I have been called, e-mailed and stopped on the street, questioned in my office, at a couple of places where I shop, and at the post office. I do radio ads for Steele's Gun Shop and I'm known to be familiar with firearms to some degree. I have been asked about what kind of gun or ammo to purchase for home defense and about concealed carry of guns and knives. Some of these questions were from people who have never owned guns before and some from those who "hate" guns and even hate gun owners as well to some degree.
One of my friends has interest in a business near the World Trade Center site. One close friend was the one who first reported the plane that hit the Pentagon, about three windows from his office window. Another friend of mine lives on Long Island and works in the building industry and at a huge lumber store there; so she is in constant contact with workers and contractors connected to the New York City area. Several of my friends are military, National Guard, and police. I am no authority, in my mind, nor compared to some that I know, but I am very open in my communications on anything. So, I am asked about a lot of things. I have been around guns, gun shops, police, military, and worked as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer, as a Security Policeman in the U. S. Coast Guard, and as a Security and Public Relations person at FEMA for a while in disaster preparedness and as an on-site disaster center worker.
WHY HAVE A GUN IN THE FIRST PLACE?
For the same reasons we have smoke detectors, first aid kits, fire extinguishers; life, health, dental and home insurance. Because planning, preparation and investment in proper tools and devices -- give us more control over ourselves and our destiny and well being in any arena. And, having better control of our lives and future is a native concern and need for most of us. I think, and most of us think, that any life worth living is worth defending. We have dedicated 40, 50, 60, or 100 hours a week to providing for our families so that they may live life without major interruptions or inconveniences and death or injury at the hand of a "Bad Person". Disaster is certainly not part of our plan for optimum survival for us and our family.
Because people are neither natively brave nor courageous and because people are natively more comfortable, less fearful, having something to hand for self and family defense; having a weapon to hand or a method of defense and protection is an internal instinct that is intrinsic and native. That can include decisions to lock the doors, live in safer areas and staying alert to news and current events. Even those who hate guns and want all of them gone, always seem to have a kitchen knife, a baseball bat or a sword (Ha) to defend themselves with. The Bad Person, BP laughs as such implements in the hands of someone not used to fighting for their lives and it is in fact laughable if you've ever seen a street thug fight or attack someone. Those who decry guns are the first to call 911 and beg someone, a policeman, with a gun to come and defend them - the police can not and WILL NOT ARRIVE IN TIME. In fact the police are not even expected to arrive to defend you. They are expected only, by law, to come and mark chalk lines around your dead body and that of your family - and to write up the reports, take pictures of the blood splattered walls and floor, and file them away along with a report on what they find at the scene of your murder. Check it out; even the Supreme Court of the United States had made a written decision to that extent.
FOR A NON SHOOTER, WHAT GUNS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR DEFENSE?
None. A non shooter should not have any gun. Having a gun without taking the time and effort to learn how to USE it correctly and safely hit what is aimed at is not only silly but it's dangerous. Here, I agree with the anti-gun people. THEY shouldn't have a gun because they wouldn't use the gun and would likely shoot someone for nothing, or miss and hit someone else. Non-Shooters should not own guns, period. Anti-gunners are more likely to become murderers or accidental killers with a gun than without. It is a cinch that if they don't trust others with a gun, they certainly are not worthy of trust with one themselves, and that's certain.
FOR AN INEXPERIENCED, NEW SHOOTER, WHAT IS RECOMMENDED?
First of all, don't buy a gun if you are not going to become proficient with it and that takes some time, repetition and training. My first suggestion is the .38 caliber/.357 caliber revolvers. These are inexpensive and easy to find new or used. The .357 revolver and can be used with low power .38 caliber ammunition for practice and for defense the same gun will allow the use of extremely powerful .357 ammunition. They are made to hold 5 or 6 cartridges and that should be fine for home defense. They are quite accurate and fairly easy to learn. They have no "safety" lever so under tension and in the terror of having to use one for self defense, there is no safety to remember about changing to the fire position from the safe position. Many, many people have died as a result of trying to defend themselves with a gun that was still on safe when they needed to fire it to stop someone from killing them. The Bad Person won't wait for you to remember the safety. I'm not in favor of safeties at all. Every person in the home that has access to the gun MUST be trained in safe handling. No safety switch, lock or chain will make a gun safe in the hands of an idiot or an unsafe gun handler - same thing.
A revolver is the gun that cowboys used. The cylinder holds six shots, and revolves as it's shot, hence it's called a six shooter or revolver, and after each shot the cylinder revolves to put another cartridge in back of the barrel ready to fire when the trigger is pulled to slam the hammer down and fire the bullet out the barrel to what is aimed or pointed at. Once a person has fired several revolvers or several handguns, many of them choose a pistol. A pistol is a semi-automatic handgun that does not have a cylinder but has a magazine to hold several cartridges instead. It is called a semi-automatic because it moves a new cartridge in place to befired each time the trigger is pulled, just like a revolver. Some pistols hold 15 or 20 shots or rounds as we call it. Modern pistols are only allowed to have 10 rounds in America as a result of some idiotic laws passed by people who should not be allowed to have guns themselves. I prefer pistols to revolvers myself but advise revolvers for first timers to learn on.
By the way, an "automatic" is a gun that fires all of the shots, in machine gun rapid fire fashion with ONE pull of the trigger. Few people own and even fewer can effectively use an automatic weapon. They are better for noise than for hitting something. The real best choice for home defense is a shotgun. But most people want a pistol as it's easier to have next to the bed and to get ready. The shotgun however is easier to aim under stress and is more likely to stop an attacker faster. Shotguns come in many configurations and sizes. They come in several cartridge sizes too. The two most common sizes are 12 gauge and 20 gauge, there are many other sizes but for home defense we'll stick to the more common 12 or 20. Ordinarily the shotgun is less expensive, easier to use, and better for defense than a pistol by far.
Many people think that shotguns have shot that spreads, to send out a wall of lead, and that you can't miss with a shotgun. That is BULL.. The longest distance most of us will be able to shoot in defense, inside our homes, is about 20 feet. At that distance the size of the circle of shot from a shotgun is about two and a half inches in diameter or less. It's easy to miss with a shotgun, but not as easy as it is to miss with a pistol. Some people want to get all sorts of specialty ammo for a shotgun to use in home defense. That is not needed. The cheapest "bird shot" is the best for home defense and the least likely to go through wall after wall after wall through your house and into the sleeping rooms of the rest of your family and the neighbors up and down the street.
By the way, most pistol ammo will go through three or four walls, perhaps more, before it stops if you miss the person you are shooting at in self defense. Where are the kids? Think about it before you get a gun. In fact thinking is far superior to shooting, regarding self defense. In modern homes, made of foam insulation, wall board and vinyl siding; a pistol bullet can easily penetrate both sides of five or six homes before stopping. Guns are expensive and good guns are very expensive. There are some ways to beat the system however. There are lots of used guns on the market, especially police guns, because everyone, especially the police, want to have the coolest and most awesome and most new gun that is being advertised. So they trade in the old guns and often the older guns are the better guns although less cool. Silly aren't they? There are lots of good used pistols, revolvers and shotguns in the gun shops of America and many of them are superior to the new stuff in reliability and accuracy. Go figure! J Or you can purchase a new gun.
No matter what you get, make certain that you learn how to use the gun correctly and get some training from someone who really knows guns and safe handling. Most men think they are genetically endowed with gun smarts and they are not. In fact most men who are first time or infrequent users of guns are far more stupid and far more dangerous than women and no more likely to hit what they aim for either. As a matter of fact, women are usually better shots than men at first, according to my experience. I have taught several hundred people how to shoot for the first time and have helped a few dozen others shoot better. By the way I'm not a professional firearms instructor, just a willing friend and neighbor who has shot a lot and owned a lot of guns over a lot of years. IF you do get a gun, and I'm not at all certain that you should; keep your defensive firearm handy but secure and practice, practice, practice. Practice often enough to be dangerous to the Bad Persons and often enough to NOT be dangerous to yourself and your family. At a minimum that will be weekly for a few months and then monthly for several months and then at least every two or three months thereafter. Even those who hunted all the time 30 or 40 years ago but not much in the last 10 years, are not to be trusted to be safe and accurate with a firearm now.
WHAT IS THE BEST KIND OF AMMO FOR MY GUN AND FOR SELF DEFENSE?
The silly news shows, the major media evening news is fond of showing off all sorts of buzz saw bullets and bullets that will penetrate bullet proof vests and all manner of other nonsense. Almost anything on the evening news about guns, ammo, self defense, etc. is a lie or at best BULL. Now, regarding ammunition; you don't need a lot of ammo for self defense. In a defensive situation if you need more than ten or twenty shots, you are likely going to die anyway as there are either too many people for you to defend against or you are too bad a shot to defend yourself. However, under the stress of self defense, it is not unusual for police to miss every single shot from a 15 shot pistol when shooting at a Bad Person that is only 15 or 20 feet away. In shoot outs where trained police are shooting at BPs who also have guns, it is not unusual for several hundred shots to be fired for each person that is killed. Think about it. They need to practice a LOT more don't they. Luckily BPs don't practice much, if any, either. What you need lots of ammo for is practice.
How about all these wonderful and special self defense bullets? There are bullets that cost $6 each or more that are supposed to work better and faster for self defense. The real truth is that it doesn't matter a HOOT how expensive the bullet is, if you miss a vital spot in the attacker. What you need is practice, practice, practice, so that you can certainly hit what you are aiming at and STOP an attacker. REAL experts say: It is better to shoot the attacker 6 times quickly and accurately when you need to stop the attack than it is to hit them with one super-duper-Cowabunga-pooper bullet. So practice. It is bullet placement that will save the life of you and your family; bullet placement that STOPS the Bad Person fast enough to stop that BP from hurting you or a loved one.
GUNS ARE NO HELP AGAINST AN AIRPLANE AIMED AT YOU, OR SOME ANTHRAX SPORES. WHY ARE YOU SO SET ON HAVING GUNS?
Some folks are concerned about potential social turmoil, rogue bands of harmful burglars, perhaps dangerous riots, and there is a certainty that, for the first time, this war is happening here and there are no safe zones, at least no certain safe zones. As members of a community, we seek to support our community with personal and community commitment -- a price others are and have been willing to pay. Now it MAY be our turn. I'm not saying this is correct or right or even necessary; I'm just saying that is what some people feel and think.
Owning a weapon is a personal decision. Some people have swords, canes, baseball bats, pepper spray, potato mashers and even hornet spray or a water pistol full of vinegar for self defense. Years ago almost all women carried a few long hat pins for defense and almost all men carried a stout umbrella or a walking stick. In many countries, even today, it is considered sensible to carry a dagger, a dirk, or even a pistol (such as in Israel) or a rifle all the time for self defense. I don't take a position either way for whether or not YOU have a weapon or decide to defend yourself against those who would rob or harm you and those near you.
I do take one position however. I think that those who say guns are bad and no one should have a gun and no one should protect themselves with a gun should have signs on their clothing, their cars and around their homes and businesses. That sign should say "I do not believe in guns or other weapons, and I do not have any weapons, and I will not defend myself, and I do not believe in anyone protecting themselves against an assailant." If you are really against self defense and against guns - prove it and post the signs!
The bearer of the gun has the responsibility to protect himself, his family, and, last but not the least, he has the responsibility to protect the guns he owns. The guns should never go out of the owner's hand meaning no stranger should have his hands on the gun. The owner of the gun should keep his gun safe and he should have it locked in a gun cabinet or safe. The gun safes are available in a variety of sizes and one can select a gun safe according to his requirements. Guns if by mistake come into wrong hands might result in dire consequences and hence it is of utmost importance for the owner of the gun to have it very safely- nicely protected and put in a safe locked.
There are also fire proof gun safes available which would help the gun owners safeguard their guns. Fireproof gun safes protect guns and if all other things burn to ashes the guns are still safe. Gun owners need to make sure and be responsible enough to make the guns inaccessible .They obviously also have the rights to protect their guns from any harm.
Fire proof gun safes greatly help in keeping the guns away from the reach of children. Children out of their inborn curiosity might try to try their hands on the gun as well. Guns lying open without any cabinets or safes and not protected properly up will prove to be an easy play for the child to lay hands on it. One should also be sure the guns are not loaded as a child could get hurt on finding a gun that is loaded. So one should not be just satisfied by keeping their guns protected in fireproof safe.
One should also not forget and remember that the children may search for the gun on purpose as they would have seen it in use. So, one should not assume that if the guns are put up at a higher shelf they are out of reach for the children. A child once if it wants something will do its best to try and get it by all possible means. The one really good and effective way to have ones guns away from children is to make sure that they are always put inside a fireproof safe or traditional safe.
Children may show interest in weapons and guns at a very young age, which might initially be a good thing but at the same time a bad thing. At an early age, a child may not know much about gun safety. Hence if a child comes across the gun a lot of bad things might happen. If someone owns a gun they should make it a priority to teach gun safety at home to ensure that the children are safe. This way the children will be aware of the fact that the guns are not for them to use and will be beware of the consequences. One can keep the guns safe and out of reach from children by keeping them in fireproof safe or traditional safe. Fireproof safe becomes an ideal investment as it keeps the guns safe from fire as well. One can also select a traditional safe, but by looking at its advantages fireproof safe becomes a much better option. If one looks at the cost of keeping the gun safe, out of reach from children and others fireproof safe provides more worth than the money invested.
To foreigners who travel to America either for business or sight seeing, it is always a question that how American people can bear guns with themselves and they express their amazement when they become aware that American Constitution itself, has guaranteed the right to bear arms in second amendment that says" A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." But for American people who immigrated to the Wild Land many years ago , it was not odd to carry guns in order to secure themselves and their families in confrontation with Indians who had come and settled there many years before whites arrived at the boarder of New World. In fact the concept of gun has transformed to be the part of the American culture through the history, praised by many American people even nowadays.
But looking at the other side of debate reveals that recently the right to bear arms has been overdone led to the sever problems. For example, all of us can recall the assassination of John F. Kennedy, failed assassination of Ronald Reagan and unfortunately most recently the deaths of some American students who had killed by their friends who had brought gun to their schools. So as a result of all these incidents the debate over gun control turned to be the "hot button" issue in American politics. Some arguments are for guns and against control and some of them are against guns and for control. For example, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is one of the powerful lobbies which opposes gun control legislation supports American Constitution, second amendment, that has granted the right of carrying arms to American people.
Pro-gun, NRA lobby was founded in 1870s, "as a body which offered training and instruction in how to use firearms-specifically as a response to the poor marksmanship of Union soldiers in the Civil War- and later represented the interests of those using guns in sports and hunting."(McKay, Et, al.2002.p.95) However as the pro-gun lobbies, most powerful of them NRA, focus more on fighting against legislation that would limit the citizens' right to access to gun, the anti-gun lobbies also take more attempts to grow in strength. The incident which led to the call for reform of gun legislation in congress was the failed Ronald Reagan assassination in which Reagan survived but his press secretary, James Brady, was wounded badly. So as a result James Brady's wife, Sarah Brady, who was extremely against gun legislation, took hard attempts in opposing with the gun legislation in congress" although it took many years to achieve, congress finally passed the Brady Bill in 1993. The bill required a five-day waiting period and background checks on the purchase of a handgun."(McKay, Et, al.2002, p.95) Also in the year 1994 congress passed some laws against Gun-bearing which were supported by United States' President, Bill Clinton including anti-crime legislation, the violent crime control, and Law Enforcement Act.
But regarding to all these attempts, pro-gun lobbies are still more powerful and more organized than anti-gun lobbies, interestingly supported by majority of American people. Although most of the American people insist on their right to own and bear arms but there are also many people who support the Brady Bill and some sort of gun control. For instance, Gallop poll conducted in January 2001 revealed that 54 percent of people in America wanted to make gun-laws stricter and only 14 percent favored weakening the existing laws. To answer the question that how gun lobby can prevail on the policy-making process, one should focus on the majority of American people who support any form of anti-gun legislation but in a passive mode with no well established organization. So as a result of the gun-control advocator passivity, Charlton Heston, the president of the National Rifle Association, can claim that "you can have my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands."(McKay, Et, al.2002, p.96) He as one of the pro-gun advocates argues about the necessity of owing and bearing arms to the American way of life, outlining the major reasons to justify this necessity.
According to Heston, the Founding Fathers who were concerned about the central powerful government, took hard attempts to add Bill of Rights in particular Second Amendment to the American Constitution in order to guarantee the right of citizens to arm themselves against Washington DC if it was needed." The beauty of the Constitution can be found in the way it takes human nature into consideration. We are not a docile species capable of coexisting within a perfect society under everlasting benevolent rule. We are what we are. Egotistical, corruptible, vengeful, sometimes even a bit power-mad. The Bill of Rights recognizes this and builds the barricades that need to be in place to protect the individual."(McKay, Et, al.2002.p.97)
Also he believes that the Second Amendment is more important than the First Amendment because without arms one can not defend his/her speeches.
But for anti-gun advocates who hate guns as they kill people, the story runs differently. Those advocates demand people to recall all the Wars in which the America was involved and the numbers of American people killed in those wars such as revolutionary war against England, Civil War, First and Second World Wars, etc. Also they emphasize on all gun-related deaths in recent years.
Anti-gun advocates also criticize the American National Policy by raising a question that why it is so easy for a person to get a handgun license in America than it is to get a driving license.
DECISION MAKING PROCESS
To answer how a specific issue such as gun control prevails on the decision making process, it is necessary to become familiar with the following factors presented in the process of decision making in Congress:
Information gathering, constituency interests, expert opinion, political ramifications and personal judgments. To run this process, Congress Members play an important role. They are responsible to vote and decide on a variety of bills, motions, amendments and all the contemporary issues such as abortion rights, school safety, gun control, etc.
Before expressing the final decisions, members provided with the materials on both sides of any issue including letters, emails and phone calls all of them expressing different and controversial opinions. However, in reality there are many members who vote not based on the truth but on the benefit of interest groups and political parties.To be honest it is really hard to stand indifferently and firmly against all influences which attack the members' decision.
As mentioned above information gathering is the first step in the process of decision making regarding the contemporary issues such as gun control issue that provides congress members with the main arguments on both sides of the debate.Members can use the Congressional Research Service, Committee reports, newspaper articles and even information provided by advocacy organizations or groups who are against the issue, in this regard gun control issue, as a material helped them to make their major decisions. Members are required to explain why they have decided so, those explanations are based on the resources that members have cited them.
The second step is a constituency interest which focuses on the Congress members' responsibility to reflect the viewpoints of the majority of constituents, in members' own area, who take the issue seriously. Members have to follow this step if they want to be elected for the next election.The third step, as mentioned above, is the expert opinion. Although Congress members are responsible to work on the particular issue by analyzing many different debates to make their own final decisions, however some issues are such a complex ones that members need to consult with experts in this particular matter and take a benefit of the experts' advices into the process of decision making.
Political ramification is the fourth step and more influential one in the process of decision making. It is necessary for the Congress members to understand the political ramification of a vote that means members should fully understand the political parties which are for or against the issue. In regard to the major issue it is common to see that two different parties stand on too different positions when they are required to vote for that issue. Also it is common to see that some of the senior members encouraged their colleagues to vote for one side of the issue which preferable to the particular interest groups or political parties, also the influence of the President is a point that must not be ignored in regard to the process of decision making.And finally the fifth step is the personal judgment that refers to the Congress member's ideological viewpoint on the particular issue. In fact their beliefs may be based on the religious or political trends.