A state gun?

[3db]

The state of Arizona is trying to pass a bill to get a "state gun" in teh same vane as a state bird, lower, tree, etc. Being Canadian, I cannot fathom or understand the love affair with the gun. I'm not making any judgement calls. I just don't undersatnd it is all.

 

[Rickster71]

It's not as much what inanimate object they declare the "State ......."
It's more of politicians placating special interest groups.

http://www.squidoo.com/state-symbols
In Utah the state's cooking pot is the Dutch oven. Alabama in 2006 attempted to name the peach the state fruit (amid protests from its neighbor Georgia, the Peach State) The list is endless.

 

[3db]

It's not as much what inanimate object they declare the "State ......."
It's more of politicians placating special interest groups.

http://www.squidoo.com/state-symbols
In Utah the state's cooking pot is the Dutch oven. Alabama in 2006 attempted to name the peach the state fruit (amid protests from its neighbor Georgia, the Peach State) The list is endless.

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Alex2507]

In Rhode Island our state speaker should be the Infinity Primus 360.

 

[gmichael]

In Rhode Island our state speaker should be the Infinity Primus 360.

Gordon Fox?

 

[j_garcia]

The state of Arizona is trying to pass a bill to get a "state gun" in teh same vane as a state bird, lower, tree, etc. Being Canadian, I cannot fathom or understand the love affair with the gun. I'm not making any judgement calls. I just don't undersatnd it is all.

Ever watch the show Top Shot? That's the kind of stuff that's fun to me

 

[GlocksRock]

Ever watch the show Top Shot? That's the kind of stuff that's fun to me

Yes, that show is sweet!

 

[majorloser]

Ever watch the show Top Shot? That's the kind of stuff that's fun to me

I prefer "Sons of Guns"

 

[j_garcia]

I prefer "Sons of Guns"

Sometimes it is good, but not always. I just DVR'ed "Weird Weapons" the other day. Will try to watch it tonight.

 

[Matt34]

I will say that after living in AZ for the past eight years that they do "march to a different beat" than most the rest of the country.

I love it there! Even the hippies that populate Bisbee are a riot.

 

[jamie2112]

AZ is leading our country in stupid laws........just another one on the books.....

 

[highfigh]

AZ is leading our country in stupid laws........just another one on the books.....

It's just a resolution, not a law. It's similar to a state writing a resolution to honor a sports team, a person who does something great, or an historic building. It doesn't require anyone to do anything, doesn't give anyone a day off, or make anyone pay more for anything. Every state does this stuff, just not necessarily for a gun.

Here's a stupid AZ law- "Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs."

From http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/arizona

Here's a gem from Wisconsin- "Whenever two trains meet at an intersection of said tracks, neither shall proceed until the other has", from the same link.

 

[Nemo128]

Being Canadian, I cannot fathom or understand the love affair with the gun. I'm not making any judgement calls. I just don't undersatnd it is all.

Being American, I advise you to not try to understand it. You'll be annoyed, disgusted, or disturbed by the answer depending on who's answering it.

Ever watch the show Top Shot? That's the kind of stuff that's fun to me

One of the best shows EVER.

I prefer "Sons of Guns"

Sometimes that show scares me. Like the silenced AK and shotgun. I can imagine one of those getting into the wrong hands. Cool to see? Absolutely. Would I want to see those out in the market? Hellz no.

 

[highfigh]

The state of Arizona is trying to pass a bill to get a "state gun" in teh same vane as a state bird, lower, tree, etc. Being Canadian, I cannot fathom or understand the love affair with the gun. I'm not making any judgement calls. I just don't undersatnd it is all.

For some, gun rights is herd mentality and cult-like, with them chanting the mantra "The right to bear arms! The right to bear arms!" "They'll get my guns when they pry them from my cold, dead fingers". Ask them for the rest of the amendment's text and all you'll hear is crickets. For others, it's about not wanting the government to be in control of our lives. In many cases, America is/was about the individualist and people not wanting to be tightly controlled. If many of the first settlers had wanted to stay where people are oppressed, they would have stayed home. Some were sent here, so they didn't have much choice but they too, didn't like to follow rules.

People need rules and they just can't stop proving that on a minute-by-minute basis but 300 million people shouldn't have to be prohibited from protecting themselves because a tiny fraction can't stop shooting/robbing them. Without a way to make the playing field more even, criminals will have a field day because the police can't possibly stop that many crimes before they happen. The one thing that tips the field toward the criminals is the fact that they're more willing to pull the trigger than most and even with a gun, they can get what they want.

People want to go about their business without being attacked by criminals anad criminals are opportunists, preying on those whom they KNOW can't defend themselves. Some people are opposed to almost any kind of governmental impact on their daily lives but they're the minority because infrastructure needs to be built, borders need to be protected, deals with other countries need to be made and this isn't the Wild West, so people shouldn't take the law into their own hands. If the ACLU and others would let the system treat criminals like criminals, we wouldn't have as many repeat offenders for violent crimes. The law states restrictions for who can/can't buy a gun legally. The problem is that broad gun control assumes everyone buys guns legally and that's now how it happens, so those of us who might want some kind of firearm are subject to harsher rules that only end up applying to us. People who don't want to wait until the background check is done probably don't want the gun(s) for protection, anyway. The guy on 'Sons of Guns' last night wanted a suppressed shotgun and when he heard that the background check can take up to 45 days, he was impatient and basically said "I need it now- have a nice day". There aren't many legal uses for a gun like that. He wants to kill someone or something. Poaching is one reason I can think of, if he's not going to kill people and if a game warden shows up, that's not off the table, either.

 

[Rickster71]

Being American, I advise you to not try to understand it. You'll be annoyed, disgusted, or disturbed by the answer depending on who's answering it.

It depends on where the person lives in the US.
In most urban areas we seem to associate guns with crime and violence.

In real rural areas a gun is seen and used as more of a tool.
Take Alaska for example; it's bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.
People in the remote areas don't shop at Costco, they 'subsistence hunt.'
There are areas where bears out number people, and in states where help or police are hours away, a gun is needed for family protection.

 

[j_garcia]

In real rural areas a gun is seen and used as more of a tool.Take Alaska for example; it's bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined. People in the remote areas don't shop at Costco, they 'subsistence hunt.' There are areas where bears out number people, and in states where help or police are hours away, a gun is needed for family protection.

Exactly. In most rural areas, a gun is like a shovel or a hammer. It is just a GIVEN that every household will have at least one or more. If someone is going to try to rob your house, they have to be very desperate because they can expect a homeowner to have protection. I live in an unincorporated area near a BLM area so it is normal to hear firearms, because we are not restricted from responsibly firing our weapons on our own property.

I watched Bowling for Columbine. In that movie, he said that per capita, Canada has more guns than America, even in the large metropolitan areas.

 

[GO-NAD!]

It depends on where the person lives in the US.
In most urban areas we seem to associate guns with crime and violence.

In real rural areas a gun is seen and used as more of a tool.
Take Alaska for example; it's bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.
People in the remote areas don't shop at Costco, they 'subsistence hunt.'
There are areas where bears out number people, and in states where help or police are hours away, a gun is needed for family protection.

That same statement can generally be made about Canada as well, although there is nowhere near the same level of handgun ownership. That may be because the rules governing hanguns are so restrictive, that many people just can't be bothered. That said, where I grew up most homes had a shotgun and/or rifle. They were regarded as tools, like chainsaws, or hammers. There was no obsessing over them, no gun clubs, no lively discussions/debates, no gatherings to "play with guns", etc. They just stayed on the gun rack until hunting season, or when Rover was just a bit too long in the tooth. As for home defence, that just really wasn't part of the conversation. I guess it wasn't necessary.

I used to have a couple of hunting rifles, but when I decided I wasn't interested in that activity anymore, I sold them.

I never laid eyes on a handgun until I joined the military. IIRC, when applying for a hangun permit in Canada, "home defence" is not considered a valid reason and your application will be rejected faster than you can say, "WTF!". But then, the storage requirements for all firearms are so strict, you wouldn't be able to get one ready to fire quickly enough anyhow.

 

[j_garcia]

Our area is one of the few in California where you can still get a concealed carry permit, but home defense or personal protection are not valid reasons either.

Yes, when I say guns, I don't necessarily mean handguns also. That doesn't mean I don't own handguns

 

[highfigh]

I used to have a couple of hunting rifles, but when I decided I wasn't interested in that activity anymore, I sold them.

I never laid eyes on a handgun until I joined the military. IIRC, when applying for a hangun permit in Canada, "home defence" is not considered a valid reason and your application will be rejected faster than you can say, "WTF!". But then, the storage requirements for all firearms are so strict, you wouldn't be able to get one ready to fire quickly enough anyhow.

I think some guns have been passed down through the generations and in that case, the owner may not think it's necessary to go for a permit. However, I have to think that a lot of the problems here in the US are due to people not being able to distinguish reality from fantasy. Watching movies and violent shows can cause some to become insensitive to the violence- it becomes common and "nothing special". Others can't control their anger and will grab the first thing available.

I know some people, all in the same extended family, who hunt and own several guns. One seems to be circling the drain because his attitudes about inviting people to their place in central WI are just insane- "I won't invite anyone because they might shoot a deer I should have been able to kill" is a verbatim quote. He hoards guns and went so far as going to work for Gander Mountain so he could buy them at a discount. His brother has gone to New Zealand and other places to kill animals, knock the horns or antlers off and leave the carcass. Plentiful, or not, it's still wasteful. These guys are brothers. Their cousin wears a dinner-sized belt buckle with 'The Right To Bear Arms" and NRA on it. Big stud. Oh, yeah. Couldn't quote the Amendment if a gun was to his head. Thinks the police should be able to go into someone's house without a warrant. He didn't like it when I said he would make a good Na#i.

I see the way guns are controlled in some places as the same way WI controls fireworks- you can buy or sell them, but you can't fire them off. If the gun control fans get their way, it will be impossible to buy a gun in a retail store and bullets will either be so expensive that people won't bother or ammo will be unavailable.

 

[droht]

The state of Arizona is trying to pass a bill to get a "state gun" in teh same vane as a state bird, lower, tree, etc. Being Canadian, I cannot fathom or understand the love affair with the gun. I'm not making any judgement calls. I just don't undersatnd it is all.

It's not just Canadians who can't understand it. Please don't put all of your American neighbors in that same category. The gun fetish is truly a national embarassment as far as I am concerned.

Hopefully the good folks in Arizona will at least have the decency not to make the state gun a Glock.