Gun ownership is a tricky subject to broach nowadays. There are those who have grown up with guns, used for hunting. There are those who are vehemently opposed to guns and gun ownership. There are those who have witnessed first hand the need for guns for personal protection. There are those who believe guns are never the answer. As with many of these “hot-button” issues, there is never a single side and never an easy answer.
The best part is, though, that we live in a country where every man or woman can decide for themselves. For the most part, American values allow for the liberty to act as you like so long as your actions don’t infringe upon those rights of another human being. It means you can run around your backyard naked. It means you can sing at the top of your lungs. It means you can spread your thoughts and opinions far and wide. It means you can own a gun if you want to. And it also means that you can be vehemently opposed to gun ownership.
The one right that America doesn’t give out freely is the right to harm others – neither physical, emotional, or libelous harm. In that vein, anyone who decides that they value gun ownership and they value the protection that guns afford their owner, has to be able to say with certainly that he or she will not harm another individual. Of course, there are areas of the law that allow for the harm of another – such as in self-protection and in the protection of property.
Some other reasons I’ve seen mentioned include: an interest in the mechanics of firearms, for historical reasons, as an investment, because of the right our forefathers conferred on us, for self-defense, for social reasons, for target shooting, for hunting, and because you have a family history of gun ownership. There are merits in each of these reasons.
What do you think? Do you own a gun? Why do you own a gun? What do you do to make sure your gun ownership doesn’t harm other people?