Starbucks & Guns

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Geronimo '74

With all due respect Snipe, but that is a bit narrowminded.
Over here, gunlaws are a lot stricter then in the US.
I am not anti gun, I think they're pretty cool, but I do not own one, have never needed one so far. (Maybe I'll get one in the future, I hear HK P7 is good... )
I am sure situations can occur that I wish I had one. But I still feel perfectly safe when I go out. Mind you there are cities, regions where you do not want to be hanging around, unsafe. But even with a gun I would not visit those places.
I doubt if a gun would make me feel safe.
There just is a big cultural, historical difference between our countries.
But that does not mean we are naive.

One questions springs to mind when I hear and read on this BBS how a lot of folks believe that they need a gun to be safe from harm. What do you do when you go on vacation? Obviously, you are not taking any guns on the plane when you go, let's say, to Europe.
Do you gun owners feel unsafe then?? Kinda takes the fun out of the holiday, not?

You're kept safe by the guns of the police and military every day, right?

You want your Army to disband?

Same difference bro.

My permit to carry is good in 23 states, and for a couple hundred bucks i can extend that to 33 states. 33 states of the US is enough area for me to travel to honestly never feel like i need to go anywhere else. You can check a gun into baggage in the US. I'm going to La in a few weeks for a tryst with a sexy nurse i met online. I'll be bringing my trusty little .32 auto.

PS: If every citizen of Belgium was armed when the Nazis invaded the history of the beginning of WWII would probably a look a lot different. If nothing else the Nazis would have taken immense casualties and had their timetables significantly botched if they had to fight a sudden and immediate insurgency in all the low countries they'd just invaded.

PSS: A gun does not make you safe from harm. It merely allows you to MATCH force with force.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by Geronimo '74

With all due respect Snipe, but that is a bit narrowminded.
Over here, gunlaws are a lot stricter then in the US.
I am not anti gun, I think they're pretty cool, but I do not own one, have never needed one so far. (Maybe I'll get one in the future, I hear HK P7 is good... )
I am sure situations can occur that I wish I had one. But I still feel perfectly safe when I go out. Mind you there are cities, regions where you do not want to be hanging around, unsafe. But even with a gun I would not visit those places.
I doubt if a gun would make me feel safe.
There just is a big cultural, historical difference between our countries.
But that does not mean we are naive.

One questions springs to mind when I hear and read on this BBS how a lot of folks believe that they need a gun to be safe from harm. What do you do when you go on vacation? Obviously, you are not taking any guns on the plane when you go, let's say, to Europe.
Do you gun owners feel unsafe then?? Kinda takes the fun out of the holiday, not?

You mean, use common sense loooonggg before strapping a 1911 to your hip. Ah! You ask too much of some of the enlightened here.

[Brando]

The people carrying ensures not only the protection and rights of the people individually, but of We The People.

Permitting just Law Enforcement (Para-Military) and the Military to be armed ensures the protection of the government and not We The People.

Now as for criminals carrying, that would be convicted felons, criminals with prohibitive convictions, known (convicted) gang members etc, is not got for We The People. But even then, those who have no regard for the law... Well, you know.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Geronimo '74

There just is a big cultural, historical difference between our countries.
But that does not mean we are naive.

One questions springs to mind when I hear and read on this BBS how a lot of folks believe that they need a gun to be safe from harm. What do you do when you go on vacation? Obviously, you are not taking any guns on the plane when you go, let's say, to Europe.
Do you gun owners feel unsafe then?? Kinda takes the fun out of the holiday, not?

Interesting perspective.

I was in Brussels a few years ago attending a conference at NATO. We stayed at a hotel near the old city center and were bused to NATO every morning. We were in civilian garb.

The third day we ended a bit early and the dedicated bus wasn't due for aver an hour. Two of my buds and I decided to take a local bus back to the hotel.

I have been all over the world without incident...Europe, Asian, South America, parts of Africa, Australian, etc. Zippy issues. I even lived in the Middle East for over a year, traveled widely there. Nothing.

So, here I am on a local bus in Belgium, headed back to the hotel.

Oddly, the bus is full of mostly young Middle Eastern men and women...from the back of the bus we hear, "F'ing Americans"...not once, twice but four or five times, each chant given as the bus rolled to a designated stop. At least two different voices. We exchange looks with each other and decide not to look behind us for the moment.

We are sitting near the front and do a quick sitsum: Foreign country, interesting part of town, not sure who is mocking us, and from the bus drivers body language, on our own. What we do want is separation and room to move.

We get off at the next stop...as do at least ten other people. We head down hill in a residential/commercial area, fairly wide sidewalks. We see no police at all. We hear it again: "F'ing Americans".

We all turn at once, each of us over six feet tall. There are three of them, two in their very late teens or early 20's, the other no more than 14/15. We stride towards them.

"What do you want?"

The look on their faces was an interesting mixture of defiance and apprehension. We all knew then (we talked about it later) that they posed no real threat. They backed-up and turned, repeating their little mantra as they walked away, glancing over their shoulders as they delivered their epithets.

We resumed our trek downhill.

I can tell you that whatever you think your cultural heritage is, your historical perspective, it is being slowly subsumed. Good luck.

I don't CC, BTW and haven't been in a fight since flight school.

[m21sniper]

By the way, there are at least 2 pelicans on this forum who have actually exchanged gun fire with criminals and not been robbed/murdered because they were able to defend themselves and/or their co-workers.

[Scuba Steve]

Posting on this thread while enjoying a vanilla latte bought from the Starbucks around the corner because they allow CC.

[on2wheels52]

Originally Posted by dd74

As is, I'm not worried. Not after the night in a cigar shop where the owner -- for kicks -- pulled out a twelve-gauge, chambered a round and pointed it at a few fun-loving smokers. Anything else is decaf to me.

Is there something to this story you're leaving out? On face value it would seem that said cigar store owner is an idiot. Not everyone should be allowed to have a gun in their hands.
Jim

[Rick Lee]

Snipe, be careful bringing your piece to KA. I've done it plenty, by car, bike and in checked luggage. But be careful with that. You're a foreigner there. Bring your lady to Phoenix instead.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

By the way, there are at least 2 pelicans on this forum who have actually exchanged gun fire with criminals and not been robbed/murdered because they were able to defend themselves and/or their co-workers.

Are they our Australian Pelican contingent?

[dd74]

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

Is there something to this story you're leaving out? On face value it would seem that said cigar store owner is an idiot. Not everyone should be allowed to have a gun in their hands.
Jim

Yes, there is something I'm leaving out. The cigar store owner is an idiot. Good find.

[red-beard]

I have a new analogy for those who keep asking whether we are paranoid, or don't feel safe, etc, because we carry a pistol.

Do you wear a safety belt in the car all the time, or only when you are driving fast, dangerously or recklessly? Do you drive faster, more out of control, race people, because you are wearing a safety belt? Of course not!

Now do you understand? We don't carry guns because we EXPECT trouble, but because you can never anticipate the time when you will need it. You don't click the belt on, just before you get in an accident. You put the belt on as soon as you get in the car.

And pistols are like regular car belts. If you KNOW you are going into danger, like going to the track, you are required to get a 5 point harness (or a rifle).

[afterburn 549]

I find it very ironic those will pipe up from the pro left block countries taunting their gun laws....Forgetting they were liberated ..by who? By what ? !!
I am sure this can be applied as to who are honest enough to wear it.....
I find it ironic to find that some limp dick individual(s) will shout their worry about guns and for get they are inherent to our constitution RIGHTS.
For their part I find them dysentery to my thoughts..yet they are entitled to them...But, they do not want to let me exercise my rights.....so typical of the left
AS for me..I think I will go dwn and buy a bunch of Starbucks !

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by dd74

Are they our Australian Pelican contingent?

Americans.

Both are regulars.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Snipe, be careful bringing your piece to KA. I've done it plenty, by car, bike and in checked luggage. But be careful with that. You're a foreigner there. Bring your lady to Phoenix instead.

You mean La?

She's in Lafayette, La.

Any pelicans down there?

[speedracing944]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Show me one nation in the history of mankind that did not require arms to secure itself and it's population.

I'll be waiting.

I can't. I am a big supporter of open and concealed carry.

Speedy

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by legion

This is an interesting topic that has deep roots in each country's respective culture. I think part of the problem with Europe right now is that it is being flooded with people who have no respect for the laws, culture, or traditions. While in the past, there was no need for guns because the laws were universally respected, that is no longer the case. Many imigrants have no interest in an ordered society, and instead see vast numbers of helpless victims to take advantage of.

What part of Europe were you in where laws were universally respected? I've been all over Europe and I never saw such a place.

[afterburn 549]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

What part of Europe were you in where laws were universally respected? I've been all over Europe and I never saw such a place.

Was WW2 that long ago?

[Geronimo '74]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

You're kept safe by the guns of the police and military every day, right?
.

True, I think, lol

Originally Posted by m21sniper

You want your Army to disband?.

Ha, our "army" is a joke. nobody gets drafted, it is all voluntary and professionals. It is very small an IMO consists mostly out of Rambo wannabe's. I'm probably generalizing here but it is small, so small that when we get into trouble first thing they'll do is put their hands up and shout for help...

Originally Posted by m21sniper

PSS: A gun does not make you safe from harm. It merely allows you to MATCH force with force.

I hear you.


We may very well be heading for times when owning a gun makes good sense.
But CC is not gonna happen anytime soon over here.

In the mean time, I'm contemplating to get my hunting licence.
We have a very nice hunting rifle in the family that we probablywon't be able to keep if nobody has a hunting permit... My dad has one now, I'd like to get mine as well.

A while back gun laws were changed resulting in thousands of people turning in firearms to be be destroyed. This was an effort to get rid of illegal firearms. What it really did was have people, families turn in grandpa's rifle or gun. Real criminals kept their guns, well duh!
After some many people reluctantly turned in their guns, hunting rifles.... they made the laws more lenient...
Hence the hunting licence...

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

I find it very ironic those will pipe up from the pro left block countries taunting their gun laws....Forgetting they were liberated ..by who? By what ? !!
I find it ironic to find that some limp dick individual(s) will shout their worry about guns and for get they are inherent to our constitution RIGHTS.

This is not adressed to me, is it??

[Racerbvd]

I sent this to a friend, this is her response..

Guns and Starbucks do not mix! In fact, nothing mixes with Starbucks!!!! They are the most environmentally unconscious corporation that I know of!! (granted .. this from the lady who likes blowing **** up!!

[Apollo]

My post is a bit of a lament. In Australia its illegal to carry guns. Its never been part of the culture here,so I wonder(lament) why this has become the case in the US?. Its with monotonous regularity that we wake up to the news of wholesale slaughter by invariably a person with major 'issues'. I know its too late for you guys to return to the garden, but I'm fearing, that eventually, it will emerge here and then become endemic. Even now there's the once a month gunfight somewhere involving either criminals themselves or a criminal against the police. People always genuinely shudder at the often brazeness of it all-but what can be done? May I say though, with respect, that what I find disturbing is an often barely concealed bravado displayed when people hypothesise about 'blowing someone away'. I know I know I would probably want to retaliate the same way,but where will it all end? Violence begets violence. It just struck me as bizarre that(even though I can see the agument that you have to be 'prepared') we are talking about the presence of guns at a place for gathering to relax,socialize and drink coffee? What next guns at kids birthday parties? Funerals? I don't want trouble in paradise, but its coming.