anti-firearm friend

[cidirkona]

A friend of mine that's in my band has some fairly extremist views on certain things - which is cool with me, I'm glad he's passionate about politics, but he has some stuff to say that I find semi-disturbing.

"Guns should be illegal. People should not have a right to kill someone that easily. Guns are for ******s, if someone pisses me off, I'd straight just knock him out."

I reminded him that guns helped this country become and remain independant, that there are millions of guns out there already and that guns laws only hurt the lawful, and that the knives are 4 times more deadly than the average shot fired...

I don't know what else to say to him...?

-Colin

 

[TimRB]

Don't argue with him. Take him shooting.

Tim

 

[cidirkona]

I've tried, I offered my whole band that I'd pay for their admission and ammo to go down to the range and put some holes in paper, but he just said "F*ck that."

-Colin

 

[mete]

So he attacks someone who pisses him off ? Have you recommended he anger management courses ? My gun is for defense and I am intelligent and mature enough to avoid confrontations. When you are carrying a gun leave your macho at home !

 

[cordex]

Guns are for ******s, if someone pisses me off, I'd straight just knock him out.

Sounds like your friend is a pretty violent person. You could tell him that at least you agree that he should be unarmed, as he is obviously a violent and unstable individual with poor impulse control. You might also suggest he not drive a car lest he be tempted to run someone down, or own a knife lest he be tempted to cut someone's throat, or own household cleaners lest he be tempted to concoct a noxious substance to harm others, or own matches lest he be tempted to burn someone alive in their sleep.

Someone who would intentionally cause bodily harm to include brain damage (since that is what is involved in knocking a person unconcious) because someone "pisses [him] off" has no place in a civilized society. Serious counseling and psychiatric evaluation is in order, especially if he has children or a spouse.

He's projecting what he would do with a gun on everyone else. Since he knows he would lash out at others with whatever weapons were available for any perceived slights, he expects everyone else to do the same. Additionally, I expect he's probably terrified that one of these days he's going to assault someone for "pissing [him] off" and they're going to be able to defend themselves. Thus, allowing people to be armed and capable of defending themselves does not fit in with his violent, predatory mindset.

I'd think twice about having this individual as a friend.

edit: Whoops! Mete beat me to it.

 

[hksw]

Guns are for ******s, if someone pisses me off, I'd straight just knock him out.

Heh. Almost all of the time I've heard of comments like this they've come from high schoolers/early college.

Ask him what he would do if he met up with someone tougher and bent on doing harm to him. (Would he run like a little girl? ) Of course, no-one is tougher than him I'll bet.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Guns are for ******s, if someone pisses me off, I'd straight just knock him out.

Yep, but there is always someone bigger and badder than him right around the corner. and even the big bad guys have a bad day. The guy sounds like he is just a big bully with something to prove. (little richard)

 

[cordex]

Yep, but there is always someone bigger and badder than him right around the corner. and even the big bad guys have a bad day.

The nice thing about being the aggressor, is that you get to pick who you initiate force upon. In other words, if a 6' 10" 400lb muscle-bound hulk of a man pisses him off, he'll let it slide. If the irritating person is a 4' 10" girl weight 90 pounds soaking wet with rocks in her pockets, he's more'n willing to straight just knock her out.

 

[cidirkona]

Well, he's in my band and the other 4 people are decent people.

I wouldn't consider him a violent person because I've never actually seen him go off and do violent acts, but I don't want to either.

About having someone bigger than him picking on him (he's a fairly big guy, not built, but tall) - he said he'd rather "get beat the f*ck down" than use a firearm.

I am glad that he doens't own any though.

Does anyone have any statistics on how many guns there are in America and how many of those are 'legal' firearms, in the hands of legal law-abiding citizens?

Thanks
-Colin

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Well, younger, stronger guys can take a punch and "getting beat down" doesn't neccessarily constitute the need for deadly force. Ask him if he meant "Some smallish guy with a gun that is going to shoot me for my wallet. I'd rather get beat down." But you know most little muggers are too lazy to waste all that energy, they'd just shoot you. The flaw in his logic is he won't get a second chance, he'll be dead.

 

[cordex]

I wouldn't consider him a violent person because I've never actually seen him go off and do violent acts, but I don't want to either.

Let me put it another way, then. He advocates unnecessary aggression and violence as the solution to minor problems. Whether or not he goes through with what he advocates is another issue altogether. He's either a hypocrite or a violent and unstable person. At the very least he has an unhealthy tendency towards accepting the initiation of aggression as normal and acceptable.

Of course, you have to make the decision about whether or not it is worthwhile to associate with him, but he certainly doesn't sound like someone I'd choose to spend my free time with. I'd like to die of old age without ever having to pull my pistol in anger, and your friend sounds like someone who invites trouble even if only through tough words so I think I'd prefer to associate with "******s" who are willing to walk and talk softly, but carry big sticks.

People should not have a right to kill someone that easily.

I'm interested in how your friend rationalizes his desire for banning guns because they make it easy to kill with the multitude of otherwise legal devices, substances and objects that can make it easy to kill someone that he has not singled out for making illegal.

 

[raz-0]

the guy lives in a fantasy land. From what little you have said, I can pretty much guess he makes the assumption that guns being illegal would result in a world with no guns. Not even getting to the point of criminals not caring about illegal, he probably doesn't even bother to make the minor deductive step about governments and firearms. In his fantasy world, guns = scary death thing and no guns = nothing scary anymore.

SOunds like a guy who doesn't have a lot of complex thoughts on much at all. Largely they are a waste of time unless there's something in it for you to try and teach them how to think about things. Because you WILL have to teach him how to think before you can even hope to make him think about his opinions.

 

[foghornl]

Something I learned the hard way (several times ) is that now matter how "bad" you are, there is always someone a tiny bit 'badder'

 

[SAG0282]

It's probably a lost cause honestly......some people are just resistant to logic, and require a real experience to change that.

 

[Drjones]

I'm surprised no one here has told you not to engage in a battle of wits with the unarmed.

We all know what happens when you do.

 

[cidirkona]

hahaha - thanks for all the suggestions and comments guys (and gals?).

-Colin

 

[TJ(MN)]

It is almost impossible to overcome willed ignorance. He may not be capable of rational independent thought, which he would need to overcome his aversion of firearms.

 

[TCD]

tell ya what, how about we get this guy, throw a bunch of blood on him, stick him in some prime grizzly land in Alaska, and tell him, "oh damn, my bad you cant have access to this nice 12 guage or .454 for defence, because after all, they are just for ******s"

Remember, guns can be used for defence for more than just people. There are certain places in this country where 4 legged critters still pose a significant danger....

 

[Zundfolge]

Guns are for ******s, if someone pisses me off, I'd straight just knock him out.

Yeah ... this lady here is a real ****y ... she shoulda just knocked the guy out
http://www.plusp.com/classroom/lesson30.php

Well, for your buddy's sake, I hope his philosophy is never put to the test ... otherwise you're going to have to figure out how to eulogize someone who sounds like kind of a jerk.

 

[hillbilly]

I"'ve tried, I offered my whole band that I'd pay for their admission and ammo to go down to the range and put some holes in paper, but he just said "F*ck that."


Okay. Let me get this straight.

It's your band. And you offered to pay everyone's way. And this one guy, all by himself, can veto what the rest of you all want to do by merely shouting "F*ck That!"???

Uh, that's one heck of a "friend" you got there......

hillbilly

 

[cidirkona]

Two of the guys decided to go along, two of them have shot plenty before, and he was opposed to it.

-Colin

 

[HankB]

he said he'd rather "get beat the f*ck down" than use a firearm.

So . . . in his own estimation, the continued health and well-being of a bad guy who attacks him is worth more than HIS OWN continued health? Tell him that he seems to have problems of self-esteem, and clearly thinks very little of himself.

Hmmm . . . if his OWN self-evaluation indicates he's not worth much, hopefully he doesn't have a significant other or a child who may be depending on him some day . . .

And . . . if HE doesn't value himself very highly, why should ANYONE else value his mere OPINION?

 

[cidirkona]

Very good point.

-Colin

 

[grnzbra]

Guns are for ******s, if someone pisses me off, I'd straight just knock him out."

If the people on this thread would like to take up a collection, I'm sure I could come up with any number of people who would just love to piss him off. (By the way, the money collected is my fee, these guys would do it just for the fun of giving him an attitude adjustment)

 

[Harold Mayo]

Doesn't sound like there's even any point in wasting time on the guy...