Were you anti-gun before you were pro?

[jamil]

Just wondering how many gun owners, or just gun enthusiasts were against them before you were for them.

Me? I wasn't against guns before I owned guns. I think I had a pretty typical attitude that non-gun owners have who aren't ideological against them. Before I became interested I was pretty casual about them. I didn't care if people owned them, but I did favor some gun control, like background checks, limitations on who can own them, etc.

Now I think the only gun control laws we need are laws that prohibit murder, assault, or whatever harm one might do against another with a gun, knife, bowling ball, hammer, foot, hand, ass, whatever. << EDIT: Oops, I meant "axe" not "ass", but I think I'll let that go just in case there's ever been such an assault.

So who was against guns before being for them?

 

[Darral27]

I was never against gun's, I was raised in a democrat household, I always just bought whatever the news was spewing at the time. I thought Bill Clinton was awesome and guns needed heavy regulation. It was not until about 7-8 years ago that I started paying attention to the truth of what was going on and not just what CNN and the big 3 reported. It is easy to buy into it when that is all you have ever heard.

 

[Bluestarbass]

My parents let me go shooting a bit when I was younger. I didn't really grow up with them, but they were never bad or evil. I got into guns a couple years ago, and then my mom did. I go shooting with her most weekends. Super awesome family time.

 

[Maximinus Thrax]

I guess I was always "pro gun". I didn't really start paying attention to the details until recently though.

 

[Fletch]

100% anti-gun before a friend showed me what they were all about.

 

[IndyLongColt]

Nah, I only owned a 10/22 growing up and loved that thing. My wife on the other hand, won the battle and didnt want any firearms in the house. So I spent a lot of time in the woods with my gun friendly buds.......however after a foiled break-in attempt 4-5 years ago, I was "allowed" to get my first firearm. I've carried it since then, and bought a few more but haven't got her firearm friendly yet.

 

[Snapdragon]

Never really thought about them one way or another until there was an increase in violent crime near my workplace and I felt the need to defend myself.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

To be accurate, I had never heard of being anti gun or pro gun until the 80's. I was raised on a farm - you know, where they grow common sense or you die from stupidity - and guns were just part of who we were. We were comfortable - safe, but comfortable - around lots of dangerous things that were all part of farm and rural life.

When I went to the University in Louisville I was then aware there were people who didn't think like me and even wanted to possibly harm me - not in a let's fight to decide who's right kind of way either. I had to come to terms with a new concept - I need to arm myself because these guys don't play fair and they just may kill me if I don't.

So, long story short (as if I could ever do that), I was pro-gun before it was cool.

 

[Mark 1911]

I've been interested in guns since I was little. I spent as much time as I could at the rifle range during boy scout summer camp, even earned a marksmanship merit badge at a young age, 12 or 13. I was never anti-gun (but Bloomberg would still have me executed for apostasy if he could ).

 

[jamil]

100% anti-gun before a friend showed me what they were all about.

To help people get to where you are, it helps to have come from where they've been.

Nah, I only owned a 10/22 growing up and loved that thing. My wife on the other hand, won the battle and didnt want any firearms in the house. So I spent a lot of time in the woods with my gun friendly buds.......however after a foiled break-in attempt 4-5 years ago, I was "allowed" to get my first firearm. I've carried it since then, and bought a few more but haven't got her firearm friendly yet.

I can totally relate. After I became interested in guns my wife was like, oh no. Not long after a home invasion in the area (which is rare) she agreed and I bought my first pistol. Now I have several guns, and enjoy them all. She's not exactly anti-gun, she defends the politics of ownership and the 2A. She just doesn't like me spending money on them. We've reached a workable détante. She gets to buy modern art and stuff I hate with her "spending" money. I get to buy guns with my "spending" money.

 

[FishnHunt]

Guess I'd have to say ambivalent. Didn't really get into guns until I started deer hunting 10ish years ago and haven't really paid attention to the "political" side of it until recently.

 

[CHCRandy]

I was brought up and taught from a young age that God, Guns & Guts made America....to always keep all 3. I remember my dad saying the old "cold blue hands" saying. He always thought the feds wanted our guns.....I thought he was nuts. Never thought I would see a day where they really wanted our firearms....but they are a serious bunch of crazy folks.

 

[Disposable Heart]

Wasn't just "anti-gun" but the worst kind of gun owner: One that thought the AWB was a good thing and why in the world would you need a semi-auto? Dad thought that way, always taught me that revolvers and bolt actions were king and that's "all you needed".

Grew up a bit, got out of college and realized how dangerous the world actually was (actually, learned it in college when I was mugged twice...) and how, well, you sometimes "needed" 30 round magazines and the ability to rapid fire. Not always, but in that off chance. Just like the off chance that one might be mugged.

Took my head out of my &^% and now believe in all that the 2nd amendment should afford us.

 

[ATM]

...foot, hand, ass, whatever. << EDIT: Oops, I meant "axe" not "ass", but I think I'll let that go just in case there's ever been such an assault...

It is obviously the root of the word assault.

 

[brotherbill3]

Rural outside small town America in Alabama o' the north upbringing (PA)
Daisy Buck at 5-6
Crossman Pellet gun at 8-9
Marlin at 10-11
Mostly Unlmited use of Crossman w/o supervision in the yard at 12 ... (also started hunting at min age of 12 w/ hunter ed)

Always supported idea of carrying - even when PA was just changing to Shall issue;
Never managed to get to it back then (college/starting out) used to figure i'd have 1911, then S&W 1006, ...
wrote against Brady stuff and original AWB, even though when it was voted on none of it was going to applied to me.

Finally got to carrying here right after the lifetime LTCH came out.
And now - see the sig line.

 

[Bill of Rights]

I grew up in a Democrat household, too. Always wanted a gun as a kid, closest I got was nerf or I think one year I got a cap gun.

Fast forward a bunch of years and I bought a shotgun, still agreed with things like background checks and waiting periods.

Fast forward a couple more years and a coworker and I got talking about minimum wage (good or bad) and suddenly, the whole liberal house of cards came a-tumbling down, and I realized what fallacies I'd been fed and believed through lack of information and critical thinking.

And we have far, far too many words with the color of law to them.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Hopper]

I fall into the "ambivalent" category. I wasn't afraid of guns, but admit I was pretty timid around them. I didn't grow up in a household that had arms of any kind, and for the longest time, didn't see a reason to own one.

My decision was a long one in the making. Becoming a father, traveling for work, and generally realizing that there are some not-so-nice people out there who want to take what I have worked hard for, finally got me off the fence. There was no nearby home invasion, nothing I can point to as an "a-ha" moment... just finally decided to take protecting my family and myself seriously. My only regret is that I didn't get into shooting sooner. What started out as a practical decision (not to be a victim) has turned into an honest passion.

Shortly after I got my first pistol, both of my younger brothers got on board as well! Which is great, as it's another thing that binds and bonds us all together.

 

[Bill of Rights]

It is obviously the root of the word assault.

Or the ticket to enter an exclusive club...

 

[alabasterjar]

I've always been pro-gun, but my wife was somewhere between abivalent and anti-gun. At the time, when we were dating in college, I didn't have 2 nickels to rub together, let alone firearms (except the 410 my grandfather got me when I was 10).

Shortly after I joined our volunteer fire dept, a couple of the guys took us out shooting...she found out she's one helluva shot and has been hooked ever since!

 

[Jeremy1066]

Grew up on a farm. I had a Marlin Model 60 and a .22 revolver at age 12.