No, I WON'T Register Them!

[Revolution]

MadHound (32,870 posts)

No, I'm not going to register my guns.

I've a grand total of four guns in my house, two shotgun, a twenty two single shot rifle, and the black powder wall hanger that went through the Civil War. Nothing major, about what you would expect to have in any rural household. They were handed down from my father, and once in a long while I use them, mostly for varmint control around my farm, and for target shooting every now and then.
 
In Missouri, I'm not required to register them, and I'm not going to, even if it becomes a legal requirement in this state. Why? Because I don't want my residence to become a potential target for thieves.
 
When the Journal News published the names and addresses of registered handgun owners, every single one of those people and households became a target. It was an epic piece of stupidity, since most of the flood of illegal guns in this country come from stealing the guns of law abiding owners. And the Journal News just gave those thieves a nice interactive map that allows them to plan their forthcoming crime spree much more effectively.
 
Yes, yes, I can hear you now, "Aren't guns supposed to be kept in a gun safe anyway?" Yes, they should be, but a few salient points here. A lot of people don't keep their guns in a gun safe. Some folks just have the single gun for self defense, stashed in their nightstand. Others keep all their guns but one in a gun safe. Some folks don't keep any of their guns in a safe, simply stash them in the back of a closet or in a drawer.
 
But even if they did keep all their guns in a gun safe, that still won't deter the determined and skilled thief. Most gun safes aren't that tough to get into, and some safes are so lightweight that a couple of people can simply move them out, throw the safe into a truck for later opening. In fact, about the most foolproof "gun safe" I've ever seen is my father in law's safe. When he built his new house, he build a special room, installed a bank safe door that he picked up at an auction, and put all of his guns in there.
 
But even if the thieves that come in are deterred by the gun safe, the rest of the house is still open for pilfering, and thieves aren't the pickiest people in the world. If they don't get the guns, they can still get the electronics and other valuables lying around.
 
Is that what the Journal News is wishing upon those law abiding citizens, making them a target for thieves? Do they deserve to be a target for criminals simply because they own a gun? Is this how the Journal News really wants to honor the victims of Sandy Hook, by creating an interactive map for thieves? How very irresponsible.
 
What is the purpose of this map? To let people where the big bad scary guns are? Really, are you going to change who you associate with just because they own a gun? Are you that shallow. Hell, out here in the country people simply assume that everybody has a gun in their house somewhere, it's no big deal. The kids still come over and play, neighbors still visit their neighbors, and nobody is freaked out by a gun. Perhaps it is because they've grown up with them, see them for what they are, a tool, and aren't bent out of shape by lawful gun owners. Geez, if you folks are weirded out by the mere possession of a gun, don't come around during hunting season, you'll freak from the sound of all the gunfire.
 
Here in Missouri, I'm not required to register my guns, and frankly I doubt that I will have to during my lifetime. However, if per chance it comes about that I will be required by law to register those guns, that will be a law that I break. I do not want my house to become a target for thieves, I want to keep my guns in my hands, not stolen by some thief to be used in some killing somewhere else. That is, in my opinion, the most responsible position one can take.
 
A shame that the Journal News didn't exhibit that kind of responsibility.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022096787

So now being armed against intruders make you....a target for intruders?

Yup, because I know if I was a thief, I'd want to break into a place where the homeowner could blow me away...

Skinner (56,419 posts)

6. Uh, correct me if I'm wrong...

But I thought the logic of gun proliferation was that bad people would be less likely to do bad things if they knew there is a good chance a law-abiding citizen nearby had a gun.
 
In other words -- by the logic of gun proliferation -- declaring to the world "THIS HOUSE HAS A GUN!" would make the occupants of that house more safe, not less safe. Because after all, if you're going to rob somebody, you aren't going to rob the house where the owner has a gun.
 
But now the argument is that a gun makes you a target for criminals? This is confusing.

Everyone gets confused when viewing Bizzaro World from afar, Skins.

The head DUmmie has it right though.

[Randy]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022096787

So now being armed against intruders make you....a target for intruders?

Shhhhh it's the argument I used to get one of the lo-cal news stations to pull the list of area CCW holders from their website. It worked, moonbats believe.  I informed them that if I had to shoot someone or lost anything in a break-in in the next few months because they had targeted me they would hear from my Lawyer.     The next day I got an email that the story was now over and they had pulled list down. I emailed back thanking them and telling them the timer started that day. I never heard back.  

[NHSparky]

Oh, this DUmmie is not long for the island.

Double-plus ungood, prole.

[DumbAss Tanker]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022096787

So now being armed against intruders make you....a target for intruders?

Yup, because I know if I was a thief, I'd want to break into a place where the homeowner could blow me away...

That logic only works if you are home all the time.  Many people live in neighborhoods where the local punks with time on their hands have a very good idea of when their neighbors are home and when they aren't, and the DUmmie is rightly concerned that identifying particular easily-fenced property in the neighborhood houses to the public at large, including the scum, is a terrible idea.

I oppose registration because it is a necessary precursor to an inevitable confiscation, but whatever reason this OP wants to rely on is fine as long as he's on the right side of the issue.

[Tucker]

Madhound is a unionized, public school teacher. Unsure is she's retired or active.

[Airwolf]

Here are the laws in Iowa where I live.

http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/p/gunlaws_ia.htm

State Requirements
Rifles and Shotguns
•Permit to purchase rifles and shotguns? No.

•Registration of rifles and shotguns? No.

•Licensing of owners of rifles and shotguns? No.

•Permit to carry rifles and shotguns? No.
Handguns
•Permit to purchase handgun? Yes.

•Registration of handguns? No.

•Licensing of owners of handguns? No.

•Permit to carry handguns? Yes.
Purchase:
•No state permit is required to purchase a rifle or shotgun.

•A permit is required to purchase a handgun.

•The permit to purchase may be used to purchase more than one handgun.

•The permit is required for non-dealer purchases as well as purchases from

•a dealer.

•A permit is not required for antique handguns, handguns not capable of being readily restored to a firing condition, a handgun designated a collector's item by the Commissioner of Public Safety, transfers between relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, or by a holder of a handgun carrying permit.

•A permit to purchase a handgun is obtained by applying to the sheriff of the county of the applicant's residence.

There's a lot more but as long as the State doesn't try and push things like the clowns in D.C then the House and Senate will probably be fine otherwise the next election would make sure things were set right. If the Lurkers from DU don't believe me ask the Judges that voted for gay marriage what happened to them when it came time to keep their jobs.

[vesta111]

Here are the laws in Iowa where I live.

http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/p/gunlaws_ia.htm

State Requirements
Rifles and Shotguns
•Permit to purchase rifles and shotguns? No.

•Registration of rifles and shotguns? No.

•Licensing of owners of rifles and shotguns? No.

•Permit to carry rifles and shotguns? No.
Handguns
•Permit to purchase handgun? Yes.

•Registration of handguns? No.

•Licensing of owners of handguns? No.

•Permit to carry handguns? Yes.
Purchase:
•No state permit is required to purchase a rifle or shotgun.

•A permit is required to purchase a handgun.

•The permit to purchase may be used to purchase more than one handgun.

•The permit is required for non-dealer purchases as well as purchases from

•a dealer.

•A permit is not required for antique handguns, handguns not capable of being readily restored to a firing condition, a handgun designated a collector's item by the Commissioner of Public Safety, transfers between relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, or by a holder of a handgun carrying permit.

•A permit to purchase a handgun is obtained by applying to the sheriff of the county of the applicant's residence.

There's a lot more but as long as the State doesn't try and push things like the clowns in D.C then the House and Senate will probably be fine otherwise the next election would make sure things were set right. If the Lurkers from DU don't believe me ask the Judges that voted for gay marriage what happened to them when it came time to keep their jobs.

Works both ways.  We have open carry in N.H. and so far  after moving home 25 years ago I have Never seen anyone male or female with a strap on wandering the streets.  Perhaps I just was not looking for a woman walking their kids to the bus stop with a 44 strapped to their leg.   

Many years ago come hunting season for deer I would see men with side arms and a deer roped to their cars or trucks stop into the bank or grocery store, no big deal.  Kinder gentler age, men hunted for food, today men hunt for money.

Surprises me the number of people one would least expect ,to have a CCW, Men and woman of all ages from 21-92.    Here we are in a State that has no LARGE city's compaired to the rest of the country, but we both Liberal and Conservative take the State motto seriously,  LIVE FREE OR DIE.

Don't let the Libs fool you, if they will kill their own children, what makes one think they are not ready to defend themselves.

The big lie is the Libs that say they are anti gun, bull.   More Libs pack then Conservatives, the Conservatives register their guns, the Libs buy theirs off the street.

It is a different world today, much different from even 20 years ago.   Remember the old time belief that a child abuser would not  be safe in jail.  SURPRISE  half the jails and prisons today are full of men and woman that have harmed a child or raped and murdered a woman.    Why beat all up another for doing what you yourself have done ???

[DumbAss Tanker]

Here are the laws in Iowa where I live.
...

They are very similar here in MO, but the handgun permit-to-purchase was abolished about the time we got right-to-carry a few years ago.  In most of the State, it was nothing but a revenue-generator for the Sheriff, since the info you had to give them to get it just duplicated the ATF purchase form.

[NHSparky]

We have open carry in N.H. and so far  after moving home 25 years ago I have Never seen anyone male or female with a strap on wandering the streets. 

Yeah, you'd have to go to San Freaksicko to see that, vesta.  Or P-Town.  Or Ogunquit.

[vesta111]

Yeah, you'd have to go to San Freaksicko to see that, vesta.  Or P-Town.  Or Ogunquit.

    Happy New Years to you and family, darn but some times you make my day.

[NHSparky]

Hey, you wrote it, not me.