Self defense while traveling

spoon059 wrote:


I don't have a problem with YOU making a decision not to carry a gun. I do have a problem with YOU telling me that I cannot carry a gun.

Currently, the 2nd Amendment, resolves your concerns and fears.
What more do you want?
A repeal of the First Amendment?...:W

TechWriter wrote:

suprz wrote:
. . . when I see the way the constitution is being abused and twisted, it makes me wonder how much will be left of the constitution for him to fight for....

Care to expand on this?

Not really, I am just of the opinion that if our forefathers thought that what they wrote into the constitution should be changed,or interpreted, or "amended" to suit everyone's opinion, they would ended every sentence in it with, "But..."

spoon059 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Again, no where have I said that you cannot carry a gun nor have I said you are paranoid for making choices as to what protection you believe is necessary.

toedtoes... I didn't mean to suggest I was talking to you specifically... it was more of a general "you". I know thats not how it appeared as written, so I apologize.

My comments were directed at those that feel guns are dangerous (they aren't). My comments were directed at those that feel the government is smarter than the people (its not). My comment was directed at those that somehow feel that their personal opinions supersede the Constitution (they don't).

Sorry for writing it in a manner that seemed I was attacking you. Not my intent at all. I understand your position and thought it was very well written.

Thanks.

However, just to provide full disclosure. I do believe that guns are dangerous - I just don't think that by itself that means they should all be banned. I do not believe that the government is smarter than the people - I just don't think that by itself that means people should be allowed to do anything they want.

I believe that there is a compromise to be had that will protect those who need it (children in a school) and allow people to have freedoms (having a gun). I take issue with both sides who think it has to be all or nothing. Keeping guns out of the hands of unbalanced people who go into schools and malls and movie theaters and workplaces, etc., is my desire - because unbalanced people with guns are extremely dangerous. The rest is personal choice for each of us to make. Respect in that goes a long way - on both sides of every hot topic issue.

Homer wrote:
You sound like a ballistics trained person that should realize shot gun shells come in a vast variety of shot sizes, the lower the number the bigger the pellet until you reach Ought and double Ought. Now those have big stopping power.

I'd encourage you to do some additional research. Even #0 and #00 buckshot do not qualify as "stopping power".

Homer wrote:
However in defensive situation I do not care about where the small shot pellets go. I just want to save my life

I've seen people that feel that way before. Unfortunately, it's an incorrect attitude that may well come back to haunt you. Your attitude shown here would paint you as one of the "wackjob" gun owners who may have saved himself, but at the same time if he injured an innocent he wouldn't care. That would go over really well to a jury and to the press if you ever had an errant pellet that did so.

Homer wrote:
I guarantee you the sound of 12 ga. pump being loaded into the breach will give you cause to get the hell out of the area.

If you are fortunate, it will. Drugs can make people feel invincible, and you may have to follow through, after having given away your position by working that action and giving up the element of surprise.

Taking some preventative security measures to make your trailer and you less attractive to those with ill intent is your best bet. Being trained and prepared with appropriate defensive tools and the right mindset, will complete the picture.

suprz wrote:
. . . when I see the way the constitution is being abused and twisted, it makes me wonder how much will be left of the constitution for him to fight for....

Care to expand on this?

toedtoes wrote:
Again, no where have I said that you cannot carry a gun nor have I said you are paranoid for making choices as to what protection you believe is necessary.

toedtoes... I didn't mean to suggest I was talking to you specifically... it was more of a general "you". I know thats not how it appeared as written, so I apologize.

My comments were directed at those that feel guns are dangerous (they aren't). My comments were directed at those that feel the government is smarter than the people (its not). My comment was directed at those that somehow feel that their personal opinions supersede the Constitution (they don't).

Sorry for writing it in a manner that seemed I was attacking you. Not my intent at all. I understand your position and thought it was very well written.

GMandJM wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
I don't have a problem with YOU making a decision not to carry a gun. I do have a problem with YOU telling me that I cannot carry a gun.

Well stated, Spoon. My thoughts- exactly.

Spoon, very well put! As you can probably tell by my posts here, I have an issue with certain self-righteous individuals who seem to feel they are so much better than me, so much more evolved than me, simply because they aren’t willing to personally defend themselves against aggression. Here’s a news flash, the human race didn’t get to the top of the predator ladder by being an unaggressive loveable species. It’s not paranoia; it’s about enjoying the best of humanity while being prepared for the worst.

Steve

PS FWIW toedtoes, I like your arguments and don't consider you to be among the individuals I just mentioned.

spoon059 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
I find the comparison of having a gun as the same as having insurance or a fire extinguisher or air bags, etc., interesting. But I think there are some major differences.

Very valid points.

I have additional insurance on my trailer that is not required... just in case someone breaks into it or a tree falls on it while parked. Not required by law, does that make me paranoid?

I have my own retirement plans that are not required by law and are above and beyond Social Security so that I will have greater than the minimal financial means when I retire. Is that paranoid?

I have more than minimal insurance on my vehicle... does that make me paranoid?

You make the reference to the 51,000 gun deaths a year... how about the many many many more victims of gun violence that DON'T die.

There were 84,000 forcible ***** in 2014. How many suspects had handguns, or how many victims were afraid that the attacker had a handgun? Conversely, how many of those ***** could have been prevented by a female armed with a handgun?

How many robberies occurred? How many aggravated assaults occurred?

Look, we don't live in a perfect world. We will never rid our country of crime. The objective is to reduce the chance of being a victim. Like it or not, a suspect is much less likely to rob you if there is a chance you have a gun. You don't even need to have the gun... you just need the suspect to have a healthy fear of the possibility that you have a gun.

Look at all these mass shootings in GUN FREE ZONES. These cowards know that they won't likely face armed resistance and they are at the advantage. Churches, armed service recruiting centers and bases, schools, malls, theaters... all of these are places you are very unlikely encounter someone with a gun.

I don't have a problem with YOU making a decision not to carry a gun. I do have a problem with YOU telling me that I cannot carry a gun.

Again, no where have I said that you cannot carry a gun nor have I said you are paranoid for making choices as to what protection you believe is necessary.

What I am pointing out is that the overall chance of needing a gun for protection versus a fire extinguisher, car or home insurance, etc. is much less, yet more people in the US feel that need more than the others.

Everyone makes their own choices as to how much precaution they choose to have against any potential threat. Whether it's insurance, a bomb shelter, an disaster kit, guns, etc. But, to say that they are all equal in their risk factors is not true.

This is really the same as every other argument. People make a choice and then spend their time trying to convince everyone else that it is the only reasonable choice to make and they state absolutes that don't exist in order to justify their choice.

They eliminate reasonableness from the argument (on both sides) and thereby destroy any chance of finding a reasonable solution.

spoon059 wrote:
I don't have a problem with YOU making a decision not to carry a gun. I do have a problem with YOU telling me that I cannot carry a gun.

Well stated, Spoon. My thoughts- exactly.

toedtoes wrote:
I find the comparison of having a gun as the same as having insurance or a fire extinguisher or air bags, etc., interesting. But I think there are some major differences.

Very valid points.

I have additional insurance on my trailer that is not required... just in case someone breaks into it or a tree falls on it while parked. Not required by law, does that make me paranoid?

I have my own retirement plans that are not required by law and are above and beyond Social Security so that I will have greater than the minimal financial means when I retire. Is that paranoid?

I have more than minimal insurance on my vehicle... does that make me paranoid?

You make the reference to the 51,000 gun deaths a year... how about the many many many more victims of gun violence that DON'T die.

There were 84,000 forcible ***** in 2014. How many suspects had handguns, or how many victims were afraid that the attacker had a handgun? Conversely, how many of those ***** could have been prevented by a female armed with a handgun?

How many robberies occurred? How many aggravated assaults occurred?

Look, we don't live in a perfect world. We will never rid our country of crime. The objective is to reduce the chance of being a victim. Like it or not, a suspect is much less likely to rob you if there is a chance you have a gun. You don't even need to have the gun... you just need the suspect to have a healthy fear of the possibility that you have a gun.

Look at all these mass shootings in GUN FREE ZONES. These cowards know that they won't likely face armed resistance and they are at the advantage. Churches, armed service recruiting centers and bases, schools, malls, theaters... all of these are places you are very unlikely encounter someone with a gun.

I don't have a problem with YOU making a decision not to carry a gun. I do have a problem with YOU telling me that I cannot carry a gun.