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bvar22

(39,909 posts)
4. You are correct in that my response was to the OP.
Tue Aug 11, 2015, 05:53 PM
Aug 2015

I generally agree with you.
However, I dispute your last line:

You said"


"They're all responsible and law abiding. Until they're not"


I beg your pardon.
My grandfather was a homesteader and responsible gun owner & farmer until the day he died at 81. There was NO "until he was not".

All of my Uncles and my Father (a Marine from Dec 8th,41) who fought his way across the Pacific were responsible gun owners until the day they died. There was NO "until they were not". I inherited 3 of my 4 guns from him. I lived with him for 20 years, associated with him for another 20, and did NOT know about two of them...neither did my brothers. None of his Marine friends EVER came over and showed us their guns. I never show mine either. They are hidden, but available.

My father & his Marine friends took it seriously, did it well, and passed it on,
even blessing me with a "rite of passage" at 10 years old where I spent 4 days in The Woods with my Dad and a Marine friend who taught me Marine firearm safety. I was given a bolt action.22 after passing this test.

The .22 I was using had a tube magazine that held 10 rounds. MANY time during the 4 days I was asked the "status" of my weapon (don't ever call it a gun around a Marine) .
If I couldn't remember how many rounds were in the magazine......or ESPECIALLY if I couldn't tell them if there was a "live" round in the chamber....I Failed.

Becoming an "irresponsible" gun owner does not happen overnight.
There is no "until you are not".

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