Different Views on Gun Ownership

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HunterGirl

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I'm sure I'm starting something here that I maybe shouldn't....

I grew up around guns. I started shooting around 6 or 7 and started hunting at twelve - just like my older sister. Many of my female cousins are also avid hunters.

I just wonder when I browse through these posts that so many members are men. And for that matter - so many hunters and shooters are men. I can't possibly begin to understand why there has to be so many posts about wives who hate guns - except that so many wives hate guns.

That is NOT A SHOT AT THE MEN HERE!! It's curiousity as to why women are far more likely to be against firearm ownership and use.

So, I'm hoping some of you could offer up your thoughtful, honest opinions as to this difference...I'm just curious as to what others think about this.

:confused:
 
Because women generally are more inclined to rely on their feelings. My wife relies on her feelings too but fortunately she relies more on reason and so is pro2A.
 
Hi Huntergirl and welcome to The High Road.
Not everyone here has a spouse that is against against firearms in fact, many have spouses that are merely ambivalent towards firearms and a few lucky guys have spouses that are just as enthused with firearms as they are.
In my case my wife had very little exposure to firearms growing up. Unfortunately some of the exposure was negative ( here little girl shoot this 12 ga., It won't hurt as much if you hold it away from your shoulder a little bit, haw haw haw.) and she doesn't like loud noise at all (even with plugs, muffs or both). Fortunately she is very supportive of me sharing the sport with our children. Hopefully my daughter will continue to like the sport, I am sure my son will.

You are extremely lucky to have a daddy that was willing and able to share this sport with you. Hug him and thank him for it if you can.
 
Down here where I'm from, it's not a part of the culture to hunt. (Mostly because the buildings get in the way). I think that's a big part of some of the bigger population centers not being gun friendly...
 
I don't know. I think it is probably
1) they did NOT grow up around guns
2) the media portrays the gun as a child-killing machine
2) therefore, they have an irrational fear of guns exacerbated by wanting to protect their own children.

The result is that they HATE guns. My ex-wife was one of those people.

The gun is an equalizer. It allows a 5'3" 120lb woman to be equal with a 6'2" 220lb man. It also allows anyone with a gun to prey on anyone without a gun. In the absence of guns, the 220lb man preys on the small and weak... including the 120lb woman. In our society, the 120lb woman THINKS that the gun-toting person is the enemy, and that getting rid of guns would solve the problem. What she (and all anti's) don't understand is that the problem just shifts... take away one advantage and a new and different advantage arises. That is why the U.K. banned handguns, then most all guns, then swords, knives, etc, etc. .

Since there will always be bad people, there will always person-on-person violent crime. The anti-gun folk don't see this conclusion of their desire to rid the world of guns.
People don't realize that, even before guns, the world was a violent place. If guns disappeared tomorrow, the world would STILL be a violent place. People can't see that far, though, and so ladies and moms focus on the immediate threat to their own... and their children's... safety, which is a BG toting a gun, or an unsecured gun at a neighbor's house.
 
Boys and girls are different. That's my only explanation. Boys like cars and guns, girls like dolls and tea parties. That's all I got.
 
its not a women thing. the majority of gun owners are men. which means that it gets portrayed as a women thing not to like guns or be emotional. i've meet plenty of men who have the exsact same issue. the more women who get into shooting and raise their daughters with guns, the less prealiant this mindset will become. its the same with any male dominated aspect of society, and its changing, very, very slowly.
oh and huntergirl, you are deffinatly not the only women who posts here. we exsist and some of us are quite vocal *grin*
 
Huntergirl,

Glad to have you aboard.

Your question is a tough one. I can't help much with an answer though, I'm afraid. I've only ever had one wife, and she's a shooter too. She was a shooter before I met her, and so I can't even claim credit for that.

She's spent a lot of time in the past helping other women learn to shoot, and we just built her a berm (well, a guy with a trackhoe built her a berm, that is, I got a pond out of the deal :D) so that she can start teaching again. First student in line- the trackhoe guy's wife.

I suppose all that us shooters can do is try to help more people become shooters... no matter what differences there are.

Stay Safe,

lpl/nc
 
I'm not really sure myself. I'm not sure if anyone else in the world knows for sure either.

Upbringing? I'm not so sure about that one either. I live in MA and was brought up NEVER seeing any guns. No one I knew or dealt with had any guns or hunted ever. My mother is so petrified of guns she didn't me having realistic squirt guns. Father never had any interest in guns at all either.

However, as soon as I moved out, I got my LTC and started collecting. I've always loved guns, even as a child. I always dreamed of owning various military rifles and such. Movies, books and video games relating to guns have always been a favorite. *shrug*

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've never actually met a woman who was interested in guns in the slightest. Even my fiance grew up in a very rural area with lots of hunting (father owns many guns and hunts himself) and lots of guns in the family doesn't care about them at all. She's never even considered or cared about having a gun for self-defense or home-defense. She doesn't even see the point. Every woman I've met has literally been scared by guns. Guys, even if they have no experience at all are always intrigued at the very least if they find out I own guns and they want to fondle them.

*shrug*

Something in the way the minds work differently I'm guessing. It's the same way with cars in my experience. As an avid car enthusiast for years the men outnumber the women 99 to 1. Plus, most of the women are boyfriends/husbands of the car guys. Very rare do you see a woman who is a car/gun enthusiast on her own, who wasn't indoctrinated by a male companion.

I'd be interested to hear some opinions too.

Dope
 
My wife carries and hunts. One of her buddies is her hunting partner and carries a .45 (her husband carries a 9mm).

My 9 year old daughter shoots and has her own AR.

My wife's younger sister had me find a shotgun for her and her husband pistol hunts with a .454.

Her older sister doesn't care about guns, but her husband has a heck of an Enfield collection.

My mom was pretty good with a .38 Special S&W. I only saw my dad handle a gun once.

Society dictates what is normal. If shooting is "normal" for girls in your area then being afraid of guns isn't.

I dunno.
 
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No Idea .. Both my wife and my daughter CCW . As i type this my wife is out making a run tho the cattle to see what has calved today and has the AR to repel coyotes. Possibly its more environment than plumbing ? ( at the risk of being non pc ) .
 
I have a few thoughts:

• Your case is an exception, but I think in general, if a gun owning father has a son and a daughter, he's probably most likely to take the son hunting and shooting. Therefore, the girl grows up without as much exposure and experience. Again, your upbringing was different. I'm just speculating.

• It has been shown that in general, women's decisions tend to rely more on emotion, whereas men tend to process logic more objectively. This might be a reason for the "fear" of guns many women have, because they haven't logically thought, "A firearm is a tool that can be used in many ways by many different types of people. The people who would use guns to harm others are the real enemy, not the gun itself." So even the sight of a gun can send some women into an irrational panic.

• I know that even the pro-gun females I take shooting do not like my more powerful guns. .22s and AR-15s tend to be the most fun for them because they hardly recoil and can be very accurate for even an inexperienced shooter. If some women are only handed a .44 magnum or a 12-guage shotgun, and that's the only impression they ever get of what it's like to shoot guns, they probably won't want to ever do it again.

• Like one poster already said, many women are pro-gun or at least neutral. My mom grew up in a hunting family and married my dad (a Marine Corps Vietnam Vet who is a big collector) so she doesn't mind guns. Same with my sister, and same with most of my girl friends. (My previous girlfriend was in the Army and owned her own AR-15). I don't think I could ever date or marry a staunch anti.

• Maybe guns just don't "do it" for the average female. At the risk of stereotyping, I'd say the average woman is much more interested in clothes, purses, careers, social life, shoes, travel, etc. than firearms. On the other hand, even men who have never picked up a gun before in their life have some unexplainable fascination with firearms. It's in our DNA!

Just some thoughts...
 
HunterGirl wrote:
It's curiousity as to why women are far more likely to be against firearm ownership and use.
Click to expand...

Because men and women differ, not that one is better than the other, just they are wired different.
It has been my observation and experience , ladies are more centered and don't get wrapped around the axle like guys do on some of this "tool" stuff, including guns.

I mean a lady that is centered, likes what she likes, does not what she does does not, and could care less about some aspects, as long as the tool does the job needed.

A lady can fix more stuff around the house with a $8.99 blister pack of tools (a flat and phillips screwdriver, slip-joint pliers and needle nose pliers) and that can $ $1.59 of 3-in-1 oil bought at the grocery store, than a guy can with 14 roll around tools chests in the garage with an assorted of the wonder lubes that sell for $15 per ounce.

Guys are jerks.
For some odd reason, being able to stand up to pee, means by birth they can drive like Mario Andretti, and Jackie Stewart, Cowboy like John Wayne, Cook like the Galloping Gourmet, and bed women like Casanova.

Same Stud- Puppies strut around like Rambo, stick a goof-ball looking shotgun with fuzzy dice and curb feelers into a ladies hands with a 3.5" shell of 00 buck , and laugh themselves silly when the lady was not told anything about anything and she is bruised, hurt and he cannot wait to tell his buddies so they will laugh about it too.

Then we have the controlling manipulative bunch of knuckle dragger's.
These are the fellas that were soooo nice in dating, and as soon as the "I do's" were said, the Jekel & Hyde bit hit.

This gal gets yelled at if the beer gets below a case at the house and fussed if $2.19 was overspent at the grocery store.
He needs that $2.19 to buy the Lube of the Week for $15 an ounce for his gun to keep her safe and "that is a man's job toots now its Friday and be a good little wifey like you are supposed to be!"

Parents are to blame.
Some these drank from the fountain of Little Bitty Jesus ,and the .gov was gonna take care of them, and kids will not get allowance money if they bad mouth the .gov.
Guns are bad and only Police are supposed to have them.
Girls are not supposed to play with guns, or boys that play with guns.

Women.
Yep. We got some gals that did not know come here from sic'em and all of a sudden are the world's gift to women shooters and hunters.
Oh we gotta raise a fit as they don't make pink slings and hip boots.
A lady is a total idiot if they don't do this, that or the other.

I am a guy, and even I know, ladies can read a lady better than a guy can, and hell hath no fury like a lady being turned off by another lady!


Me, I am just a dumb old Southern Boy, and know about Southern Belles.
Men would be wise to shut the hell up and listen to a lady and earn their trust in assisting with shooting and hunting if a lady asks.

This means watching the kids, doing the housework so a lady can get with non-ego tripping ladies that can assist with shooting and hunting and whatever else they desire.
If...If a guy earns the trust to assist themselves, then act like a damn gentleman and be respectful.

Ladies make better students, and men can learn a lot by assisting ladies.

Don't look at me, I am just the dumb Southern Boy that went to stay with a gentleman with Alzheimer's , and home health nurse , so his wife, daughter, granddaughter could go shoot,
I have also done this so the daughter and granddaughter could go hunting too...

Just my take.

I still get first dibbs on taking a baseball bat to Macho-Guy letting his gal get hurt shooting a heavy load from a shotgun.


Steve
 
Welcome HunterGirl,

It's an interesting question. If one removes all the rigmarole about self defense, 2nd amendment rights, and other strictly rational considerations of gun ownership and looks at the question from the point of view of the differences in general interests of men and women the question might be easier to consider.

It may be easier to answer the question by stating it the other way around. Why are men more interested in gun ownership/usage. I'd say probably because (in general) men are more interested in mechanical objects, gadgets, and technology in general than women. This generality is not intended as a statement of superiority or inferiority of either of the sexes but merely a statement of differing "tendencies". It's the reason men are more likely to be interested in fast cars, power tools, and fighter jets.

That being said, I am personally quite impressed with those individuals who are able to "live outside the box" of what might ordinarily be expected of them because of their sex or other personal characteristic. It takes character and fortitude to follow the unexpected path irregardless of the expectations of society. It also breeds a personality with greater flexibility of mind and a more comprehensive perpective of the world around them.
 
Why do I think?

I think it's because too many fathers take their sons shooting and hunting, leave their daughters home to play with barbie dolls. By the time these young women have any exposure to firearms, they've been influenced more by media than their families. Sad. A big loss for fathers, daughters and the RKBA.
 
Well, I can speak for myself and my wife.

I grew up the the country with guns in the house. They were and are an accepted part of a normal life.

My wife grew up in New York City. Her parents don't like guns, and imparted their negative views of guns on her. Combine that with the fact that my wife has seen several people shot in front of her, and it's no wonder she has a jaded opinion. Guns were tools of Gang Bangers and Cops, neither of which were held in good esteem for her.

We've been together for about 15 years now. She has gone from hating guns and forbidding them in the house, to grudgingly allowing them in the house and me CCWing. I've yet to get her shooting, but I'm working on it.
 
I think it has to do with the fact that until recent times, much firearms focus was on hunting. Hunting usually requires large caliber weapons that are generally unpleasant for people of smaller stature to shoot. Today, we have many weapons available that are perfect for people of smaller stature (ie, women) and people who don't like large recoil (ie, women and me).

In the US, I think we also have a macho mentality. You have to have the biggest caliber gun or else, "you won't kill so much as a mouse". Take a look at the caliber pissing matches on THR.

I'm also of the opinion that we shouldn't allow threads like, "Wife doesn't like my guns, what should I do?" that devolve into a forum for women-bashing. Here's an idea, if the wife has views that are that different from you that you vehemently disagree with, why did you marry her? I mean honestly, what woman would want to hang around a bunch of Neanderthals that spend time bitching about women on a forum devoted to guns?

I think on the positive side however, we are becoming more female friendly (pink ARs and the like). We are also encouraging more women to shoot. We do need to be more conscious of how we address gender issues on THR.
 
everyone whos saying men and women are wired diffrent. please stop. as for being more mechanical. my dad hates dissasembling and reassembling firearms. he loves guns, sure, but he is NOT mechanically inclinded. on the other hand his DAUGHTER (me) is. i don't think women are more emotional, i think we are socialized to express our feelings more then guys. as for being scared of guns, its because social influance has trained these women that to be femine, they should be frightened.
and its the exsact same in any sphere that is traditionally male dominated. "girls don't race cars, girls don't shoot guns, girls don't motercross" is BS. it has nothing to do with "well, women jsut don't like that, they're wired diffrent". it has everything to do with somebody told her to be a good little girl and sit in the corner.
i think 1911 guy and sm have got the clue. let the ladies do what they will and stop thinking testosterone has anything to do with the abilty to pull a trigger.
 
differance

I think its the present culture.I married a girl from tenn and she liked guns had her own.when I went to high school the school had a rifle team sponsered by the school and school instuctor.80 boys and 40 girls.gov win 52s
after ww2 the culture changed as the socialist got control.there is so much negative outlook from media and others that people believe any thing thats said against guns.in the cities we used to leave our doors unlocked.every one knew every body.around me now every one has been robbed,except me.my sign says it all.DANGER NO TRESPASSING.my wife now has her own guns.I have been married twice,31 yrs and 30 yrs.my daughter has guns,as my son and daug in law.I think we are coming back as people get fedup with being in fear.:uhoh::confused::banghead::D
 
My wife is against guin becasue she has absolutly no understanding of them. She grew up in non gun house hold. She does not see the evils of the world like I do. She likes Rosie and gets her news from tabloid magazines.

I love her to death and she is a great mother. She grw up in a deifferent world than I did and she does not interpert world events like I do.

As she learns more she is becoming more understanding, but will never be a pro-gun person.
 
I simply don't know what any of you are talking about my wife is from Texas and I'm hard pressed to keep her out of the safe. I told her I wanted to sell a P94DC .40 and she freaked..... "That's my gun you don't shoot it and I like it so it's mine now!" So I bought a XD40 and we are both happy. She doesn't like to shoot a lot with people we don't know because she gets very!!!! Riled up when some big macho guy walks over to her and says let me show you how to do that.... Generally she says, "Hold on sweetie I just want to empty this last "clip"" And puts 10 shots in the Alpha the hard way very quickly. Yes, she says clip on purpose when she is being condescended to. I know I'm one of the lucky ones, but there is something to be learned here. Would you speak to a man like that??? If not don't do it to a woman. Trust me mine is smarter than me and does not appreciate being talked down to.
 
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