Usa Gun / Weapon Laws And Opinions

[anni]

I have moved the posts which followed Jawn's comments above to a new thread as it turned out being all about guns and weapons instead of Route 66. [DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/c/threads/route-66-our-morning-current-affairs-show-weather-guy.14220/[/DLMURL]

So funny. as in wierd, not heehee- we gave up ours, too, for the same reason! I'd have to think there's a ton of us moderates 'out there'- not willing to capitulate to either side out of wishing to sound like someone who HAS to agree with someone. I'm a Democrat and boy, do I get it in the NECK from others for even owning guns, much less defending this fact, which infuriates me.What on earth should THAT have to do with anything? My affiliation just has to do with feeding poor people, mostly, not defending oneself. One ends up HAVINGGG to be all or nothing, in the USA these days. I'm not quite welcome at the other end, either, because I won't get behind the assault rifle, head-for-the-hills mentality. Everyone seems to be an extremist This is the way it is here. I realize other countires look down their noses at us for this, but it's not an easy thing to convey, the bottom line of what it's like. How does one de-arm, when there really, really IS a very good reason ( tons of them ) to remain so? It would be nice to be across the board pacifists but it's a moot point- it's not so we kind of can't be. Hee- having said that, those gun clubs scare the stuffing out of me, too! We took my son to one for his hunter-training. They did a nice job but WHOA-there were kevlar vests and survivalists gear in the shop they had there. We got his liscence and kind of got OUT of there pretty quickly. :)

I'd love to know how many Dad's resolve to DO that when they have daughters! Mine told me it just worried the stuffing out of him, having 3 girls, and he wanted to teach us at FIVE years old, but Mom wouldn't let him. :) Yes, all 4 of mine know how to shoot, and quite saftely, too.

Anni

 

[lovinbiker]

Yes, all 4 of mine know how to shoot, and quite saftely, too

I think thats great

I just wanted to say that education is key to guns/rifles, I live in uk and can say that having very strict gun laws hasnt stopped gun crime.

My dad was a member of a gun club ( not like the NRA though) and entered many competions and won some lol.
He taught respect and understanding of guns which in my eyes can only be a good thing.

I heard a statistic the other day that someone is stabbed in the uk every 25 minutes.. They cant ban knives though

Sorry if I Taken this off topic even more
LB

 

[anthony]

I heard a statistic the other day that someone is stabbed in the uk every 25 minutes.. They cant ban knives though

Concealable one's... yes they can, and have done here. Flick knife's are illegal, as well as hunting knifes and any type of concealable knife on your person. Police now setup random metal detectors at known places and are stripping them away from youths in the bucket loads now. Stores that they have purchased them from are being fined / closed down for illegal sales to a minor, etc.

If the public make enough noise, the Government will act.

Now... back on topic.

I had a good chuckle this morning at Grant on his roadtrip... he is in Oklahoma I believe, which is in Texas, and people just have their handguns on their person. He was in a diner and crapped himself as a group came into the diner for meals all strapped with pistols. A very odd experience for us Australians...

 

[Jawn]

While that is legal in many US states, it's not real common either. During hunting season you might see something like this or at least people wearing their hunting knives on their belts. And deer/elk rifles in hanging in the back window of their pickup trucks.

So Anthony, does that mean hunting is illegal in Australia too since you can't have a hunting knife? I have carried a pocket knife nearly everyday since my Dad gave me my first one as a kid (about 10 yrs old I think). I use it almost every day for something, although not as a weapon. Normally to open letters, boxes, trim my toe nails ;), as a crude screw driver, etc. I feel "naked" when I travel and can't take it with me. Does that mean things like Leatherman tools are illegal too?

 

[anthony]

Hunting is illegal in many parts of Australia, but you can still hunt in the bush. You must first be over 18 to buy and carry a hunting knife, and a hunting knife is just that... only seen and produced when hunting, not to be carried upon you at any other time, otherwise it is considered a conceal deadly weapon here.

You also can't just hunt anything, as most animals are protected. Many who live on farms have permits to cull a specific amount of animals per annum, ie. kangaroo's, rabbits, etc... if and only if they are impeding upon their farm and crop. Otherwise, they can't. They are about the only people who can also have a hunting rifle and not be part of a gun club, where the rifle is locked away and only used for sporting events.

My mate used to have a couple of licensed rifles when I lived in Townsville, as we shared a place together, and he ended up getting rid of them just due to the police visits checking on the weapons and their security.

 

[intothelight]

I live in a state where you can get a life-time permit to carry concealed. The permit process is rather complex and even though it is available, only a small percentage of the population does it. Most people I know with weapons are avid hunters. I do not know many that carry hand guns, unless they are in law enforcement or their jobs would make it necessary.

There are always exceptions to the rules, but on the whole, I think the greatest danger with weapons is not knowing how to properly use and store them. Even though I do not agree with the NRA's political stand, they have excellent gun safety courses for children.

Just my two cents.

 

[anthony]

If you pulled a weapon out in any urban environment, the police would be on you so fast you wouldn't know what hit you.

The police shot a youth a year or so ago who wielded a knife at them... and that made National news... shootings are not a normal event in Australia. I think we had a bit over 200 or so last year, actual shootings in conjunction with a crime. Very rare event here, which is so nice to live with... and why people like Australians look in on a country like America vastly different... as guns are not a part of our lives, and all we see from the US is people shooting each other all the time and using guns in every day crime.

 

[Deleted member 5760]

I personally don't believe there would be anywhere near as many crimes involving guns in the US (an amount which to me is unfathomable) if there weren't so many guns in the first place - it's really not rocket science IMHO.

 

[Jawn]

Anthony,

It sounds like hunting is similar here to what you described. There are hunting seasons for different types of game and they can only be hunted during those times AND if you have a permit for that particular hunt. There are also exceptions for farmers who are losing their crops to wildlife.

If you go into a shopping mall with a big hunting knife strapped to your belt or carrying a gun you will also get a visit from the police. While in many cases it is perfectly legal, it is frowned upon. Out in rural areas during hunting seasons it is very common to see rifles/shotguns/knives. Depending on the state you live in, there are age restrictions on hunting too and most times a hunter's safety class has to be taken before you can get a hunting permit.

I mentioned Leatherman tools, which maybe they don't have in Australia, but nearly every contractor I see here wears one on their belt as they are just plain handy for many tasks during the work day. Kind of a modern day version of the Swiss Army knife. I'm sure those folks would be lost if they couldn't carry that kind of utility "tool" on their belt because it includes a knife.

Jawn

 

[anthony]

We don't have hunting seasons here though....

Utility tools are different and yes can be carried, even though they have a little pocket knife in them, their purpose and intent is not a knife first, but a utility tool, being pliers. The little knife in those things comes out of one handle and is useless for crime purposes, compared to say a flick knife... which is easily concealed and quickly activated into nothing other than a weapon. See the difference?

 

[anni]

I'm pretty sure the flick knives are illegal, aren;t they 'switch blades?' Some guns are, also. You are disallowed altered guns, like the infamous sawed-off shot-guns and thhose kits they use to turn a semi into an automatic.The entire state of Massachusets disallows guns across the board, actually and when we drive through it on our way to Maine every year you hide the old 22 under the seat ( we take it to discourage the REALLY large bears up there, although it will certainly not stop one, to be sure ). They are serious, in that state, but noone knows where the underground guns are, nor does one equate that state much with either the wacko militias or gangs of other states. This is an awfully huge country-heavily populated throughout.

I know someone I can't mention, or even state what branch of enforcement he's in. I know from this professional's perspective we are fighting a losing war on drugs, gangs and the violent crime attached to both.It is here. We can look the other way but there are areas of our inner city-massive areas, not just a few blocks-given over to the absolute control of these elements. Good, working people are trying to raise families there the best way they can and no, they can't just move. This culture of guns is just the way it is. not someting we all dislike because of it's violence. Noone's going to get those weapons away from the criminals and to take them away from those who are not, well, it's quite simply too late, that's all. I lived in the UK and it WAS nice, not having to worry about violent crime so much. It's apples and oranges, however.For one thing, we're massive, and tons tougher to keep track of and for another our society just kind of grew into this through circumstance, good and bad. It's here and the way it is.

There was a 'bad' story on the news this morning, too. Talk about Kookballs and guns!! Some nice man was found shot to death on a target range.All he'd been doing was target shooting for fun on the weekend, sighting his rifle a little, too. It transpired he merely had a nice gun, and was killed because someone else wished to have this. WHO? 2 men, who collected guns they kept in a storage locker, for their local 'miltia'. Wow. Militia: read, paranoid, antigovernment freakoids most likely to blow something up over a perceived slight to their ill-perceived manhood in the name of 'Patriotism'. Yea.

 

[intothelight]

Some Things You Have To See To Believe

It is duck hunting season here and I live on a reservoir, where the houses are on 1/4 acre lots. The reservoir spans two towns and the houses are close together. This morning I wake up and there is a camouflage pontoon (I am not making this up), with a hunter down by the dock. Of course my dogs went nuts, so he puts across the lake (less than 25 yards), drops anchor, through out his decoys, and proceeds to shoot ducks.

So I called DNR and reported him. First of all you can't discharge a firearm in the town limits, and secondly, what type of knowledgeable hunter starts shooting in a residential area? I'm still watching for DNR to come and get him. Meanwhile, it is morons like this that give hunting and gun owners a bad name. I have hunted and we own guns.

Perhaps there should be an intelligence before a hunting license is issued. I am just waiting for a wave to knock the fool out of his boat, and hopefully he won't accidentally discharge his firearm. But I'm sure if he does, you'll read about it in the "Darwin Awards".