Have you ever been called crazy insane or paranoid because you like/own guns
- Thread starter horsemen61
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armoredman
Member
Been called both, don't really care. As said before, if they want to have a rational discussion, I will be glad to, but once insults and name calling begin, the rational discussion is at an end and I will exit the conversation.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Have you ever been called crazy insane or paranoid because you like/own guns?
Nope, not to my face anyway.
Those who know me like friends and co-workers who respect me know I happen to enjoy the shooting sports. Many of my friends and co-workers enjoy golf. I never took an interest in the game but I can respect their love of the game. They get up at 5:00 AM on a beautiful Saturday morning and head to the golf course. Hell, they even take one week trips down south to play golf for a week. Golf can be a challenging game requiring patience, self discipline and skills that are developed with practice. While I do not play the game, I know to become good at it requires work and effort.
My friends, family and co-workers know that during the summers I live to get up at 5:00 AM and head to the range for a day of shooting. They drag all their golf gear and I drag all my shooting gear. Golfers focus on hitting a cup and for me it's a target. My shooting is a sport! My love affair with the gun began in 1958 when I was 8 years old and got my first rifle. Some people take to the gun and some don't, many of those who don't end up on a golf course rather than a rifle range.
Paranoid? I know several people with guns who actually are paranoid and they scare me more than many of the anti-gun types I have come across in life. I have guns simply because I enjoy them, I enjoy my shooting as much as many enjoy playing golf. I sure as hell do not have guns as a result of paranoia and believe me when I was 8 years old I had nothing to be paranoid about. I would think any normal intelligent person could understand that and for those who don't quite get it? Matters not to me as I am not about to spend my time justifying my interest to them. My pursuit of happiness is a day at the range.
Just My Take
Ron
Nope, not to my face anyway.
Those who know me like friends and co-workers who respect me know I happen to enjoy the shooting sports. Many of my friends and co-workers enjoy golf. I never took an interest in the game but I can respect their love of the game. They get up at 5:00 AM on a beautiful Saturday morning and head to the golf course. Hell, they even take one week trips down south to play golf for a week. Golf can be a challenging game requiring patience, self discipline and skills that are developed with practice. While I do not play the game, I know to become good at it requires work and effort.
My friends, family and co-workers know that during the summers I live to get up at 5:00 AM and head to the range for a day of shooting. They drag all their golf gear and I drag all my shooting gear. Golfers focus on hitting a cup and for me it's a target. My shooting is a sport! My love affair with the gun began in 1958 when I was 8 years old and got my first rifle. Some people take to the gun and some don't, many of those who don't end up on a golf course rather than a rifle range.
Paranoid? I know several people with guns who actually are paranoid and they scare me more than many of the anti-gun types I have come across in life. I have guns simply because I enjoy them, I enjoy my shooting as much as many enjoy playing golf. I sure as hell do not have guns as a result of paranoia and believe me when I was 8 years old I had nothing to be paranoid about. I would think any normal intelligent person could understand that and for those who don't quite get it? Matters not to me as I am not about to spend my time justifying my interest to them. My pursuit of happiness is a day at the range.
Just My Take
Ron
blarby
Member
Sure, but I've been called a lot worse- by a lot worse, than the people who threw these insults at me.
Its a very easy process. I choose to not associate with those that hold these beliefs. Its made a lot of things much, much simpler in my life.
AlexanderA
Member
The vast majority of people who are viscerally against guns don't know much about guns, and they're also not exclusively concerned about this one issue. You can always find other common interests that you can share with them, while downplaying your interest in guns. Then, when they realize that you're "normal," you can talk to them about guns in a rational way. On the other hand, if guns are your only interest, then you're the one who has the problem.
ApacheCoTodd
member
Extreme Liberalism abounding as it does in my family I get labeled nuts for backing the concept of owning firearms and paranoid for the execution of same.
Whatever - it shares many aspects of the perspective of habitual deniers (those who would deny others access to any activity that they neither understand nor support) in other fields which I enjoy:
My military career
Dirt bikes
Fast street bikes
"Assault" dogs
4WD vehicles
Hunting
Whatever... Haters are gonna name call as the lowest form of argument.
Whatever - it shares many aspects of the perspective of habitual deniers (those who would deny others access to any activity that they neither understand nor support) in other fields which I enjoy:
My military career
Dirt bikes
Fast street bikes
"Assault" dogs
4WD vehicles
Hunting
Whatever... Haters are gonna name call as the lowest form of argument.
Dnaltrop
Member
Yep!
It really stops them cold when you start delving into Insurance work, that your wife cuts off Oxycodone from Doctor-Shopping addicts and drug dealers, jails people for defrauding insurance companies, and you've had someone show up at your old address and spout threats because they've felt Wronged.
There's a reason good Insurance companies protect their employees with multiple keycard doors, elevators, and in some cases, Bullet-resistant glass.
I remember years ago, escorting people from the building downtown, to the parking garage, just Blocks from the downtown Precinct, and the Courthouses (federal AND city)
The police aren't in the business of Instantly appearing like Spider-Man the moment someone of ill intent decides to make a move. They tend to arrive after the fact.
You should have heard my Aunt freak out when my Old man gave out Red Ryder BB guns to the adults one Christmas. Her 60th is coming up, I think I'm giving her a coupon for a free Range trip with me.
It really stops them cold when you start delving into Insurance work, that your wife cuts off Oxycodone from Doctor-Shopping addicts and drug dealers, jails people for defrauding insurance companies, and you've had someone show up at your old address and spout threats because they've felt Wronged.
There's a reason good Insurance companies protect their employees with multiple keycard doors, elevators, and in some cases, Bullet-resistant glass.
I remember years ago, escorting people from the building downtown, to the parking garage, just Blocks from the downtown Precinct, and the Courthouses (federal AND city)
The police aren't in the business of Instantly appearing like Spider-Man the moment someone of ill intent decides to make a move. They tend to arrive after the fact.
You should have heard my Aunt freak out when my Old man gave out Red Ryder BB guns to the adults one Christmas. Her 60th is coming up, I think I'm giving her a coupon for a free Range trip with me.
No one I've ever known or met has called me anything over my firearms collection or recreational shooting.
LOTS of internet tough guys have called me some of the most vile stuff you can imagine just for being a gun owner.
For some examples: we're all responsible for every single gun death (EVER!); we're all right-wing fascists just waiting to crank up Final Solution v2.0, whilst sitting in our bunkers stroking our substitute phali.
You get the picture.
LOTS of internet tough guys have called me some of the most vile stuff you can imagine just for being a gun owner.
For some examples: we're all responsible for every single gun death (EVER!); we're all right-wing fascists just waiting to crank up Final Solution v2.0, whilst sitting in our bunkers stroking our substitute phali.
You get the picture.
jhco
Member
Probably, but never to my face. Except when my says "your crazy" when I tell her
what I spent on my latest purchase.
what I spent on my latest purchase.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Only by a few of the voices in my head.
rc
rc
ShamboPyro
Member
Absolutely. My mother, did I mention that I'm 14? He he. I try to tell her that guns are not mysterious items of sorcery that come alive and kill people but she won't listen. Whenever I attempt to tell her about how the rules of gun safety protect responsible gun owners from injury she brings up some obscure incident involving someone who thought the gun wasn't loaded. I share this problem as well.
Once. It's kind of a funny story actually.
I was wearing a t-shirt that said Smith & Wesson and had their logo on it and was standing in line at some fast food place (Taco Bell maybe). Some hipster kid (complete stranger, by the way) who probably wanted to impress his friends came up to me and basically called me a murdering psychopath waiting to happen.
I turned to him and said something to the effect of "Let me get this straight... You think that because I'm wearing this shirt that I have a firearm on my person (at the time I didn't, but that's not important) and that anyone who would carry a firearm is a paranoid psycho who is eagerly awaiting ANY chance to bust a cap... and your course of action after arriving at these conclusions is to come over here and pick a fight with me?"
He stood silent for a few moments before slinking away like a defeated dog.
I was wearing a t-shirt that said Smith & Wesson and had their logo on it and was standing in line at some fast food place (Taco Bell maybe). Some hipster kid (complete stranger, by the way) who probably wanted to impress his friends came up to me and basically called me a murdering psychopath waiting to happen.
I turned to him and said something to the effect of "Let me get this straight... You think that because I'm wearing this shirt that I have a firearm on my person (at the time I didn't, but that's not important) and that anyone who would carry a firearm is a paranoid psycho who is eagerly awaiting ANY chance to bust a cap... and your course of action after arriving at these conclusions is to come over here and pick a fight with me?"
He stood silent for a few moments before slinking away like a defeated dog.
zenshootist
Member
yup - especially when i mentioned getting my CHL. Some people won't ever get it.
k-frame
Member
So far, no. Of course I live in the south.
1 old 0311-1
member
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- 181
Sure have. Thats why I hang with fellow 'crazies.'
thepumpfaction
Member
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- Aug 30, 2012
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- 35
I've been called worse for carrying a pocket knife. But that's what I get for living in New Yuppie City.
wyohome
Member
Maybe not crazy, but close. I have converted quite a few people by taking them out with a 10/22 and a 25 round mag. They might try not to smile, but they always do.
morcey2
Member
I was going to take the CFP class with one of my coworkers and we were discussing it at my desk. The boss of my boss came over and joined in the conversation since he was thinking about getting his too. Near the end of the conversation, he figured out that I didn't have my permit yet. His response:
"I thought you'd been carrying since you started here." I'd been there for 11 years at that point. I love living in Utah, especially when it comes to firearms.
Matt
"I thought you'd been carrying since you started here." I'd been there for 11 years at that point. I love living in Utah, especially when it comes to firearms.
Matt
Nushif
Member
Quite the opposite:
I've had people approach me after raffles asking if I had won the "Assault Rifle" because they felt it'd be in good hands. 8)
I've had people approach me after raffles asking if I had won the "Assault Rifle" because they felt it'd be in good hands. 8)
wyohome
Member
..or Wyoming, where you do not need a permit at all.
I have been (I think jokingly) called a gun nut or crazy when people find out how many guns I have. I, like others, have just found something that interests them and say "that's your hobby, this is mine" or if they question the cost, I say I have spent less on all my guns than they spend on payments for their new car, or insurance for it. I buy used w/ cash
If they ask if I am preparing for the end of the world or zombie apocalypse, I say, no, but I guess they'd come in handy. In the meantime I will just enjoy them.
When my friend discovered my "stash" of ammo in the closet, and asked why I needed so much, I asked her, if she could stockpile a year's worth of gasoline at today's prices and (safely) store it in the closet would you? She said yes of course, I said, this is no different. Prices don't usually go down.
If they ask if I am preparing for the end of the world or zombie apocalypse, I say, no, but I guess they'd come in handy. In the meantime I will just enjoy them.
When my friend discovered my "stash" of ammo in the closet, and asked why I needed so much, I asked her, if she could stockpile a year's worth of gasoline at today's prices and (safely) store it in the closet would you? She said yes of course, I said, this is no different. Prices don't usually go down.
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