Originally Posted by pj67coll

My sympathies Hat. There is a solution though. The siren song of the desert sounds its call...

- Peter.

Originally Posted by Dubyagee

What if they break in and steal a TV, trade it for a gun and shoot someone? Must over react right now and ban stealing...Its for the children.

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

I just listened to a self-professed liberal democrat talking about solving the gun problem on a local radio station.
The guy is Dan Baum, and he was promoting his new book, "Gun Guys: A Road Trip" Gun Guys: A Road Trip: Dan Baum: 9780307595416: Amazon.com: Books -

His "Road Trip" took place a few years ago, and the book was set to hit the bookshelves just after the tragedy at Newtown. He help up the book just enough to make a mention of it, but all his views stem from the pre-Newtown trip. His opinions have not changed.

He makes some very good points--at least to this conservative/ libertarian--which should be note-worthy in itself.

He maintains that one of the chief areas of pride of gun ownership is NOT as the typical gun-grabber maintains--the desire to kill something. He says it is more the pride in safely handling devices, and teaching others to do the same, that are capable of killing things. I think this is a significant insight. The problem, as he states it, with the typical gun grabber approach is that it insults the gun owners, and more significantly, removes their expertise in safe gun ownership from the solution. If the gun owners take great pride in their personal safe handling of their guns, then wouldn't we benefit by having them as part of the solution?
He also mentions that we have over 3,000,000 guns in the country in private hands. Even if we banned all new weapons today, there would still be 3,000,000 guns out there.
He advocates a simple solution that doesn't require any government involvement. Following the tactics of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and later, the anti smoking crusaders, he wants to see a change in attitudes among gun owners. That new attitude would be that it is as unthinkable to not lock guns in a gun safe as it is to smoke in someone else's house. To those who say that a locked gun is of no use in home defense, he replies that there are quick opening safes available that permit instant access--no more restrictive than opening the drawer on the night stand. Guns should either be locked, or worn on the hip, or be in the process of transfer to another location or they should be locked in a safe.
He also points out that like many lobby groups, the supposed voice of the gun owner, the NRA, represents less than 5% of all gun owners.
Respect for the gun owner, and his knowledge rather than vilifying the gun owner, he says, would be a step in the right direction.
I tend to agree. Did you ever think you'd see me agree with a self-avowed liberal democrat on anything--especially anything as given to demagogic rhetoric as the gun issue?

Originally Posted by elchivito

Shhhhhh...... better to emphasize

prickly plants
lethal insects and reptiles
looney tunes politicians
absurd property values
hideously hot weather
lousy cocktails

Originally Posted by Botnst

For self-defense, a locked gun is as useless as a football bat...

Originally Posted by cmbdiesel

How is securing your expensive tools over reacting?

Remember, we are not discussing creating a law, but what we think would be good attitude changes for those gun owners who are not as responsible as they could/should be.

Originally Posted by davidmash

When it gets stolen and used in the commission of a crime or someone in the house gets hold of it who should not have it like a child?

Originally Posted by Botnst

For self-defense, a locked gun is as useless as a football bat...

Originally Posted by Volker

theft is wrong, but in all cases we should blame the thief and not the owner. And realistically, the house is locked, locked gun doesn't mean not stolen gun, just a few more minutes to break lock, that is if the cabinet isn't made of wood or glass or something.

For children, realistically how often does it happen? People with little kids put plastic things in the wall electric sockets FFS they aren't leaving loaded weapons lying around.

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

If the access is as quick as it would be to open a night stand drawer, I don't see the safe as being much of an impediment.

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

If the access is as quick as it would be to open a night stand drawer, I don't see the safe as being much of an impediment.

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

To those who say that a locked gun is of no use in home defense, he replies that there are quick opening safes available that permit instant access--no more restrictive than opening the drawer on the night stand. Guns should either be locked, or worn on the hip, or be in the process of transfer to another location or they should be locked in a safe.

Originally Posted by davidmash

You can blame the tooth fairy for all I care. When I get shot by a stolen gun that you could have locked up where by the shooting could have been prevented, who you blame is not going to make a heck of a lot of difference now is it?

Originally Posted by Volker

But that's the thing. How is the manner which someone stores his property any of our damn business?

Originally Posted by Volker

But can you say that the locked up gun would not have been stolen? Or that the gun wasn't locked in the first place? Could also consider not buying drugs from shady people, then you won't get shot at with stolen weapons (certainly it has worked well for me)