abandonconflict
Well-Known Member
Someone broke into my dad's house while I was there. Just some bummy looking chick trying to scrounge up her next bag of meth. I cheerfully confronted her and said "hey what's up, shit I forgot to lock the door!". She looked at me for a few seconds dumbfounded, and played it off like she thought it was a party. My dad has a bunch of firearms and I had access to them, but I didn't feel the need. She didn't notice me trail her back to her detached garage full of broken electronics where some dude with half of his teeth lives. Then next day I told him that her face was very clearly visible on our security footage and that a probation officer would hear of any future problems.I probably have known 500 gun owners. That would include friends, relatives, acquaintances and coworkers.
I know 8 people who fired a gun at a human being.
5 were suicides.
One case was two cousins, one accidentally shot the other back in high school days. The deceased wasn't found for two years until he turned up in a wooded area. Unsolved for a couple years. When he was found, the cousin admitted what happened. He wasn't charged, but he wound up in and out of mental institutions mostly because it tore him up mentally.
Another was an attempted suicide by a friends teenage son who now looks like hell after multiple reconstructive surgeries.
The best one was a guy who took it upon himself to shoot a black kid in the leg as he ran away after stealing something from another guys porch.
The shooter was charged and paid 20K in legal fees, had to do years of probation and community service and had to send the kid he shot a monthly check for a decade as a civil settlement.
I know personally of no one who used a gun to defend his home or legally stop criminal activity.
But I realize that's a small sample size so I'll let you guys slug it out and decide how important guns are to your own lives.
He pulls weeds for my dad now for some of his meth money.