Possessing a gun in a parent's home

Well, exactly how old are you; what other dynamics are going on here? If you are still a "kid at home", especially if it is still your first stint at home (from birth to 18 years) you just have to do what they want, I imagine.

I think the religious analogy is a good one however.

To me the ethics of it would hinge on whether you are paying rent. If you are paying rent, then I would consider the room you are leasing to be "yours" during that timeframe, and ethically I believe you should be able to do with it what you please during that time, especially if you have no specific agreement, verbal or otherwise, forbidding certain legal behaviors. Legally may be a different story.

If you are not paying rent, then they are strictly doing you a favor, and you should suck it up and respect their wishes completely.

check your local law

Mr. Bojangles said:

It's their house and their rules. I am all for personal protection, but I also want others to respect my wishes (rules) when they are in my home or on my property, even if their behavior is otherwise legal.

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I agree. It is their home and they get (and should be given) the right to set the rules. You'll want someone to treat you with the same respect and deference someday when you set up a home of your own.

The suggestion to consider a stint in the military (if that is in fact a possible option for you) was a good one too. You will learn much and likely come out a much better person for the experience ... at least it worked that way on those I know including friends, children and grand children.

The car safe is probably one of the better ideas. It is not too difficult to mount something in there that will look inconspicuous (unlike safes in homes no one expects to find valuables in a safe in a car) and you can keep it off the property, if you park in the street.

Depending on your state it may not even be legal.

Concealed carrying into someone's home may require explicit agreement from the homeowner, or homeowners representative. So unless you plan to climb up the porch, you'd need to concealed carry somehow to get it to your room.

Yes it's unethical, if you don't want to live by the homeowners rules you need to lie somewhere else.

Congratulations!

Ethically, its a personal opinion. Only you can decide that for yourself.

Legally, it depends where you live, but it could surely be filed under trespass if your parents pressed the issue. He made his wishes in this regard perfectly clear, and you adamantly disobeyed.

I'm kinda in a similar situation, I'm living at home (partially rent-free, its only bout $100/mo) for now with college and all. My parents aren't really pro-gun, but not anti-gun either. My dad has made clear he doesn't want a pistol in the house (doesn't mind my rifles/shotgun too much), especially with a 5yo and a 10yo in the house. My mom, however, would like to get her own sometime more for SD. But until I move out, I plan on respecting his wishes (no pistol) until I either move out, or unless I find a really good deal. Although I'd likely have a friend hold it for me in that case.

Sniff...sniff..... I like a happy ending. A lot of potential problems can be avoided with up front honest communications. Earning respect feels good.

Congrats runningfast, not only did you acheive the outcome you wanted, your father has a respect for you that could've been lost had you taken the other avenue. Maybe someday you can take him to the range and this can become a hobby shared by both of you and may even allow you two to become much closer.

I was going to say the same thing. Perhaps after you purchase your handgun, you both go take a safety course together. Or something like that.

My wife wasn't to excited about the guns when we first met. Her family had never had a gun in the house growing up. However, after she went shooting several times, her opinion changed.

Glad to hear it worked out for you!

My parents have always been anti-gun I was gun lover from age 10 on.

As a kid living at home I was allowed to own .22 rifles but nothing bigger and no handguns. The didn't like the fact that I had an interest in guns but they supported my interest as best they could.

The only mistake I ever made was when I turned 18 I bought an SKS and when my mom saw it she freaked out and told me to get rid of it. I did and it wasn't until I moved out after high school that I really started collecting guns.

Even to this day my parents don't know about all the guns I have at home and I keep them all locked up and out of sight when they come to visit. They know I have guns but I think they saw my entire collection they wouldn't be happy. They certainly don't approve of me having or especially carrying a gun for self defense purposes, so I don't carry when I'm around them.

The easiest way to deal with anti-gun parents if you're living at home is to respect their home, their rules and their beliefs, after all they are you parents and you live under their roof. If you can't convince them to allow you to own guns then you just have to wait until you move into your own place.

OH boy this can be a huge issue with one the is "allergic" to guns

They think that just by having a gun in the house it disrupts their "karma" when in actuality its a piece of steel with no spiritual connotations

Now anything that would intervene with the "karma" of the one's who pay the rent should be respected

HOWEVER! guns save lives! and in a TEOTWAWKI situation you will defiantly need a gun to protect yourself and your father who will then thank you for having the gun.

My suggestion is to hide a gun in a good spot where no one will find it and you can access it whenever you need

If I know it would bother him to discover something that I can hide easily, am I obligated to share it with him since it's under his roof?

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Your property, his real estate. If you feel your weapon is more important than respecting your father's sensitivities you need to find different living arrangements. While you have right to keep a firearm, you also have a duty to respect the property of others and to honor your father and mother. Duty comes before rights.

if you're in a position where it's not viable for you to be financially independent (re: live on your own), and your parent is adamantly anti-gun, is it unethical to covertly possess a gun in his home, anyway?

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If you're renting a space and the lease says nothing about barring arms, then you're fine. If you're crashing without paying rent, then it's not fine at all.

Hey, great job Runningfast. Maybe you could take your dad shooting sometime in the future, and convert him!

So, have you decided on your first purchase?

Asking if it's "unethical" is nonsense talk. To heck with "ethics" and whatever they even mean.

The question that matters is "can I get away with it?" Don't argue with parents about it which could get them to utter some declaration like "if we catch you with one, you're OUT"

Just keep quiet about it, but KEEP your gun.

Kimber, that's a great attitude.... For a thug.

A code of ethics is what built our country and made it great. It's what separates us from many other nations, where women can scarcely walk outside without fear of rape or assault.

If we say to hell with right and wrong, just worry about what we can get away with, I have some neighbors that annoy me, and in this neighborhood, I could probably get away with slitting their throats. I'd get a nice PA system out of it too. As long as I can get away with it, right?