Are you armed?

[Cave Diver]

Better yet, they break into your house while you're not there and help themselves to your guns. If you don't have them in the house, fewer will end up on the streets in the hands of those who could not access them through legal avenues.

My pistol doesn't stay in my house, it leaves when I do. The same goes for most of my friends. Living in a state with right to carry laws, leaving a gun at home kind of defeats the whole purpose. In addition, there are preventative ways to secure guns that are left at home. Most of the people I know that have multiple guns for hunting, etc. keep them in a gun safe.

In my view, the problem isn't with the gun owner that leaves a gun out that can be stolen if someone breaks into their house. The problem is that they have to lock all their valuables up in their own house to keep them from getting stolen when someone breaks in.

Criminals will be criminals regardless of the law. The only way to effectively stop that is to make the punishment enough of a deterrent that the crime is no longer worthwhile.

 

[Cave Diver]

BTW Jim, I see that the poll is still hovering around 60%. That's a pretty respectable turnout for such a large sampling.

 

[drbill]

Does this include shooting tourists?

I guess you've seen the bumper sticker out on the island that reads "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them." Of course that mentality is disgusting to me since the island depends almost entirely on tourism for its income and we'd die a quick death without our visitors.

On the funny side, I had just finished supervising my students in some gun club activities back in the early 70s. Although I put my rifles back in the house, I still had my pistols on my gunbelt when I drove my jeep into town to get groceries. As I parked in front of Safeway, a Sheriff's Deputy walked up and said "Bill, carrying your pistols in town is perfectly legal... but I wish you wouldn't." Can't remember what I did with them since I was 6 1/2 miles from my house... probably locked them in my camera boxes on the jeep.

 

[gypsyjim]

Blaming the home owner/gun owner because a criminal broke into his home and stole his gun, is very much like blaming the women's behavior for a sexual assault. the very same people who would cry "foul" in the latter case would be the first to do it in the first. Figure that one out.

Dr Bill, I still remember as a kid travelling threw many western states and seeing sidearms worn openly. Don't try that here! Here in NY, carrying is by permit only, and it is expected that the weapon will be concealed, not openly displayed. World has changed a lot during my lifetime.

 

[gypsyjim]

I am a bit surprised at the poll results myself. Did expect a higher response from the more urban/liberal portion of this community, but in part these results may point to a rather strong independent streak within the dive community. Or my original word choice that scared some away?

 

[Cave Diver]

I am a bit surprised at the poll results myself. Did expect a higher response from the more urban/liberal portion of this community, but in part these results may point to a rather strong independent streak within the dive community. Or my original word choice that scared some away?

It's pretty consistent with my real world experience. Everyone in my immediate dive group (5) have concealed carry. I recall getting together with a group of extended dive buddies for dinner when we were in Florida once and the subject came up. Out of a group of about 20, approx 18 had concealed carry. Would have been a bad night for someone to rob that restaurant.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Better yet, they break into your house while you're not there and help themselves to your guns. If you don't have them in the house, fewer will end up on the streets in the hands of those who could not access them through legal avenues.

On the other hand, I own an L1A1 (on an aftermarket semi-auto receiver), a semi-auto Romanian PSL (sort of a Romanian designated sniper rifle) a Yugoslav M59/66 semi auto, and a few ex military M-16 uppers with suitably replaced civilian parts (bolt carrier, trigger group, etc) on civilian AR-15 lower receivers, an M-1 Carbine, etc that would all still be running around out there somewhere in the 3rd world arming potential terroristsa dn criminals if I and other gun collectors and owners like me did not create a market for them and essentially take them out of circulation.

They are all kept in a gun safe, so a thief would have to:

1. Get past the exterior locks,
2. The doorman,
3. My front door dead bolt and lock,
4. and open the gun safe.

And of course if I was home they'd have another obstacle to deal with.

And they'd have to do it quietly enough not to bother the people in the neighboring apartments.

So the argument that "home gun owners provide a means for legal guns to fall into criminal hands" is not that valid an argument.

It also ignores the fact that if we had no legal gun ownership at all in the US, we'd just have a healthy trade importing them up from the south, and it would not be law abiding people like me who would be buying them, instead it would be the already non law abiding criminal elements who would not really care about breaking one more law.

Most of those illegally imported guns would also not be semi-automatic civilian guns that have been mis-named "assault rifles" by liberal and largely ignorant politicians but rather the real deal - fully automatic AK-47s, AKMs, M-16s, Uzis, etc.

 

[mdb]

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. The first day of deer season was a school holiday. My first shotgun was a single shot 20 gauge H&R -"learn to aim"-said my Dad. I next owned, and still do, a Winchester model 12 and a Marlin 39A, the list goes on. I am in the armed camp.

 

[Rhone Man]

I am a bit surprised at the poll results myself. Did expect a higher response from the more urban/liberal portion of this community, but in part these results may point to a rather strong independent streak within the dive community. Or my original word choice that scared some away?

Speaking on behalf of the liberals, I think most of us tend to avoid threads like this, or just skulk in the background. I dip in and out, but never voted. Didn't find an option which fit.

 

[Aquaviolator]

gypsyjim, that is probly the best analogy I've heard!