All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

[Remmah2]

But what happens when good men are hampered by laws preventing them from owning the tools? The tools to defend my neighborhood, home, family and self.

[fascisthunter]

1. has the civil war started?

[ret5hd]

2. and if it has, do those aforementioned laws matter?

[razorman]

3. Some people seem to think so. I have heard some say that the 'flash mobs'

that have stirred up trouble are the forerunners of an American version of what is happening in London. If they are right, I do not think it will last very long, and the results will be very different here.

[HelenWheels]

4. What are you implying, razorman? nt

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

11. I think he's just affirming that our culture (and laws) are very different than europe's...

and if people try that shit in the wrong parts of this country they'll end up shot or killed.

[razorman]

18. Thanks. That's it, precisely. I am afraid that some would-be looters might

be encouraged by the soft treatment of their counterparts in England, and start thinking that they can get away with the same thing, here. However, many of their possible victims will also be forewarned, and will be prepared. Any such riots here in the U.S. are likely to be much more violent. But, like Britain, our legal system is much more likely to punish a shopkeeper who defends him/herself than the actual rioters.

[fascisthunter]

5. citizens taking the law into their own hands... yup

it's what I expect to see, and that is a very dangerous precedent that could fuel a civil war in this country. Supply angry Americans with weapons in a bad time in this nation's history... then see what happens.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. What is this 'supply americans with' bullshit?

We buy what we want out of our own pockets. Nobody passed out any guns to my family. We had to buy them.

And no, not necessarily 'taking the law into their own hands'. Self-defense is not vigilanteeism, nor is militia activity. There is nothing extrajudicial about groups of people freely associating and rejecting, by force, invaders of any unlawful sort from their neighborhood or city.

Hell, our Governor (a democrat) could call up all law abiding males in this state to do exactly that, with a stroke of her pen.

[iverglas]

12. dictionaries help

sup·ply/səˈplī/
Verb: Make (something needed or wanted) available to someone

[AtheistCrusader]

13. Um.

"Supply angry Americans with weapons in a bad time in this nation's history"

because as we all know, those 80+ million firearms already in circulation go bad over time, like turnips, and must be regularly replaced.

In the last five years, gun sales have increased, and the crime rate continues to decline. So no matter which way you look at it, it's pretty much bullshit.

[iverglas]

16. guess you meant to reply to the other poster

because all I did was point out that "supply" means make available (which allowing continued possession also does, not that I'm saying anything about allowing continued possiession, just pointing out that it is covered by "supply").

[AtheistCrusader]

17. No it isn't.

Who the hell uses supply in that manner? I could kick over the guy in the cubicle next to me and steal his shoes.

That I do not doesn't 'supply' him with shoes.


You were correct in your initial objection however, that is fair use of the term, for manufacture and putting the product on the market.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

14. I've heard of this happening twice,

once in 1812 and bit before that also. ;)

[PavePusher]

20. Self-defense is not vigilantism.

This has been explained here many times.

I give you a gift: http://dictionary.reference.com/

Use it well... and wisely.

[SteveM]

24. It is to those opposed to self-defense. nt

[SteveM]

23. No, citizens defending themselves. Big difference. Other misconception:

"it's what I expect to see, and that is a very dangerous precedent that could fuel a civil war in this country."

Which side would you be on? Da thug or the citizen defending his home/business? You may wish to review the '92 L.A. riots where citizens DID in fact defend their businesses after they were attacked. The mob then kinda parted like waters 'round a rock and went to a "safer" place; no civil war, here.

"Supply angry Americans with weapons in a bad time in this nation's history... then see what happens."

You and your fellow gun-controller/prohibitionists have already made it clear that there are too many guns. So, who needs to "supply" arms? Goodness, at least be consistent with your own phlawed filosophy.

[gravity556]

6. The flash mobs don't seem to be happening

in places with liberal gun laws (liberal in the classic sense, not the anti-rights, pro-state control perversion that some folks use it as). Haven't heard about any flash mobs or spontaneous beat downs in AZ or VT or AK. They seem to primarily occur where the thugs know they won't have to worry about being shot by their victim/s. Of course, the media doesn't seem to want to give much airtime to incidents like the folks that were swarmed and savagely beaten while leaving a county fair in (I think, but and not entirely sure) Wisconsin. Since the fairgrounds are a gun free zone, the hoodlums get a steady stream of victims that they can be fairly certain are unarmed.

And in most of those states with liberal gun laws, defense of a third party against a large disparity of force is perfectly justified. As is arson of a structure that the shooter believes to be occupied.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. That's because they are allergic to lead.

[Uben]

7. You can defend those without handguns.....

I am pro-gun rights all the way. I own 19 assorted guns, inherited all but 1, not going to sell any. I don't have a permit to carry and don't want one. But, one can certainly defend their property with a shotgun, my preference. In fact, that's the only gun I have fired in the past twenty years, and that was done with a permit from Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept to control the migratory cormorant population here.

No amount of gun control will take the guns out of the hands of criminals. ANyone who thinks differently is not being realistic.
I like the waiting period idea. It doesn't keep anyone from owning responsibly, and takes away the impulse buying from those who wish to use them irresponsibly. I know some purists hate anything related to gun control, but some of it is not so bad.

I store all firearms under lock and key and only keep one .357 loaded in my safe.

[Hangingon]

10. A shotgun would be my preferred weapon too for home

defense. It seems unlikely that mobs will come to my little village, but could happen. A pistol is a nice back up. I'll bet that loaded .357 you have is a pistol.

[Uben]

15. Yes, it is.

It's the only one I have speed loaders for. If I had to access it in a hurry, I can grab the speed loader for extra rounds. A guy gave me some leather holsters and the speed loaders to auction for a charity event. I kept the speed loaders because I did not know what the laws were concerning their resale. All my handguns are revolvers, no autos. They were all inherited and I will pass them down as heirlooms. I have my great granddad's gun, my granddad's guns and my dad's guns. I'm not really a gun enthusiast, but some of them are valuable antiques, like an 1887 Colt 44-40 six-shooter with stag grips and a hand tooled leather quick-draw holster, which I have never attempted to shoot. Also a couple of vintage rifles.

I have a wealth of historical artifacts my dad accumulated over the years. He was an avid arrowhead hunter, so I have about 2000 of those, a daily log documenting a wagon train moving from Missouri to Texas back in the 1800s which was used on the Texas susquicentennial wagon train celebration. Maps, stamps, knives, you name it, I've got it. I intend to donate a lot of it to a local museum, which already has some of it.

[PavePusher]

21. Depends on the totality of circumstances.

Different tools for different situations.

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. Sorry to hear they came and confiscated all your tools.

The paranoia crowd was right.

[Hoyt]

22. Have you addressed this with your doctor?

[SteveM]

25. Hell, our Docs were all armed. How 'bout your's? nt

[Hoyt]

26. Had doc that strapped one to his hip, another to his leg & I think had a third tucked somewhere.

He later committed suicide after shooting his wife 37 times. Glad I quit going to him.

[SteveM]

27. He had too many high-capacity clips, that's it. nt

[Hoyt]

28. Nope, he was just another angry man who carried guns.