General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBoom Sound 416
(4,185 posts)It's a rally on a Saturday
Skittles
(153,164 posts)Boom Sound 416
(4,185 posts)Skittles
(153,164 posts)MotherPetrie
(3,145 posts)orpupilofnature57
(15,472 posts)Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)What kind of a world do you want to live in?
I see Lennon's world as a potential world.
I am a deer hunter, or, I used to be. I loved hunting as much as Nugent. I think Nugent gets the hunting part right, but he is total fucking idiot about the rest of it. Nugent is captive of the right wing ideology trap. He can no longer think for himself.
orpupilofnature57
(15,472 posts)I don't even mind the fact that he never smoked a joint, it's his babbling like a person with final stage syphilis, whilst prancing on stage wielding his machine gun .
madinmaryland
(64,933 posts)Arctic Dave
(13,812 posts)LostOne4Ever
(9,289 posts)Wilms
(26,795 posts)Had to look them up.
From Wiki:
LOL. They're AWOL.
Up in the face of a woman with his finger pointed at her. His tee should state, "Oaf Freepers".
Skittles
(153,164 posts)spin
(17,493 posts)I normally carry legally when I am out and about. If iI stop at a restaurant or a coffee store I prefer to carry my handgun inside the store rather than leave it in the car where it might be stolen.
I don't carry my handgun because I fear anything. The chances of my ever having to use it for legitimate self defense is extremely slim. Still, since I am an elderly citizen who is handicapped, I realize that I might be more of a target for a street predator than I was when I was much younger and in far better physical shape. The weakest of the herd are often considered the best choice for those who love to prey on innocent people.
My best defense is the fact that I practice situational awareness. That basically means that I don't walk down dark streets with a cell phone glued to my ear totally ignoring everything and everybody around me. I would advise anyone reading this post to learn how to use this tactic. It's simple and checking out those around you can be entertaining.
So while I don't live in fear, I am aware of the fact that bad things do sometimes happen to good people and I want a chance to defend my health or my life if some fool decides to attack me. I don't play cop and I am not a vigilante. I have legally carried a concealed weapon for well over 15 years and I have been target shooting handguns for over 40 years. I don't drink to excess nor do I use illegal drugs or take strong medications. My sanity has never been questioned.
I don't go to restaurants to demonstrate my right to carry and basically by doing so stick my ass in the faces of others who despise firearms. However, I do not do business with any establishment that has a no gun sign on their door. I respect a business owners right to "discriminate" against me if he so chooses but if I see such a sign, I will call him and explain that my money is just as green as everyone else's.
Feel free to insult me if you chose. Please try to be original as I get bored by the same old tired insults I normally receive when I post a pro-gun rights post on DU. I have a thick skin and insults simply bounce off. I do congratulate original insults when someone makes one. Be assured that I will not insult you in return. I am an extremely polite older individual which is a good thing since I "pack heat."
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)Boom Sound 416
(4,185 posts)Both because and regardless of it's topic
spin
(17,493 posts)liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)about the kind of people who are looking for a fight and even if they don't find one they want everyone to see they are carrying. That's why a lot of these Tea Party gun carriers actually carry their gun on their belt so that everyone can see they are carrying. For them it is not about self defense. It is a macho bravado thing.
Boom Sound 416
(4,185 posts)the nut or Spin? (forgetting illegal guns for the discussion)
Where I'm from the joke was a new Ford truck came with a gun rack, because, well, a new Ford truck came with a gun rack.
The thing is while no one got the gun rack if they didn't already own the gun, no one carried the gun in the truck unless they were on the way to use it. Its a rifle rack. And for the same reason Spin describes, one doesn't leave it in the truck in the middle of the back window for anyone to see it.
Plus its a pain in the ass to carry around all the time. Forget about gun free zones. First of all you got people staring at you all over the place and you gotta do your business lugging this awkward thing around.
It would be like going grocery shopping with a small vacuum cleaner on your back. Your up, your down, the damn thing is swinging all over the place.
As far as the handgun guys. I gotta believe that 80% at least of open handgun carriers have a conceal carry permit. They just wear it on the hip to make a point from time to time like we see here today
Back to the point, I think Spin's group is the majority.
spin
(17,493 posts)I cringe when I see a Tea Party rally with a number of people openly carrying handguns and assault style semi-auto rifles. This only makes all gun rights advocates look like a bunch of irresponsible fools preparing to try to start a revolt against our government.
I support universal background checks and major improvements to our NICS background check including timely reporting of those who have been legally adjudged as having serious mental issues to the database. I would also like to see a law passed that would require a customer to show a card that proved he had firearm safety training before he could buy a firearm or ammunition. This would be similar to the card a Scuba divers uses to get air for his tanks.
agent46
(1,262 posts)Just don't mistake a fascination with guns for some kind of moral and political high ground. A lot of us rarely give a thought to fire arms - all the while knowing we're prepared to go to the mat for our right to a free representative democracy.
spin
(17,493 posts)I don't consider the insinuation insulting in the least The comment did lead me to some consideration of just how important firearms are to my life.
I have enjoyed target shooting handguns for over 40 years and consequently have accumulated a small collection of these weapons over the years.
It is common for a person who has a dislike of firearms and those who own such items to assume that many gun owners sit around watching violent movies as they clean and fondle their favorite pistol or revolver. Perhaps some do, but the majority of my handguns stay locked away in the safe unless I take one to the range. I may wipe the others down yearly with a silicone cloth. I do handle the handguns I carry more frequently but only to drop them into my pocket on the way out the door or to put them back in the safe when I return.
You might imagine that I spend a good part of my time watching programs on firearms, and reading books on the subject. I do occasionally watch a program on the history and development of firearms on the history channels but such programs are rare anymore.
I mainly listen to all three of the 24/7 news channels. My son in law who I live with would tell you that if I have a fetish it is for news. In fact, he considers my interest in current events and politics to be unhealthy and he might be right. I feel my son in law has a movie fetish. He will watch a movie he likes 20 to 100 times and knows every line of dialog. He assures me that he notices something different every time he watches a movie but I find this hard to believe. It's sometimes all to easy to accuse those whose interests or hobbies differ from yours as having a fetish.
Most gun owners who target shoot regularly or hunt, view their firearms as tools of their hobby much as a golfer views his golf clubs. I am more concerned with those who have no real need for a firearm but buy a powerful handgun or an assault style rifle and sit their in their living rooms watching violent movies and fantasizing on how lethal his new toy might be. That's somewhat like buying a set of golf clubs but never going to the golf course while you fantasize that you could beat Tiger Woods in a tournament.
I don't consider that I hold any moral or political high ground because I support the 2nd Amendment. Both sides of the gun control debate have excellent and valid points to make in their favor. In fact I wouldn't be surprised in the least if in several decades or many even less, legal gun ownership is limited to only law enforcement and the one percent. If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly we are on our way to living in a police state as we are losing many of the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights such as our rights to privacy. Police states are not fond of the civilian ownership of firearms for good reason.
agent46
(1,262 posts)I'm an army veteran and have been around "gun hobbyists" plenty. Carry on, sir.
spin
(17,493 posts)That's never a bad thing.
It also reminded me that I am overdue on taking my handgun collection out of the safe and giving them a little loving attention which is long overdue.
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)And your choices seem quite sane. I disagree with you 100% about the wisdom and the need to walk around armed, but am the first to acknowledge that in the US of today, that's your right.
But I and people like me are trying to move the dial on those rights for all the reasons you've probably heard a hundred times. Over time, we'll see how this plays out.
spin
(17,493 posts)orpupilofnature57
(15,472 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Courage is feeling the power of love, not fleeing evil or losing your mind from fear.
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,002 posts)MrModerate
(9,753 posts)Even though that alienates far more customers than it attracts.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Holy crap, that is so right on.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)to add Antoinette Tuff's picture: