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I am a certified home firearm safety instructor if anyone is looking to get a class on home firearm safety.
Knowledge is more powerful than any weapon
-we discuss safe handling procedures
-best location to store your firearm
-firearm recommendations for your needs
-even tactics in your home if there were to be an intruder (have you ever practiced...will you freeze)
....A gun can give some people a false sense of confidence and power.....
I'm sorry but I have to chime in and disagree with you there. I carry and have done so even before I moved to WA. Having a concealed firearm on one's person is something that the person will be intimately aware of at all times, you just can't ignore the fact that there is a 1+ lb (probably among the lightest weight effective small caliber handgun you can carry) inflexible piece of metal or metal and plastic around your waist pressed up against your body. That constant reminder is always there as you walk, sit, bend, reach up, etc. etc. That reminder also causes the carrier to be more vigilant to their surroundings for the exact reason that they need to avoid threats if possible since they are carrying and the deadly implications that could result in them having to use that firearm.
It may be different for women, as most popular carrying methods recommended to women are purses and various handbags. There are some on-the-body carrying styles for women but I haven't seen them take off in popularity as conceal carry handbags have for women. The fact that the firearm is in a bag and not constantly in contact with your body could cause you to emotionally distance yourself from that and not think about it as much.
If your husband carries his firearm in a IWB holster, ask him is he intimately aware that there is a firearm ON his body at all times? Does that reminder cause him to be more vigilant to the surroundings? If he is like most people I know who carry, the answer will be yes for both.
Good on you OP for deciding to exercise your rights, no need to justify or apologize for exercising your rights to anyone. If you have 0 familiarity with firearms, find a friend who is willing to teach you the basics and do some self reading online about the basics of self defense. Take a class or two if you're able to afford it.
Not a gun owner here, but it seems to me that a lot of training would be extremely valuable in the event you need to use the gun. Not sure how many folks go beyond buying the gun (easy), firing it a few times at the range (easy) rather that complete competent, rigorous training (hard). Not planning to get a gun but if I did I would definitely want solid training from a real pro, like I assume police officers receive.
My problem with pretty much unrestricted gun ownership is all the incompetent carriers out there. If everyone were trained as per above I'd feel better.
Not a gun owner here, but it seems to me that a lot of training would be extremely valuable in the event you need to use the gun. Not sure how many folks go beyond buying the gun (easy), firing it a few times at the range (easy) rather that complete competent, rigorous training (hard). Not planning to get a gun but if I did I would definitely want solid training from a real pro, like I assume police officers receive.
My problem with pretty much unrestricted gun ownership is all the incompetent carriers out there. If everyone were trained as per above I'd feel better.
Well said JeffinSeattle. In my opinion our first step in fixing gun issues is requiring that anyone purchasing a firearm have a certificate in hand from a certified trainer. This would deter those wanting to go on a rampage and place deterrent or cool down period while they wait to get the training. Those truly wanting to own a firearm for sport or home defense would not have a problem waiting and conducting the training. Well I say they should not.
Well said JeffinSeattle. In my opinion our first step in fixing gun issues is requiring that anyone purchasing a firearm have a certificate in hand from a certified trainer. This would deter those wanting to go on a rampage and place deterrent or cool down period while they wait to get the training. Those truly wanting to own a firearm for sport or home defense would not have a problem waiting and conducting the training. Well I say they should not.
I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement. I am sorry, but we have a 2nd Amendment which guarantees us the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and that right shall not be infringed. The irony is that country's that require you to have a special permit before you are allowed to own a gun have also had a history of committing mass-murder and atrocities against their civilians and other people that far outweigh the number of murders committed by citizens against each other. Being a firearm trainer, I can see your bias and that saddens me as you are disregarding our Bill of Rights which have much further implications. And, what would happen when the government makes the training so rigorous and challenging that no regular citizen will be able to pass the test? After all who is responsible for these tests and qualifications? Basically, what you are saying is that owning a firearm should become privilege earned and not a right at all. This violates our 2nd Amendment and tramples on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Now we have to prove ourselves to Big Brother to be worthy rather than being free citizens who must take it upon ourselves to protect one another and follow our laws. This is the very definition of fascism, when the government has full control and regulation of our lives to protect us from our selves and protect themselves from us.
Look at what happened to the Native Americans who were forced onto reservations and suddenly wanted to keep guns to protect these reservations. The US government said the Native Americans are not allowed to own guns and 2nd Amendment did not apply to them. Sadly, American troops went in and massacred more native Americans in one day than all the homicidal maniacs in this country have murdered in mass shootings combined.
The Wounded Knee Massacre is a horrible scar on American history and another reason why we should rally around our 2nd Amendment more now than before. To quote Benjamin Franklin (or whoever actually made this quote), "Democracy is Two Wolves and a Lamb voting What's For Dinner". That is why we have a Constitution as a set of principles and foundations that prevent our country from being overrun by wolves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_Massacre
My grandmother's village was exterminated by the Nazis. The Russian government would not allow JEws to own guns and they were pretty much helpless and sitting ducks when the heavily Armed Nazi government soldiers (all certified to own guns by the government) came in and made everyone dig their own graves. After this the government soldiers massacred all the men, women and children. Babies screaming in their mothers arms were shot in the head by the order of the government and their soldiers all certified to own weapons.
Everyone is so terrified about guns. I bet there are many people here who could use some serious driver training courses. Nobody seems to be to scared jumping into a car. I am seriously appalled by the number of dangerous people driving cars today , yapping on their cell phones and putting the lives of many more people at risk than a person carrying a gun. Seriously, somebody texting on their phone in a split second can run over an entire crosswalk full of children. And, cars have now been used in as many assaults as guns around the globe. Look at what a terrorist driving a truck did in France. He plowed into a crowded street and murdered over 70 people and wounded several more. Maybe, if he had the proper training and certification to drive the truck he would have felt differently about ramming the truck into the group of innocent people?
Unlike owning and carrying a gun which is a right, driving is still considered a "privilege". Yet, I never hear about people talking about banning cars or forcing rigorous training every few years to see if a person is competent enough to drive.
In a free society there are many devices and tools that can wreck havoc. In a fascist and controlled society everyone may be safe from one another, but it is the government who becomes homicidal and commits mass carnage against its citizenry. In fact, many lives have been saved from law abiding citizens carrying and using a firearm in self-defense or to deter an attack. However, these incidents never make the news and don't receive any emotional reaction since the media is a business and out to enrich itself by generally promoting fear and propaganda.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 06-12-2017 at 04:45 PM..
I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement. I am sorry, but we have a 2nd Amendment which guarantees us the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and that right shall not be infringed. The irony is that country's that require you to have a special permit before you are allowed to own a gun have also had a history of committing mass-murder and atrocities against their civilians and other people that far outweigh the number of murders committed by citizens against each other. Being a firearm trainer, I can see your bias and that saddens me as you are disregarding our Bill of Rights which have much further implications. And, what would happen when the government makes the training so rigorous and challenging that no regular citizen will be able to pass the test? After all who is responsible for these tests and qualifications? Basically, what you are saying is that owning a firearm should become privilege earned and not a right at all. This violates our 2nd Amendment and tramples on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Now we have to prove ourselves to Big Brother to be worthy rather than being free citizens who must take it upon ourselves to protect one another and follow our laws. This is the very definition of fascism, when the government has full control and regulation of our lives to protect us from our selves and protect themselves from us.
Look at what happened to the Native Americans who were forced onto reservations and suddenly wanted to keep guns to protect these reservations. The US government said the Native Americans are not allowed to own guns and 2nd Amendment did not apply to them. Sadly, American troops went in and massacred more native Americans in one day than all the homicidal maniacs in this country have murdered in mass shootings combined.
The Wounded Knee Massacre is a horrible scar on American history and another reason why we should rally around our 2nd Amendment more now than before. To quote Benjamin Franklin (or whoever actually made this quote), "Democracy is Two Wolves and a Lamb voting What's For Dinner". That is why we have a Constitution as a set of principles and foundations that prevent our country from being overrun by wolves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_Massacre
My grandmother's village was exterminated by the Nazis. The Russian government would not allow JEws to own guns and they were pretty much helpless and sitting ducks when the heavily Armed Nazi government soldiers (all certified to own guns by the government) came in and made everyone dig their own graves. After this the government soldiers massacred all the men, women and children. Babies screaming in their mothers arms were shot in the head by the order of the government and their soldiers all certified to own weapons.
There is actually a mural at a museum in Va that depicts my several generation great grand mother being slaughtered by indians not too long after she got off the boat from Scotland .She was the first colonist in Va to be killed by indians . The Nazi's killed one set of my husbands grandparents in Holland as being accused of hiding someone . Someone that was not there - ever. Guns would have helped no one . Being from Texas I was deer hunting by age 6 but today , nah , I think I'll pass. I worked with 5 tribes in Oklahoma at a head start and the adults are still mean to each other in ways you would not believe.
There is actually a mural at a museum in Va that depicts my several generation great grand mother being slaughtered by indians not too long after she got off the boat from Scotland .She was the first colonist in Va to be killed by indians .
Well, two wrongs don't make a right. Chasing down unarmed Native American women and children and shooting them in the head must be justified in your eyes then? Not to mention shooting the wounded who were no longer a threat instead of taking them prisoners. Those Native Americans already signed a legal agreement with the USA government, which the USA government did not honor and decided to push them off even more of the reservations. In addition, they horded the resources that were promised to Native Americans when they saw the opportunity. This is not playing fair. Native Americans are Americans too.. Their nations were reduced to small impoverished reservations. We made legal agreements and treaties with them and should have given them full rights. Unless you believe it is justified to just wipe out all the native peoples? Considering they were here first and many of them were complying with the orders and demands of the colonialists, we should have honored our treaties and deals and allowed them the same rights as other American citizens. The entire Wounded Knee massacre happened because a group of Native Americans did not want to give up their guns. While the troops came in to collect the guns, somebody's gun fired off by mistake and the troops indiscriminately started killing off all the men, women and children. That is not justified in my opinion and is a scar on our history.
The massacre at Wounded Knee is just one example. Would you say black people should also not be able to own guns? Because Jim Crow laws in the South circumvented our constitutional laws when local state governments felt their own set of morals and ethics superseded that of our Constitution. Yes, many stated that blacks and native Americans were not eligible for the same rights as their white countrymen. DO you think Southerners should not be allowed to own guns or should be disarmed? You know how many young innocent men from the North met the bullet of a Southerner. However, something tells me your standards about Native Americans are not the same as white Southern Americans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DutchessCottonPuff
The Nazi's killed one set of my husbands grandparents in Holland as being accused of hiding someone . Someone that was not there - ever. Guns would have helped no one . Being from Texas I was deer hunting by age 6 but today , nah , I think I'll pass. I worked with 5 tribes in Oklahoma at a head start and the adults are still mean to each other in ways you would not believe.
You're right, guns would have not made a bit of difference against the Nazis in WWII.. We all know WWII was won through passive-resistance and singing songs of peace and love. Yeah, six million of my European relatives actually took your advice and turned their guns in or were disarmed from the start. They ended up dying in gas chambers or being gunned down in mass numbers. Please tell the French Resistance fighers in Occupied France how much their guns would have not made a difference. Tell the Jews in Warsaw ghetto how much their guns would have not made a difference.
Your dislike of the 2nd Amendment and the rights of American citizens to own and even carry a gun gives you a very selective memory of world history.
I will say that the governing bodies have abused human rights and caused more atrocities over the centuries than the citizenry have. Yet, the government is always advocated of stripping rights of the citizenry and empowering itself using false rationale that they are protecting the citizenry from one another. This is why we have a Constitution and protects the citizens of our nations from tyrannical governments rising to power.
Governments under rule of their own unethical laws have caused more murders, mass-carnage and devastation to the world than the citizens (or subjects) of these nations.
I'm a retired Law Enforcement Officer and a retired Army Reservist and been carrying a firearm since I was 17 y/o. With that said, gun ownership is a great responsibility. If you are very new to firearms, seek out training for the various sources... Heck, even if you show up to a range, seek out the Range Master and he/she will gladly give you some valuable tips before going hot. Also, read up on the laws for Washington State and make sure that you fully understand them. Also, here in an urban setting, don't do the "open carry" thing since all that does is attract more attention to yourself, both by the police and criminals... Yes, criminals will watch you even more and wait for that one moment that you're not 100% on guard so they can do what they need to do to get your gun... No offense meant to any individual(s) that open carry... Just my own opinion , which is nether fully right or fully wrong.
As for a firearm, go with something that easily concealable like a single stack 9mm from either Glock or Smith and Wesson semi-auto pistol or a small Smith and Wesson J frame revolver... If your not going to seek out training and/or going to a range to practice, I would recommend going with a double action revolver since it has a heavier trigger pull, which take more of a more willing act to fire it verse a semi-auto pistol with a far lighter trigger.
What ever handgun you go with make sure that you also purchase a decent holster for it AND buy hollow point ammunition for it when you are carrying it for self-defense. Full Metal Jacketed ammunition is cheaper, but should only be used at the range since FMJ ammo will often go through you target, which isn't a good thing, where a good JHP round will hit you target with a greater chance of it not over penetrating it.
Also, remember these six tips;
A) Always assume that any firearm is loaded and treat it as such.
B) Never place your finger on the trigger until you are 100% ready to fire it.
C) Always know what's behind your target before firing since a round might go through the threat.
D) Never pull out a firearm until you are ready to legally/lawfully use it... Never bluff with it.
E) Never let fear control your action
F) Never shoot to kill. You only shoot to stop the actions of threat... For legal reasons.
With all this being said, make sure that you know that you're responsible for that gun and for every bullet you fire from it... For better or worse.
Good luck on whatever you end up doing. Also, there are some other less than lethal weapons like pepper spray if you're not 100% ready for this responsibility and not able to skillfully use a firearm with a high percentage of a chance of hitting the threat in a stressful situation.
Well said JeffinSeattle. In my opinion our first step in fixing gun issues is requiring that anyone purchasing a firearm have a certificate in hand from a certified trainer. This would deter those wanting to go on a rampage and place deterrent or cool down period while they wait to get the training. Those truly wanting to own a firearm for sport or home defense would not have a problem waiting and conducting the training. Well I say they should not.
I agree with you in concept, but I received better training than you could get from a class just growing up with guns. It's a mindset; not some cert you stamp on your resume. I don't think you could learn gun safety in a single session. It's about training your subconscious to understand things like "all firearms are loaded until you can prove otherwise," etc.
If your not going to seek out training and/or going to a range to practice, I would recommend going with a double action revolver since it has a heavier trigger pull, which take more of a more willing act to fire it verse a semi-auto pistol with a far lighter trigger.
Great advice, but the DAO revolver is maybe flawed... I for one can't reliably hit anything with triggers that heavy... It'd be good for preventing ADs, but also make it much much harder for him to hit his target which is risky in it's own right.
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