I hate people who treat them like some toys and fantasize about them. That makes me think they are in some sort of death cult. That they found socially acceptable way to love violence.
I would still get one for safety but it is a tool made for specifically one thing. To pierce the skin and rip through the inner organs of a person.
They can serve a good purpose but they are fundamentally dark tools of pain and suffering. They shouldn’t be celebrated and glorified in their own right, that is sick. They can be used to preserve something precious but at a price to pay.
That’s not an unpopular opinion IMO.
Guns are made to make a tiny piece of metal go very fast. You don’t have to use them to kill or think about using them to kill. You can, for example, use them as a remote light switch or their most popular use: remote hole punch. Healthy society shouldn’t have to ban guns since they would be used for completrly non violent things, same a swords and bows.
I mean you could shoot at the sun to combat global warming even.
I can only hope that this is satire
Making a piece of something go fast is a purpose of any accelerator. Trains go fast along the rail, and are driven by an engine - or, in case of maglev, sort of the rail itself.
Guns are engineered specifically to be most effective at killing or injuring people. Sure, it’s people who put them to action, but it’s also people who make them as deadly (or otherwise efficient at hurting people) as possible. It’s insane we just look at this industry and haven’t closed it for good, forever.
Please, use an electrical switch next time you want to turn the light off.
So are bows and swords and crossbows. But they don’t have hillbillies ruining their public image. I see no harm in having guns around for recreational and hobby purposes as long as they are only in the hands of people who can safely store and operate them.
Honestly I’d rather not have a man on the street with a real sword/bow/crossbow either, and the only reason we may find it less threatening nowadays is that we know there are more perfect weapons that could be used to take such a man down very quickly should he become a tangible threat - and that he himself would use should he go crazy about killing people.
Swords are actually the only weapons specifically designed to kill people. Every other weapon used by humanity is or was a tool for another task at one point. Axes can be used to cut down trees, maces are just fancy hammers, and spears were the first real hunting tools for large game. Swords stand above all other weapons in that it’s use is specifically engineered to be as dangerous to humans as possible. It’s too long to be used effectively as a knife and too fragile to use as any other tool. It’s almost as dangerous to the person wielding it as the person it’s used on. It’s remarkable how every other killing tool used by man has other purposes, but the sword really has just the one.
I pretty much 💯 agree with OP. If there was some absolute method to completely bar anyone from making/using all type of guns, I would make it my life’s mission to see it through. The “gun”, however it is you wish to consider it, was conceived and engineered to kill. To not repeat everything that’s been said… all I’ll add is, humans like to play god so much that they’ll justify lots of unethical and immoral things… war, hunting… all in the name of the “greater good”. Right… 🙄
It was interesting reading your thoughts and all the different opinions in the comments. I enjoy firearms, and regularly go target shooting. I forget sometimes people don’t spend their time understanding firearms.
Yes, you are correct, the purpose of a firearm is to kill. That’s why they’re referred to as lethal weapons, where the word lethal can be defined as deadly.
It’s great you came to this conclusion on your own and it’s a great opportunity to explain some other aspects of firearms being lethal that folks often miss.
Since firearms are lethal weapons they’re not appropriate to use when less than lethal force is desired. This is why for example police “don’t just shoot criminals in the leg.” Because if they’re successful the person can still bleed out and if they miss they could accidentally apply lethal force to a bystander or the person they’re not trying to kill.
Another thing to understand is police should only have their weapon drawn if they fear for their lives or others. If the officer is following protocol, you shouldn’t see a firearm until the officer thinks lethal force is merited. Which is to say, if a cop pulls a gun, take it seriously.
I have a permit to conceal carry where I live. The laws understand firearms are deadly, and legally I can’t use or even draw my firearm unless I think my life is threatened or that I might suffer great bodily harm, think knife attacks or broken bones.
To add to that, because firearms are lethal, if someone flashes a gun in a threatening manner such as lifting up their shift to show the firearm in a holster during a heated argument, I could reasonably assume my life was in danger and legally respond with lethal force.
These are just some examples, but yes, guns are 100% designed to take life. You should always think of a firearm as a lethal weapon especially in situations where they’re pointed towards you.
Another thing to understand is police should only have their weapon drawn if they fear for their lives or others.
Yeah, but you never know when a lethal acorn might strike…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/16/florida-acorn-cop-shooting
Gotta resist fascism somehow
Bum bum pif paf is a cartoonish/teenage way of resistance. If you are a serious human you know that sometimes there are things that have to be done but also that celebrating them or looking forward to them is sick. Moreover it’s rare that they are the true solution to problems
Mostly people who fantasise about violence write things like this not really wanting to solve anything but just looking for a reason to have at it and unload their anger
word salad
FWIW I don’t believe you are wrong. Most people advocating for/ fantasizing about violence have never experienced prolonged conflict. Sure, you’re hot shit the first day or two but even if the fighting stays a few hundred miles away, it becomes exhausting and sickening. Especially if you have a family to worry about.
All of this said, it is not the only reason to own a gun. Many own weapons for the purpose of self defense — whether that be from other people or wildlife. We own guns because we are afraid — justifiably or not.
Wow you really project a lot onto one short sentence. Ignoring any reference to historical resistance in order to feel superior about your views.
Gun defenders are always like this. Historical this, historical that but in truth they just want a license to kill.
I know that on Lemmy there are many bloodthirsty motherfuckers who just go to sleep imagining saving the world with a smoking 92fs. Not because it would help anyone but because they are kinky like that
Well that’s an awfully specific gun reference for someone who hates them so much.
You already had a coup and nobody is using guns to stop it.
Oh, by all means, give that a try, see how it goes. I’d say “and then report back”, but… you know, that wouldn’t be much use.
I have a feeling that the “punch the nazies” people who are the loudest online are the ones nowhere to be found when the shit actually hits the fan. The ones who actually would aren’t talking about it on social media and especially not on Lemmy.
I guess I’m the opposite then - I love guns, yet I probably wouldn’t get one even if I could. I definitely wouldn’t carry one. It’s too easy to make hasty, irreversible decisions with a firearm.
Carrying a gun means that every altercation has the potential to become life-threatening. I wouldn’t want to end up in a brawl while armed and risk having my own weapon used against me if I got overpowered. That’s something cops, for example, have to constantly be aware of.
Guns make it possible for anyone to kill anyone. Without them, the capacity to inflict death is far less egalitarian.
Hate them all you want; I trust you with guns far more than I trust some angry meathead who doesn’t understand the concept of “No.”
No, only some are and even then it’s not broadly accurate, it’s closer to Anthropomorphism.
Weapons are designed from the ground up to kill animals. From birdshot 10g shotgun to bolt action plastic tip single shot rifle.
Assault rifles are a category designed primarily to kill humans
Killing animals is pretty shitty as well though
Most people don’t seem to realize the perfect deer rifle is the perfect human rifle.
Hahaha
(white tail, mule appropriate cartridges in particular)
Riigght. So it’s not about guns any more, it’s “cartridges”.
oh ffs. do you not know what a cartridge is, or its relationship to cylinder bore?
So you dont know what a gun is.
I said “cartriddge” because the bullet from a .223 and a .22 are very fucking similar in diameter, but i wouldn;t go deer hunting with a .22. So what the fuck is your point.
I am very leftist and somewhat split.
Modern guns are an engineering marvel and I can understand if someone is fascinated in the precision and engineering knowledge needed to construct them - the same way some people are fascinated by mechanical watches, steam engines, etc.
They are also a necessary tool for some jobs - I can worked alongside these and in theory am trained to handle one(but haven’t had a gun in my hand for 15 years if you don’t count two instances I had to take it from a patient before law enforcement arrived). So I am very happy that the people who need to have it have modern,safe, versatile and easy to handle guns at their disposal. And I want these people to have the best training,the best equipment and the best recruitment and background check possible.
This brings me to another point: I am sternly against people using “shooting” (large calibers) as a hobby and the whole gun culture around it - we see in the US this can easily become a purpose on it’s own and the detrimental effects it has on everything, from mental health care,policing, emergency medicine to the political culture, even influencing their neighbours negatively.
Go for small calibers all you want, no problems with that. But there is no reason an average private citizen needs a 9mm or a AR15 (even with manual fire)as a hobby or for self defence here. (There might be some very rare cases when people are under so much threat for their life that it is different - but these are really rare and tbh should require the same amount of training a professional carrier needs)
Hunting is a bit different, but even there I see problematic behaviour within recreational hunting. I am not at all against hunting per se, it’s absolutely an requirement in most industrial nations to keep the ecological balance in the few remaining ecosystems and is the most ethical source of meat available.
But again in some nations a subculture around it has formed that is not healthy,not required to maintain biodiversity and ecological balance, etc. My shire owns large wooden areas and has decided to switch to (semi-) professional hunters quite a while ago, they are payed to hunt according to a ecological plan, do not get less or more money if they are successful, the shire sells the meat to the inhabitants for relatively cheap prices. This model has been proven (scientifically) to be successful as it allows very targeted hunting, e.g. to keep animal tracks away from certain roads, to intentionally allow the reintroduction of larger predators,etc.
That’s not an impopular opinion, that’s the opinion of normal people, firearms are not toys, unless you are in murica of course; then it’s like a Barbie, you buy the Barbie itself and then collect all the accessories
I had a rabid raccoon on my farm a little while ago. What do you suggest is the best way to handle that situation?
Kill the poor thing quickly and painless.
But you do not need an assault rifle with incendiary ammunition for that
I’m sure if he asks politely it’ll just keel over dead for him.
Do you hate guns and believe they are designed from the ground up to kill? Or do you think it’s a beneficial tool that has its uses? You’re giving me mixed messages here with the title of your post. It’s okay to dislike gun culture and also think guns have their uses.
I hate guns because they are there just to kill things. I do not take pleasure in killing things. I would still own a gun if I had to
It’s simple as that
I don’t take pleasure in euthanizing animals either. Its expected to hate killing but it’s not the gun’s fault that these jobs need to be done.
Do you hate archery as a sport? Because those things were invented and designed purely for killing people too.
You do not see people with bows going around and one shooting people cmon. Let us be serious please
So do hate the intention of the design or do you hate that they are sometimes misued? You said you hated guns because they were designed to kill people.
It’s about efficiency and power difference. Not everything is black and white, despite your attempts
I didn’t use an assualt rifle or incendiary ammunition. How do you suggest I kill it quickly and painless while protecting myself from a possible bite?
You clearly have no idea what you’re talking about lol
I’m being pedantic, but many are designed to take the lives of animals rather than people. Absurdly heavy precision .22 cal target rifles are clearly only for sport.
A few are designed to launch flares high into the air for communication. A very small number are designed to trigger avalanches under controlled conditions.
Humans are animals…
I hate people who treat them like some toys and fantasize about them.
Agreed.
I would still get one for safety …
Firearms decrease your safety in any but the most dire situation. Unfortunately, those situations are nigh impossible to predict. This means that carrying a firearm incurs some additional risk right now as insurance against a future potential very large risk.
They can be used to preserve something precious but at a price to pay.
Also agreed.
You might be suffering under a variation on the toupee fallacy, and some confirmation bias. You’re not going to hear a whole lot from responsible gun owners, because those people have an understanding of the risk and responsibility they are taking on, and part of taking that responsibility and mitigating that risk is not crowing like a knob about your guns.
Firearms decrease your safety in any but the most dire situation
This doesn’t have to be the case. Guns can be safe with proper regulation and enforcement.
You’re missing my point.
Any situation where a loaded and functional firearm is present is necessarily less safe than one without it except in the most dire circumstances.
In such a dire circumstance, your having a firearm can - not will, but can - ward off, injure, or kill someone or something that presents a serious and imminent danger to you. But by and large, almost all situations don’t present that kind of serious an imminent danger.
In the absence of that kind of danger, a firearm being present introduces some increased risk (decreased safety).
i own a gun whose sole purpose of being manufactured was to kill himans - it is a war rifle.
i have killed as many things with it as i want to: zero.
i am not a gun nut, but i do enjoy the history of it. i learned a lot about yugoslavia just because i was curious about the time period it came from.
i agree that some guns are created with the sole purpose of killing people… i just dont feel like killing people with it. never have, never will (its not for protection, etc… its for history)
Counterpoint:
Okay but this is a movie. If you aren’t below certain age you do not mistake this with reality
It’s not that such situations never happened but they weren’t anywhere as
inglorious and cool. Yeah some brain went on the walls. Someone shat themselves in pre death agony uttering incredible smell, someone went deaf from shooting in a small room and got killed right after. It’s just not that coolThere are sooo many cool things why killing each other must be the stuff some ppl find so exciting. It happens and it’s messy and grim. There’s nothing exciting about our innards. It’s fucking disgusting and revolting even
Oh sure, violence is awful, traumatizing and cruel.
But if you think that you must be a child to mistake violence with reality, than I’d say that you are actually the one with the priveleged, childlike view of the world.
I agree that guns should not be fetishized, that that is a dangerous sign of immaturity, but guns are a useful and prevalent tool.
You can’t just wish them out of existence.
Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary.
- Karl Marx
When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun?
- Paul Simonom
I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.
- Luigi Mangione
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
- John F. Kennedy
Politcal power grows from the barrel of a gun.
- Mao Tzetung
Yes. This is also nutty and I don’t think you can manage to change my mind. All the violent lemmings are a creepy. You are disturbing.
Even my country which struggled with communism for years, freed itself from the red oppression not by violence but by peaceful negotiations after mass worker strikes.
I know you lot. You pretend to want to solve problems but deep inside you just want to kill someone and get away with it. I have no respect for you.
I don’t even own a gun, but uh ok?
I’ve worked at non profits to house the homeless, for years. Could have made a lot more money in a corporate job, but I eschewed that in favor of doing actual good in the world.
I’ve been homeless, been robbed and beaten by people with guns, dodged a drive by shooting by 20 or 30 feet, been held against my will, without charges, by armed agents of the state for simply existing while honeless, been held captive by a madman and beaten for a week straight.
I have firearms training, because I grew up around guns, but I’ve never owned a gun.
I have martial arts training, and I’ve only ever used it to defend myself and others; never once have I instigated a random assault, but I’ve broken up a few.
My country is the most armed country on the planet, and it’s currently undergoing a fascist coup.
But please, do go on about the revolution your parents had, and the comfy, detached from reality moral structure its allowed you develop.
Tell the Ukranians defending their country how guns are evil and they should just roll over and accept assimilation.
Tell the Palestinians to stop resisting and just allow themselves, their people, to be wiped off the face of the earth.
Meanwhile, leftist demonstrations in my country have been terrorized by openly armed right wing militias and terrorists for years, been black bagged and arrested by armed secret police.
But I’m sure you’re quite fine telling victims of armed violence that they’re actually the guilty ones for pointing out the basic underlying fact that all politics and laws are only as meaningful as the monopoly on violence that enforces them, and that guns are the most common and direct tool in that trade.
Sorry but your experiences are meaningless here. It’s the basic fundamental thing not some comfort. Wherever you are advocating for violence, you will meet me opposing you.
I will always be there.
You and I will never meet.
EDIT: I gave you my personal experiences because you made a personal claim about me, that I am violent, that I want to kill someone.
Not because its relevant to the larger idea about guns.
You made it personal, you became judgemental, and gaslit met.
Yeah, you and I will never meet, I’ve suffered knowing far too many manipulative, sanctimonious gaslighters in my life.
Hope all your friends enjoy you victim-blaming them as much as I have.
You will meet hundreds like me. Not quite me but just like me. And you will keep meeting them and they will say exactly same thing. They are me and you will meet me in each of them.
How you gonna oppose them lol
Just like I do it now. Whenever somebody advocates for some violent idea I will always voice my opposition without hesitation even if that ruins the jolly revolution mood.
Kill only in your name alone and face the consequences but if you kill in the name of some noble idea then you ruin it and corrupt it. You are no part of whatever good you think you are.
