Let's talk about guns.

      First off let me state clearly that this is not a political post.   This post is about guns.  For my purpose here I am classifying rifles, automatic rifles, semi automatic's, pistols and such in all their various forms as "guns."   You don't like that, get your own blog.  This is personal post

    Now that we live "out in the boondocks" the question comes up every now and again from otherwise well meaning people about when Sue and I are going to buy a gun.   My answer is Probably Never.   Despite being a dyed in the wool liberal, I've no issues with guns.   After all, I know people that hunt and have never turned down their offer of venison, duck or quail.  

    I also have several friends that have served in the military and have defended this country with honor and dignity.  I have family members that serve the public as police and I personally have fired several rifles and pistols in my life, taking down several threatening tin cans and hay bales that were charging me.  

    Guns clearly have their time and place.  

    Even though I don't hunt, I’m not against the idea of hunting.   I've just never had the opportunity to hunt growing up.  Growing up, my brother and I lived in the suburbs.  We were within walking distances of our schools; we had several malls, grocery stores and other shops within bike rides or a short car ride away.  My brother and I grew up in an area were hunting never really was a big sport and "the woods" was just acreage that wasn't developed yet..  

    The concept of "hunting," either as a sport or actual survival skill, never really entered my mind till college, when I was finally exposed to things that my upper middle class white upbringing never imagined.  After college, I lived in the city where you quickly learned what area's to avoid, how to walk, how to recognize threats.  I also made sure to NOT put myself into situations where things could get out of hand.  Owning a gun for protection never really entered my mind because of where I was living and my chosen career.

    Other than a robbery, which occurred when I was not at home, I've been fairly safe and have never needed a gun or been a crime victim.  Or been in a situation where one would have been warranted.  So even though well meaning friends and relatives tell me that I've been lucky, I will still need a gun for protection...I don't see the need for it.   Various statistics back me up as well.

    Crime, especially violent crime, has been falling for decades according to the FBI and police forces around the country.   

    In Stoneboro, the small town that I live in with a population of 871 people as of 2019, the biggest crime is theft.  This makes sense as people are either out in the fields during the day or at work.   Despite the old stories of thieves breaking in during the middle of the night, the smart thief is going to rob you during the day - when you’re most likely to be gone, and your neighbors are too.   The less people around, the better the chance to commit the crime successfully.

    The total amount of crimes reported in Stoneboro last year?   Seven (7).  Yes, a total of seven crimes were reported.  I would say that I live in a safe area.  Frankly, having a gun for "self defense" really isn't that much of an argument for me.   Even if we were to move to Pittsburgh or Cleveland, the crime rate in those cities is low relativity speaking.  Again, its a matter of being aware of your surroundings and situation. 

    Now that being said, in my move to try and be more self-sufficient and be a ”homesteader", I have to ask myself if I would ever take up hunting.  In which case, I will need a rifle of some sort.  I also know that the area is full on animals like deer, turkey and bear, so the opportunity to go hunt will come up eventually..  

    If I saw a bear in my backyard I think I would be more interested in shooting it with a camera than a gun.  

 
   Which brings up when guns can be useful, I don't own a flock of chickens; yet anyway.  Could I see using a gun to take out a fox that was eating my flock?   Yes.   Yes, I can.   While I don't hunt, I certainly understand the need to provide meat for my family.  I can even see the need for a gun or guns in some weird Mad Max future after (insert your favorite disaster - no matter how stupid and unlikely it would be - here) ruins society. 

    A gun is a tool, and like any technology it can be used badly.  

    I also know that most gun owners on the whole are smart intelligent people that handle their weapons with care.  While it's easy to paint a picture of a "gun nut" in the media, most gun owners are normal everyday citizens.  Just like you and me.  Their is growing evidence that even gun owners support common sense gun laws and some 61% receive formal safety training.  

    The two biggest questions that I always have concerning guns, is this:

1. Where did the concept of "Their coming to take our guns!" come from?   As a student of history the only time guns have been taken from you is if you’re threatening the public safety somehow.  Hell, we even let the Confederacy keep their guns after they waged war on the Republic.  
2. Where does the fear come from?   I hear self defense constantly around the use of guns.   However the facts don't back it up.  You are more likely to be a victim of violent crime before the age of 12.   After that, the numbers fall drastically, by about 20% every decade.   

    I can't speak for everyone.  I cannot definitively say that I will never own a gun.  If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I thought I would be seriously considering plowing my front yard for a garden, I would have thought you were insane.   However I can see that happening in the next few years as we move towards a more self sufficient lifestyle.  

    I may go hunting, after all it's an experience I've not had yet.  I may one day own chickens and have to take out that fox.   I just don't know.  What I do know is that I would receive the proper training and follow proper safety with it.

    What I do know is that unless we start having a serious conversation and don't allow the media to show the two extremes, we will never solve some of the legit and serious issues that face this country...and guns are part of that conversation. It's about time we faced reality about guns.   

    That's were it really gets political...and that is another topic for another time.