You know what I call a person who owns a gun? A target.

Well, if you look at the cost of a gun, the cost of shooting ranges and ammunition, the money may be better spent on a home security camera system, as cameras are pretty cheap now a days. Camera systems are better deterrents than guns.

The problem being that most people who buy guns never bother to train or practice. Most people are just not all that responsible. That makes it dangerous.

I remember as a teen, I went hunting with friends. In order to get a hunting license, I was required to fo through hours are training in how to properly use a gun and gun safety. Yet, if I were 18, no such requirement would have been needed to get the hunting licensee. There is a presumption that adults are responsible. Very few actually are.

@Beowulfsfriend so you're saying if you shoot at a person that broke in your home you are somehow less safe than hiding or fighting them off with melee options? I'd like to hear the logic behind that.

@Tejas No. If you see them and hear them and are prepared...... As I said, the average, untrained person is still statistically going to lose most gun fights. Do some research.

@Beowulfsfriend that logically doesn't hold any weight. The typical home invader and or burglar is not going to be a trained shooter nor a legal one. How about showing some actual proof of your claims, rather than telling me to do my research. I've watched hundreds of self defense videos, I'd say those are far more helpful than statistics.

The problem being that most people who buy guns never bother to train or practice. Most people are just not all that responsible. That makes it dangerous.

I remember as a teen, I went hunting with friends. In order to get a hunting license, I was required to fo through hours are training in how to properly use a gun and gun safety. Yet, if I were 18, no such requirement would have been needed to get the hunting licensee. There is a presumption that adults are responsible. Very few actually are.

@Tejas So for the gun to be useful it needs to be easily accessed in the middle of the night while you are in a state of flight, fight or freeze, then aimed at the correct target before being fired.
Now a burglar is generally prepared or has at least expected to meet someone and has a plan for that. They are already one step ahead of the sleep befuddled, adrenaline fuelled person. What if there are more than one?

If your gun is easily accessed then you are statistically less safe because you now have a loaded lethal weapon in your house that can be easily picked up by anyone. And as one of the people below had the gun under his pillow of shooting yourself or partner in your sleep I would imagine.

Then there are the cases of parents shooting their children by mistake.

[nbcnews.com]

[abcnews.go.com]

[dailymail.co.uk]

[archive.thinkprogress.org]

Then there are when very young children get their hands on the easily accessible lethal weapon. [npr.org]

Personally if someone is breaking into my home I will grab my kali sticks (lying next to the bed) get on the phone to call for help and then hide. Chances are where I live the person will not be armed with a gun and so in a melee situation I stand a chance, the best they might have would be one of my swords which while not edged are heavy and could knock someone out or be speared into them. But I stand a chance against them even with just the sticks. If they have a gun I would rather lose a few pieces of precious than go up against them (I have had training with a firearm at a gun range but that is very different from real life)

If a toddler picks up the kali sticks they might give themselves a bruise and a lump but they could not kill. The swords are out of the reach of any toddler with the exception of the few who are budding Spidermen in training and scale anything they can find.

@Budgie alot of that seems to be what ifs and assumptions. What if you aren't sleeping, what if you have multiple rounds in your gun, what if the gun is out of reach of toddlers, what if you have something covering the trigger guard such as a holster. Most of what you said can and is avoided by responsible gun owners. All mt guns are loaded and ready to go, I only lock up long guns. I've never had an accidental or negligent discharge.

@Budgie Home invasions are very rare. Most thieves would rather burgle a place they know is unoccupied for obvious reasons. And as previously mentioned, even if you are awake and have a gun in reach they will still have the element of surprise on you.
And a loaded gun in easy reach is more likely to be accidentally discharged than this mythical home invasion.
Also mentioned is people with guns in the home who have heightened paranoia shooting a family member in the middle of the night because they mistook them for an intruder and shot at noises and shapes.
They have also shot people who have come onto their property either because of a mistaken address or other legitimate business that was unexpected, such as utility work.
And if you are an apartment dweller, as many are; a gun in an adjoining apartment also puts you at risk, as drywall does not slow a bullet down even a little bit.
And yes, the suicide.
A person can have second thoughts after swallowing a punch of pills and call 9-1-1.
You can't have second thoughts when your brain is on the ceiling.

@BufftonBeotch home invasions are rare for sure but they happen, my home has been broken into twice in my lifetime. Luckily nobody was home either time. In my opinion and experience having a loaded gun around the house doesn't necessarily mean it's more likely you'll have an accident, if you don't pull the trigger the gun won't go off. I carry a handgun everywhere I go just in case, it's always loaded and one in the chamber. It also has no safety on it, I just keep it holstered and I've never had a problem. If you are a careful person you will likely never have an issue. When it comes to people shooting at shapes in the dark or random people on your property, for me it comes down to legality. I know my local self defense laws well and would only use my firearm if it was legal to do so. Shooting at random strangers on your property is illegal in every state except in Texas, and even then you must give a warning of trespass. I would never shoot at a dark figure moving in my home unless I knew what it was. So I feel like alot of what you said can be countered just by a competent person. Your point on over penetration is definitely a concern especially for those who live in apartments or something similar. I personally use a handgun with hollow points to help reduce penetration, I have a shotgun ready too which is not too likely to puncture too many walls. I wouldn't use my rifle to defend my home unless it's all I had. For your final point on suicide, I believe people have the right to take their life if they choose to, whether if its by pills hanging cutting or shooting themselves. People should understand the consequences of their actions, and that's really all I can say about it.

@Tejas You are a sane, responsible gun owner.
However too many are out there like this guy on I-95 who had his response to being honked at and put the lives of dozens of people at risk.
You Tube went weird. I will update after work and find correct link.
Break from work.
Trying this you tube link

Guns are INANIMATE objects, they have no mind, no will, etc, etc, GUNS alone do NOT kill, it is those HUMANS using the guns that cause the DEATHS to occur by using the guns to kill, maim or injure.
Imo, WHEN the Untied State of Absurdity wakes up to itself and see just how ridiculous it is with these horrendous deaths of innocent because some rank idiot gets a bee in his/her bonnet and decides to do a " Bonnie and Clyde" then and ONLY then will it, imo, evolve in to a truly Democratic and decent country.

The problem being that most people who buy guns never bother to train or practice. Most people are just not all that responsible. That makes it dangerous.

I remember as a teen, I went hunting with friends. In order to get a hunting license, I was required to fo through hours are training in how to properly use a gun and gun safety. Yet, if I were 18, no such requirement would have been needed to get the hunting licensee. There is a presumption that adults are responsible. Very few actually are.

@Triphid Yes, it does require human interaction for a gun to kill. However most humans who own guns never practice or train with them and guns are often never stored safely and are often stored loaded. That makes them dangerous.

@snytiger6 The safe "storage" of any gun/weapon depends solely, imo, on exactly how, where and under what secure system/s those things are stored.
For example, here in Australia, a Gun Owner MUST by LAW have the weapon (rifle, pistol or whatever) stored SEPARATE from the Ammunition at ALL times under lock and key PLUS IF possible the firing mechanism as well.
Ammunition CANNOT be stored in the same place as the firearm and must also be stored under lock and key and as with the firearm, the storage device MUST be approved by the Law.
Even when transporting a firearm here, it cannot be loaded, the ammunition MUST be kept separate from the weapon and the weapon MUST be transported in a case designed for the purpose as well.

@Triphid It seems Australians have a much better concept of how dangerous guns can be. Much more so than us Americans.

@snytiger6 Yes we DO don't we and, surpri9se, surprise it ONLY took the whole country to decided after the Port Arthur Shootings that we were NOT going to permit such an atrocity to occur again on our soil or watch.
It seems kind of obvious, does it not, that Australia and Australian have EVOLVED quite a bit further along the Evolution path these days than those in the United States Of Absurdity.

As I learned decades ago: "An unloaded gun is the most dangerous gun." Ie, people make mistakes or forget to unload often.

I've seenore than one "unloaded" gun go off - including in a school when I was a teenager.

[nami.org]

US adult mental health numbers. No one is immune to mental illness. NO ONE

@MizJ

But not everyone with a mental disease will kill someone, even if they have the means.
Mental disease alone is not a killer.

@AtheistInNC More mentally ill people are the victims of crime than the perpetrators.

@AtheistInNC It is true. Most mentally ill persons who are dangerous are mostly only dangerous to themselves.