BlueWidow
Visionary
- Oct 6, 2019
- 2,179
This is sort of a rant but also just something to inform those of you who don't live in America that guns are not as easy to get here as people in other countries seem to think they are. I've seen a few posts on here where people are talking about some other ctb method and someone else will say something like, " You live in the US don't you? Why don't you just get a gun?". I admit they're probably much easier to get here in the United States than they are in most other countries, but it's not like you can walk down to the store and buy a gun along with your loaf of bread.
If it were that easy I would probably own one.
I grew up in the Midwest where guns were everywhere. My father was an avid hunter and he kept all of his hunting rifles, at least four or five of them, lined up all in a row leaning against the wall when I was growing up. Each one of them was loaded and ready to go. There was no gun safety cabinet, none of that crap. I just knew not to touch his guns and I didn't. He also kept a loaded revolver under a cushion on " his side of the sofa". I spent lots of time alone in the house with all the guns, including when I was a teenager and suicidal. It would've been so easy to just pick one of them up and point it at my head and end everything. I wouldn't have even had to load it, as they were always loaded. My dad always said an unloaded gun is useless. The reason I never did it is because at the time I was obsessed with not making a mess. Even though most of my family treated me like dirt, I never would've wanted to return the favor by having them come in and see my brains splattered all over the wall.
I wish I had taken the advantage of the opportunity when I had it. If I wanted to use a gun now I would have to purchase one myself. Even though I was around guns a lot when I was growing up, I know absolutely nothing about them. I don't know how to fire a gun, or how to load one. The whole subject intimidates me. My dad always promised he would show me how to load the gun and fire it, but that was just one of many promises that he made and never kept.
Even though guns are technically legal in the United States and we supposedly have the second amendment right to own guns and defend ourselves, each state has its own laws. Many states in America make it very hard for you to obtain and own a gun legally. They either have very difficult background check processes, or they make it so costly that it's not financially feasible for many people to own a gun. Also, it's not like you can go to another state where it's easier to get a gun and bring it to a state where it's more difficult to get one because you would most likely get thrown in jail.
I now live in a state where they make it very difficult for you to own a gun. I also must admit that I am afraid of the background check. I don't think they would find anything, but it still kind of bothers me that someone would check into my background about anything. Plus, if they did find my history of mental illness, that would be the end of me being allowed to get a gun. Plus, then I would be on some registry somewhere as a person who is mentally ill and not allowed to own a gun. I don't really like the thought of that.
There is currently a big debate going on about guns in the United States. Many states are enacting what they call Red Flag Laws to prevent "mentally ill people" from getting guns, or if they do own guns, the police can come in legally and take their guns away. All that has to happen is a family member, doctor, or in some cases even a teacher or school administrator calls the police and tells them that you are a threat or that you are mentally ill or something and the police will come and take your guns away with no questions asked. At least that's the way I understand it. Then it's up to you to fight to get your guns back. As more and more states enact these laws I think at some point in the near future it's going to become increasingly difficult to get a gun in the United States, unless you're a criminal. The politicians and the anti-gun people think that taking away people's guns will stop all of these mass shootings. I actually think it would be better to try to get people the help that they need before just coming in and taking their guns away. But politicians like to take people's rights away whenever they can and give themselves more power.
I hope I didn't offend anyone with this thread. That was not my intention. Nor do I intend to start a debate about gun rights. I just wanted to point out that it's not as easy to get a gun as some people might think it is.
If it were that easy I would probably own one.
I grew up in the Midwest where guns were everywhere. My father was an avid hunter and he kept all of his hunting rifles, at least four or five of them, lined up all in a row leaning against the wall when I was growing up. Each one of them was loaded and ready to go. There was no gun safety cabinet, none of that crap. I just knew not to touch his guns and I didn't. He also kept a loaded revolver under a cushion on " his side of the sofa". I spent lots of time alone in the house with all the guns, including when I was a teenager and suicidal. It would've been so easy to just pick one of them up and point it at my head and end everything. I wouldn't have even had to load it, as they were always loaded. My dad always said an unloaded gun is useless. The reason I never did it is because at the time I was obsessed with not making a mess. Even though most of my family treated me like dirt, I never would've wanted to return the favor by having them come in and see my brains splattered all over the wall.
I wish I had taken the advantage of the opportunity when I had it. If I wanted to use a gun now I would have to purchase one myself. Even though I was around guns a lot when I was growing up, I know absolutely nothing about them. I don't know how to fire a gun, or how to load one. The whole subject intimidates me. My dad always promised he would show me how to load the gun and fire it, but that was just one of many promises that he made and never kept.
Even though guns are technically legal in the United States and we supposedly have the second amendment right to own guns and defend ourselves, each state has its own laws. Many states in America make it very hard for you to obtain and own a gun legally. They either have very difficult background check processes, or they make it so costly that it's not financially feasible for many people to own a gun. Also, it's not like you can go to another state where it's easier to get a gun and bring it to a state where it's more difficult to get one because you would most likely get thrown in jail.
I now live in a state where they make it very difficult for you to own a gun. I also must admit that I am afraid of the background check. I don't think they would find anything, but it still kind of bothers me that someone would check into my background about anything. Plus, if they did find my history of mental illness, that would be the end of me being allowed to get a gun. Plus, then I would be on some registry somewhere as a person who is mentally ill and not allowed to own a gun. I don't really like the thought of that.
There is currently a big debate going on about guns in the United States. Many states are enacting what they call Red Flag Laws to prevent "mentally ill people" from getting guns, or if they do own guns, the police can come in legally and take their guns away. All that has to happen is a family member, doctor, or in some cases even a teacher or school administrator calls the police and tells them that you are a threat or that you are mentally ill or something and the police will come and take your guns away with no questions asked. At least that's the way I understand it. Then it's up to you to fight to get your guns back. As more and more states enact these laws I think at some point in the near future it's going to become increasingly difficult to get a gun in the United States, unless you're a criminal. The politicians and the anti-gun people think that taking away people's guns will stop all of these mass shootings. I actually think it would be better to try to get people the help that they need before just coming in and taking their guns away. But politicians like to take people's rights away whenever they can and give themselves more power.
I hope I didn't offend anyone with this thread. That was not my intention. Nor do I intend to start a debate about gun rights. I just wanted to point out that it's not as easy to get a gun as some people might think it is.
