I can't make my mind up on the issue of guns.
All I know is that a friend of a friend came into my families home (when my parents were away) and I was about 22 years old.
The guy was strung out on some drugs (don't know what). He bailed us up at 3am in the morning having left our house at 10pm the night prior to this particular morning. In my parents living room he had me sit on the floor and he proceeded to ask questions and make statements about what it would be like for my parents to come home and find my brains splattered against the wall.
I still have very strong images of this event. Lucky we talked our way through 3 hours of BS talk and made a run for the door. He camped in the house for 2 days and ransacked it. We were too frightened of reprisal if we rang the cops. He even stole my dads war medals which were in a brown paper bag in his socks drawer.
Finally he left. Eventually got caught doing a drug run in his GTO between states.
Anyhow...this situation left me with many thoughts
1. Would I have gone for a gun if I had one in the house?
2. Should I have tried to use my Taekwondo training to 'take him down'
3. Years later if my kids or wife were in this situation would I use either a gun, bodily assult or flight to get them out of the situation.
Guns, as everyone has commented, in themselves are not the problem. Its when they get in the hands of someone who could 'turn' at any time if provoked by a)their own actions b) someone else actions.
I use to hunt every year on my uncles farm for rabbits with 'mixy' as they were a harm to livestock and healthy ones also decimated the land he farmed. We were taught from a young age to respect the rifles we used and my dad (a WW2 Vet.) was a sergeant major with us. Any pot shots and we were in big trouble. If the rifle wasn't spotlessly clean before and after use and locked (chain and padlock) at any time other than when hunting for vermin...well...we were in MAX trouble.
Ultimately, I wish guns/rifles didn't exist. I, like Motion, look into my kids faces and fear for their safety from either accidental or purposeful (including random) shooting. Then again I'm fearful for their safety on the road too, be it in a car or crossing to school!
