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What kind of people are gun owners?
Cleveland Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 27 February, 2009 | Daniel White

Posted on 02/28/2009 4:35:00 AM PST by marktwain

I was talking to a friend of mine last night, who happens to be a lawyer, and he made a comment about how much people's values have changed in this country in the last hundred years or so.

In particular, he was talking about the "us vs. them" mentality that people tend to get when it comes to the police. There was a time when everyone took responsibility not only for their own safety, but for the safety of their communities as well. Although, that was also a time when support for guns and religion was respected, not a punchline by a presidential candidate. Back then, people weren't expected to just to call 911 if they saw someone being mugged, they were expected to act to protect life and community. In 1864, if a person was being stabbed to death in the street, bystanders certainly wouldn't do nothing. But a hundred years later, people are told not to get involved, that they should just "be a good witness", call the police, and go back to bed.

As I said, this sense of duty to defense extended to communities as well. People were once proud to serve in a militia and be ready at a moment's notice to defend themselves, their neighbor, and their way of life. Now, the mainstream media sneers at the word militia, conjuring up images of drunken rednecks running around the woods in camo pants.

Then again, they're not exactly high on gun owners in general, particularly those who choose to carry a gun for self defense. Armed citizens tend to be the closest we have to the patriots of old because they do still have the moral strength and character to be prepared to protect themselves and others. So, what do you find behind the stereotype?

Jeff Snyder once said that we "carry arms because we value our lives and those of our loved ones, because we will not be dealt with by force or threat of force, and do not live at the pleasure and discretion of the lawless". The anti gunners will try to tell you that people who carry firearms for protection are mentally imbalanced individuals who see danger lurking in every shadow and are looking for any excuse to sling lead. But the truth is, we just want to be left alone to live our lives in peace. If a criminal tries to take our lives, we are prepared to meet force with force.

Another mischaracterization is that we want to feel big and get our way because we have "the power." The truth is, gun owners tend to be amongst the most tolerant of others. Gun owners don't try to meddle and tell people that they must believe and behave like they do. Sadly, it isn't often the same with anti-gunners.

Take for instance some users on who don't like guns. One individual (warning, profanity) has stated he will intentionally "bury" any pro-gun story posted to Digg, and has gone on a crusade against one of the Gun Rights Examiners to keep him from promoting his articles. He even brags about his actions in his profile:

If you post in favor of Ron Paul, guns, or any other crackpot porn I *will* bury you. Tip of the day, nobody listens to you because YOU ARE FULL OF ****. **** off and die kthx.

But, we don't go in and try to prevent the anti-gunners from exercising their right to free speech. Then again, gun owners tend to love their freedoms, something not everyone can understand. All too often, people are more than happy to trade freedoms, particularly ones they're not "using", for a sense of security. Gun owners, on the other hand, realize that it is those freedoms that give us security.

The truth is, gun owners are all around. Most people will never know that the mother in line at the grocery store, computer tech helping with their email at work, or family dentist all choose to carry a firearm for personal protection. But if the chips are down, they can count on these responsible, law-abiding citizens to defend their lives against violent criminal attacks. Think of them as mobile crime free zones.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; freedom; gun; gunowners
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Anti gun types, as most anti-freedom types, tend to be very intolerant.
1 posted on 02/28/2009 4:35:00 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain
What kind of people are gun owners?

Free people.

2 posted on 02/28/2009 4:43:36 AM PST by SolidWood (Palin: "In Alaska we eat therefore we hunt.")
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To: marktwain

I am multi gun, gun owner.
Gots a new auto shotgun on order to go with all my other toys.


3 posted on 02/28/2009 4:45:27 AM PST by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: marktwain

There are millions of gun owners in America and since Obama was elected news reports tell us that the purchase of firearms has been booming. Despite the disproportionate noise and influence of anti-gun crusaders, guns are an inherent part of American history and culture as well as a constitutional right. I don’t think any generalities can be made about these millions who represent a cross-section of our population.


4 posted on 02/28/2009 4:45:41 AM PST by T.L.Sink
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To: marktwain
Anti gunners know what we know. If they persist in their tyranny our guns are meant for them. This is why they hate them and us. Simple.

Μολὼν λάβε


5 posted on 02/28/2009 4:46:19 AM PST by wastoute (translation of tag "Come and get them (bastards)" and the Scout Motto)
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To: T.L.Sink

The absolute best investment since Obama took office has been anunition ...


6 posted on 02/28/2009 4:52:49 AM PST by bimbo
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To: marktwain
Several good points. But the one that stuck out to me:

The anti gunners will try to tell you that people who carry firearms for protection are mentally imbalanced individuals who see danger lurking in every shadow and are looking for any excuse to sling lead. But the truth is, we just want to be left alone to live our lives in peace. If a criminal tries to take our lives, we are prepared to meet force with force.

The last thing in the world I want to do, is having to shoot someone. Heck, I don't even want to hurt 4 legged critters. And as long as I am left alone, the only other reason I can see for shooting someone, (or something), is saving the life of an innocent.

But let me add this to the general topic of "What kind of people are gun owners?". There are also people who just like to collect things, including guns, which can be compared to works of art, and there are some people who own guns, simply because they can...

7 posted on 02/28/2009 4:56:37 AM PST by LRS (Just contracts; just laws; just a constitution...)
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To: marktwain
... we don't go in and try to prevent the anti-gunners from exercising their right to free speech.

and there in lies the advantage of the Left: they have no qualms about restricting the free speech of those who disagree with them.

8 posted on 02/28/2009 4:56:56 AM PST by bimbo
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To: marktwain

The news media, Hollywood and academia promote perception and while it’s not always reality, they try to set the stage for what we as a nation believe.


9 posted on 02/28/2009 5:00:36 AM PST by umgud (I'm really happy I wasn't aborted)
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To: bimbo

Exactly. It’s been obvious that Obama and his flunky Holder are going to try to eliminate the right to bear arms by a series of punitive incremental measures such as pricing ammunition so high by excise taxation that it’s unaffordable, compulsory registrations, etc. I don’t know if you’ve seen them but Lou Dobbs has had a great series on his show about how Eric Holder is trying to subvert the Second Amendment.


10 posted on 02/28/2009 5:04:15 AM PST by T.L.Sink
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To: bimbo

Proving, yet once again, that for the left, it’s all about CONTROL.

It’s time to take back the country.


11 posted on 02/28/2009 5:04:54 AM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion. 01-20-2013: Change we can look forward to.)
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To: T.L.Sink
I don’t think any generalities can be made about these millions who represent a cross-section of our population

There are occasional exceptions, but I would happily take the next 435 people who walk into my neighborhood gun store or onto our local gun range over the 435 slugs, socialists, crooks, and morons currently in the House, sight unseen.

12 posted on 02/28/2009 5:10:31 AM PST by TurtleUp (Turtle up: cancel optional spending until 2012, and boycott TARP/stimulus companies forever!)
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To: TurtleUp
I would happily take the next 435 people who walk into my neighborhood gun store or onto our local gun range over the 435 slugs, socialists, crooks, and morons currently in the House, sight unseen.

This should be chiseled in stone - oh wait, wasn't that kind of the intent in the first place?
13 posted on 02/28/2009 5:23:47 AM PST by WorkingClassFilth (Actually, it all started back in Mayberry. Helen Crump was a traveler and Floyd, well, you know...)
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To: marktwain

Perhaps one who realizes:

“Take for instance some users on who don’t like guns. One individual (warning, profanity) has stated he will intentionally “bury” any pro-gun story posted to Digg, and has gone on a crusade against one of the Gun Rights Examiners to keep him from promoting his articles. He even brags about his actions in his profile:

If you post in favor of Ron Paul, guns, or any other crackpot porn I *will* bury you. Tip of the day, nobody listens to you because YOU ARE FULL OF ****. **** off and die kthx”

This cannot be allowed to stand, if gunowners are cut off from youth of today, we will become the UK only much more quickly.

It makes more sense to deal with this now by swarming and over running the deluded such as that dude sob, then to do nothing.


14 posted on 02/28/2009 5:26:38 AM PST by padre35 (You shall not ignore the laws of God, the Market, the Jungle, and Reciprocity Rm10.10)
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To: SolidWood

That is the best answer that can be given. Only free people own guns.


15 posted on 02/28/2009 5:31:43 AM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: Joe Boucher

I hope you have ammo. I hear the ammo is hard to find these days. A friend went to a show the other day and said someone was buying all the ammo he could find at the show, like all of it from one seller. Probably to sell later after a huge tax is in place. But, from what I’ve heard (and I’m sure you already know), ammo is out of stock and on back-order at alot of stores, including on-line.


16 posted on 02/28/2009 5:43:41 AM PST by HollyB
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To: marktwain

People you wanna be polite to.


17 posted on 02/28/2009 5:44:18 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: marktwain

Liberals do not trust their fellow citizens.

That is why they do not trust firearm owners to do what is right.

That is why they do not trust the free market to do what is right.

That is why they do not trust capitalism to do what is right.

That is why they do not trust religion to do what is right.

Liberals view all of the above as flawed and believe only THEY can fix them.


18 posted on 02/28/2009 5:54:34 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: marktwain
All the gun grabbers, starting with the Brady Bunch should immediately: 'WE' don't "need" a lot of things, but we have them -- "Just In Case". So a Firearm is just like a Smoke Detector or 'Insurance'. But these arguments would go flying right over the gun grabbers empty heads.

And as to those 'ugly', scary looking, black rifles that we don't "need". Well, I may think a gun grabber doesn't "need" the car he owns. It may be a Van, but I may say he only "needs" a Toyota Corolla. I'd bet he'd get just a little ticked if his Van was 'outlawed' because someone said he doesn't "need" it.

20 posted on 02/28/2009 6:06:27 AM PST by Condor51 (The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits)
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