# Okay to ask guest to leave their guns at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 20, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226 "2009-11-20T00:08:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/61 "2009-11-20T16:35:13Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > _Whooooosh!_ Not a whoosh at all. The person I was responding to was clearly trying to post a sarcastic response that made fun of overly paranoid gun owners. Perhaps I misread it and you could clear up the matter for me. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/62 "2009-11-20T16:36:51Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Why? The OP clearly doesn’t agree that anyone should do such a thing, and was looking for responses from people who are “defensive about their gun rights.” Well, if you don’t really care about guns, why would it even be an issue for you? Anyway, I’m also curious about whether people would even find it an issue to inform their host about. Like if you’ve never been to someone’s house and don’t know their stance on guns, would you say, “Is it okay to bring my gun here?” or would you not even carry it. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/63 "2009-11-20T16:39:04Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Well, if you don’t really care about guns, why would it even be an issue for you? I think you may excluding a good bit of middle ground, here. Like, an off-duty police officer. There are many people who carry out of habit, or because it’s their job, not because “they’re defensive about their gun rights”. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/64 "2009-11-20T16:59:21Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Again, who is advocating this position, or even posing a similar hypothetical? Take your pick from below. > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Why not be prepared? Why not be ready if you needed to use it? Who knows what situation might arise that would lead to you having to use it? Isn’t it better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it? > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Someone who carries, carries _everywhere_ because he believes that a threat can occur _anywhere._ > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > It’s the whole point of concealed carry, that you have access to your pistol all the time because you never know when you’re going to need it. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/65 "2009-11-20T17:26:13Z")
As a former cop, I understand that I see the world and people a little differently than most. I’m not paranoid, but I do understand that bad things happen to good people with some regularity, even if you don’t hear about it every day. I have carried a gun or two virtually every day for over 25 years. I never fired it in the line of duty. As a civilian, I’ve unholstered and pointed it about 5 or 6 times in all those years. Each incident was unexpected, happened quickly, and I saved the lives of several people, including my family. All of my family and extended family know that I carry, and they also know that I am a fanatic about gun safety and keeping them away from the cheerins. I don’t expect a home invasion, but they do happen in my area, and I’m certainly prepared should such a thing occur. As adamant about my 2A rights, if my SIl or anyone asked me not to carry in their home, I would comply without complaint. My vehicles are equipped to [safeguard](http://www.gunvault.com/multibiometric.nxg)my [weapons](http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/truckvault1x350.jpg)if I have to visit somewhere where I can’t or don’t want to carry. Conversely, if anyone visits my home, they know that no weapons are accessible to anyone but me & the Mrs. As cautious as I am, I typically leave my gun in the truck when visiting folks anyway, so it’s a moot point for me anyway. Scenario Requring Obtaining Weapon From Vehicle during T-Day or Super Bowl, etc. : Observing a suspicious person or burglar at nearby residence or car. Call the police, confront SP if necessary before they arrive. Hearing a call or cry for help from a neighbor. Not likely in my hood, but possible in others. Again, call 911, observe and intercede if necessary. Tipsy BIL tells me for the 14th year in a row that canned cranberry sauce is better than home-made cranberry sauce? Oh, it’s on! Some FOAF from down the street tells me that Favre is better than Tarkenton? There will be blood. I’m always prepared for trouble, but I’m not a dick about it. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/66 "2009-11-20T17:29:23Z")
Okay, here is a completely plausible scenario: Someone is invited to dinner at the home of another person in a very shady, rough part of town. He drives there, can’t find a spot next to the house, and has to park several blocks away. The dinner begins at 7:00; by the time he leaves, at (let’s say) 9:00, it’s completely dark outside. He has to walk through this shady area four or five blocks back to his car. In that situation, this person would like to know that he has the protection of his handgun during that five-block walk to his car through the shady area at nighttime. Let’s say that this person is a small, weak, elderly woman who has been the victim of a rape or robbery in the past. She has no chance of fighting off an attacker. You would really begrudge this person her right to be safe and secure as she walks to her car? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/67 "2009-11-20T17:36:15Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](#): > > Take your pick from below. You’ve cited one person, who was arguing a different point re keeping a gun in the car, and who didn’t seem to me to be afraid of criminals busting through the door prior to the pasta course. The fact remains that there really isn’t anyone here saying that they’d go against the expressed wishes of the homeowner. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/68 "2009-11-20T17:39:15Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Your property, your rules. You want me to leave it at home; I will. No if’s and’s or but’s. > > Technically, I could decline to enter your property, if it was that important to me. But the odds of me happening to need it _at that particular place and time_ are vanishingly small. I’d rather hang out with you and have a beer, without the gun. It won’t be in the car either, if you don’t want it there. Ditto. Although if there’s any alcohol going on at all, and even the slightest chance I’d partake in it, I wouldn’t carry. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/69 "2009-11-20T17:41:14Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > You would really begrudge this person her right to be safe and secure as she walks to her car? I’ve assumed for the purposes of this thread that the OP meant situations that didn’t have such sketchy details. I’m headed to Uncle Ron’s house in the burbs. Otherwise, the thread is totally derailed into a series of “what-if” scenarios. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/70 "2009-11-20T17:41:53Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Okay, here is a completely plausible scenario: > > Someone is invited to dinner at the home of another person in a very shady, rough part of town. He drives there, can’t find a spot next to the house, and has to park several blocks away. The dinner begins at 7:00; by the time he leaves, at (let’s say) 9:00, it’s completely dark outside. He has to walk through this shady area four or five blocks back to his car. > > In that situation, this person would like to know that he has the protection of his handgun during that five-block walk to his car through the shady area at nighttime. > > Let’s say that this person is a small, weak, elderly woman who has been the victim of a rape or robbery in the past. She has no chance of fighting off an attacker. > > You would really begrudge this person her right to be safe and secure as she walks to her car? I suspect that anyone able to morph from a male to an elderly woman in the span of two hours probably has other powers which render the gun redundant. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/71 "2009-11-20T18:13:58Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > You’ve cited one person, who was arguing a different point re keeping a gun in the car, and who didn’t seem to me to be afraid of criminals busting through the door prior to the pasta course. > > The fact remains that there really isn’t anyone here saying that they’d go against the expressed wishes of the homeowner. I did cite one person, the person at whom the sarcasm was aimed. And my ridiculous scenario was no worse than those he presented himself. Try not to take too much offense on his behalf. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/72 "2009-11-20T18:16:43Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Okay, here is a completely plausible scenario: > > Someone is invited to dinner at the home of another person in a very shady, rough part of town. He drives there, can’t find a spot next to the house, and has to park several blocks away. The dinner begins at 7:00; by the time he leaves, at (let’s say) 9:00, it’s completely dark outside. He has to walk through this shady area four or five blocks back to his car. > > In that situation, this person would like to know that he has the protection of his handgun during that five-block walk to his car through the shady area at nighttime. > > Let’s say that this person is a small, weak, elderly woman who has been the victim of a rape or robbery in the past. She has no chance of fighting off an attacker. > > You would really begrudge this person her right to be safe and secure as she walks to her car? You really should go through a nice long stretching routine before a vigorous gyration like that. You might pull something. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/73 "2009-11-20T18:23:15Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](#): > > I did cite one person, the person at whom the sarcasm was aimed. And my ridiculous scenario was no worse than those he presented himself. Try not to take too much offense on his behalf. Riiight. The sarcasm was only aimed at one person, but was dropped in the middle of a thread in a reply to someone completely different. Did somebody above mention gyrations? ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/74 "2009-11-20T18:24:19Z")
I’m actually surprised (and disturbed) that the presumption some people are taking here is that it’s OK to bring a gun into someone else’s house, absent some specific knowledge that they homeowner doesn’t want a gun in the house. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/75 "2009-11-20T18:27:30Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Is it really that mystifying? If I had kids- especially a lot of kids running around like during holiday get togethers- I’d be really uncomfortable at there be any chance I’d have to clean one of those kids’ brains off of my bathroom wall. Don’t the CSI dudes do the actual clean up? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/76 "2009-11-20T18:27:59Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Okay, here is a completely plausible scenario: > > Someone is invited to dinner at the home of another person in a very shady, rough part of town. He drives there, can’t find a spot next to the house, and has to park several blocks away. The dinner begins at 7:00; by the time he leaves, at (let’s say) 9:00, it’s completely dark outside. He has to walk through this shady area four or five blocks back to his car. > > In that situation, this person would like to know that he has the protection of his handgun during that five-block walk to his car through the shady area at nighttime. > > Let’s say that this person is a small, weak, elderly woman who has been the victim of a rape or robbery in the past. She has no chance of fighting off an attacker. > > You would really begrudge this person her right to be safe and secure as she walks to her car? Are these polite, mannerly people Granny is visiting? If not, what’s she doing there in the first place? But if so, polite, mannerly people would either make sure: A. Granny is escorted back to her car by a young, strong-looking person or B. A young, strong-looking person insists on going to get her car _for_ her and pull it up right in front of the house. If Granny is this weak/frail/elderly, her carrying a gun could actually be a hazard, as it could easily be removed from her possession by some punk bent on wrong-doing, and used against her. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/77 "2009-11-20T18:29:52Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Riiight. The sarcasm was only aimed at one person, but was dropped in the middle of a thread in a reply to someone completely different. > > Did somebody above mention gyrations? Take a look at my first post in this thread, the second was an implied continuation. Sorry if it was too subtle for you. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/78 "2009-11-20T18:37:43Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](#): > > Take a look at my first post in this thread, the second was an implied continuation. Sorry if it was too subtle for you. I love “implied continuations” that are, in reality, responses to completely different posts. Yeah, subtle wouldn’t be the word I was looking for. I’ll stick with gyration. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/79 "2009-11-20T18:42:22Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I love “implied continuations” that are, in reality, responses to completely different posts. Yeah, subtle wouldn’t be the word I was looking for. I’ll stick with gyration. Really couldn’t tell that I actually agreed with the second poster I replied to? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226/80 "2009-11-20T18:44:13Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](#): > > Really couldn’t tell that I actually agreed with the second poster I replied to? Really? Huh? Where did I say you didn’t agree with him? Let me make sure I understand your position: Your post, in response to a comment that criticized the discussion in general, was actually supposed to be a continuation of “Are you a secret agent”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-ask-guest-to-leave-their-guns-at-home/518226.md?page=5)