Last night I did a little checking. There really is no unified gun registry in this country. In fact, in 8 states it is illegal to force a person to register their gun. In this day and age, with all the gun violence around I have to say I find that ludacris. I talked to Clyde about it, who is an avid guns rights person, and I must say, will never EVER change his tune. It is in his family culture, he grew up with them, etc. etc. etc. Apparently even in the year 2020 there are still people afraid that the government is going to be over thrown by idiots and their guns will be taken away. His attitude is that they’ll pry his (mostly unregistered) weapons out of his cold dead hands. And he feels he’s done his duty in terms of registration. He has a concealed weapons permit which lets the government know he owns weapons. So, it’s not a secret.
I have owned one weapon in my life. Only one. Bought for my 45th or so birthday. After my neighbor from hell experience, where I finally had enough and murdered my lawn –that was enough for me. I gave it back. But, when I originally got it I was there when it was purchased and I INSISTED that it be registered. I would not have accepted it otherwise. My biggest piece of logic for that was self protection. If the weapon was stolen and used in the commission of a crime then I had it on record that I was trying to be transparent and responsible in terms of ownership. So, my attitude about gun ownership has not changed one iota for at least 15 years or so.
When I met Clyde, I really had to think long and hard about if I really wanted to take on a relationship with him. He was honest about himself. Between his health and his guns (and beer!)– I just saw red flags EVERYWHERE. Well, shortly after we met, a diabetes diagnosis did away with any beer fears I had (I do not believe he’s an alcoholic, not then not now). We had the health item in common so I couldn’t really hold him responsible for that. The guns… well, he owned/s well over a dozen which in my book is way, way, way overkill (pun not intended) for any reason. So, I watched and waited. At the time and to this day, all but one are locked up in a safe.
Today, not even one would be out of the safe had my son not “admitted” to me at one point that he put the word out in his social (criminal, at the time) circles because his dealers, etc. were angry with him and he needed a source of drugs–that we had piles of money in said safe. (now, logically, if we had piles of money, would we live here??!! Look at the house!!!) The idea was to have a certain person come poking around our house to steal our millions and have one of us kill the person for trespass, which would alleviate my son of all his issues. Since that has come to light –there is always a weapon out of the safe. That little tidbit came out about 5 years ago, I guess, but, It’s been really hard to forget because according to son, the person he hoped to put into this situation was in on the planning of a murder that happened right around the corner from us. Talk about wanting to move!!!!
Anyway –that above example is to show, I realize, I guess there are legitimate reasons for gun ownership. But, with todays violence there are also legitimate reasons for gun regulations. Too many people are dying for too many stupid reasons. And I do feel that EVERY person who owns lethal weapons should have the wherewithal to handle and own them safely for all involved, including taking steps to keep them out of the hands of less than responsible people. Because of the violence that exists in society, I really don’t believe anyone should have the right to own any military style weapons —except perhaps collectors who should have to prove they are capable of keeping them out of a killers hands.
Now, lest you decide that I must have grown up in a liberal home and am tarnished by some liberal parents. My father always had a gun on the headboard (that I could see anyhow). And I grew up knowing to not touch it. My maternal grandfather had a small collection of shot guns, so far as I know that were used to kill small varmits that showed up and threatened his livelihood. He was a farmer first and foremost when I was a kid. I happen to know that there were uncles on both sides who had no issues with gun ownership. So, my background the issue of gun ownership.
I realize that there was as much violence “back in the day” –I really do not like that saying— then there is today, statistically so far as I know, nothing has changed in that way. But, you know, having lived with violence (have been threatened multiple times with weapons, have witnessed the fall out on the news, and lived through spousal beatings) — there is still a reason to keep the weapons locked up, and to have just one that can do the job on the headboard. My son and his “criminal” past (mostly due to mental health issues) for example is one person I never want to see own a gun. I don’t want to see him have availability of a gun. When he is around Clyde’s are 100% locked up.
My husband owns a sawed off double barreled (and with a double trigger system) stage coach gun. It is a blast (another unintended pun) to play with. I love pretending I’m the guy from Rawhide. LOL!! Or a female… Clint Eastwood (Go ahead….make my day!!). But, we drive miles out of town and away from people to target shoot, and to be honest, I haven’t participated in that since my lawn murdering episode. I’m pretty much done with guns and will stick with pepper spray. I do not see them as necessary to life by any means. And I have very mixed feelings about private gun ownership, but the crux of my argument is that if you can’t be responsible with them, including keeping them safely stored away from idiots then you really should not have them. So, yea—law or NOT, I still feel the most responsible way to own a gun is to register them. And I really don’t care if anyone agrees, cause, that is just who I am. Having discovered that its ok to be me and have opinions…that’s where we sit.
And amazingly — my opinions have been pretty consistent. I’ve enjoyed “playing” with a few. But, feel no need to own one myself. And I realize I probably benefit from Clyde owning one. But, regardless, from high school days on, I’ve never liked the idea of them. I don’t, all in all, want them in my life. If something were to happen to Clyde, all of them would be going to his designated heirs and the rest sold. I won’t be living with them. Not even the one that used to be mine. (I forgot, in his safe, is an old Enfield that my grandpa bought my dad as a kid. It works, I’ve not looked at it in years. Literally). So, I will now take my consistency and sit down and shut up. Because I am not one to force these particular feelings on others. I understand that the gun culture runs deeply in our society in terms of history, etc. I’m not going to argue with anyone. I just have my say after the post yesterday. If anyone’s reply gets nasty I’ll just delete them. LOL. -I am a professional person blocker and deleter on Facebook, I do it all the time, even to family.
So there… I’ve had my say. And now you understand why I found those numbers that I posted so stunning. We don’t have to agree. We only have to get along out there in the world.