Article Regarding: Guns (an Essay By Stephen King)

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GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
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Cambridge, Ohio
I have a problem with banning anything, because just about every book I've ever read and really liked has been banned. For that matter, why have all the books I like been banned but semi- or fully machine-fire rifles aren't even being considered for it? When's the last time a book killed someone from a distance?

The NRA's legal advisors came right out and threatened our doctors with "taking action" against them if they tell their patients about gun safety. Claiming it violates the Second Amendment to warn a person about the dangers of firearms.
Four of the doctors released information about that very topic a day after they received the threat. They weren't having any of the NRA's nonsense and no wonder; we see people who are drunk and playing with a gun who shot themselves in the hand, people who died from accidental gunshots and gunshots from altercations that turned deadly.

My brother is a hunter and has owned firearms almost his whole life, which explains why I think some people are very capable of owning a weapon. If you go by how he's been responsible it would be easy to believe it. But working in Emergency Medicine has proven to me that OTHER people CAN'T handle the responsibility.

Beyond being a victim of a gunshot myself, my views on this issue arise from what I see every week working in Emergency Medicine.
I liked the essay because it made me be able to put the issue into a better focus. Doing my work would make it too easy to become unfocused about the issue. Both my brother and the essay allows me to see both sides. I still see more of the stupid or silly things people do with guns, but I have hope that some people are interested in being a responsible gun owner.
...I am among the majority of gun owners who are "responsible"...there are more of us that are, than are beer swilling wing-nuts with itchy trigger fingers, and please-know that "fully machine fire " weapons are already illegal without special permit, or unless you are military, law enforcement etc...
 

EMTP513

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2012
503
1,923
...I've pissed off many an inmate, who boasts about being shot...I simply reply, "Really, shot that many times huh? Obviously not by anybody who knew what they were doing"....
Why would anyone boast about it? I was shot and clinically died before life flight saved me. Personally I think it was embarrassing to be shot especially because of how it happened.
 

Grandpa

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2014
9,724
53,642
Colorado
Because of liberal permissive constitutional protection and laws regarding gun ownership, we have the means to protect ourselves better than many others in the world. We also have an extremely high death rate from guns.

Some people consider that a good trade-off. Others don't. Our Constitution favors those who do.
 

M&P15

Deleted User
Feb 23, 2015
624
738
Obviously, I am biased on this issue, but I really don't understand why anyone cares about some celebrity's opinion. Mr King's field is writing excellent books as Ted Nugent's field is making crappy music. I personally couldn't care less what either thinks about guns.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Obviously, I am biased on this issue, but I really don't understand why anyone cares about some celebrity's opinion. Mr King's field is writing excellent books as Ted Nugent's field is making crappy music. I personally couldn't care less what either thinks about guns.
No one should base their decisions about any topic solely on the opinion of a celebrity but to dismiss it out of hand just because they are a celebrity doesn't make much sense to me either.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
1. Controlled, limited, and reasonable background checks which are readily available make sense. "Controlled and limited" due to respect for privacy, and "reasonable" meaning irrelevant facts about a person must not exclude him from being able to purchase a weapon.

2. There should be absolutely no limit on magazine capacity. No one can know how many rounds I'll need to protect myself.

3. There's no such thing as an "assault weapon". The term was coined by a Bill Clinton aide who was a gun control advocate. "Assault weapons" differ from other weapons capable of a certain degree of firepower only in appearance (Assault weapon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). I mention this intending to educate. I'm sicka people throwing around ant-gun terms as if they know wtf they're talking about when they don't.

My first concern about gun control has to do with what the Founding Fathers knew when they escaped tyranny to come to the New World, who soon wrote the Bill of Rightsv(which of course was written to protect us, common American citizens), considering the right to keep and bear arms important enough to be second on their list. They knew more than any of us do. They experienced firsthand and from history that governments sometimes want to possess and oppress their subjects, and will when those subjects have no power to prevent them. The thing totalitarians - not only Nazis and Communists but any who disguise themselves as well-wishing good guys out to help the downtrodden - want to do is disarm their countries' subjects first. That's not opinion, it's historical fact.

My second concern about gun control is that laws limiting gun owners in any way ironically cause more gun violence (a term I completely detest, btw) because criminals don't obey laws. Nothing at all, least of all gun laws, prevent criminals from getting guns, including so-called assault weapons, and of course criminals rarely go through legal channels. What prevents a criminal from shooting someone is when he sees or fears that the individual in his sights has a gun, too. It's common sense.

To my chagrin, though I have an excuse, I haven't read sK's GUNS essay, mostly because there's no way any action causing gun control has not already proven itself nonsense, and also because I don't need the grief. I consider Mr King a friend (I don't know him, have never met him, yet still a friend). Most of my friends historically have leaned left politically. I don't know why that's been the case but it remains so. Maybe it's because I love people who have passion, and so-called liberals* are passionate. Of course, my reasons must include that I believe in many of the causes liberals believe in just as much or more than they do. I love and personally need true liberals enough to agree to disagree. After all, no two of us believe anything precisely the same way. I'll end this thus: I say that most of the members here are not what's known as Modern American Liberals*.
 
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M&P15

Deleted User
Feb 23, 2015
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No one should base their decisions about any topic solely on the opinion of a celebrity but to dismiss it out of hand just because they are a celebrity doesn't make much sense to me either.

Well, you know.. no more or less than my barber's opinion, but when it comes to writing, or say.. the foliage of Maine, I am all ears. LOL
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
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New Zealand
:rolleyes: He has a BA in teaching... so, I guess that means he can't be a complete idiot though, eh?

My point... is that his celebrity has nothing to do with it. He is a very clever guy, well versed in a vast array of topics and has as much right to an opinion as everybody else. People can choose to read it (or not) and form their own opinions, based on their experiences.
 

AnnaMarie

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2012
7,068
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Other
Obviously, I am biased on this issue, but I really don't understand why anyone cares about some celebrity's opinion. Mr King's field is writing excellent books as Ted Nugent's field is making crappy music. I personally couldn't care less what either thinks about guns.

If I remember correctly, people kept asking him....reporters etc.

However, I agree with you that his opinion is his opinion and not more or less valuable than anyone else's. One big difference between him and I.....when he wrote this, it got a lot more people talking about an important issue. Whether people agreed with him or disagreed with him...they talked. That wouldn't happen if I wrote it.
 

hossenpepper

Don't worry. I have a permit!!!
Feb 5, 2010
12,897
32,897
Wonderland Avenue
Obviously, I am biased on this issue, but I really don't understand why anyone cares about some celebrity's opinion. Mr King's field is writing excellent books as Ted Nugent's field is making crappy music. I personally couldn't care less what either thinks about guns.
Yes and his field requires his (SK's) mind to work through very complex interactions of thought. A skill which might lend itself to clarity regarding complex topics like, say, the gun debate. But perhaps a super intelligent person who studied culture and people as a requirement to write what he does, has no opinion on this matter which could hold insight.
 

hossenpepper

Don't worry. I have a permit!!!
Feb 5, 2010
12,897
32,897
Wonderland Avenue
1. Controlled, limited, and reasonable background checks which are readily available make sense. "Controlled and limited" due to respect for privacy, and "reasonable" meaning irrelevant facts about a person must not exclude him from being able to purchase a weapon.
Irrelevant facts? Such as?

2. There should be absolutely no limit on magazine capacity. No one can know how many rounds I'll need to protect myself.
This is a ridiculous counter argument to this idea. Learn to shoot better then. Let me guess... "don't tell me what to do!".

3. There's no such thing as an "assault weapon". The term was coined by a Bill Clinton aide who was a gun control advocate. "Assault weapons" differ from other weapons capable of a certain degree of firepower only in appearance (Assault weapon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). I mention this intending to educate. I'm sicka people throwing around ant-gun terms as if they know wtf they're talking about when they don't.
Sorry you're so inconvenienced by terminology to describe a class of weaponry. The pen is mightier than the sword gun I guess. The definition is quite appropriate and logical. Sorry you don't see that.

My first concern about gun control has to do with what the Founding Fathers knew when they escaped tyranny to come to the New World, who soon wrote the Bill of Rightsv(which of course was written to protect us, common American citizens), considering the right to keep and bear arms important enough to be second on their list. They knew more than any of us do. They experienced firsthand and from history that governments sometimes want to possess and oppress their subjects, and will when those subjects have no power to prevent them. The thing totalitarians - not only Nazis and Communists but any who disguise themselves as well-wishing good guys out to help the downtrodden - want to do is disarm their countries' subjects first. That's not opinion, it's historical fact.
Yes, so much so they forgot to include it in BOTH the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution and had to Amend it later. They must've really been vehement about this topic.

My second concern about gun control is that laws limiting gun owners in any way ironically cause more gun violence (a term I completely detest, btw) because criminals don't obey laws. Nothing at all, least of all gun laws, prevent criminals from getting guns, including so-called assault weapons, and of course criminals rarely go through legal channels. What prevents a criminal from shooting someone is when he sees or fears that the individual in his sights has a gun, too. It's common sense.
No it's not and the statistics do not support what you're saying at all. If what you say is true, then the countries with the most guns in citizens' hands would be the safest and have the least gun related homicides and assaults. However we rank number one in ownership (legal guns in legal hands) and also homicide by gun and assault by gun.
Gun homicides and gun ownership by country - The Washington Post

To my chagrin, though I have an excuse, I haven't read sK's GUNS essay, mostly because there's no way any action causing gun control has not already proven itself nonsense, and also because I don't need the grief.
Then maybe you should before spouting off a rant at it Blunt, because you are completely wrong about it. The essay is not anti-gun or pro-gun control. Just the fact he wrote something on the topic and can be liberal on some topics, made you assume that was the angle. It's not. Read it. The most important statement, IMO, of it is this: "It's lonely in the middle".

I consider Mr King a friend (I don't know him, have never met him, yet still a friend). Most of my friends historically have leaned left politically. I don't know why that's been the case but it remains so. Maybe it's because I love people who have passion, and so-called liberals* are passionate. Of course, my reasons must include that I believe in many of the causes liberals believe in just as much or more than they do. I love and personally need true liberals enough to agree to disagree. After all, no two of us believe anything precisely the same way. I'll end this thus: I say that most of the members here are not what's known as Modern American Liberals*.
But have you been in his kitchen and had pie?

I am just a modern American. Many ethnicities in one body, grew up in the middle of the heartland and learned to be both a man of the earth as well as a modern expression of technology and education. As such, I enjoy a good fart joke, but only if it's an intelligent fart joke.
 

notebookgirl

Well-Known Member
Oct 8, 2013
858
4,940
Somewhere over the Rainbow
Two Cents: Agree with essay. Guns are not for me. Grew up with guns. Guns should be in a controlled environment. If you think you have control of your guns, I think it's a mistake in thinking. Nothing will change in gun control. Everyone can voice their opinions and if someone doesn't like it….oh well… right? Only one opinion in millions.
 

M&P15

Deleted User
Feb 23, 2015
624
738
No offense to the community meant if I don't engage some here, but I have already identified some people with whom I believe no good will come from interaction over political issues.
 
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