Some great points, Explorer. I've wrestled with similar thoughts myself. I live in Grizzly country. Giving up a .44 would be a bold thing to do, even though I carry bear spray.
Yes Sir this is what I thought as well until the first time I faced off with a bear. I’ve had three close encounters in my life. The first encounter taught me that as much as I would like to believe I could pull my gun and make that shot as a bear is charging me it’s just not as likely to succeed as a wide sweeping bear spray. It also taught me that guns just make some bears mad. The second close encounter I reached for my bear spray and didn’t even think about reaching for my gun. The third one I didn’t even have to pull the spray trigger that time I swear the bear could smell it in the can and turned tail. They fear the spray but they do not all fear guns. These encounters were while out prospecting for gold in the wilds of Alaska and downeast in Maine- very remote areas where these bears do not see people much and have no real fear of people. So maybe not experienced by your average civilian but thought I would share my experiences.
As for the SCOTUS decision, the second amendment seems murky business, doesn't is specifial refer to the militia as regulated? And isn't the intent to repel dictatorship/invasion rather than personal self defense?
I buy bear spray now.
Oh, boy....I'll take a stab with a few points...
Its interesting to hear your experience Explorer, thank you. Having a chat with my neighbor who is retired LEO, he never carried his gun after he retired. I asked why and he said he never felt the need or desire. I don't think either of your thoughts on it are rare. It is nice to hear them.For many its not about wanting to carry its about not letting the right erode away. I think what is missed, at least from my perspective is what the Supreme Court just ruled and what Justice Thomas said "its not a second class right".
Some of my friends however took it personally for some reason and suddenly just assumed I was against guns or that I’d gone off the deep end.
No worries about that here on MTo. We all thought you'd gone off the deep end already. ( just like the rest of us.... )
Yes sir and thank you. I 100% support not letting those rights erode away. it was definitely the right decision for me and many of my friends understood that it didn’t mean that I’m against them or didn’t wanna be around them it was just something I had to do for me. Some of my friends however took it personally and suddenly just assumed I was against guns or that I’d gone off the deep end. It was a weird experience and the instant divisiveness that arose from my departure from them was unexpected. But Most of them have come around now tho. Many of my buddies carry when we go out into the wild country it’s funny though because they always check with me to make sure that I have my bear spray.
Your experience with your friends is an indicator of how charged this issue is. Any position outside of the two entrenched camps is looked upon with distrust and leads to dissension.
Its good they came around tho. Theres just too much to this than we can or should discuss here on MTO.
We want mass and in particular school shootings to stop. We likely all agree on this.
As for the SCOTUS decision, the second amendment seems murky business, doesn't is specifial refer to the militia as regulated? And isn't the intent to repel dictatorship/invasion rather than personal self defense?*I'm also confused why this is the FBIs jurisdiction, isn't this kind of thing why the ATF exists?
Oh, boy....I'll take a stab with a few points:• The militia referred to every able bodied person. The militia was 'the people' when 2A was penned. Militias were not standing bodies, but ad hoc organizations. • The right to self defense is traced back to English common law and did not require enumeration. Yes, the militia was to be formed up to deal with threats to society or state, but that did not mean arms could not be used for self-defense. It was not an 'either or' concept. • At the time "regulated" meant well functioning or well practiced. Functioning, accurate clocks were "well regulated". It did not mean 'managed' or 'overseen' by the government. The whole point of 2A was that the people should be armed, not the government.
Do we though? The arguing over statistics with some insisting the US doesn't have a problem with mass or school shootings when compared to elsewhere suggests otherwise.
I do believe we all want to feel safe yes. I certain no one wants to feel unsafe. I'm not sure how mass shootings relates to anyone not wanting to feel safe tho, you lost me?
Now you lost me, I don't think I was talking about feeling safe.I was talking about whether we agree there is a problem or not.
The recent decision of US Supreme Court showed to me, once again, how much different is the American way of thinking from the European one. That's why I have nothing to say about those matters and regarding what the US "should" do. I only know that in Europe, weapon restrictions look like the reasonable way to go (remember that we use weapons against each other in various scales here since prehistory), but our reasonable ways might not stay reasonable across the oceans.As Aloha said, our common ground is that we all feel sorrow when innocent kids loose their lives, be it from mass shootings in the US, starvation in Africa, war in Ukraine, sexploitation in South Asia, drug wars in South America, whatever, wherever, by whoever.
As Aloha said, our common ground is that we all feel sorrow when innocent kids loose their lives, be it from mass shootings in the US, starvation in Africa, war in Ukraine, sexploitation in South Asia, drug wars in South America, whatever, wherever, by whoever.
Over 1000 people dying from an earthquake in Afghanistan hasn't received much attention.
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