabama!

You know how those beer swigging, inbred rednecks in Alabama just love to drive around with their guns! Ignorant Yankees!