What do you tell people that ask the same tired question?

[doc.lonestar]

when asked "why"?

I usually state "Because I am legally permitted to do so".

I usually dont talk to people who are antigun for too long - I like being around people of like mind set and I do not like them knowing that I am carrying.

 

[Creature]

I usually state "Because I am legally permitted to do so".

That statement does nothing to enlighten the questioner. I can very easily imagine a fence-sitter or 'anti' walking away from that answer thinking: "Well, maybe I should start doing everything in my power to make it illegal.".

 

[Axel Larson]

There have only been like two people who asked me that question. Both times I mentioned that I do not want to rely on others for my protection and go on to bring up the most recent violent crime and how I do not want that to happen to me or those I care for. of those two I managed to convince one that guns are just tools to be used for good by law abiding citizens. The other was already anti gun, the funny thing is her sons both own mosins .

 

[CoRoMo]

I've never been asked why I own guns. Never, not once.

If I were to be asked, I'd tell them why. A lot of them are hunting tools, a few of them are defense tools. Case closed.

 

[Nushif]

I think at this point, with your slinging around "liberal" like it's a bad word you've proven the point that you really do have no interest in furthering the RKBA any more than it is already.
Let's face it. You may think you're an island unto thineself protected by the rock solid foundation of law. But as much as for some reason you deny it ... the society *you* are alienating writes the laws that are the foundation of *your* island. I'm not saying bend over backwards to accomodate irrational people, but the question as to why *you* are carrying a gun *right now* is a valid question. But ignore all this at your own peril.

 

[Old krow]

Lot's of interesting replies. I chose to quote this one for one reason:
The Constitution does not grant rights, it only protects them.

I am aware of what The Constitution is. I made my post in response to this post:

Secondly, it jumps straight to the real point of guns. I don't like to sugarcoat things for other people's sensitivities. People need to hear the real raw truth, whether they are comfortable with it or not.

Where is the raw truth? Where is it that outlines that the foundation of our rights to keep and bear arms is to "kill people?"

Every gun that I own will kill someone. I didn't buy any of to kill anyone, even the guns that I have for defense, I bought them because they have the capability to do so.

As for the others crying about being an ambassador to your sport, or whatever it is personally, I'm sorry you feel that way.

Whether you agree with what they said or not, you are an ambassador. You represent gun owners to at least some extent.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

"It makes me feel like a man" Thats what they want me to say anyway...I've grown tired of trying to win hearts and minds of those that don't give a darn.

Or I just tell them that I am a Liberal, and I'm nervous about living in a place with radical, Palin loving conservatives.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I was stopped by a DPS Trooper outside of Hillsboro, Texas for an expired registration sticker. I properly informed the officer that I had a permit and was carrying. He asked where and I told him both locations. His inappropriate query to me was, "Why do you think you need to carry two guns?" There was several things I wanted to say, but the sitaution was such that I caught him off guard with my reply. My reply was honest, spontaneous, and fortunately didn't make anybody mad.

His partner, apparently new, was acting in a fairly appropriate manner. He was standing behind the C pillar of my car on the passenger side, in a slight crouch, watching me, but had his hand on his gun in case I did anything stupid. They already knew I (the likely driver) had a CHL when they checked the car's ownership and that I might be armed. I had watched both officers approach my car in the mirrors and the officer behind the C pillar pretty much filled my passenger side mirror. I had a very good view of him from his thighs to is chin.

I told the officer questioning me that I carry two guns because I don't have the luxury of having a partner following me around and standing behind the C pillar of the car with his hand on his gun in case something goes wrong. His expression changed sharply as his head quickly turned to see his partner. He looked back at me, with my IDs in his hand, and said he would be back with me in a few minutes. The two troopers then had a 5 minute chat behind my car that involved pointing to me, the driver's side, and to the passenger side C pillar. I don't know what was said, but it was obviously I had caught the trooper off guard with my response and something apparently had not gone to plans or training.

I still got a ticket. I deserved it, but the trooper went into explicit detail as to how I could resolve it most quickly and at the least cost. The junior partner never approached my vehicle again during the stop. I ended up being out court fees only. I never did figure out why the senior officer needed to chat with the junior officer.

 

[19&41]

I've not been asked why I own a firearm, but have been given the statement "I can't understand why you would want to own a gun." . I answered that I was sorry to hear that. I discuss firearms ownership with those who has an interest in them, but I will let the charismatic types win over true hoplophobes. :banghead:

 

[mizzlep]

If these people are taken aback by your talk of "killing people" then how is your average man or woman on the street going to take it?

I don't think anyone was really taken aback by it as much as they like to portray. Everyone simply wanted to seem like reasonable people, and it was mostly posturing IMO. This is because they want to give a certain image to gun owners, which IMO, is not really necessary. Most people, gun owners included, have a constant need for approval from others, and will rarely deviate from this behavior.

But as I've said before, as far as the average man or woman on the street is concerned, well those people live in their little shells, and I'm not trying to sugar coat the world as everyone else does.

 

[mizzlep]

Where is the raw truth? Where is it that outlines that the foundation of our rights to keep and bear arms is to "kill people?"

Every gun that I own will kill someone. I didn't buy any of to kill anyone, even the guns that I have for defense, I bought them because they have the capability to do so.

To the first part, about 'where the outline' might be...this is precisely the point I was trying to make. Our rights are not outlined by the Constitution. Our rights are many and innumerable. When you say 'Second Amendment Rights' it is a mis-statement. Of course, you may actually believe in what I said, but if you continue to say it in such a way, as does the media, as do the public schools, as do the lawmakers, as do the average Joe and Sally citizen, the statement takes on a life of it's own. The statement, factually in error, because truth in the eyes of many.

It's the old sentiment about repeating a lie long enough, and eventually people will believe it. The problem is, this type of lie is really subtle, and people don't question it.

To the second part of your response, you bought your guns so you could kill people. To me, it's the same as saying something like:
Q: Why did you learn Karate?
A: So I can kick people in the head.
If you extrapolate this idea, you could probably get out of the kick-meister that he learned to kick people in the head for self defense purposes.

How do you feel about those tactical courses, and sniper (or 'tactical precision' or whatever) courses that are offered to civilians?
What are those courses for? They're definitely for killing people, and not in a 'self-defense' kind of way. I'm sure someone can come up with some long-winded reason as to why these are in fact self-defense courses, but let's be honest here: Those courses are for learning how to kill people.

Should we not have those courses? Should people not be allowed to learn these tactics? Obviously anyone that attends one of these courses is going to climb a clock tower and start putting lead threw people.

 

[Baba Louie]

A Hypothetical Situation, granted...

So your Honor, Jury; the defendant, Mr mizzlep has stated that he acted in self defense in taking the life of this womans young son, her sole supporter and in fact in the criminal case he was barely acquitted. But this is a wrongful death civil case and we have proof thru words spoken and written on the internet that this... this person actually intended to "kiiiiilllll" with his "eeeeeevilll" automatic assault weapon, that he boasted..., "Boasted" about it in fact.

It was clearly his intention to take a life, that night. Any life. He took this poor womans life, he took her love, her sweet little baby boy and horribly altered her life, forever.

Therefore, we seek damages in the amount of...

(civil decisions are not unanimous, only a majority of 9 and the jury will more than likely be her peers, not yours...) FWIW

Some say "kill", others say "to Stop lethal force when used against me or my family". True, the first is concise and maybe to the/a point; the latter verbose and wordy. But, it could come up and bite one in the posterior should that need to stop a ner-do-well ever arise.

Obviously, hypothetical and, as always, YMMV.

 

[MikeNice]

I had a co-worker ask me tonight.

My reply was, "Remember those two kids that got shot outside the AT&T store last week? Would that kid have been killed if his guardian had been packing? Maybe, but both kids wouldn't have been gunned down. How would you feel if your kids were being shot at and you could do nothing but watch?"

She got real quiet and nodded her head.

 

[Baba Louie]

Wow. Sorry mizzlep, I didn't even remember to answer your OP question. Didn't mean to pontificate there on that tangent (well, maybe a little).

When asked, I attempt to determine the reason the question came up in the first place, because I use different answers depending on the "context" of the question and the "attitude" of the question. For some, it is the "fun" factor or teaching newbies. Others, self defense or hunting. It may be due to the history of the firearm or just because I (still) can.

Then, turn it around on them (maybe), "Why do you ask?" "Would you like to go shooting someday? Not today? Well, all of my family & good friends are shooters, maybe you could join us sometime. We have a blast."

Some people are confrontational. Me? Not so much. No need to be. I follow the age old adage, Smile and be nice to everyone you meet... but have a plan to, er, stop them if need be" (or words to that effect )

 

[SFsc616171]

I tell the folks, thusly: 1. I am a licensed Pagan priest, and guest sermon columnist in the regional newspaper, while living in amongst a predominately Southern Baptist community. Any questions there? 2. I am physically disabled, and there are days that the local wolves might sense I'm one of the stragglers. Any questions there? 3. With the 'popcorn rising' flood of American Johnny Jihadists lately, I am not about to let one of them attempt to harm me, or my beloved, in the name of religion. Any question there? 4. When my original colostomy ruptured, I called 911, which is located, and operates in the other city, on the other side of the river! I had to hang on, while 911 called the Staties, who called the Parish Sheriff's office, who then called the local constabulatory, fire dept., and ambulance. Time: 27 minutes on the phone, in agony. Now, if there were a home invasion, 27 minutes is too long, don' t you agree?

 

[Monkey_King]

Now that's funny, I'm gonna use that if ever I'm asked.

 

[PR-NJ]

Many responses to the question, such as "it's my Constitutional right," "the Second Amendment says I can," etc., will only get you labeled a "gun nut" by the uninitiated, i.e., anyone who asks the question in the first place. And saying "to kill someone" - presumably as a joke - will not help your situation if you ever indeed have to shoot someone in self defense. "Yes, your honor, I said that but I was just kidding."

How about a nice PC response: "Strictly for sport." Nothing wrong with being a little enigmatic.

 

[langenc]

I think people just assume if I have guns, then I must enjoy what people who have guns typically do with them, that is, shoot targets, try to get accurate, shoot nuisance animals, shoot game animals to eat, shoot old dishwashers, carburetors, car engines, lawn mower engines, you name it!
Copied from above...


I hope you dont leave your 'targets', as noted above, lying around like many do in a couple places I shoot.

Why are so many shooters such slobs?

 

[langenc]

when asked "why"?

I usually state "Because I am legally permitted to do so".

I usually dont talk to people who are antigun for too long - I like being around people of like mind set and I do not like them knowing that I am carrying.
From post #76

That is a good answer. Wonder how it would go if you had said "WE" instead of "I"?? God gave to ALL... wonder how your liberal friend(s) would take that??

 

[mizzlep]

Many responses to the question, such as "it's my Constitutional right," "the Second Amendment says I can," etc., will only get you labeled a "gun nut" by the uninitiated, i.e., anyone who asks the question in the first place. And saying "to kill someone" - presumably as a joke - will not help your situation if you ever indeed have to shoot someone in self defense. "Yes, your honor, I said that but I was just kidding."

How about a nice PC response: "Strictly for sport." Nothing wrong with being a little enigmatic.

I am utterly and totally against PC responses for the sake of not offending the modern person's own private lubby-dubby view of the world.

As I said in my most recent post prior to this one, most people only say these things because they fear disapproval by others.

@ Babie Louie,
I think being non-confrontational is always a good thing, no matter what the discussion is about.

But to everyone in the "Don't tell people guns are for killing people" camp, what is your response to sniper and other tactical shooting courses? I'm pretty sure these are 'how to kill people' courses. No body really seems to question these activities openly here, why is that?

 

[Tomcat47]

My normal response to a question like "why do you have an assault rifle"?

IS:

TO KEEP FROM WANTING ONE!!

 

[makarovnik]

I always say "because I can and I want them, lots of them".

I also encourage people to exercise their right to CCW and to vote. I'm always a little afraid that if a right isn't exercised it might be taken away.

 

[ny32182]

So, mizlep, the followup question would be, how many people have you killed? If none, when are you planning on using your guns for your stated purposes?

what is your response to sniper and other tactical shooting courses? I'm pretty sure these are 'how to kill people' courses. No body really seems to question these activities openly here, why is that?

Fun is the point. I hate to break it to some of you guys, but you will never be crawling through the shrubs in suburbia shooting people with your 1000yd-capable "sniper rifle", unless you go the way of Malvo Muhammad, or whatever his name was in DC. If your favorite flavor of shooting course didn't involve having a good time, you wouldn't be doing it.

 

[skoro]

Having fun with fools...

Hello, was wondering what other gun owners tell people when they ask them why they own a gun.

I carry a gun for the same reason I carry a spare tire in the trunk of my vehicle. Just in case.

"Why do you want to kill other people?"

My guns and I have never harmed anyone. More people have been killed by ping pong paddles than by all of my firearms in all the years I've been shooting. BTW, you don't happen to be ping pong player...

 

[RyanAnchors]

I get this a lot, here is my standard response:

"Well, for starters why not? I own guns for self-defense, obviously, but also because it is my favorite hobby. I enjoy collecting old and new guns, target shooting, talking about them, taking them apart, etc. Not to mention according to recent Supreme Court decisions it is in fact my right guaranteed by the Constitution. They're really a lot of fun, if you're interested you can come to the range with me sometime to see what it is all about. I will have to give you a safety lesson first, but I promise it will be fun and safe. If you don't like guns, then at least go so you can say with actual first hand experience that you think there is little value in owning and using them instead of just being prejudice against something you know nothing about."

So far, anyone I've ever asked has taken me up on it and none of them left having a bad time or being afraid of guns, even if they didn't decide to buy their own.

Good answers to follow up questions are:
-Criminals will always have guns no matter what you do, by definition they don't care about he law.
-About half of all U.S. homes have a firearm in them, they are a part of American culture. Yet they account for unimaginably LESS deaths than car accidents, diabetes/heart disease, etc. Yet no one is trying to force you to walk to work or outlaw cheeseburgers.
-AK47 and AR15 are only menacing in appearance, they are much less powerful than "grandpa's old hunting rifle" and nothing about them is particularly "more or less deadly or dangerous". (Sometimes I'll pull up a picture of my Garand and a picture of my AR and explain that they are both semi-automatic and the 60 year old Garand fires a larger and far more powerful round). This surprises a lot of people.
-Gun restrictions were first imposed as racist laws to deprive poor, newly freed former black slaves of a means to defend themselves against hate groups and oppression. Gun rights are civil rights and always have been.
-Even if you don't exercise a particular right, you should never remove someone else's ability to do so based on your own feelings and emotions. The founders of the country regarded owning firearms as pretty important, right on par with free speech and dissent. This is why out of the countless ideas they had for changes to the original Constitution, the right to keep and bear arms was one of the very first things they chose.
-"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing." -Adolf Hitler, 1942
-Gun control laws have largely failed and produced almost no effect on the overall crime rate. The federal government and states all over the country are abandoning them or having them overturned in court as being civil rights violations.


Those are good to start with. You can dig deeper depending on which state you reside in and what people are doing about it there.