Originally posted by: Stefan
Originally posted by: jjones
Originally posted by: Stefan
Guns are the most cowardly weapon man has ever invented (well maybe next to a nuclear bomb). I don't mind if people use a gun for target practice or even killing an occasional deer/duck, etc IF you plan on eating it. (You "sport hunters" who kill animals and just leave the bodies disgust me).
Anyone who uses a gun on a human is a coward. The criminal who uses one to rob a bank is a coward and the person who tries to defend themselves is a coward, although I can see justification in having a gun to protect yourself. There is no respect for life when you use a gun. It's too easy to kill someone.
I guess you could say the same thing for a bow then. They were both devised to hurl a projectile at speed and with accuracy.
A gun is a tool. How you use it defines whether or not you are cowardly. To ambush someone in order to shoot them dead is cowardly. To defend yourself from a dangerous attacker is not. For you to call someone who defends themselves a coward just boggles the mind. I guess you would prefer it if the criminals just had open season on citizens, but most of us wouldn't agree with you.
Well I agree with what you are saying and that would have been more fitting for what I was trying to say, however I would like to make a comment. I think that people should be trained in some kind of self defense. A 100lb woman can take down a 250lb man if she knows how to defend herself. Maybe what I should say is that using a gun should be the very last line of defense if everything else fails.
Yes, I also agree people should be trained in self-defensive, as it would solve a portion of possable disputes. However, I also believe that having a gun is a good thing, and not cowardly at all provided:
1. You are trained up on that particular weapon, its legal, and have saftey training for it.
2. You use it as a last resort, not just shoot first ask questions later.
3. Your life is in danger, and you only use it in self defense.
Ive been using various firearms for years, and in the past they have saved my life on numerous occassions (military applications, not civilian). Yes, I do keep my guns at home, however I hold very strict guidlines on how they are stored and secured, and never take them from my house unless they are locked up and secured, and I have a reason for taking them (ie: range). The people who carry around handguns on their person or in their car for self defense in my opinion are going a bit overboard (depending on where they live of couse, and their situation), but it is their right.
And yes, a 100lb woman can take down a 250lb man if she knows how to defend herself, but if that man has a weapon of some sort, shes screwed (in MOST cases). In that situation a guns use would be warranted IMHO.