Trump admin bans Bump Stocks

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(03-27-2019, 12:26 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: This is true for a very simple reason, shooting is empowering.  We're constantly talking about empowering people, making them feel more confident.  People who are physically fit and can handle themselves are more confident.  We're always referring to empowering people as a huge ingredient in self esteem.  Knowing how to use a firearm, responsibly, is incredibly empowering.  No other tool can make an 85 year old woman close to the equivalent of a 21 year old man.

Not to mention that it's enormously fun on its own.

(03-27-2019, 05:46 AM)hollodero Wrote: That's not fair. It's not about actually doing something with the gun. It's more about being able to handle one if the necessity should arise. I live in a widely gun-free society and never held or shot a gun, I also don't feel the need to change that. But I understand the empowerment sentiment and can sympathize to an extent. It sure isn't a sign of extreme insecurity or paranoia and that's just not fair to say.

(Now don't get me wrong, I still believe the lenient US gun laws are borderline crazy. But that's not the point)

Well, that's kinda scary.  That people can use a gun to make themselves "confident".  I mean if someone has been threatened and beaten and feels they can't defend themself and they need a weapon to "empower" themself I can see that.  It might make someone feel confident that they have "leveled" the playing field.

But I've been an overweight guy my entire life, never fired a gun either, and I'm pretty self-confident and have pretty good self-esteem because I base that on what I can do and don't pay attention to people who say I'm worth less than them because I can't do other things.  I don't worry that the next guy will be better than me (even if they are).

What SSF describes is what I find most wrong with the gun nuts: The guns define them and make them "better" than they would be without them.

I'm sure they are fun (I know guys who go to machine gun events and who love shooting any time) and I think in many cases they are even necessary.  I don't want to take anyone's guns away from them.  But I also don't think that someone should have one just to feel "empowered" in life.  Especially when so many men (mostly) feel so empowered they use their guns to settle disputes rather than handling them any other way.