On Nov 2, 2008, at 4:25 PM, Alex Stanley wrote: > I was not raised around guns, and my dad would love to see the 2nd > Amendment repealed. I took riflery at summer camp, and I've remained a > pretty good shot with a rifle (although I'm a *serious* flincher with > larger caliber high-power rifles.) > > I bought a 9mm semi-auto handgun for Y2K and shot no more than a box > or two of ammo through it. Earlier this year, I went to a firing range > with a friend and discovered how *really* bad I am with a handgun. I > couldn't hit a paper plate at 10 feet (part of the problem was the > factory sights, which were way off)... lotta good that'll do me in a > home invasion situation. So, I got rid of it. > > As a result of that experience, I strongly believe that concealed > carry permits should require a shooting test to demonstrate competent > shooting skill. It's bad enough that we have criminals out there with > handguns; the last thing we need on the streets is armed law abiding > citizens who can't shoot for shit.
I refuse to own a hand gun since a handgun is ostensibly for killing another person. Therefore I wouldn't own one on moral grounds. That's the way it was with most of my family, many refused to own handguns. Having said that, I live in a state with very little violent crime outside of family squabbles and drunks, although parts of Portland are becoming more dangerous and I have had some close calls. If eventually I felt I needed a weapon for protection of my life, I'd favor some modern non-lethal weapon. I'm hoping for something like a portable Maser or a device that would alter brain wave activity. The only reason I even keep a shotgun is for the packs of coyotes that have moved into my area. About 8 of the buggers killed and eviscerated one of my pets (Boo Boo, a black Maine Coon cat) on the front lawn. If you've ever heard the death cry of a pack of coyotes or wolves, even at a distance, it's not the type of thing you're likely to forget in this lifetime. When you hear it being done to someone you loved, it changes how you see the world real quick.
