You guys and your guns...

[Clinton Huxley]

Damn Yankees? Merkins? Capitalist Pig-Dogs? Great Sataners?

[Gallstones]

and that's not hard to write...

I used fewer syllables.

Guess what I'm doing right now rEv?

[SteveB]

and that's not hard to write...

I used fewer syllables.

Guess what I'm doing right now rEv?

Supreme Absolute And Exclusive Ruler Of The World and A fleck on a flake on a speck.

I like the ironies.

[Gallstones]

and that's not hard to write...

I used fewer syllables.

Guess what I'm doing right now rEv?

Supreme Absolute And Exclusive Ruler Of The World and A fleck on a flake on a speck.

I like the ironies.

Yeah, well, life's a fucking roller coaster with blind curves.

[Gallstones]

I very much wish that I could have the experience of becoming familiar with nearly every hand held weapon--long and hand.
Gunsmithing too.

I love guns.

I love seeing things get blown up.
I love explosions; implosions.
I love fireworks.

Does that cause anyone to piss their pants.
Say I was standing next to you?

[pErvinalia]

and that's not hard to write...

I used fewer syllables.

Guess what I'm doing right now rEv?

Cleaning your gun?

[JimC]

I very much wish that I could have the experience of becoming familiar with nearly every hand held weapon--long and hand.
Gunsmithing too.

I love guns.

I love seeing things get blown up.
I love explosions; implosions.
I love fireworks.

Does that cause anyone to piss their pants.
Say I was standing next to you?

If you looked at the very first post in this thread, where I identified 3 strands in the relationship between Americans and their guns, simply enjoying owning and firing them was the first strand, and one that I share...

[Blind groper]

Does that cause anyone to piss their pants.
Say I was standing next to you?

No, but it makes me, and anyone else who can think about this in a rational manner, look somewhat askance at your "logic".

Basically if you are motivated by a love of guns, and things that go 'bang', your ability to think about this issue in a non emotional way is very much in question.

I am personally convinced that most of the people (Seth especially) who argue that guns are good, are doing so purely as a result of emotional logic. Not rational logic.

Emotional logic tells people that the things they love are 'right' and the things they hate are 'wrong'. Emotional logic is what tells the racist that dark skinned people are bad. Emotional logic tells the pedophile that his obsession with young boys is perfectly OK. Emotional logic tells the slave owner that owning slaves is perfectly fine. And emotional logic tells the gun lover that guns are good, and the more guns there are, the better, in spite of the simple fact that homicide rates compared country by country increase according to gun ownership.

[JimC]

Does that cause anyone to piss their pants.
Say I was standing next to you?

No, but it makes me, and anyone else who can think about this in a rational manner, look somewhat askance at your "logic".

Basically if you are motivated by a love of guns, and things that go 'bang', your ability to think about this issue in a non emotional way is very much in question.

I am personally convinced that most of the people (Seth especially) who argue that guns are good, are doing so purely as a result of emotional logic. Not rational logic.

Emotional logic tells people that the things they love are 'right' and the things they hate are 'wrong'. Emotional logic is what tells the racist that dark skinned people are bad. Emotional logic tells the pedophile that his obsession with young boys is perfectly OK. Emotional logic tells the slave owner that owning slaves is perfectly fine. And emotional logic tells the gun lover that guns are good, and the more guns there are, the better, in spite of the simple fact that homicide rates compared country by country increase according to gun ownership.

To be fair, BG, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with enjoying firing guns, and it is reasonable that it might be one important factor in people deciding on something like a vote for or against a particular gun control ordnance, for example. Emotional reasons still have validity... However, one would hope that other factors, such as a rational analysis of consequences might come into play as well...

What worries me much more is the sort of romantic delusional nonsense evidenced by the whole "watering the tree of liberty with blood" mind-set.

[mistermack]

I very much wish that I could have the experience of becoming familiar with nearly every hand held weapon--long and hand.
Gunsmithing too.

I love guns.

I love seeing things get blown up.
I love explosions; implosions.
I love fireworks.

Does that cause anyone to piss their pants.
Say I was standing next to you?

Not me. I only piss myself when I've had too much Guiness.

If you were standing next to me, holding a gun, I would probably shit myself.

[Woodbutcher]

I very much wish that I could have the experience of becoming familiar with nearly every hand held weapon--long and hand.
Gunsmithing too.

I love guns.

I love seeing things get blown up.
I love explosions; implosions.
I love fireworks.

Does that cause anyone to piss their pants.
Say I was standing next to you?

I think the two of us could get into trouble together..especially if we were given access to explosives

[laklak]

Access? We don't need no stinking access. We make our own.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Access? We don't need no stinking access. We make our own.

True. Most people have the ingredients for explosives, poison gas, etc., in their homes right now.

[pErvinalia]

I got poisonous gas sorted... it's in my body now..

[Blind groper]

I think someone talked of the gunfighter fantasy. I agree totally with that.

Gun enthusiasts are living in a world of fantasy. They see themselves as the gunslinger hero, blowing away the bad guys. This fantasy world, which exists only inside their own heads, will influence their feelings, and through emotional logic, influence their conclusions. When someone is so hung up on a fantasy, it is difficult for them to think rationally.

I see this fantasy appearing on a very frequent basis in this discussion. People talk of what they would do if their home was invaded, or if they were given access to explosives, or whatever. This is a fantasy, and a very dangerous one.

Now if the fantasy leads them to a harmless purge of those emotions by target shooting, then fine. If it leads them to keeping a loaded hand gun in their homes, and especially if it leads to them carrying that loaded hand gun in public, it becomes a major problem for society.