(Untitled)

[misshawklet]

Like so many other people, I've been feeling really sad because of Friday's events at Sandy Hook Elementary School

Comments

[misshawklet]

I agree. I think we are all processing. I feel like if you've already made up your mind, you haven't thought about it enough, you know?

I grew up in a rural town which I would call a hunting community. Hunting was the norm and I grew up with guns in the house and my dad has a gun rack in his truck. He is a sportsman and walks many miles in the woods and cares deeply about our environment. But it never even OCCURRED to me to ever, EVER touch the guns. You just didn't do that. They were respected and they were meant to kill for food. I have memories of going with my dad hunting, actually. I only shot a gun once, and not at an animal, but for me hunting meant walking around the woods with my Dad (kind of bored) with a baggie full of goldfish crackers and a thermos of hot chocolate wearing a really, REALLY ugly orange hat and vest.

So I do agree with you, but have that perspective on guns in general.

However, semi-automatic weapons that serve no purpose other than killing a whole lot of things at once is a whole other issue.

[checkersumthing]

I'm in a similar situation. My dad decided when he had me that he wouldn't have guns in the house, so he left them at my grandparents and pretty much stopped hunting and doing competitions at that point, because he didn't think it was a good idea to have guns in the same house as kids (plus he got really competitive, and needed to devote more time to his kids). But my grandparents still went hunting, so I didn't ever not see a gun or game. It was very much understood that they were to be used for a very specific purpose and then put away. I too never ever even thought about touching them, we were taught they were dangerous and to stay far away (ie go in another room, on another floor if possible). So they don't have that immediate "bad!" feeling for me that they do for some people. Heck, one of my favorite pictures of my grandfather is of him in a sportsjacket with a rifle. Out of context he looks like a mobster, but in reality he's at a competition

[snoopturtle]

paul and i got into a mini argument about this. i said while i don't think all guns should be banned, everyday people should not be allowed to buy semi automatics, etc. there is no need to have them. when the 2nd amendment was written they had muskets and certainly didn't foresee technology. he thinks that since the military can have them so should we. (or something dumb like that.) he has guns, and i do want to learn how to shoot his handgun. i feel like if it's my house i should know how to use it. his other guns are WWII rifles so i am not too concerned about them.

i love your tribute.

[ooo5]

I'm staying out of the debate, but I just wanted to say that I think it was a great thing you did.

[misshawklet]

I don't want people to debate, I was merely sharing my thoughts.

[ooo5]

Sorry for the clumsy wording. I didn't want to comment without acknowledging that the stories and thoughts that you and others have shared are important, but at the same time I feel that my own reactions to what's happened or what's been written are irrelevant.

[misshawklet]

Oh, no apologies needed! I get what you mean.

[miocaro]

The candles are a lovely gesture

[misshawklet]

I agree with you on every single point, especially that I would certainly not feel safer with more guns, and certainly do not feel like teachers should have guns in their desk drawer. I mean seriously. Is that really what we’ve come to? Are we so unwilling to look at our society that this would honestly be a good solution? It just seems insane.

I didn’t see your comment or link. I’ll go view it later today.

Since this, I absolutely cannot watch anything even slightly violent on TV. It’s like I’m even more hyper aware of it, and honestly it’s difficult to avoid it.

xxoo

[miocaro]

Read this.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/the-freedom-of-an-armed-society/?smid=fb-share

A couple of people that I went to high school with have posted about how they think Perry is brave is righteous for saying teachers should have guns.

[misshawklet]

wow, that's a really great article. thank you for the link.

[laurasia]

I can't argue coherently about guns...I hate them, the sight of them makes me sick and I wish that they weren't so common (especially here in AZ, where it is not all that uncommon to be, say, at the grocery store and see someone wearing a gun...which is legal unless it's a specifically labeled gun-free zone). I have no idea what I'd want to see done regarding guns and the law, but I hate them. I lost two people I loved to a gun falling into the hands of a mentally ill person. He was in treatment too; so, while I agree that there needs to be better mental health care, I can't see how guns are not a major part of the problem.

I think the candles that you put out are very nice.

[misshawklet]

I understand, and I'm sorry you lost so many people to them.

Also, I don't think anyone needs to argue...I was just sharing my own thoughts.

[laurasia]

oh yeah, not trying to argue :)
I just feel like the gun control conversation is going strong right now and it's really hard for me to discuss because I realize my views are not all that rational.

[misshawklet]

I think your thoughts are very rational and valid. Everyone comes from a totally different place about guns based on their own experiences, so that makes it so much harder to talk about.