[Jazhara7]

Originally Posted by bulldog

I collect knives....they are not as cool as guns but I have a Machete, Gerber Hunting knife with a fixed blade and gator grip and finally my newest addition Gerber knife with gut hook.


I'm hoping that my next knife will be a butterfly knife.

Are you kidding me? I think knives are much cooler than guns. I wish I had a machete. I am happy to own a scythe (not really a knife, I know. ).

I think this year I will finally buy one of those hand made knives from the blacksmith at the medieval fair. They're beautiful, and top quality.


-

[Giligan]

Originally Posted by Spiwak

I personally find a gun collection more offensive than, say, a porn collection or collection of erotic toys. I don't get why people are curious to collect things designed deliberately for no other purpose but to harm others; I find something vaguely inhuman about the whole thing.

Owning a firearm in this day and age is one thing, in matters of self-defense, but it still doesn't justify the preoccupation some have with semi-automatics and other ridiculous firearms truly designed for destruction. I can't realistically see any attempt to ban or recall firearms at this point, but I still feel that they should not have been made in the first place. That's just me, though.

LOL. Okay, I intend on having a gun collection when I can afford it. I'm obviously an inhuman bastard that likes to read stories about people being tortured and killed because it's amusing. Come to think of it, I'd like to start slitting people's throats randomly after imprisoning them in my basement.

Honestly, Spiwak, are you for women being nothing more than subjugated homemakers, and people treating other ethnicities like inhuman trash, too? Small-mindedness is one thing, but I find your post really rather unproductive and pointless.

[Catbert]

I don't see any problem with people using guns in firing ranges and shit. It's fun, I've done it, but despite being a good shot it's never really grown in me. If I was american I guess I wouldn't like knowing so many people walk around with guns LIKE THERE ARE GUN MALLS OUT THERE LOL, but I'm one of those people that don't trust anyone with anything, let alone a gun.

[Catbert]

I'm so yin/yang'ish lately.

[bulldog]

Originally Posted by Jazhara7

Are you kidding me? I think knives are much cooler than guns. I wish I had a machete. I am happy to own a scythe (not really a knife, I know. ).

I think this year I will finally buy one of those hand made knives from the blacksmith at the medieval fair. They're beautiful, and top quality.


-

Oh my, a girl after my own heart I think that would be awesome if you bought a hand made knife .....I would be so envious

[PILMAN]

Originally Posted by Catbert

I don't see any problem with people using guns in firing ranges and shit. It's fun, I've done it, but despite being a good shot it's never really grown in me. If I was american I guess I wouldn't like knowing so many people walk around with guns LIKE THERE ARE GUN MALLS OUT THERE LOL, but I'm one of those people that don't trust anyone with anything, let alone a gun.

Actually most of your armed citys are the safest areas out there. Go to Kennesaw, everyone is required to be armed by law with 27,000 people and not one murder in 25 years. My town is fairly armed though no one knows whos armed and whos not due to conceal carry. There has only been 2 murders in the past few years, none involving a firearm.

There aren't gun malls but there are gun shops and guns are sold at pawn shops. There is a sporting section at our walmart that sells shotguns, semi automatic rifles for sporting and hunting (mini-14, ruger 10/22) and ammunition as well as accessories though all guns are locked in case and the handgun ammo is kept seperate from the rest of the ammo.

Bass Pro Shop which is pretty large has a gun section for hunters and also sells handguns.

You'd have to visit the US to judge for yourself. Hollywood and the news makes it look much worse than it really is.

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by Giligan

LOL. Okay, I intend on having a gun collection when I can afford it. I'm obviously an inhuman bastard that likes to read stories about people being tortured and killed because it's amusing. Come to think of it, I'd like to start slitting people's throats randomly after imprisoning them in my basement.

Honestly, Spiwak, are you for women being nothing more than subjugated homemakers, and people treating other ethnicities like inhuman trash, too? Small-mindedness is one thing, but I find your post really rather unproductive and pointless.

I think you're reading too much into the post, more particularly the seemingly controversial use of the word "inhuman". All I'm saying is I find gun collections creepy.

And honestly, Giligan, where the hell are you even inferring anything about women and minorities? I don't appreciate the ridiculous accusation, nor does it even make sense with relation to anything that's been said, far as I can see. It's not small-mindedness, it's simply being fucking creeped out by guns. Jesus Christ.

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Originally Posted by Hammerite

I still don't get what's so interesting about guns.

As Bruce Cockburn sings, "I ride and I shoot and I play guitar; and I like my life just fine; try to take one of those away from me; aw, you're no friend of mine".

It's one of many interests. You personally don't have to be interested in either of those three to allow someone else to be interested in them.

Cockburn is an outspoken Christain, by the way.

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Originally Posted by SSH

"You ever been to England, anyone, been to England? No one has handguns in England, not even the cops. True or false? True. Now-in England last year, they had fourteen deaths from handguns. FFFFFourteen.

Now-the United States, and I think you know how we feel about handguns-woooo, I'm getting a warm tingly feeling just saying the fucking word, to be honest with you. I swear to you, I am hard. Twenty-three thousand deaths from handguns.

SSH, I'm not going to reply a counter to your or pilman's "statistics" because you didn't cite credible sites and pilman's cites are quesionable.

But even if there was a slant favoring "deaths from handguns" in Great Britain, I have to wonder at the total number of violent deaths by any means. I understand that Glascow is quite knife-happy.

I've always loved this quote from Archie Bunker:

Gloria: Do you know that sixty percent [ed: a dubious figure] of all deaths in America are caused by guns?
Archie Bunker: Would it make you feel any better, little girl, if they was pushed out of windows?

[PILMAN]

Originally Posted by Not A Speck Of Cereal

SSH, I'm not going to reply a counter to your or pilman's "statistics" because you didn't cite credible sites and pilman's cites are quesionable.

But even if there was a slant favoring "deaths from handguns" in Great Britain, I have to wonder at the total number of violent deaths by any means. I understand that Glascow is quite knife-happy.

I've always loved this quote from Archie Bunker:

Gloria: Do you know that sixty percent [ed: a dubious figure] of all deaths in America are caused by guns?
Archie Bunker: Would it make you feel any better, little girl, if they was pushed out of windows?

Then feel free to research some of the sources yourself, just to let you know, a lot of those are from the violence prevention center which is hardly pro gun by any means. You can view the citations below.

[Jeysie]

Originally Posted by PILMAN

Actually most of your armed citys are the safest areas out there. Go to Kennesaw, everyone is required to be armed by law with 27,000 people and not one murder in 25 years. My town is fairly armed though no one knows whos armed and whos not due to conceal carry. There has only been 2 murders in the past few years, none involving a firearm.

The low crime has less to do with armed/not armed and the size of the city/town. There are cities and towns of that size here in MA, and they have low to non-existent rates of murder as well. Show me a 50-100K city that's armed and has low crime, and we'll have a case.

Originally Posted by PILMAN

You'd have to visit the US to judge for yourself. Hollywood and the news makes it look much worse than it really is.

Depends on where you go. Here in my city, I'd feel a hell of a lot safer if most of the people here *weren't* armed. We've had buses and cars shot at (I only missed being on one of the buses that did due to sheer luck of timing), and shootings and other violent crimes downtown at night are fairly common (I stay away from the bus station at night). Shootings aren't unheard of during the day either... I've heard of "insult killings" and robberies that happened in broad daylight.

So I can't blame Catbert for saying he doesn't trust people, because, quite frankly, I don't either.

Peace & Luv, Liz

[jacog]

Originally Posted by bulldog

Oh my, a girl after my own heart I think that would be awesome if you bought a hand made knife .....I would be so envious

Agreed! Knives are the shit. Well, bladed things... knives, swords, etc. There's a certain style, craftsmanship and elegance they hold that a firearm could never do. A blade collection is something I would love to have. For now it's just me and me very nice Swiss Army Knife. Even has a bottle opener because I imagine the Swiss Army have a need for such things in the field... when under heavy fire, instead of shooting back, they just open a bottle of Chardonnay.

Hey, my last name happens to be Gerber, so nyah.

[Giligan]

Originally Posted by Spiwak

I think you're reading too much into the post, more particularly the seemingly controversial use of the word "inhuman". All I'm saying is I find gun collections creepy.

And honestly, Giligan, where the hell are you even inferring anything about women and minorities? I don't appreciate the ridiculous accusation, nor does it even make sense with relation to anything that's been said, far as I can see. It's not small-mindedness, it's simply being fucking creeped out by guns. Jesus Christ.

The latter part of your reply is certainly debatable, as "being creeped out" is simply a matter of perspective. How sad that all too often, our perspectives won't allow us to see the other side of the issue, nor see if we're wrong.

People on both sides of the issue have been arguing over this same debate for 50 years, so I doubt that any of 20 people are going to acknowledge that the other side may be right, just as it has always been in this debate. I propose that this thread be put back on track.

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by Giligan

The latter part of your reply is certainly debatable, as "being creeped out" is simply a matter of perspective. How sad that all too often, our perspectives won't allow us to see the other side of the issue, nor see if we're wrong.

People on both sides of the issue have been arguing over this same debate for 50 years, so I doubt that any of 20 people are going to acknowledge that the other side may be right, just as it has always been in this debate. I propose that this thread be put back on track.

You'll note that I wasn't involved at all in the debate. I was simply stating my opinion that I find gun collections disturbing. I don't see how that's a limited matter of perspective. It's entirely perspective, which was the point of the post; but I wouldn't question you if you thought anal sex was disturbing or that you don't like spiders. Some things are just like that for some people, given their experiences. For instance, when I think of guns I think of a day in my schooling when we had to barricade the doors because somebody walked into the school with a gun; and a relative who was a police officer that died on duty due to gunshot. Therefore, I don't like guns. Call it small-mindedness if you want, but I'm never going to like guns and I don't see why I ought to. I'd rather move somewhere else than buy a gun to feel safe.

Nevertheless, I never said I wanted guns banned, in fact I even said that I realize it would be pointless to try. I do think guns are partially responsible for a lot that's fucked up in the world today, though. They're also responsible for the best death animations in Fallout, so....silver lining and all that shit.

[Giligan]

Then I understand your position. I've never lost a relative or friend to a incident involving firearms, so I'm not in a position to judge you.

I feel towards firearms as a car enthusiast feels toward his car, how an aviator feels toward his aircraft, etc. etc. and because that is the current state of my feelings, I wouldn't want an incident to change that. As PILMAN has stated, and it could be construed as a cliche, the guns don't kill on their own, it's how the person uses them. However, you don't feel that, so you're certainly under no obligation or desire to feel the same towards them despite the situation.

[PILMAN]

Originally Posted by Jeysie

The low crime has less to do with armed/not armed and the size of the city/town. There are cities and towns of that size here in MA, and they have low to non-existent rates of murder as well. Show me a 50-100K city that's armed and has low crime, and we'll have a case.



Depends on where you go. Here in my city, I'd feel a hell of a lot safer if most of the people here *weren't* armed. We've had buses and cars shot at (I only missed being on one of the buses that did due to sheer luck of timing), and shootings and other violent crimes downtown at night are fairly common (I stay away from the bus station at night). Shootings aren't unheard of during the day either... I've heard of "insult killings" and robberies that happened in broad daylight.

So I can't blame Catbert for saying he doesn't trust people, because, quite frankly, I don't either.

Peace & Luv, Liz

Mass. also has some of the most strict gun laws in the country, it hasn't stopped the crime. I believe you need a FOID card to even possess a gun there don't you? That would mean those laws don't affect the criminals, only the law abiding citizens.

[bulldog]

Originally Posted by jacog

Agreed! Knives are the shit. Well, bladed things... knives, swords, etc. There's a certain style, craftsmanship and elegance they hold that a firearm could never do. A blade collection is something I would love to have. For now it's just me and me very nice Swiss Army Knife. Even has a bottle opener because I imagine the Swiss Army have a need for such things in the field... when under heavy fire, instead of shooting back, they just open a bottle of Chardonnay.

Hey, my last name happens to be Gerber, so nyah.

I love knives; they are so elegant something about them draws me in.

No shame in a Swiss Army Knife, you never know when you will need something. We keep one in our camping supplies, just in case we need it.

I hope Jaz does buy that knife, I bet it is beautiful.

Oh yeah Mr. Gerber....teehee great knives, so nyah

[Jeysie]

Originally Posted by PILMAN

Mass. also has some of the most strict gun laws in the country, it hasn't stopped the crime. I believe you need a FOID card to even possess a gun there don't you? That would mean those laws don't affect the criminals, only the law abiding citizens.

I honestly don't know... I have no desire to own a gun, so I never needed to look into it. But I do know guns are not banned (since I know people in the area who legitimately own one), so obviously law-abiding citizens owning guns hasn't done any favors here.

I also live in a medium-city currently... the place I grew up in had far less crime, and what little violent crime I'd heard of generally involved knives and similar weapons, not guns.

Peace & Luv, Liz

P.S. I will admit that the prevailing opinion in Western MA, at least, is that if you own a gun you either one, are up to no good, two, are a cop/security officer, or three, really need to move to a better neighborhood.

[PILMAN]

Originally Posted by Jeysie

I honestly don't know... I have no desire to own a gun, so I never needed to look into it. But I do know guns are not banned (since I know people in the area who legitimately own one), so obviously law-abiding citizens owning guns hasn't done any favors here.

I also live in a medium-city currently... the place I grew up in had far less crime, and what little violent crime I'd heard of generally involved knives and similar weapons, not guns.

Peace & Luv, Liz

P.S. I will admit that the prevailing opinion in Western MA, at least, is that if you own a gun you either one, are up to no good, two, are a cop/security officer, or three, really need to move to a better neighborhood.

Moving is easier said than done. We didn't choose for crime to come to us. If you are intent on not owning a gun, would you feel comfortable having a sign on your property saying "this house is gun free" ? The general purpose of a armed society isn't requiring everyone to be armed but the fact that the majority are armed creates a deterrent to prevent crimes.

[Jeysie]

Originally Posted by PILMAN

Moving is easier said than done. We didn't choose for crime to come to us. If you are intent on not owning a gun, would you feel comfortable having a sign on your property saying "this house is gun free" ? The general purpose of a armed society isn't requiring everyone to be armed but the fact that the majority are armed creates a deterrent to prevent crimes.

For one, it's not property crimes I'm worried about; I've never once had anyone try to break into any house I've lived in. It's getting shot in a drive-by, getting caught in a downtown crossfire, or getting shot by someone who mistakenly thought I looked at them the wrong way that worries me.

For two, since we've already established that the riff-raff in my area are also armed, owning a gun isn't going to do me any good since it'd come down to me vs. them... and I can tell you they likely have fewer scruples and better hand-eye coordination.

I do agree that moving is easier said than done... but I'm personally would not feel that needing to own a gun for protection/to feel safe is something to be proud of. It's a statement of being in a bad living situation, not something to brag about, IMHO.

Peace & Luv, Liz