Weapons. Yes or No? Why?

[holly2234]

What do you think about weapons in the family home. Im talking guns, knives, baseball bats etc. I mean for sport purposes and protection.

Im aware in certain countries these things are legal and some arent and some views will oppose just down to culture alone. But how would you feel about them being in your friends and families homes or your own? And why?

 

[Jess137]

We have an old rifle that stays under our bed loaded... It gets put up where kids can't get it when we have kids over. Also the extra ammo is kept somewhere else. Once the baby is mobile the gun will be going someplace where she can't get it. We also plan on getting a handgun for protection as the rifle isn't very practical. I don't think that people should have semi automatic or automatic weapons though. I don't feel they are necessary. I don't have a problem with family and friends having weapons either, as long as weapons are secured so that children cannot get to them.

 

[staralfur]

Well my OH plays baseball so we have bats, and obviously we have knives, but neither for the purpose of being used as weapons.

I will never have a gun in my home.

It's not very common here to have guns in the home so I would think it a bit odd if a family member or friend had a gun in their home for protection. The only person I've ever known that carried a gun was a friend of a friend who was nearly stabbed to death during a drug deal...sooo, yeah.

Of course I understand that it's much different in the States especially, and that not everyone who carries is a gun is living a life of danger. That's just where my head goes!

 

[Natsku]

I have a hunting knife in the hall cupboard but I don't think of it as being there for protection, in the time it would take someone to break in through my door the police would probably be here already. I'd like to own a gun, but just for the fun of shooting it so I guess I wouldn't keep it at home, it would be kept at the shooting range.
I don't mind other people having weapons in their homes as long as they are safely stored (proper gun safes for guns) but I don't know anyone who keeps a gun at home (though I guess a lot must do, there's a high rate of gun ownership here). Everyone has knives though but again, not for protection, you don't worry about needing protection here.

 

[Piper84]

I was talking to DH about this the other day. If we lived in the US, I would probably want to keep a shotgun somewhere for protection, because I know a lot of home invaders will be armed there and me brandishing a kitchen knife won't help at all.

Here, I don't feel like we need a gun as burglars will not be armed and you can't own one anyway.

When me and my brother were younger and our parents went away, he would always have a kitchen knife, an old rusty sword (don't ask!) and a baseball bat to hand when night came lol.

 

[Andypanda6570]

We don't have any guns in the home, I also don't want my right to own one ever taken away. My dad is a Marine ( retired) and has guns , locked up and licensed , he lives in Florida though were the gun laws are way more relaxed than New York. He can carry in Florida, but not in New York. New York is a very strict state for owning a gun and almost impossible to get a permit to carry one .I do own a bat and I would not hesitate for a minute to bat someone over the head if they entered my home or even stab them if my life or my kids were is danger. We all know how to shoot, my boys also, my dad took them shooting since they were about 8, they are 21, 19 and 12 now. They are not around guns and I would not want them to be, i don't have a problem with anyone owning one as long as it is locked up and out of reach of children. I don't know in the future if my mind may change and I will want a gun, we used to have one but not anymore..

 

[lhancock90]

We have a bat by the side of the bed.

 

[robinator]

Bear spray is pretty effective. Just sayin'

 

[lhancock90]

Erm, i don't think they sell that here..

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Nothing at all? Lol I feel safe.

 

[MissWaiting]

I think you have the right to protect your home and family even in the uk. my mum used to have a baseball bat under her bed so she could grab it if need be i have a hammer next to my bed but i would love a riffle of course that wouldnt be used for protection as within the uk all fire arms have to be stored in a secure safe that is attatched to your wall so their not to quick to get into lol.

 

[SabrinaKat]

As an American living in Ireland, I live in a society here where guns are strongly regulated and controlled, whereas back home, it seems one tragedy after another...that said, I do support the 2nd Amendment, which was written in the 1780s and referred to muskets for protection, not assault weapons. I agree with a rifle for protection, but there is no need for ordinary people to have any other type of fire-arm. I hope that Obama does try to limit the sale of assualt weapons and/or large cartridge magazines (I think that's what the 100+ Rambo-style bullet cartridges are?). I also believe in self-defence and if somebody broke into my house here, I would use an old hockey stick to defend myself and my child (and cats, too!), but weapons as what have been used in the school shootings (not only in the USA sadly) -- outlawed, melted down and thrown away. Defence is one thing, attack is something completely different!

best wishes

ps. plus, back in 1780s, we were facing 'hostile' native americans (you'd be hostile too if somebody was taking your land...sigh) and....the british (who came again in 1812 (in the not very interesting, except that's how we got out national athemn, war of 1812.)

 

[dgirllamius]

I only have a standard set of kitchen knives, but they're pretty sharp. Obviously only there for a purpose of being a kitchen knife, not to protect myself with (though if in a certain situation I might consider it for defence).

My dad is a gamekeeper and has a few guns. He has them locked away in a gun cabinet and can't keep them out. No one but him can know where the key is - even my mum doesn't know where it's kept. He obviously has them for his job, not for defence purposes.

 

[Scottish mum]

I don't think it's safe to have thease things in your home especially a loaded air riffle... WTF? Also why do you need these things is there folk out to get you? It's crazy! I do believe you can defend yourself in your own home but don't think you should keep a weapon "just incase".

Like I said before is there a reason you keep a weapon? X

Sorry about typos on mobile.

 

[Jess137]

My husband has always had guns. I was raised without guns in the home (we weren't even allowed to play with fake guns) but now my parents have a handgun too. We live in a remote area and can't afford a security system (although by the time cops got to our house if we did have a security system we could have been harmed already). I always used to say that I would never have a gun in my home but now it doesn't bother me. I know that things are different in basically every country besides the US, but here, it's most likely that a criminal will have a gun. Personally, I don't want to take my chances with a baseball bat or a knife against a gun. Also DH just enjoys going shooting for fun with his brothers at a shooting range. He doesn't hunt or anything. The rifle that we have has been in his family for years.

Edit: Also I'd rather have a gun and not have to use it, than to not have one and need it. Jmo.

 

[Elephant5740]

Guns don't kill, people do. You have a right to protect yourself -and there's nothing wrong with doing it! My dad has always had guns in the house. I'm one of five girls, we knew where they were and told never to touch them. They were high enough we couldn't reach them and there was never an accident. Thankfully my dad has yet to use them but if someone were to break into our home i knew that we would have been protected. Calling the police is too late! Don't feel ashame to want to protect your family.

 

[Pearls18]

No we don't have any weapons, the fact my husband is a soldier makes me feel pretty safe and like others have said guns aren't widely available thankfully in the UK. I do worry about burglary living in London but not to the point I think of weapons, how many people actually break into someone's home while they are sleeping really?? Daily Mail scare mongering I think. I'm more afraid of burglary when we are out.

 

[tina3747]

Erm, i don't think they sell that here..

You have no bear spray for the bears wandering in the English countryside???!

 

[Natsku]

I'm not afraid of burglary at all, abloy locks are almost impossible to pick and living on the top floor means no one can come in through a window. I might feel differently if I lived in a house but even then I doubt I'd feel the need for a gun for self-protection, not in this country (despite guns being pretty available). My OH's dad leaves his front door unlocked, even when no one is there (and on the rare occasion that it is locked, the key is just hanging on a nail in the porch in clear view).

 

[tina3747]

Has anyone seen the Ross Cappriconi video going round on Facebook? The guy from Detroit who got shot 3 times and lived? Worth a watch if you youtube it, very inspirational!

Anyway, back on topic!

If guns were legalised here tomorrow, nothing in the world would make me want to own one. The though of it just going off by accident if one of the boys got hold of it would just terrify me, also if it was ever stolen... I'm not sure i could cope with it being in the wrong hands.
Dh has a baseball bat under the bed... Not had to use it yet!