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Gun Rights and Security Issues Gun Control, Crime, Drugs, Defence, Homeland Security, Immigration, Law Enforcement

View Poll Results: Do You Regularly Carry A Firearm?
Yes 47 29.94%
No 110 70.06%
Voters: 157. You may not vote on this poll

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  #946 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Wallaroo Wallaroo is offline
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
Well, we're so happy that works in Denmark.

Why do you think we should have the same kinds of laws here?
Because they work as intended and save human lives, even though its often the lives of scumbags, but still...

Btw, did your assailants die from their wounds? And if you lived in California at the time, why didn't they throw you in jail for carrying without permission?
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  #947 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AdrienXII View Post
LMAO. I have no doubt of that, Eric. However, I'm not likely to stand in place and let some lunatic skewer me with a bloody sword. I'm more likely to blow his head off first. 4" blade, lol...
I think your humor comes from a difference in the way denote inches and feet in the US and Europe.

Here, the double quote (") means inches, the single (') means feet. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking they are reversed over there, in which case, I apologize for the confusion.

So yes Adrien, a 4 INCH long blade can kill you very rapidly, and it is highly concealable. Heck, i carry one right about that long all the time - not as a weapon (although it could be one) but for utility.
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  #948 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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EricOKC EricOKC is offline
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
I expect that the statement above will be the dumbest fucking thing you'll ever say on USPOL...
Nah - he'll say something dumber...
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  #949 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by crisis View Post
But what would his level of threat be compared to yours? And what level of reaction?
I'll answer that directly rather than allow conjecture.

Given the same situation as Steve, my response would be exactly the same. The moment I saw weapons, and realized we were targeted, the gun would be out and ready. If they saw it and continued coming, things would get noisy.

Considering the circumstances as given, there would be no other choice. Considering the laws as written, I would have nothing to fear in the way of prosecution. I would be 100% in the right legally, ethically and morally.

I still fail to see where you have an issue with my position. A person should be responsible for his actions, a gun IS merely a tool (if you don't think it is, what on earth would you call it? A weapon is still a tool.) and yes, some people simply do need killing - and the four in question in Steve's situation most certainly DID need killing.

In the situation as presented, somebody was going to die that night - thankfully it was NOT Steve and his wife.
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  #950 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wallaroo View Post
Because they work as intended and save human lives, even though its often the lives of scumbags, but still...

Btw, did your assailants die from their wounds? And if you lived in California at the time, why didn't they throw you in jail for carrying without permission?
Do you have any proof to support your claim? I refuse to believe that a professional police force trains to recklessly discharge their weapons into the air, and further trains to attempt to inflict non-lethal wounds with lethal devices.

Seriously - you're going to have to provide more than just your assertions on such a ridiculous claim. This is on par with suggesting that Netherlanders are taught to drive with one hand on the wheel and one on an open bottle of hard alcohol, at night, with the lights off, while speeding through residential neighborhoods, and one foot out the window (without seatbelts of course).

I cannot think of a single logical reason why they would train their police force in tactics which would endanger the officer as well as the general public.
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  #951 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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erikvv erikvv is offline
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricOKC View Post
I think your humor comes from a difference in the way denote inches and feet in the US and Europe.

Here, the double quote (") means inches, the single (') means feet. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking they are reversed over there, in which case, I apologize for the confusion.

So yes Adrien, a 4 INCH long blade can kill you very rapidly, and it is highly concealable. Heck, i carry one right about that long all the time - not as a weapon (although it could be one) but for utility.
I dont think adrien knew that there was a difference between one apostrophe or two, or that europe has a different notation (at least I didnt). Remember, its all meters over here.
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  #952 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by crisis View Post
And if it were your wife or son or a friend who was unnecessarily killed. Would you be able to be so blasé about that?
If my wife or son or friend put themselves in a position where someone felt compelled to shoot them, I'd question not only the actions of the shooter, byt also of my loved one...

Quote:
But what would his level of threat be compared to yours? And what level of reaction?
I have no idea. But I have a strong feeling that Erik wouldn't wait to become a victim...

Quote:
What a ridiculous conclusion.
It's not ridiculous at all...

Quote:
What crap.
Why?

Quote:
Or if he had not have drawn it he may have only lost a wallet full of credit cards.
You have this nifty little habit of "iffing" something into the ground. Well, what if the assailant wanted to rape his girlfriend and then cut her throat?

Quote:
Well expect a few million others to vary as much and more then.
Vary from what?

Quote:
With what?
Quote:
And if there can be no guarantee the benefits are highly questionable compared to the known dangers.
You'll face an impossible task convincing anyone who's ever used a gun to defend themselves of that...
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Last edited by Steve; 12-03-2007 at 09:39 PM.
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  #953 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by erikvv View Post
I dont think adrien knew that there was a difference between one apostrophe or two, or that europe has a different notation (at least I didnt). Remember, its all meters over here.
When i read his response, i realized he had to be thinking that way. Either that, or he considers a pocket knife a sword - in which case he's got other issues.
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  #954 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wallaroo View Post
Btw, did your assailants die from their wounds?
Sixty-four pages in, and you're just asking that now?

Yes, two of them did...

Quote:
And if you lived in California at the time, why didn't they throw you in jail for carrying without permission?
Where did I say I didn't have permission?

At the time it happened, I had a concealed carry permit.

I no longer have it, but I still carry, every single day. If need be, I would much rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6...
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  #955 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
I have no idea. But I have a string feeling that Erik wouldn't wait to become a victim...
I would avoid using lethal force right up to the point where I realized someone was going to get hurt or killed. At that point, I would do everything in my power to ensure it wasn't ME who ended up hurt or killed. If i could run, I'd run. If i couldn't, then yes, someone is getting shot.

Like yourself Steve, I firmly believe that my life, and the lives of my family, are worth more than the life of a criminal.

Would I lose sleep over it? Very likely I would - quite a lot in fact. I am an extremely gentle person who abhors violence and avoids it whenever possible, however possible, but I am quite capable of it when it is needed.
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  #956 (permalink)  
Old 12-03-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricOKC View Post
I'll answer that directly rather than allow conjecture.

Given the same situation as Steve, my response would be exactly the same. The moment I saw weapons, and realized we were targeted, the gun would be out and ready. If they saw it and continued coming, things would get noisy.

Considering the circumstances as given, there would be no other choice. Considering the laws as written, I would have nothing to fear in the way of prosecution. I would be 100% in the right legally, ethically and morally.

I still fail to see where you have an issue with my position. A person should be responsible for his actions, a gun IS merely a tool (if you don't think it is, what on earth would you call it? A weapon is still a tool.) and yes, some people simply do need killing - and the four in question in Steve's situation most certainly DID need killing.
Well this is where it comes unstuck. Steve didn’t think all four needed killing. In fact he states “The main intent in using deadly force is not to kill a person, but to stop them...”
So it again supports my argument that within a sample of just four gun owners there is no consensus on exactly how a situation should be handled and what level of situation needs handling with lethal force.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
If my wife or son or friend put themselves in a position where someone felt compelled to shoot them, I'd question not only the actions of the shooter, byt also of my loved one...
But if they were dealt with harshly by mistake could you still be so dismissive? Of course not.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
It's not ridiculous at all...
You have no idea of what circumstance are prevailing. By that statement you assume every confrontation is a lethal one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
Why?
Because assailants with knives do not always have guns.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
You have this nifty little habit of "iffing" something into the ground. Well, what if the assailant wanted to rape his girlfriend and then cut her throat?
And you have a nifty habit of thinking everything will manifest itself in the most violent of outcomes. There are infinite circumstances and possible outcomes depending on what the threat is and how the threat is dealt with. Sometimes innocent people will get hurt or killed but they may still end up that way whether they are armed or not. The good guy with the gun doesn’t always win. It guarantees nothing.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
Vary from what?
From what level of threat they perceive from a given encounter and from what level of reaction they deem justified. So you have millions of armed people running around making ad hoc decisions based on their own perceptions of what is a threat and how lethally they need to deal with it. Could be anything from being cut off in the traffic to being surrounded by 20 drug fucked gang bangers. Not my idea of civilisation. And I don’t want to rely on others deciding what level of threat I present to them.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
You'll face an impossible task convincing anyone who's ever used a gun to defend themselves of that...
No argument there but that is irrelevant to the discussion.
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  #957 (permalink)  
Old 12-04-2007
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by crisis View Post
You have no idea of what circumstance are prevailing. By that statement you assume every confrontation is a lethal one.
No, I make the assumption that every confrontation could end up as a lethal one.

Big difference...

Quote:
Because assailants with knives do not always have guns.
Ten seconds before he pulled a knife, I didn't think he had that, either...

Quote:
And you have a nifty habit of thinking everything will manifest itself in the most violent of outcomes.
It's called being prepared.

As I've said, I'll probably live the rest of my life without ever again having to draw my weapon. If it were to happen, though, I'd like to know that I'm prepared to meet whatever threat I'm presented with...

Quote:
There are infinite circumstances and possible outcomes depending on what the threat is and how the threat is dealt with.
And this is kind of the point I'm making.

My argument in favor of carrying a gun is based on my experience. The guy who lives down the street may have his own experience which justifies it for him. The guy in the next town might have had an experience which justifies it.

The argument for carrying isn't made by just me, it's made by all of those who've had experiences which support their carrying a gun.

Just as you say that there's no one argument which justifies it, neither is there one argument which counters them all...

Quote:
Sometimes innocent people will get hurt or killed but they may still end up that way whether they are armed or not.
So because they might be killed anyway, they shouldn't be in a position to defend themselves?

Quote:
The good guy with the gun doesn’t always win. It guarantees nothing.
I believe it increases the odds exponentially...

Quote:
So you have millions of armed people running around making ad hoc decisions based on their own perceptions of what is a threat and how lethally they need to deal with it.
Well, I don't know that millions of people are carrying guns in this country but, if they were, you would be right.

And I don't have a problem with someone carrying a gun making the decision when there's a threat...

Quote:
And I don’t want to rely on others deciding what level of threat I present to them.
That's exactly my point.

You want to see less guns. You are, then, wanting to decide what level of threat I present to someone who'd attack me.

If you don't want someone dictating the level of threat you present, why the fuck should I be willing to accept the fact that you want to limit the level of threat I present?

Quote:
No argument there but that is irrelevant to the discussion.
Then what was the point of the comment?

See, it's not irrelevant at all. In fact, it's exactly the point...
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  #958 (permalink)  
Old 12-04-2007
AdrienXII AdrienXII is offline
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricOKC View Post
Nah - he'll say something dumber...
I'd love to say something dumber, and as a matter of fact, I've been trying to for two days, but my posts didn't get through. Anybody else have any problems?
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  #959 (permalink)  
Old 12-04-2007
AdrienXII AdrienXII is offline
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Re: Do You Carry A Gun?

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricOKC View Post
I think your humor comes from a difference in the way denote inches and feet in the US and Europe.

Here, the double quote (") means inches, the single (') means feet. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking they are reversed over there, in which case, I apologize for the confusion.

So yes Adrien, a 4 INCH long blade can kill you very rapidly, and it is highly concealable. Heck, i carry one right about that long all the time - not as a weapon (although it could be one) but for utility.
I knew you meant four inch blade, but it still is a fucking big knife. And I'm not about to ignore one if it is waved under my nose.
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