Changes—I'll show you mine . . .

by patio34 24 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  LB

  Gun safety is a huge concern. We have a large gun safe and we keep all our guns in there except one. One gun is safely hidden but easily accessed. It's in a box, with a 4 digit code that can be punched quickly and only takes maybe 2 seconds to open. The grandkids can't reach it yet and even if they could, they'd be hardpressed to open it.

  I live in a rural area that has very little violent crime so what we do may seem like overkill. But a few months ago a young husband was beaten to death in front of his family as he was changing a flat tire by some teenagers. If only she had something to protect him.

  Yep the JW way of thinking will be with us forever I guess. Guns equate violence. I never felt the urge to give up my guns then though. Peter got cautioned about swinging that sword around, but didn't have to pay a price even when an ear was laying on the floor.

  Very few of us will ever be faced with a life or death situation. But the more prepared you are the better and patio, you do what it takes to protect yourself.
• 

  COMF

  Good for you, Patio! I scouted out the Aikido dojos near here and found one I like. I'm going to sign up as soon as I get a couple of money-absorbing matters taken care of... hopefully in October. I took Aikido in college, and figure it's the natural martial art for me to follow, at my age. I plan to see it on through to black belt. Beyond that, I don't know, but I'm especially looking forward to working with the sword and bo (wooden stick). I do some neat stick twirling with my drumsticks, but that's not going to stop an assailant.

  Also seem to be moving on in my fleshing out of a philosophy to live by. Recent developments have made me question whether polyamory is really the lifestyle I want for the rest of my life. A partner for life is starting to look like a viable option again.

  Round and round the wheel goes...
• 

  sOOner

  Survivor,

  I will always remember these words"Shoot and ask questions later"

  sOOner
• 

  kaykay_mp

  being in the law enforcement, let me say this...

  pepper spray makes me laugh. i got sprayed with it a couple of years ago (for training purposes). it was irritating only for the first couple of minutes, but after that it was really mind-over-matter for me. im just not one to sit and complain all day long like everyone else did. geez, its already hard enough to do my job, its even harder to do it if i have to whine about something, much less hear your co-workers whine. it is a bitch, though, to take a hot shower after you've been sprayed.

  and that reminds me of something else that happened to me:

  i was out on a date about two summers ago, and we decided to go off-roading in his SUV (interesting way to spend time with the opposite sex, eh?). we stopped somewhere in the boonies so he could go pee while i waited for him. im naturally curious by heart, so i started fiddling with some of his stuff. there was this weird-looking thing on his keychain that looked like a tire pressure gauge, so, you guessed it, i started fiddling with that too. he came back just in time to catch me messing with his keychain. then he screamed, "no! dont push the top of the keychain!" it was too late. he didnt bother to warn me that inside that tire pressure gauge-looking thing was mace. it was all over my leg, on his arm, and everywhere else inside the vehicle.

  that was the last date we ever had. i never liked his short-ass anyway. and he was way too rough in bed. good riddance.

  it was funny, though.

  Edited by - kaykay_mp on 3 September 2002 3:37:8
• 

  TheSurvivor

  Hi LB!.....I just wanted to let everyone know how serious I also take firearms safety, and that includes also having a safe. Of course I am not afraid of my kids getting access to the arms anymore. The youngest is now almost 16, and as with all my kids I would trust him behind me with a gun. I cannot say that about many people. The thing is, firearms are just another tool in my kids eyes. They, like I, were raised with a rifle or pistol in their hands so to speak. Firearms hold no perticular fasination with them, and in my humble opinion this is where so many tragedies happen. A child who has not had any firearms training outside of what he has learned on TV is an accident waiting to happen. The safe is for visiters, the ones with invitations to enter, and those with none. I also keep one or two firearms where I can get to them in a hurry. Hey LB, I have also at times been told that "I'm a little paranoid." My response is "Hey, if your not paranoid, your not paying attention." So many people do not feel the need to be responsible for themselves or their family, that it makes those that do, stand out. I of course agree with LB about the training, and might I add the "mind set" of those that chose to purchase a firearm for protection. At times over the years, I have been approached by "brothers" who have confided in me that they feel a need to get a gun to protect their family. I have commended them for this, but then I asked them a few questions, such as...."Have you had any training with firearms?" "Are you willing to take a life to save one?" I then tell them that unless they can answer yes to these questions, and resolve in their heart ahead of time to do what is neccessary, the firearm will do more harm than good.....in most cases it would be taken away from them, to be used on THEM. A lot of people, and I would imagine a huge amount of ex JW's find the mere idea of having to take a life overwhelming. People like this would most likely be better off without one, until they come to terms with and adjust their way of thinking. There is a HUGE responsibility when you carry a firearm for defense. There is a lot of truth to the statement that an armed society is a polite society. I can bear witness (no pun intended) to this. When I am carrying a firearm I am constantly aware that a small dispute could become a life and death situation. I never blow my horn at anyone unless I really have to, and I will let myself be wronged and walk away if need be. I would never want to add fuel to a fire that may grow large enough that it could only be put out with leathal force.

  Sorry to go on and on like this, I guess it was just the way my dad raised me.

  TheSurvivor
• 

  BluesBrother

  Oh my !

  Living here in little old England seems a world away from all that.

  The idea of going jogging "Tooled up" as if for a gang fight, or packing a pistol to go shopping is just something out of a movie. I hope to God it never comes here.
• 

  TheSurvivor

  "I hope it never comes here." Hmmmmmm how to respond to this without sounding rude.......Did you know that the crime rate in England has shot up to VERY high levels after they almost completely (more than they already did) banned firearms? Think about this....how do strict gun laws work anyway? Criminals by their very nature do not give a rats rear about laws, so they will not obey any gun control law. Whereas the law abiding do not even need any laws because they police themselves. Personally, I do not need 20,000 or more gun control laws (in this country alone) when I have the ten commandments. Did you hear about the Colombine High School shooting? Those kids commited more than 15 Felonies. No law of any kind will stop someone from doing anything they REALLY want to do. IMHO all gun free zones (or countries) do is create killing fields for cowards. And most of these wacko's are cowards.....the threat of a little return fire makes them think twice. My state is a perfect example. Since the "shall issue" law was passed that made it easy for the law abiding to get a carry permit, violent crime has gone WAY down in our state......and it has in EVERY state where the same law was passed. Criminals just do NOT like people to shoot back.

  The reason I carry a gun is NOT because I live in fear. I carry for many reasons, but I guess the main reason is the fact that since I am quailified to, and didn't carry, I might have to answer to my creator one day for letting something very bad happen (use your imagination) that I COULD have at least had a CHANCE to keep from happening. My god, for example if I were one of the lone survivors after the Lubby's restaurant killings, how could I possibly live with myself if I knew that if I would have had a firearm I would have had a very good chance of stopping this cowardly killer. How many lives could have been saved? I do not wish to get into a debate (and will not) here over the good verses the bad when it comes to guns. Feelings can get hurt very fast on a subject such as this. But guns are here to stay. If somehow every firearm on the face of this earth were to suddenly vanish AND be banned, more would be on the streets the next day.....made in criminals workshops. Criminals will ALWAYS have a big stick.....from Cain onward.

  TheSurvivor

  Edited by - TheSurvivor on 3 September 2002 15:38:34
• 

  patio34

  Hi BluesBrother,

  I'm glad you feel safe there and no need to protect yourself, but I look at the BBC news on the net and it seems as though you have quite a bit of violent crime there too. All it takes is one time. I have never been accosted here in the U.S., but it only takes once to kill you. I won't defend myself further for being prudent about my safety. Good luck to you.

  Survivor, thanks for all that info about guns and laws. It was interesting. There's someone at work who goes and practices with guns at a shooting range and there's all kinds of safety training too. I may look into that.

  KayKay, while the pepper spray may not have stopped you, you were alert to it and prepared for it. I still think it's better than nothing. Especially for a would-be mugger who wasn't expecting it.

  Cheers!

  Pat
• 

  patio34

  LB and Comf, you both are very rational about your approaches to safety. The locked box with a code would render the gun safe even when the grandkidlets come a'visitin'. Thanks for all the input.

  Now, for another change from my dubdumb days. . . I'm signing up for a belly-dancing class

  Pat
• 

  LB

  OK patio, we'll require photos of that belly dancing class