# Why do gunowners own guns only because "they have the right to"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 24, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825 "2012-02-24T11:04:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/21 "2012-02-24T14:31:53Z")
> [@Cosmic Relief](#): > > Would you ever consider approaching a gay man and saying “why do you suck dick?” If you did, “because I can” would be a valid answer, and really more answer than you’d be entitled to. Actually, I believe that’s the answer to “why do dogs lick their own balls?” Most of us aren’t so lucky, so the 2nd Amendment guarantees us the next best thing. Because we have fingers that can pull a trigger. Chew on THAT, Rover. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/22 "2012-02-24T14:35:26Z")
My brother owns at least a dozen guns, and none of them have ever been fired. I can only assume he owns them because he can, and nobody is going to tell him otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/23 "2012-02-24T14:36:53Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > My brother owns at least a dozen guns, and none of them have ever been fired. I can only assume he owns them because he can, and nobody is going to tell him otherwise. Does he display them? Are they commemorative versions? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/24 "2012-02-24T14:39:07Z")
This is why I favor both legal gun ownership and repealing the Second Amendment. I think owning guns is fine for (most of) the people who want to own them, and I see no merit in draconian gun bans for law-abiding people. But I think treating gun ownership as an inalienable right just clouds the issue. It may have been different back in colonial times, but at this point there’s no more intrinsic sense in a constitutional right to own a gun than in a constitutional right to own an axe or a car. Keep the guns but lose the Second Amendment, sez I. However, I do recognize that this is an issue on which reasonable people can disagree, and many gun owners do hold a different opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/25 "2012-02-24T14:41:43Z")
The “Because I have the right” answer came into being after gun owners grew weary of every other answer they ever gave being deemed insufficient by the anti’s. More than just meaning “mind your own business,” it means “I have no intention of getting into another futile argument with somebody who has already decided that I am irretrievably wrong.” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/26 "2012-02-24T14:43:38Z")
[aside] > [@](#): > > Perez said an officer spoke with the men, then took their guns and charged them with possession of a firearm in a public place. Virginia law 18.2-287.4 expressly prohibits “carrying loaded firearms in public areas.” > > But the second paragraph of the law defines firearms only as any semiautomatic weapon that holds more than 20 rounds or a shotgun that holds more than seven rounds – assault rifles, mostly, Van Cleave said. Regular six-shooters or pistols with nine- or 10-shot magazines are not “firearms” under this Virginia law. Egads, that’s some badly cocked up statute writing then. Some firearms are not firearms:smack:? [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/27 "2012-02-24T15:03:41Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Probably not the reason for most gun owners. I was raised with guns. They’ve always been part of my life. Had a BB gun when I was 4, got a rifle/shotgun (a nifty .22/.410 over and under model) when I was 10. In the rural South, for my generation, hunting/shooting was just something men and boys did. I don’t hunt anymore, but I still enjoy shooting, and I have the means to defend my wife and home if forced to do so. It might be a guy thing, but I was fascinated by guns as a kid. Still am, and I think I recently figured it out. For me, there is so little in life that I can directly affect. But with a gun I can cause something to happen to something else. I remember walking down dirt roads as a ten year old. I could’ve just enjoyed the scenery, but it was more fun if I could throw a rock and knock that toad off that fence. Sure, I appreciated Nature, but even more if I could destroy a little bit of it… Later, a good fastball and a gun let me affect things at greater distances. Gee, ya think I’d be over that “Waah, waah, I don’t have enough control over the world…” thing by now. But maybe I am; I don’t have a gun in the house. Probably because I’m afraid that if I ever did confront an intruder with it, any self-respecting cat burglar would have possession of it in two minutes, and use it on me in three. Actually, knowing my kids, they’d’ve figured out a way to circumvent all my security and shoot up the place by now. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/28 "2012-02-24T15:06:26Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > But when even [police are not aware](http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A50416-2004Jul14?language=printer) of the law? At least the officer recognized that he made a mistake and corrected it. That’s more than you get from a lot of cops, especially in more gun-paranoid jurisdictions. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/29 "2012-02-24T15:17:17Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > At least the officer recognized that he made a mistake and corrected it. That’s more than you get from a lot of cops, especially in more gun-paranoid jurisdictions. [Honest inquiry, not trap or attack]For example?[/Honest inquiry, not trap or attack] ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/30 "2012-02-24T15:36:18Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The “Because I have the right” answer came into being after gun owners grew weary of every other answer they ever gave being deemed insufficient by the anti’s. More than just meaning “mind your own business,” it means “I have no intention of getting into another futile argument with somebody who has already decided that I am irretrievably wrong.” This is it and what I came in to post. People who usually ask why you own guns don’t really mean it as a simple question, it’s a means to draw you into an argument and to try to pummel you with anti-gun “facts”. It makes as much sense as asking someone why they own a car. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/31 "2012-02-24T15:41:29Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > This is it and what I came in to post. People who usually ask why you own guns don’t really mean it as a simple question, it’s a means to draw you into an argument and to try to pummel you with anti-gun “facts”. > > It makes as much sense as asking someone why they own a car. So it’s like a preemptive strike? Is there a way to word the question as to not raise the suspicion that a gotcha is being attempted? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/32 "2012-02-24T15:45:46Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > It makes as much sense as asking someone why they own a car. [del]Because the bus doesn’t run at the time I need it to get to work on time[/del]Because I have the same right to be on the road as anybody else, and I resent your attempt to shove your so-called “Green” agenda in my face! You’re right-that approach makes _much_ more sense. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/33 "2012-02-24T15:48:13Z")
The question is itself enough to raise suspicion, especially when it is asked about handguns or “assault weapons.” People who own guns already know why people want to own guns. People who don’t care about guns one way or the other don’t ask because they don’t care why you do or don’t have any. IME only anti’s ask the question and only because they want the opportunity to tell you\_at length and in detail\_why you are wrong to own guns/support gun rights. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/34 "2012-02-24T15:52:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > [del]Because the bus doesn’t run at the time I need it to get to work on time[/del]Because I have the same right to be on the road as anybody else, and I resent your attempt to shove your so-called “Green” agenda in my face! > > You’re right-that approach makes _much_ more sense. Thing is, it’s none of their business in the first place. And I would expect that someone asking me why I own a car was going to do exactly that. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/35 "2012-02-24T15:53:38Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The question is itself enough to raise suspicion, especially when it is asked about handguns or “assault weapons.” People who own guns already know why people want to own guns. People who don’t care about guns one way or the other don’t ask because they don’t care why you do or don’t have any. IME only anti’s ask the question and only because they want the opportunity to tell you\_at length and in detail\_why you are wrong to own guns/support gun rights. Would it be o.k. if a non-gun owner looks in your direction, or would that also raise your suspicions that they intend to strip you of your 2nd Amendment rights? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/36 "2012-02-24T15:54:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So it’s like a preemptive strike? Is there a way to word the question as to not raise the suspicion that a gotcha is being attempted? In my experience (and no gun-owners I’ve talked to have seemed to suspect me of being hostile in my questions, so whatever I’m doing seems to be working), if you are genuinely interested in somebody’s interest in guns (or anything else for that matter), ask about the subject, not about the interest. Asking “Why do you own guns?”, like asking “Why do you ride horses?” or “Why are you interested in math?”, seems to imply that the interest or preference is intrinsically somewhat weird or suspect or requires justification for some reason. That’s not complimentary to anybody’s hobby. If somebody mentions being a gun owner, say “what kind of gun is it?” or “do you do a lot of target shooting?” or anything that lets the other person give you information that interests them instead of feeling put on the spot about why on earth they would find this interesting. Then from the information you get, you can piece together your own deductions about what makes gun ownership appealing to this particular person. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/37 "2012-02-24T16:02:12Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Would it be o.k. if a non-gun owner looks in your direction, or would that also raise your suspicions that they intend to strip you of your 2nd Amendment rights? It’s all in how you approach it. As noted above, I personally **do** in fact want to strip gun owners of their 2nd Amendment rights, but I am not prejudiced against guns and I don’t treat gun owners as though they ought to be ashamed of owning or liking guns. Consequently, I can generally have reasonable and mutually interesting conversations with gun owners about gun ownership and the factors that contribute to enjoyment of it. ---
**Author:** ![Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Christopher_Robin_Davies)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/38 "2012-02-24T16:02:32Z")
Saying “I have that right” is the same as saying “none of your business.” If a person has the right to do something then by definition they do not have to explain why they choose to do it. It’s kind of like same-sex-marriage versus civil unions in that way. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/39 "2012-02-24T16:02:35Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > If somebody mentions being a gun owner, say “what kind of gun is it?” or “do you do a lot of target shooting?” or anything that lets the other person give you information that interests them instead of feeling put on the spot about why on earth they would find this interesting. Would “what are the serial numbers” be considered out-of-bounds? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825/40 "2012-02-24T16:04:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > [del]Because the bus doesn’t run at the time I need it to get to work on time[/del]Because I have the same right to be on the road as anybody else, and I resent your attempt to shove your so-called “Green” agenda in my face! > > You’re right-that approach makes _much_ more sense. No, I said asking - not answering. People don’t ask why I own a car. If they are actually interested they will ask me what kind of car I drive or some other such question. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-gunowners-own-guns-only-because-they-have-the-right-to/613825.md?page=3)