Got Guns?

Many times in my discussions regarding gun ownership it has been asked of me “Why do you need to own a gun”? If the person questioning me is what I would describe as “liberal”, I usually say, “Why do you need a car? Why do you need a 4 bed room house? Why does anyone need anything? It’s not about need. In this country we don’t say ‘Here is what you need, now go’ we say ‘What do you want? If there is a very good reason for you NOT to have it, you can’t have it. Otherwise, go nuts’”. Most of the time my liberal friend will look at me like a terrier does watching a TV, and the discussion is over. That is the easy answer. That liberal is never going to buy a gun. Not for gay love or pot will they buy one.

The hard answer is when a conservative says, “Why do I need a gun”? The question is completely different then, isn’t it? They already believe that they CAN or SHOULD own a gun, but they honestly want to know why they should get off their keister and get one. The liberal answer takes about 10 seconds to give. The conservative answer has been coming along now for a lot longer.
Where to start? A little history perhaps? I’m sure that we are all familiar with RKBA? 2A? No? All right.

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

I’m not here to fight out “Collective Right” over “Individual Right”. If “people” means “collective” to you, we aren’t going to agree on much. Go to DU.com. They’ll love you there. Otherwise, in 18th century talk that means that we have the right to own and use guns. My opinion is, this is pretty much referring to small arms. Small Arms are defined as man portable. Now if you’re a big giant Dutch guy (not that there is anything wrong with that) and can carry a 60mm mortar and ammo, good for you. That doesn’t mean that most of us can. We are talking about rifles, pistols, shotguns, and maybe light automatic weapons. Now that we have established that, lets move on to reasons to have a gun.

The most common reason why people own guns in the USA is hunting, flat out. Most people have a 12 ga. shotgun they use for grouse, goose, woodcock, squirrels, rabbits, deer, skeet, trap, and sporting clays. Most gun owners bought that gun years ago, and they will put about 200 rounds through it before they die. But, you are probably not asking about hunting. Hunting is a family thing, which you would have been doing for years, so you’d already have gun. But, it’s a reason.

People also get guns for non-use. Huh? I’ve seen brand new guns that people have bought years ago. “Why don’t you come shooting with me next week?” say I. “Oh, I don’t want to wear out my gun,” says the dolt. Arrrg! Some people buy them for just having a gun, or cause it looks cool. Let me tell you, the guns that look “cool” aren’t always the ones you want. Some are, but most aren’t.

So what is a good reason? Well, as Tom Selleck said to Rosie O’Donnell “The second amendment isn’t about hunting”. The reason that the right to keep and bare arms exists is defense. Defense of nation, home, and self. As humans, our number one priority is self-preservation. Keeping the heart pumping and the lungs breathing is job one. Gun ownership is, to me anyway, an aspect of that. It’s not the end-all-be-all of it, but it is part. It’s saying “Try to take my life, or my families lives, and you’ll wish you hadn’t”. It’s accepting that the government, the police, or the army can’t always protect you. You are taking responsibility for your life, and that of your families. It’s a big step, but one that you would be well advised to consider.