Even the peaceful pacifist Howard Stern is now urging his listeners to buy a gun.

[Mike 03]

He's got me wondering if I should.

I live in a small town and almost every day we are seeing new crimes.

Murder suicides are almost a daily happening in our society, as are standoffs with the police, serial homicides, school or work place shootings.

I couldn't believe it that Howard is now saying, "Buy a gun."

But I think he's right.

Any suggestions as to pertinent places here at DU where I could learn a little bit more about this idea of becoming a gun owner, and what the pros and cons are, and what people think about this very complex issue.

Thanks in advance.

[JerseygirlCT]

1. Gee, and my reaction to all of that is that we need far fewer guns around. nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Me too.

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. Me too. Otherwise all of society will be a circular firing squad.

[silverojo]

27. Your philosophy: Let me be a sitting duck!

If a deranged shooter knew there was a good chance he'd encounter armed people among his intended victims, he'd think twice. They like doing murder/suicides, not just suicide.

Crime happens because criminals know the chances of meeting an armed victim are slim to none.

Pampered, lucky people who've never encountered life-and-death situations always think that gun laws will magically keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Or that, somehow, lining up lots of unarmed targets will make the criminal give up and go away.

When someone has a gun and intent to kill, he has declared war. The only responses are to kill or be killed.

[Cheap_Trick]

29. A "deranged" person would "think twice"?

:rofl:

[soothsayer]

2. He's got a concealed carry permit. I missed him urging this, tho. What brought it on?

[Kingofalldems]

7. Right, I seem to remember an article in the paper about Howard

having a carry permit. It's been quite a few years.

[Renew Deal]

11. I'm almost positive that I heard him say he doesn't have a gun and doesn't want one.

Also, he lives in NYC, so he can't have a gun. NY has never had a concealed carry law (except for off duty cops) as far as I remember.

[Ikonoklast]

24. He owns a .38, I believe.

And if you are rich or have connections like HS does, in NYC you can get a carry permit.

None for the 'little' people, though.

Some rules to obtain CCP in NYC:

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/9920/

Here's a list of some 'heavy hitters' with a CCP.

http://www.nndb.com/event/349/000172830/

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Howard Stern is a peaceful pacifist?

Who knew?

[high density]

5. I bought a laptop

I can use it for something useful, then I could smash it on somebody's head in defense if I had to.

[Caliman73]

6. Sarcasm?

Owning a firearm is a very serious decision. You have consider your beliefs and values. Does the possibility of using a deadly weapon fit within your beliefs? I would suggest you not buy a firearm out of fear. Think about where you live, who you know, and what having a firearm means to you. When we are not defending ourselves from other DU posters, the people on the Gun forum might be able to engage you in some discussion.

[amyrose2712]

8. He also says never play sports or ski...

Howard has always had guns. I love Howard. But, i wouldn't take advice from him.

[Renew Deal]

9. I listen to him and I've never heard him say that seriously.

I think he might have joked about it, but it's very clear that he's not a gun owner and he doesn't want to be. So I'd like to see a quote from him where he's seriously telling people to run out and buy guns.

As far as learning about guns on DU. You already know the answer.

[doctor jazz]

It seems odd to me that someone would consider being a 'gun owner' to be any more

significant than a 'bar-b-q grill owner' but being from Iowa (we have another thing going on right now woo hoo :D)

If you decide to buy a gun just remember like many mechanical devices it can hurt people if it's misused.

[Warpy]

10. He says a lot of things I think are dumb

but if this one resonates with you, then start by finding a gun safety class through a gun store or shooting range. If learning what it takes to own one safely doesn't deter you (and remember they're thief magnets as well as dumb teenager magnets), then the same people can guide your purchase.

Howard's paranoid because he's a public figure who offends a lot of crackpots and gets a lot of death threats. He might need one. You probably don't, not really.

[onehandle]

12. He's an "entertainer." Would you take that advice from Rush? Or Captain Phone Sex?

Of course not.

The odds of being killed in a crime situation is remote at best.

Unless you are Very Lucky or are Dirty Harry, a gun will not save you.

It will actually increase the odds that you will Die by accident or murder suicide.

[Statistical]

13. The world is actually a safer place

The overall crime rate and every category of crime peaked in 1980.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_01.html

Homicide rate today is same as it was in 1960s.
Violent crime rate is lowest in 20 years.

Long term DECLINE in crime since late 90s.
2006 showed a small increase but nothing statistically significant.

That being said if you want to own a firearm I would recommend an NRA safety course.

Yeah I know NRA the evil RW blah blah blah....

NRA does a lot of good stuff in the training & safety department.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. Still -

Compare the number of murders (by gun) in our country to the numbers in other countries.

We're in bad, bad shape.

[Stellabella]

17. Yep.

The US far, far outranks every other industrialized nation in gun murders.

In one year, firearms killed no children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada, and 5,285 in the United States. (Centers for Disease Control)

http://www.neahin.org/programs/schoolsafety/gunsafety/statistics.htm

[Statistical]

18. Is someone less dead w/ a non-gun murder?

Wouldn't a more useful stat just be the murdrer rate?

If you friend died from a knife attack would you tell his/her mother well at least he didn't die from a gun now that would be bad?

Anyways the OP wasn't afraid last year, or year before, or 5 years before that.

The POINT IS THAT VIOLENT CRIME RATE IS AT A 40 YEAR LOW.

It is public (and incorrect) perception that crime is higher today than a few years ago.

[Stellabella]

20. Sorry, numbers don't lie.

Excusing deaths from guns is really just a silly exercise in denial. Yawn.

[HPSteam]

28. Guns...guns...gun...

What numbers? Who's numbers? How about this, figures Lie and Liars figure! :think:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

21. Perceive "dead" and then tell me

about "perceptions."

How many people might not have died if not for those fucking guns?

Sorry, but all your capital letters - did you know that's SHOUTING, and it's very impolite? - aren't going to change my mind. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to have a gun.

Fuck 'em all. They're nonsense, and nothing but dangerous.................

[HPSteam]

30. Guns...guns...gun...

WHY is that? Maybe, just maybe it's due to the FACT that we have a larger population. HOW many abortion were done in America last month? HOW many last year? Man, not the if it saves just one child, please. Heres one for ya,Guns don't kill....who cares. What scares me is all the new gunners in our ranks that still hit the floor while they pewee, and now own a weapon. Fuck-me. RULE:(1) DO NOT POINT A WEAPON AT ANYTHING YOU CAN'T AFFORD OR OUT SHOOT! I bet i just saved one life, could be me.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

14. Consider this:

Howard Stern lives with full-time security, in a world where no civilian can ever get close to him.

So, you're taking advice from a radio talk show host?

Are you kidding?

[liberalmuse]

16. I'm thinking of it...

I hate guns, but I know how to shoot one. I live in an apartment with a crazy neighbor next door. I'm talking Norman Bates psycho. Thank god my lease is almost up.

[ret5hd]

22. I say submit to your fears! Talk show hosts always have a remarkable grasp on reality!

[villager]

23. Yes. Howard Stern should be the one deciding for us whether to go armed or not.

n/t

[madrchsod]

25. we have a dog that will die for our family

that`s all we need

[FudaFuda]

26. Perspective

This past month has been a particularly bad one for 'gone postal' spree killers for some reason. There's no easy explanation as to why, but it has happened. Next month, I'm certainly hoping for peace. But that kind of tragedy will happen, from time to time, in our country and in others, for as long as humans exist as a species. Any student of history can confirm this, and it doesn't take a gun to kill a bunch of people (and Japan is proof that in the absence of guns, the crazies find other ways to do it).

Anyway, let's put the problem into perspective a bit. We're a nation of what, about 300 million people? The killing spree events of the past month have resulted in the deaths of (I think) less than 50 people. I read 44 yesterday, and then we had the Pittsburgh thing today. And this is, no one can deny, about the worst month for this we've all ever seen.

In the same month, drunk driving has killed about 1400 people. And that's the average number of alcohol related highway deaths every month of every year - almost 17,000 a year. And besides prosecuting the few we catch, what do we do about it? Nada. We could easily make every damn car sold with a built-in breathalyzer. Why don't we? There's no constitutional right to driving drunk. And no matter what argument you make about the necessity of automobiles, again there's no necessity whatsoever for drunks behind the wheel. And yet we won't take those 1400 deaths or so every month seriously. But in one extremely bad month of spree shooters, less than 50 are killed and people are fuckin scared it's gonna happen in their town tomorrow.

The cable news networks don't get you to stop what you're doing and remained glued to your TV for hours when they talk about drunk driving statistics. But one guy with a gun will keep our attention peeled for a whole day. Never mind if the intense coverage and attention (fame) given the gunman inspires other nutcases to aspire to their own glory by killing more. It's ratings that matter. Meanwhile, your odds of you or your family being killed by a drunk are exponentially greater, every day.

[MrPerson]

31. He'd only buy it if he could use it in a sex act.

[HPSteam]

32. So you think you need a GUN?

WHAT for will be the main thing,and to do what.Believe it or not it's alot like buying a car.Sport car with top end,how about a nice Sedan or a Truck, not to mention the old west types.I will say this now, stay away from the cheap imports (China/Russia) as fact.I'd be glad to help.