Excellent write up / Op ED piece in the coloradoan / Why i Purchased a gun

[Great-Kazoo]

http://www.coloradoan.com/story/opinion/2015/12/22/trevor-hughes-decided-buy-gun/77743278/

For me, like for many people I’ve talked to, San Bernardino was the tipping point. As someone who goes to lots of community meetings and rallies, I’m all too aware of how vulnerable we are. A holiday party? Your co-workers? (For me, it started with movie theaters.) I’m not a fan of waiting for the next attack from a religious terrorist.

Fairly sure, Heads are exploding over his last sentence
Maybe it’s time we made sure our enemies, both foreign and domestic, understand that we shoot back.I’m starting to feel like a soft target. I don’t like feeling like a soft target. And once again, I’m left with this idea that an armed society ends up being a very polite society — and one that’s highly resistant to attack.

[Zundfolge]

At least one co-worker came near to tears as she tried to dissuade me.
This kind of thing just makes me shake my head ... are we even the same species as these leftard idiots?

[Skip]

I recognize that my decision doesn't make the best logical sense. My head knows that. On the other hand, we humans are emotional creatures, and this decision helps me feel better. Perhaps there's just some comfort in feeling like I'm taking action, even if all the statistics tell me I might actually just be making the problem worse
But.

What else should I do? Our politicians have demonstrated they aren’t actually serious about reducing gun violence in America. I mean, while we accept that car crashes kill about 30,000 people annually, at least there’s a serious effort underway to reduce that number. And at the same time, there does appear to be an actual belief around the world and in our own country that Americans are a soft target.

Gov wouldn't disarm the folks so I'm buying a gun myself.

I not sure we've won a convert here. In the first paragraph quoted he repeats the lie.

In the second paragraph I can only assume that if gov "did something serious about gun violence in America" Trevor would be the first to give up his gun for the false promises. Meanwhile, in most of the stories he has covered, the bad guys didn't do the same and he knows better.

The ambiguous "religious terrorist" is a nice touch. I too worry about being the victim of violent Buddhists. Never mind my Hindu neighbors who live across the street--they really scare me. And then there's those Christians who keep blowing themselves up and beheading people. Last Sunday our pastor was talking about taking bombs downtown and blowing up the homeless. Or was he talking about taking food down and feeding them? I'm so confused...

[ray1970]

Lol. Written like a true reporter. Lots of bad and misleading info in the article.

He refers to what I interpret as law enforcement and says that when they use their weapons they "often miss, or accidentally shoot their colleagues or innocent bystanders."

Often? I kind of doubt that. Occasionally maybe, but not often.

And how does him purchasing a handgun "not make logical sense"? WTF?

And "statistically" he knows he's at risk of killing himself?

While I believe everyone has the right to own a firearm, I don't believe everyone should own a firearm. If you have doubts about your willingness to use it, or fear you might kill you self with it, or worse yet "fire it in anger" then maybe owning a firearm isn't for you.

The guy's a tool.

[Zundfolge]

Lol. Written like a true reporter.
I suspect he has to spin it this way or he loses all his friends.

[Aloha_Shooter]

I hope that idiot gets some training. His editorial sounds like typical liberal mush, just a liberal who's afraid for his life. If he DOES have to use it and it fails -- or worse, he hits an innocent -- he'll blame the gun and not his own failure to learn to use and practice with a tool in his possession. Contrast that with the neighbor who saved an 83-year-old man's Christmas presents while the victim was sleeping:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/22/armed-neighbor-stops-crooks-from-stealing-83-year-old-mans-christmas-gifts.html?intcmp=hplnws


At least two intruders entered 83-year-old Harry Wells’ Houston home on Monday night ready to fill up a car with his Christmas gifts, including a flat screen TV, rifle and mounted deer head, investigators said.
The suspects nearly wound up filled with lead.


The armed neighbor, who was not identified in any media reports, told KHOU if the thieves ever came back to the neighborhood they wouldn’t leave with their lives, never mind anyone’s valuables.


Wells said he slept through the entire encounter.

[vossman]

I've read worse. He should've sent that to the Indy and heads really would explode.

[Irving]

Anyone know where I can get a bumper sticker that says "Fires in anger"?

[Great-Kazoo]

Anyone know where I can get a bumper sticker that says "Fires in anger"?

ATF FB page ?

[Ramsker]

Largely "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" . . . but at least the guy came to the realization (albeit begrudgingly) that hoping for someone else to protect you is a lousy strategy.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

He is trolling for click-throughs. I bet IF he buys a gun, he does so only to document the whole thing and create more articles (and clicks) for it.

[theGinsue]

And even worse, I know the statistics that show I’m at risk, as a middle-age white man living in Colorado, of using the gun to kill myself.


He may be buying himself a firearm to take personal responsibility for his own safety, but he harbors BS beliefs he got from drinking the Kool-Aid at some point.



Perhaps there's just some comfort in feeling like I'm taking action, even if all the statistics tell me I might actually just be making the problem worse


Yep more Kool-Aid. Not all of the statistics agree with this information - only those put together by the anti-gun agenda.


ETA:

What else should I do? Our politicians have demonstrated they aren’t actually serious about reducing gun violence in America. I mean, while we accept that car crashes kill about 30,000 people annually, at least there’s a serious effort underway to reduce that number. And at the same time, there does appear to be an actual belief around the world and in our own country that Americans are a soft target.


After this statement, I'm starting to believe that this entire article is nothing more than an underhanded, well disguised anti-gun piece. Probably not, but he laid out plenty of the talking points for the anti's.

[Great-Kazoo]

What ever one's opinion of the opinion piece. The party of tolerance & diversity has really gone berserk over the writers choice to buy a gun. REMEMBER FOLKS these people Vote. Emotionally made decisions will have us in reeducation camps before the decade is over.

[ray1970]

Emotionally made decisions will have us in reeducation camps before the decade is over.

But we have the guns and they don't. I think maybe we might be putting them in camps for reeducation.

[Great-Kazoo]

But we have the guns and they don't. I think maybe we might be putting them in camps for reeducation.

Don't let complacency, or confidence, lure you in to believing that.
"They" are a back stabbing, elitist crowd who would observe gun owners at home. Wait till one leaves for WORK, something they don't do. Then break in and steal what they can. Or burn the place down.

To a Liberal mind set, BY ANY MEANS, AS LONG AS IT GETS THE RESULTS THEY WANT. Hence the ongoing attacks funded by Mr. Big Gulp, Georg Soros , Tom Steyr to name a few. Going after cities and towns to have them tax in to bankruptcy, Legal Business that do not follow their PC, Everyone but me doesn't need guns mind set.

[Irving]

Don't let complacency, or confidence, lure you in to believing that.
"They" are a back stabbing, elitist crowd who would observe gun owners at home. Wait till one leaves for WORK, something they don't do. Then break in and steal what they can. Or burn the place down.

To a Liberal mind set, BY ANY MEANS, AS LONG AS IT GETS THE RESULTS THEY WANT. Hence the ongoing attacks funded by Mr. Big Gulp, Georg Soros , Tom Steyr to name a few. Going after cities and towns to have them tax in to bankruptcy, Legal Business that do not follow their PC, Everyone but me doesn't need guns mind set.

You think Kurt Russel is going to let any of that happen to us, Son? Think again!

[RblDiver]

The comments on the article are total facepalm. One woman is claiming (I'm paraphrasing) "You've never experienced a case where a gun saved your life. Not what you read in magazines, you personally." A guy offers up a perfect example. She dismisses it. Typical leftie moving the goalposts.

[roberth]

Don't let complacency, or confidence, lure you in to believing that.
"They" are a back stabbing, elitist crowd who would observe gun owners at home. Wait till one leaves for WORK, something they don't do. Then break in and steal what they can. Or burn the place down.

To a Liberal mind set, BY ANY MEANS, AS LONG AS IT GETS THE RESULTS THEY WANT. Hence the ongoing attacks funded by Mr. Big Gulp, Georg Soros , Tom Steyr to name a few. Going after cities and towns to have them tax in to bankruptcy, Legal Business that do not follow their PC, Everyone but me doesn't need guns mind set.

Exactly right. The ends justify the means.

Throughout history the left (D) is the mass murderer, the enslaver, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, PolPot, Castro, all leftists (D). Look at who the left is embracing now, ISIS of all things, the (D) wants ISIS to overthrow Assad so Syria will be a mess like Libya and Egypt, after Assad is out the (D) will probably encourage ISIS to attack Israel...then it'll be game on. Who blocked the US civil rights movement in the 60s, Democrats that's who. Who keeps minorities enslaved to FedGov now using welfare, section 8, food stamps, etc...that's right Democrats. Who tells blacks they can't survive without the government....right again...Democrats. The (D), still practicing racism like it was the 1800s, just different tools now.

Who supports gun control...Democrats and their RINO buddies. Who supports shutting down right wing talk radio ...Democrats through the "Fairness Act". Who supports this travesty called Obamacare....Democrats and idiot moron GOP 'tards. Who thinks that hard work, ambition, saving money, believing in God, guns, and country are practiced by terrorists...Democrats that's who.

I can tear up the (D) all day, they can't touch me because their only tools are the pejorative, lies, deceit, willful ignorance and stupidity.

[roberth]

But we have the guns and they don't. I think maybe we might be putting them in camps for reeducation.

The enemy can't put us in camps, most of the people the (D) would rely on for such an activity believe in the constitution and liberty and won't participate. The odds against those traitors who would participate are ENORMOUS, they simply wouldn't survive after their first few attempts and they don't have the time/manpower to take us individually. There are just too many guns in the hands of too many patriots for the (D) to overcome. I doubt FedGov has enough Hellfires to target each home individually.

If the (D) gets a bunch of untrained useless idiots to try it they'll fail miserably, imagine some stupid, effette college puke trying to disarm you. It is LAUGHABLE.

Our team doesn't do camps, we're more live and let live, we tolerate and tune out their bullshit.

The difference between us and the German/Polish Jews, the Russian peasants, the Chinese peasants, is that we have guns and just the ownership will be enough to deter the (D).

[Ronin13]

The author of that article uses a lot of that "I reluctantly" type of talk, we hear it from the left all the time. He'll be a FUDD at best. I'm so sick of this gun shaming BS that's going on. You mention you're a gun owner to certain individuals and they look at you like you just got a swastika tattoo on your arm. WTF?

[Skip]

What ever one's opinion of the opinion piece. The party of tolerance & diversity has really gone berserk over the writers choice to buy a gun. REMEMBER FOLKS these people Vote. Emotionally made decisions will have us in reeducation camps before the decade is over.

That may be, but my interpretation is a little different as I stated on page 1.

To give you an example of how I see this... Imagine a Conservative saying she is getting an abortion because the Right hasn't been able to ban abortion. Conservatives would be outraged and I think that is the point. Liberals might think they've won a convert but the author still opposes abortion and is using it to echo "something must be done" which has become a rally cry in and of itself and to agitate.

Of course this is ridiculous example because Conservatives tend to be more principled and wouldn't get an abortion to make a political point. Liberals tend to look at ends and believe they justify means.