I wasn’t offended, just sad that it seemed you felt I was one of the careless ones that would senselessly endanger his child.

Don’t fret, it’s all in good fun. :)

I was just merely pointing out that there are vastly differing attitudes towards guns and their uses in the UK. I personally do not know anyone that owns a gun for sport or any other reason. And i will admit that my only exposure to guns and gun culture is what i see on the TV.

But i have to admit i do still find it shocking to read when someone says that had lost a gun down the side of a sofa. Its just so alien to me, that you could describe that in such a way as i might if i was talking about, erm, the remote control?

Having said all of that, i was certainly not trying to pass judgement on you or the way that your father brought you up. I know from what i have read on your blog that you are an upstanding guy with high moral values and a desire to do the best for your family and friends. And i definately didn’t want to imply that you are putting your son in danger. If it came across that way, i appologise. Please put it down in my poor skills at putting down in words what is going through my head.

I guess i was just trying to highlight the difference in the way we see guns and their uses.

Sorry BBB :D

/can i have a hug??

Technically, I’m sure it works, but it’s never been fired. I do not even own any ammo for it. In fact, come to think of it, I have no ammo of any kind in the house for anything, not even the traditional cartridge casing keychain.

This is because ever since I left Onan about 7 years ago, I haven’t been on a pistol or rifle team anymore, and I sold my other guns. It’s not because I was afraid of having guns in the house with my son, I just didn’t shoot on a team anymore, and time marches on.

Why do I have a single shot breech loading chinese 12 ga.?

Someday I intend to cut the barrel down on a lathe, antique the bluing, do some woodworking on custom grips, and have a functional pirate-styled 12 ga. pistol for a costume.

Yes, I’m sure I’ll file down the firing pin before sticking it in a sash.

While my father did occasionally keep a firearm of one type or another while I was growing up, I never saw them and my father’s closet was absolutely off-limits. My brother is a police officer and carries a sidearm, and my husband keeps a hunting rifle that belonged to his grandfather… That’s the extent of my exposure to guns…

I MUCH prefer bows… I do shoot traditional archery… :) and I am fully aware of the safety practices involved in that. :)

And yes people, before I get tossed on the fire for these comments, every gun I own, which is many, is fully unloaded and locked under key with safety locks and trigger locks. I trust my son, and my wife (who is a better shot then I am with her new .40 I got her for Christmas last year), but I can’t trust the teachings of other parents who have let their kids come over to play with mine. So they get locked up.

Oh, and Menglor, you would let your wife spend a night in jail? Wow. Just, wow man. That is some big time brass you got there.

For the readers I may have outside the US, what you might not understand is that I described the particulars of how guns were handled in the house, because I knew it would shock the heck out of most of my US readers.

In most homes here in the US, if there are firearms, they are for recreational target shooting, or for hunting. I know that the perception is that what I described is the norm, but if it was, there would have been no need to mention it.

No, truthfully my upbringing was highly unusual, and is the framework for most traditional stereotyped ‘lone gunman’ morons when something terrible happens. “Oh, he had lots of guns and dressed in camouflage and watched Rambo and listened to rock music and played D&D; ergo, he was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode on normal, GOOD people.”

So much for the accuracy of stereotypes, right?

I do feel sad that someone read the story, and assumed that the carelessness that I mentioned in regards to my father was automatically assumed to apply to me as well, and that my son’s safety was immediately invoked in a chiding and accusatory way. I guess I expected more from my readers than that.

I’ve heard a lot of similar comments from people outside of the US, with misconceptions that in the US that theres violence everywhere, or everyone owns guns, or everyone uses drugs, etc., but that isn’t the case and it kinda bugs me. My issue isn’t just with people from outside the US making judgements or stereotypes about Americans, but with people in general making assumptions based on media (especially any of the US news broadcasts) or random ‘stories’ they’ve heard.

Kayeri – yep, she is. My dad would never dared leave her in jail all night – he’d still be paying for it ;)
.-= Hulan´s last blog ..Cross Enough To Post! =-.

and Hulan, GREAT story, your mom is one remarkable woman, I salute her. :)

As for the readers outside the US, yes guns are a part of our lives, it’s a simple fact. I realize it may be hard to understand, but when you grow up with something, it is normal to you. But turning this posting into a discussion about gun rights doesn’t serve anyone, as everyone feels differently about the subject, even in the US and its very easy to get passions aroused and then the flame wars begin. :) And Bear’s blog is far too fine a place for such things. :)

You talk about carrying a firearm like its nothing more then a chunck of steel and that its the user who decides wether its a killer or a token chunk a metal, to some affect this is true. an unloaded gun is nothing more then a token chunk of steel.

I understand all that, but what might not be obvious to anyone who supports guns, when I am standing in front of you, and you have a gun. I dont know if its loaded, I dont know if your hell bent on killing everyone in sight. so it makes more sense to just remove the object that adds too many question to the mix.

Bear, your married I dont know how long. But I am married 15 years, My wife has been in 5-8 accidents in those amount of years? I have seen her come to rolling stops, make turns when she should have stopped, and Yet she still is a good driver. ok maybe Adequate.

if I got a call from the cop shop, saying my wife is in jail because she did something like roll through a stop sign, and flew off at the cop , or for any real reason, I would have no problems leaving her to spend the night in jail. I dont want to be mean, but sometimes the best lessons are learned the hard way.

I dont know what your mom is like, but I would believe your dad had good reason to leave her there for some past transgressions, maybe she left him hang out to dry for something once. I dont know. But its just to easy to pass judgement on one story without asking him, why he did it?

I know this though, after 15 years of marriage, and another 6 of dating with her. there are times when I become a crusty old fart and so does she.