First Handgun
Congratulations to Brandon at GOP3 on the purchase of his first handgun!
Just out of curiosity, why would you view this as something worthy of congratulations? I believe I’ve heard you say before that a gun is just a tool, no? Would you congratulate someone on buying a hammer? Because I just bought a hammer.
Posted by JIJAWM on April 13, 2008 at 1507 hrsIf it was a really nice hammer… yes!
For example, would you congratulate someone on the purchase of their first car? First home? Sure. And it would be entirely appropriate.
Posted by Owen on April 13, 2008 at 1524 hrsWhat, does he get a rod mitzva?
Posted by on April 13, 2008 at 1706 hrsI suppose that makes sense. It just struck me as odd for some reason.
Posted by JIJAWM on April 13, 2008 at 1811 hrsGreat choice Brandon. I am a 1911 man myself but I bought the same CZ for my wife. It is very accurate and utterly reliable. Make sure you “cling” to it for dear life if Obama is elected.
Posted by on April 13, 2008 at 2048 hrs45acp
“Cold dead Hands”
Posted by on April 13, 2008 at 2054 hrs
Just for laughs 45, what exactly has Obama said that would lead you to believe that beyond what exists in you imagination, versus you better hang onto your job if McCain gets elected?
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 0752 hrsYou better hang on to your sons if McCain gets elected. They are going to be shipped off to the middle east to fight WWIV.
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 0925 hrsJust out of curiosity, why would you view this as something worthy of congratulations?
On many levels I think the purchase of a firearm is worthy of congratulations.
I congratulate people on following in the spirit of what our founding fathers intended and participating in the “well regualted militia” that is essential to the free state.
I congratulate people who take an active role in the protection of themselves their family and their property rather than expect or rely on someone else to do so.
I congratulate people who buy their first gun for seeing past the fear, misconceptions and untruths that liberals and anti-gunners proliferate the news media with. These fears and misconceptions and other emotional ploys that might scare the timid into a reluctance or apprehension of owning a gun.
I congratulate Brandon specifically for not JUST buying his first gun, but for taking the time to research, educate, and train himself in its usage and in his purchase decision.
I congratulate him for not being intimidated by the fear and emotional warfare used by anti-gunners and expanding his horizons and his sphere of knowledge and life-experiences.
Yup… all around, congratulations are in order.
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 1313 hrsexpanding his horizons and his sphere of knowledge and life-experiences
C’mon XX you have to admit that is a little over the top. He bought a gun, you are acting like he bought a ticket to the moon.
Congratulations Brandon. You and anyone you cohabitate with just greatly increased your risk of homicide or suicide.
“A gun in the home increases the risk of homicide of a household member by 3 times and the risk of suicide by 5 times compared to homes where no gun is present”.
-Kellerman AL, Rivara FP, Somes G, et al. “Suicide in the Home in Relation to Gun Ownership.” NEJM. 1992; 327(7):467-472)
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 1404 hrsOMG. That should close the thread.
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 1431 hrsC’mon XX you have to admit that is a little over the top. He bought a gun, you are acting like he bought a ticket to the moon.
People are afraid of change. People are afraid of things they don’t know.
Wether its deciding to go out and learn how to ride a motorcycle or buying a gun, I think it is out of the ordinary that people actually get off the couch and do something new and different AND something that takes planning, effort, and motivation.
Congratulations Brandon. You and anyone you cohabitate with just greatly increased your risk of homicide or suicide.
“A gun in the home increases the risk of homicide of a household member by 3 times and the risk of suicide by 5 times compared to homes where no gun is present”.
and here we have reinforcement of point 3 of my congratulatory post.
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 1442 hrsI think it is out of the ordinary that people actually get off the couch and do something new and different AND something that takes planning, effort, and motivation.
I have never seen someone praised so much for buying a consumer good. I bought a new bicycle a couple of weeks ago. Are you going to praise me for expanding my horizons, sphere of knowledge, life-experiences and getting off the couch and doing something new and different AND something that takes planning, effort, and motivation? It sounds pretty ridiculous.
My point was made mostly in jest. I was just using your progun rhetorical style and turning it around on you.
The point I was trying to make is that you progun guys are just as militant if not more than the antigun people.
You can’t deny the fact that you are more likely to die from a gun if you have one in your house. Just like you are more likely to die in a car accident if you spend all day driving around.
BTW, I have an honest question. Can anyone go to one of these gun shops with ranges and rent a gun and take target practice? Do you need a license or training before you do that?
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 1519 hrsI have never seen someone praised so much for buying a consumer good. I bought a new bicycle a couple of weeks ago. Are you going to praise me for expanding my horizons, sphere of knowledge, life-experiences and getting off the couch and doing something new and different AND something that takes planning, effort, and motivation? It sounds pretty ridiculous.
I’ve looked, but I didn’t find any references to bicycles in the Bill of Rights.
I’ve looked but I didn’t find any mention of the virtues of owning and bearing bicycles in the writings of our founding fathers.
I also don’t turn on the TV and hear people spouting fear and lies that people must wade thru to arrive at their opinion on firearms.
So I’m sorry that your analogy doesn’t seem applicable to me. ymmv
BTW, I have an honest question. Can anyone go to one of these gun shops with ranges and rent a gun and take target practice? Do you need a license or training before you do that?
No. If you show up, you can rent a gun, and I absolutely guarantee that an employee (if they have a free staff member to do so) will be happy to spend a few minutes with you at the range to show you how to operate the firearm and get you started in the right and safe direction.
Show up, tell them its your first time and you’d like to learn to shoot and they’ll be happy to set you up.
Or you can send me a message and I’ll meet you at The Shooters Shop and I’ll bring some guns for you to try and take all the time you want to explain how to use them.
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 2243 hrsI also don’t turn on the TV and hear people spouting fear and lies that people must wade thru to arrive at their opinion on firearms.
Oops, that should have read “arrive at their opinion of bicycles.”
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 2244 hrsAnd that offer goes for anyone on the blog here in MKE that has never fired a weapon that wants to go to the range.
Posted by on April 14, 2008 at 2246 hrsWhat kind of bike?
Posted by on April 15, 2008 at 1525 hrsThanks for the offer XX.
It is a Trek road bike.
Posted by on April 15, 2008 at 1810 hrsYes, but what kind, Madone SSL? I’ve been riding a Scott CR1 for several years.
Posted by on April 15, 2008 at 1931 hrsKeith,
Posted by on April 16, 2008 at 0716 hrs
Obama, as an IL state senator, proposed banning all handguns. As a U.S. Senator he has voted in favor of every anti-firearm/liberty bill that has come before him. Now as a presidential candidate he is proposing banning concealed carry nation wide. (you probably don’t know this but people in 48 states enjoy the right to carry concealed firearms in public-only in WI and IL are subjects not trusted by their kings to be armed) I don’t have to “imagine” anything about his position on the Second Amendment, his record and rhetoric speak for themselves. All tyrants want their populations disarmed, its makes their objectives so much easier to achieve. Please watch this video, to the end, to see for yourself http://blip.tv/file/313529Just one point that seemed to me to be totally invalid is the assumed correlation between firearm ownership and suicide rates. Seems to me if someone is really intent on ending their own life they’d get it done whether they owned a firearm or not. Therefore I think it’d be just as valid for ropes to be blamed for hanging suicides. My point is that the firearm is just the preferred method of suicide by many people because it’s easy, not because owning a firearm makes people more likely to want kill themselves.
Posted by on April 16, 2008 at 0730 hrsBy easy I mean its easier for someone to put a pistol in their mouth and pull the trigger than it is for them to slit their wrists up to their elbow, hang themselves, etc.
Posted by on April 16, 2008 at 0734 hrsIt is a fact that if you have a gun you are more likely to die from a gun shot. The statistics suggest that gun owners are more likely to kill themselves with their gun than a non gun owner is to kill his/her self.
You can read whatever you want into the statistic. To me it suggests that people are more likely to have a successfull suicide attempt with a gun than they are with something like a bottle of pills. It is just a more efficient tool of death.
BBB-My new bike is a SU1.0. It is not a true road bike, but it is the only non-mountain bike I have ever owned.
Posted by on April 16, 2008 at 0842 hrsI gave up the mountain bike, too many injuries.
Posted by on April 16, 2008 at 1039 hrsHa ha ha ha. Yes, speaking of methods of suicide: the dreaded mountain bike. I’ve been fortunate however, never had a serious injury so far.
Posted by on April 16, 2008 at 1254 hrs3rd Way…
The problem with you ‘statistical’ analysis is that there are many more variables to consider. As in every circumstance, there is no control group, and you are not isolating all the variables.
A person who does not have mental health issues who owns a gun is NO more likely to commit suicide then if they didn’t have a gun.
The mere presence of a gun would only be a factor in those people who had mental health issues. (if you consider suicide a mental health issue)
So lets get back to your original comment:
Congratulations Brandon. You and anyone you cohabitate with just greatly increased your risk of homicide or suicide.
At best, your statement is categorically assumptive.
If Brandon doesn’t have mental health issues, and noone who cohabitates with him does then the presence of a gun in his household would in no way increase his likelyhood of suicide or homocide.
Both those (suicide or homocide) require not JUST a gun, but also another variable, which would be either intent to commit homocide, or intent/mental health issue that would lead someone to suicide.
Posted by on April 16, 2008 at 1314 hrs
Ol' Army
