# Why do you own a gun? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138 "2013-06-16T20:29:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/1 "2013-06-16T20:29:37Z")
I am not a gun owner and don’t think I ever will be. It just seems unnecessary and a major risk. My cousin once told me the reason he doesn’t have a gun is because he wants to use his head if the situation arises and not simply resort to his firearm. If he was being robbed, he would simply say, “take it.” I agree with him on this point. I’m also far too afraid of having an accident with it. It seems that your actually more at risk by simply having a gun than if you didn’t. The news provides us with countless examples. I think a lot of the countries across the Atlantic provide a good example. For the most part, they don’t have guns and they don’t have murders, accidents, etc… by gun, right? Now, I get that it’s good to be prepared. It’s better to have one than not have one, when you need it. What are the chances of that happening? Very slim. Otherwise, I see no other legitimate reason for having one. I know people use them for sport, but it just seems like too much of a liability to be properly justified. Other than that, what is there? Decoration? I’m sorry if this comes off as offensive but that’s just the way I see it. However, at this point, the gun “debate” has been done to death and people have likely already formed an opinion. What gets lost in the debate, is a gun owners reasoning for owning one in the first place. I find them spending a lot of time discussing the minutiae and details of the subject. Enough of that. Enlighten me. Why do you own a gun? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/2 "2013-06-16T20:41:25Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > It seems that your actually more at risk by simply having a gun than if you didn’t. {_snip_} > > It’s better to have one than not have one, when you need it. You seem to be all over the place here. What is your opinion, one way or another? ---
**Author:** ![AnaMen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/3 "2013-06-16T20:45:34Z")
Who knows what the future may hold? I like to be prepared. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/4 "2013-06-16T20:46:30Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > You seem to be all over the place here. What is your opinion, one way or another? Well, I think the chances of needing one, like say a violent assault or emergency are rare, and they do not properly justify the need for a gun. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/5 "2013-06-16T20:57:08Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > I am not a gun owner and don’t think I ever will be. Good. This is America, and except for maybe a couple of small towns in the hinterlands, no one is required to own a gun. I think it would be a bad decision on your part to obtain a firearm. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/6 "2013-06-16T21:07:09Z")
My store was robbed at gun point. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/7 "2013-06-16T21:11:55Z")
I’d have to say “personal empowerment”. Owning a gun is a serious responsibility that I have worked to live up to, and I take pride in that. More broadly, I am strongly anti-authoritarian and I loath the idea of the government banning the proles from owning guns. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/8 "2013-06-16T21:13:55Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > If he was being robbed, he would simply say, “take it.” I agree with him on this point. What if they decided to take him? Or his daughter? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/9 "2013-06-16T21:19:33Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > Well, I think the chances of needing one, like say a violent assault or emergency are rare, and they do not properly justify the need for a gun. What are some situations where you would consider it to be better off having a gun than not having one? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/10 "2013-06-16T21:36:50Z")
In case I need to shoot, or threaten to shoot, someone or something. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/11 "2013-06-16T21:46:37Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > What if they decided to take him? Or his daughter? I don’t have a good answer for that. The hypothetical assumes a million different possibilities could take place. I think the question is, would having a gun matter? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/12 "2013-06-16T21:49:30Z")
I like cool guns for the same reason I like cool cars or cool motorcycles. I love the gadget factor, the engineering, the craftsmanship, the design, the ergonomic factor. I like shooting but don’t get to shoot as much as I used to. I don’t hunt and really, using guns against humans isn’t something I think about much. That said, I like a lot of military arms. My wildest gun fantasy is to live out in the country where I could shoot off the back porch and blast empty dog food cans at will. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/13 "2013-06-16T21:51:13Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > What are some situations where you would consider it to be better off having a gun than not having one? If your life or your family’s life is at risk. Again, that could take place in a million different ways. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/14 "2013-06-16T21:56:06Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I think it would be a bad decision on your part to obtain a firearm. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/15 "2013-06-16T22:27:42Z")
My husband hunts deer, and owns a rifle-barreled shotgun. How is that a liability? ---
**Author:** ![mark24c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@mark24c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mark24c)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/16 "2013-06-16T22:52:22Z")
same reason as middle aged men buy fast sports cars ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/17 "2013-06-16T23:03:23Z")
I not infrequently find myself driving solo on rural roads very late at night. Not going to get a fast response from 911 out there! Oh, and I also like to shoot. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/18 "2013-06-16T23:15:22Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > I’m also far too afraid of having an accident with it. It seems that your actually more at risk by simply having a gun than if you didn’t. The news provides us with countless examples. IMHO, this is a poor argument. I can’t possibly imagine a slow enough news day where there’s a story “Our top story tonight: Ranger Jeff handled a firearm safely today; no shots were fired and no one was harmed. Film at eleven!” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/19 "2013-06-16T23:20:33Z")
I have a psychological compulsion to compensate for my tiny penis by owning enough weaponry to outfit the Bolivian army. ---
**Author:** ![Psychopants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Psychopants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psychopants)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138/20 "2013-06-16T23:22:50Z")
I have no interest in owning a functioning firearm. I’m a veteran with marksmanship training under my belt for all sorts of weapons; I’m not afraid to have them. But I can’t imagine needing one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-own-a-gun/661138.md?page=2)