To give you a little background I have been hunting and fishing with my father as long as I can remember.

It was not to long ago that I used to think Pistols and Semiauto HiCap weapons should be banned.  What the the heck are they good for other then killing people?  You don't need them for hunting because there are plenty of great bolt actions which are more sporting.  Shotguns with 00 buckshot are better for home protection (all things concidered).  What good are pistols for except killing people?  Shotguns and bolt actions are all any American needs.  Right?!

I have since learned the errors in my thinking but I really believe MANY gun owners think this way.  

Sure alot of Americans OWN guns, but how many regularly shoot them?  Not many IMO.  The average American is afraid of guns.

I'm really afraid that in the not to distant future my ARs and pistols will be banned or worse.

I'm thourghly convinced that I could change peoples minds if they would just go shooting and learn the TRUTH about guns, not the Rosie O BS.  

well if your confessing then youll get it. the whole idea is not JUST for hunting, and sporting its called self defence, and the exercising the rights of the constitution, i don't believe in killing people, but if they ever /problably never aim a tank gun at my family you need to have the same weapons they have or being on the same playing field has they are on. yes i do believe i could do better with a REM700 rifle/300win mag at about
1000/1100 yards. well i believe its OUR right to own them and have them. one more point i don't dissagree with the NCSIC background check. i dissagree with registration though.
and they need to be busting these Gangmembers balls too.  

It's easy to believe as an owner of "legitimate" firearms, you'll never be affected by gun-control laws...unless you look at what happened in Australia and the UK.

Welcome aboard.  

Joined the NRA yet?

Yes I'm a NRA member.

I was converted about ten years ago. I had similar notions, and they were clobbered by an AK/AR owning friend of mine, one day while we were working on my kitchen renovation. He gave me a thorough lesson on the 2nd and it's meaning and intent.

He taught me well, I guess, cuz now I can't get enough of those evil assault weapons. [:)]

Here's a little tid bit to share with your "my rifle is better than yours" buddies. If you read the 2nd Amendment, it doesn't say anything about hunting rifles or sporting guns. There is no constitutional guarantee to hunt or even own hunting rifles. There is no guarantee to even participate in sporting events. It only guarantees the right to own a firearm in order to maintain a well equiped militia or citizen army.

If anyone questions the constitutional definition of "militia" just grab a dictionary or tell them to watch the movie "The Patriot". The militia was not the regular army, it was and is an emergency "citizen" army. During the Revolutionary War, most were just simple farmers or town folk who took up arms to support the regular army. They could leave whenever they wanted too inorder to protect their homes. Try that in the military, and watch how fast your ass gets thrown into the brig for desertion.

If anti-gunners have their way, no one could own firearms. Especially hunters. Every firearm will belong to the state and will be lent to you as per the states discretion. England and Austrailia are prime examples. Number one and two respectively in crime rates of all industrialized nations. First they took away the handguns. Then, they went around and confiscated all hunting firearms. You can only keep a gun if you extremely wealthy. I saw Madonna on the BBC shooting her brand new registered and licensed $20,000 Gold inlaid Baretta shotguns. Typical wealthy anti-gun elitist crap.

Geoff, have you stopped believing in licensing as a good thing?

[:D]

I don't know.  

I just don't like the idea of some violent ex-con stopping off at the local gun store on his ride home from prison to pick up a little "something".

But where do you draw the line?

How about a no paperwork background check? You give them the info they need, they do the check, and if it comes up clean you get your gun, no records or anything. You could go have background checks done several times without buying a gun. that wuold prevent them from actually knowing how many of the background checks were actually for purchase. Or, even better, a single check then you get a card saying you can purchase guns. When you go to buy one, you show the card and your ID and not paperwork is done. With your "Background Check" card you may purchase a gun every day, or never use it. Noone knows but  you.

Aviator

Growing up. I was around some people who had fled communist Europe and Nazi Germany. They told me about what happened to their families. The choice was very clear to me about the importance of having a second amendment and having a well armed population. In the countries (Nazi Germany and Communist Europe) where these people who had lost EVERYTHING (families, property, everything) they had total gun control.

As for a person having had a criminal past being able to own a gun...sure why not ? they have first amendment rights...why shouldn't they have second amendment rights as well...on that note...people shouldn't need a CCW in order to carry a weapon. And they should be able to use deadly force against any criminal caught in the act of committing any crime.
There are more good people than bad people. If there are enough good people walking around "packing heat"..very few criminals would be willing to commit crimes regardless whether or not they are "allowed" to excersize their second amendment rights.

If they can take away someones second amendment rights..what is to prevent them from taking away yours ? The same logic can be applied to any of our constitutional rights.

critter,
Can you elaborate on what your friend said?

If he's violent, why is he out? If he's not, why can't he have a weapon?

Exactly Ricco, if someone is too dangerous to own a gun then why the heck are they out wandering the streets?

Welcome GeoffM24. Do you have an M24?

I remember my "awakening".  I had joined the Army under the delayed enlistment program and was talking to my older brother.  He was married and said he wished he could join.  He said he wanted to get an M16 or at least the civilian version.  I said, "What do want one of those for?"

Keep in mind that this was back in the early 70s and I was a peace loving hippie of sorts.

His reply has stuck with me to this day, "It's not called the Bill of Wants!  It's called the Bill of Rights"

I told him that there is a new revolution going on now and if everyone would just look and believe they would see that peace is the only answer.  They wouldn't need guns. (I guess I had already been brain washed at he age of 18.)

He said the most important revolution that ever occured happened nearly 200 years ago (again, remember this was in the early 70s).  Back then the "hippies" were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin,...they took the power from the government and tried to wright a binding contract giving absolute power to the people, ya, the same thing John Lennon's singing about....something that had never been done before.  But now it's being twisted and the government (back then we called it the establishment) has started taking the power back, a little at a time and before you know it we're going to be socialists, and with the USSR becoming more and more open, there is a chance that world peace might occure, but not together with freedom.

Well I didn't agree with him at the time but the seed had been planted.  

It germinated and sprouted when I qualified with the M16.  [uzi]

Rant Mode On. You know, when I retired from the military back in 95 after 24 years, my thoughts were that the average citizen didn't need to own guns at all.  I thought with the military and police and guard and so forth, that all that was needed were "sporting riftles" and "target" pistols and revolvers. However, I've come to realize how dangerous that thinking is - it puts us in a make excuse for freedome mode. The citizens of this country need to be at least as well equipped as the  modern infantry and police. The people need weapons designed for CONFLICT, not sport shooting. As I read recently, "When I need to protect myself and my freedoms, I want the most reliable, most durable, highest capacity weapon possible. The only thing hunting and taraget shooting have to do with freedom is they're good practice." Everyone should own and regularly practice or "drill"  for both safety and effectiveness. Without an armed citizenry, the government can operate with impunity, as seen at Ruby Ridge, Waco and countless other  "no knock" raids around the country. The "it's for the children BS" is just a cover. They're killing kids in these raids ladies and gentlemen, not to mention old men laying face down on the floor.Their choice of attire, black shirts, is no coincidence friends.  It's for intimidation, and I for one refuse to be intimidated. Saddam didn't do it..neither will Uncle Willie's BSJBTs. Out. Rant mode off

I agree that people are scared of them. My wife's brother and his wife are scared to come in our house because we have "GUNS IN THE HOUSE". Life they will jump out of the safe and shoot them when they walk in the door.

They think my wife is crazy for going to the pistol range with me and owning her own gun!

People are just uneducated and have no desire to learn the truth!

There still are some of the "old school" types in the gun club.....as long as the old model 12 or whatever is in the closet and the 22 bolt gun is leanin` up in the cellarway, "what the hell does that guy want with that m16 army rifle?".....some of these dudes have a sporterized mauser or 44 carbine..."just in case"...........[uzi]