Are you considering purchasing a gun?

Obviously not in the US etc etc. Definitely get why it might be an impulse even for people who had been anti-gun previously. Not just because of fear - viscerally I want to fight the forces of bigotry, the seeds of fascism as well as the actual fascism rising across the west. I want to destroy it, to be more precise, and I'm prepared to acknowledge the role violence can play in that.

The reason I've never thought about a gun, aside from cultural differences, is that this form of protection seems to be for retreating into one's home and one's nuclear family. But solidarity is absolutely imperative if you want to fight, imo - going out to connect with other people resisting and bringing what you can to them, not just defending you and yours.

This is probably also coloured by how useless I find the concept of the nuclear family.

re: protecting your nuclear family, one thing my sister-in-law talked semi-seriously about in the wake of the election was the proliferation of militia culture and how overwhelmingly white it is. For about 24 hours, moving out to the woods and starting a black militia seemed... not reasonable, but not entirely far-fetched, either.

(point being, there is a specific US-centric context built into the Constitution and its current interpretation that puts gun ownership in a more communal context than just "I must protect the people who live with me")

I’ll eventually upgrade my rifle. I’d really like this:

http://14544-presscdn-0-64.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/anschutz_1827-fortner_review_1229101.jpg

but I doubt it’d offer much protection.

it's somewhat interesting to see if current events have spurred these thoughts in the minds of people who live in countries where guns aren't really A Thing most citizens think/worry about.

No chance. There aren't any guns here for a start. Thank God.

Nothing to hunt here!

also less of a desire to protect yourself from people w/ guns

Because there are hardly any people w/ guns.

right

it's weird how that works, huh

like when I used to read that stuff I'd think "I hear you but that's only going to make shit worse" and my feeling now is "no, it won't, people should protect themselves and their families and it's moral and righteous to kill people who're coming for your family"

― though she denies it to the press, (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, November 23, 2016 8:26 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah i'm reminded of some huey newton essays and i get the mindset but unless you sincerely believe we are at an endgame where people are "coming for your families" i still find it to be some pretty shaky calculus

I mean yeah if you are actually gonna form a militia you will wanna get some guns

For anything else tho (leaving aside schoolyard shootings & the like) aren't you basically just going "yeah yeah facts statistics whatever" and is that ever a good idea when it comes to incredibly dangerous shit

would never buy a gun ever. feels similar to a colleague at work asking me if i'd consider getting a british passport to stay in the uk. if that's the way the country goes i don't want to be part of it.

Read an article (Atlantic maybe?) about a militia a few weeks back, possibly deliberately sought out because it included at least one woman, at least one black male...regardless they tend to come across as profoundly paranoid and believing they had to be 'ready' for when their territory must be defended (this not necessarily extending to the nation as a whole). Like the Messiah they're v locked into the belief that the/an enemy will come for them. Beyond that it was just interesting to see all of that as the basis for this particular community's desire to bond and thwart their sense of isolation as if they were just a D&D club or something.

wouldnt join any gun club that would have me as a member obv

we had armed resistance to our govt from self appointed guardians of the constitution or whatever in my living memory and even were it to come to that being a prominent fact of life in ireland again id just move tbh

if i was super rich i would buy all the guns and then destroy them

Read an article (Atlantic maybe?) about a militia a few weeks back, possibly deliberately sought out because it included at least one woman, at least one black male...regardless they tend to come across as profoundly paranoid and believing they had to be 'ready' for when their territory must be defended (this not necessarily extending to the nation as a whole). Like the Messiah they're v locked into the belief that the/an enemy will come for them. Beyond that it was just interesting to see all of that as the basis for this particular community's desire to bond and thwart their sense of isolation as if they were just a D&D club or something.

Profound paranoia is not necessarily an irrational response when a) police officers seem to be able to kill people who look like you with impunity, and b) your fellow citizens vote into power a platform based on and fueled by white supremacy.

If it were possible to get a gun easily here, I'd probably buy one, but only to kill myself with. Not sure there's an option for that.

My takeaway from this thread: I'm still not buying a gun, but maybe I should buy some bulletproof armor

paranoia is by definition irrational but I appreciate the bigger point. I don't think being more lethal makes you feel less afraid/paranoid though

Obvs can't / wouldn't own a gun but I do have a vague and largely irrational feeling that, like riding a horse, being able to use one is the kind of life skill it may be useful to pick up just in case and I have briefly toyed with going to a lesson when I am over in Dubai. However, given that I have never bothered to learn other life skills like how to drive a car, my chances of getting around to it are minimal.

Not sure which is less appealing between using a gun, driving a car or riding a horse. I like the idea of riding a horse but they're scary.

I am definitely buying a gun

Not sure which is less appealing between using a gun, driving a car or riding a horse. I like the idea of riding a horse but they're scary.

I'm pretty sure.

I've had a gun pointed at me once (betting shop robbery) and it was fired into the ceiling, it scared the shit out of me and fuck no would I ever own one.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/trump-s-victory-has-fearful-minorities-buying-guns-n686881?cid=sm_tw

Profound paranoia is not necessarily an irrational response when a) police officers seem to be able to kill people who look like you with impunity, and b) your fellow citizens vote into power a platform based on and fueled by white supremacy.

― ¶ (DJP)

and, i mean, even for those of us who don't have to live with the constant fear of being murdered by the state, whether or not it's rational, paranoia is not just something that happens to other people. i know there are plenty of folks on this board who are perfectly sane and rational, and, uh... that's ok.

My plan for 2017 was to basically liquidate much of my possessions, buy a van and then road trip around the US taking pictures while attempting to write a book. I've taken many extended multi-week/month road trips before and have only been hassled a few times for being a foreigner (in some rural parts of the country, having California plates on your car will do that), but for the first time ever I'm considering taking a gun with me.

I'm pissed off at myself for even thinking this way, but in Trumpmerica it can appear to be a logical decision. I've shot guns from .22s up to those machine guns you can rent in Las Vegas but have never owned one. Honestly, I've had enough severe depressive episodes in my past that I'm glad I've never owned one.

Would you pack ammunition for it?
Would you keep it loaded?
Would you point it at another person?
Would you shoot them?
Would you shoot them first?

If any of the above answers is no, I'd suggest saving your money.

why not. i think this is an accurate depiction of what trump's america will look like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgK0uRR5jGY

x-post

I'm planning on saving my money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TboABkjrZIE

Yeah ET I realized right after posting "why am I telling HIM this?"
anyway I figure that catechism is applicable for most folks in most situations

http://img.poemofquotes.com/pulp-fiction-1.png

last Thanksgiving my cousin told me I was welcome to stay at his dad's house if shit ever hits the fan with ISIS. my ex-uncle (who I haven't seen since he divorced my aunt a decade ago) lives alone in rural VT and apparently has a stash of over 100 guns in his basement. I'm not sure if the invitation extends to Trumpocalypse scenarios, and the idea of waiting out a political crisis in the company of paranoid far-right gun nut relatives doesn't make me feel particularly safe. fwiw I'm not considering buying a gun for my own use.

this concept of ex- uncles and aunts interests me

I also have an ex-aunt. Lived in Pasadena, loved having guests, gave us crash space when we saw the Rose Bowl in 1998. Nice lady.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Are you considering selling your NYC apartment, buying a cabin on 100 acres in Upper Michigan, burying several underground gas tanks, food bucket caverns, filling them, getting your share of guns and ammo, and waiting for Michael Flynn and Trump to play China brinksmanship?

no, but i'm considering buying a gun again

actually that's not true. i was thinking of taking shooting lessons, not buying a gun.

fucking hell

because a gun is a dangerous thing to have around the house if you don't know how to use it!

i am also considering buying a donald trump stress ball

hey it might be a good way to relieve some stress

and it's my constitutional right as a nationalized citizen (*for the time being)

haha whoops i meant naturalized

buying guns is good everyone who can should do so

All buying a gun would accomplish is dramatically increase my risk of dying of a gunshot wound in my own home

So far in my life I've blithely assumed people don't have guns at home but I may start asking.