this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
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If you don't, no need to reply telling me you don't. I live in the woods with some critters. I live pretty far from neighbors/police so having a gun gives me peace of mind. I also hunt and consider myself a gun hobbiest. I enjoy shooting targets, cleaning/organizing, reloading and earning food with guns.

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[–] Auwatch@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

I think they are interesting from a mechanical perspective.

[–] moonshadow@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 days ago

For me firearm ownership is about responsibility and independence. If you're going to eat meat, you should participate in the process and understand what it means. If you don't trust the state with a monopoly on violence, you should be a part of distributing that power as widely as possible. Guns are one of the most powerful tools in the modern world, and I value them for the same reasons I value my drill or computer: they expand my capabilities.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Want.

Lifelong anti-gun libtard here.

I think guns are primarily for people who fear. I think fear is the primary motivator for firearm ownership. I would like to live in a society where fear doesn't push people to own firearms. That is not our reality. That is not the society we live in.

There are masked, unqualified paramilitary federal goons entering our communities and harassing and assaulting AMERICAN CITIZENS. I passed my history classes. I enjoy reading up on history in my own personal time. I know where things like this often lead, and I've come to accept that it's time to arm myself. A significant portion of our populace also supports what is happening and would be perfectly fine with people like myself, who want everyone to have healthcare, a good education, and to be fed, being "removed" from this plane of existence. These people are everywhere. I understand that they are not actively going out and killing people like me, but they are voting to persecute and harm people like me and the people I care about.

That's enough for me to arm myself out of fear.

I don't believe this to be a good society. I don't believe this to be an intelligent society. I don't believe this to be a safe society going forward.

I haven't purchased a firearm yet, but I've been out shooting with friends a number of times and I've been asking questions to get ready for the process of acquiring at least one.

[–] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Liberal-libertarian here- I think the married gay couple should have AR15s to defend their marijuana crop and adopted children from attack, confident in the knowledge that single payer healthcare will be there if they get hurt.

I also follow history, at least a little. And I think even a light perusal of the last 100ish years should be enough to show anyone that 'it can't happen here' / 'it won't happen here' are foolish attitudes, as the current situations are demonstrating.

I'm curious if you regret your past support of anti-gun policies, knowing that they are directly making it harder for you to acquire a gun for self-defense today?

And FWIW if you have any gun questions or want to know anything about specific guns, safety, culture, etc please feel free to reply or DM me.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’m curious if you regret your past support of anti-gun policies

Not really.

I'd prefer to live in a society that doesn't perpetuate enough fear to cause people to desire firearms for self defense. Those societies do exist. And 10+ years ago things weren't as they are now in America. The situation has degraded. We could have gone down another path that could have led to less fear and gun ownership, but that's not the future we chose for ourselves.

So I've had to shift my expectations. That's why I don't really regret advocating against guns in the past. I still don't like them. I still think more guns will cause more problems. But our society is becoming more ignorant and our decisions are going to lead to more people being more destitute and more desperate, which will increase crime, as political violence also increases, so the bottom line is you have to protect yourself.

[–] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 1 points 3 hours ago

I'd prefer to live in a society where no guns are ever needed.
The problem is, you can't predict the future.

I’d prefer to live in a society that doesn’t perpetuate enough fear to cause people to desire firearms for self defense. Those societies do exist. And 10+ years ago things weren’t as they are now in America. The situation has degraded. We could have gone down another path that could have led to less fear and gun ownership, but that’s not the future we chose for ourselves.

But that's my point. 10+ years ago, you wouldn't have predicted this. 10+ years ago, you'd have fought to restrict or remove gun rights. And now here we are, if you and those like you had succeeded, you wouldn't be able to buy a gun.

That's why I think gun rights (including yours) are so important, and why I hope you (someday) regret your previous anti-gun advocacy. Because however great our society is at any point in time, it can always get bad again. And the question is when that happens, do we want to have proverbially shot ourselves in the foot by removing our own means of self-defense? I say no.

Thus, if I may be a bit silly, an image for when you go into the gun store and have the right to buy that gun:

:D

I would argue that the ideal is a society where guns are readily available, but rarely needed. Might you agree with that?

[–] Curious_Canid@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago

I have a deep and abiding fear of paper targets.

Sorry, I find humor helps me deal with bad situations. And as a progressive in the US, that is where I currently find myself. Large numbers of people profess that they would be happy to murder me, my family, and my friends, because we aren't misogynist, racist, homophobic, and transphobic sociopaths. I put a high value on human life, and I would not kill someone over property, but I am willing to kill to prevent others from being killed.

I believe in using as little force as necessary. I believe in de-escalation. I believe that deadly force should always be a last resort. But having a firearm leaves that option on the table, in case nothing else works.

I hope that we can eventually all get back to treating each other like human beings. Right now I don't think I can count on that from everyone.

[–] Marshezezz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 73 points 3 days ago (8 children)

I’ve been called the f word a few times since the election so I’m not going to become some homophobe’s victim

[–] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This. I'm not into violence, but the Republicans are getting scary and they have a lot of weapons. It'd be easier to reconcile my issues with violence if I had to shoot someone than it'd be to reconcile the issues I'd have if I wasn't able to fight them trying to hurt me or my family.

Plus target shooting is fun.

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[–] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Need

With the political environment in the US I am increasingly feeling unsafe and feel like a gun is almost a must have now

[–] ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's half and half. There are occasionally kidnappings and armed robberies where I live so I'm grateful to have the right to defend myself, it's good to be prepared for any unforseen disaster that might befall us, and I think firearm ownership is an important political right (it seems very suspicious that some of the people who are most eager to impose their political ideas on the rest of us are also very eager to ban one of the tools we might use to stop them). But honestly I just like guns, shooting is fun and I do it competitively, they're interesting machines to study and tinker with and they have a lot of interesting military history attached to them.

[–] Chippys_mittens@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Yeah user Treczoks in here is particularly suspicious on that front.

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

If the fasciats are going to try to kill me I will take at least one with me.

[–] compostgoblin@piefed.blahaj.zone 40 points 3 days ago (2 children)
  1. A gun is useful tool for acquiring meat in a sustainable way. Shout out to venison!

  2. I am a trans woman. There are a lot of armed right wingers that would love to see me dead. They can try, but I’m not going to give them an easy time of it.

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[–] DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Mostly for protection and also for emergencies. I don't hunt anymore because I can not make good use of the animal and also I don't even particularly like game meat, but it's nice to have that option if stuff goes to hell in the future. The defensive aspect I have used several times.

To me it always seemed crazy to trust other people with your protection. Not only are governments almost always run be psychopathic pedophiles who will murder millions for any number of reasons while surveiling the rest of the population, but humanity in general is not at all trustworthy. Most people are pretty evil. They will hurt innocent people. That's how humans on average are.

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Want, we have coyotes and I have a small dog. They usually stay away when I’m around but the last time they barely turned tail once I aggressively went to engage them after picking my dog up. He’s always on a leash but I feel more comfortable carrying a .22 with me when we go out after dark during the winter after that last encounter.

[–] Rooster326@programming.dev 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I had the same concern and instead got a big dog to watch over my small dog, my kids too but like also my small dog.

Great Pyrenees.

The coyotes don't even come around anymore. 95lbs of the laziest guard dog ever is enough to deter them. And so good with the kids - they can lay on her and she don't give a fuck. Though she can move when she needs to - I've seen her in action.

Best part is that she is always ready. I don't gotta walk around with a gun, or run to get it from the safe. She is always there guarding us.

That said. The gun would have definitely been cheaper in the long run. My dog's food budget quadrupled.

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago

That sounds like the most incredible dog! Thank you for sharing

[–] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 40 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I like shooting as a sport. Not into hunting but hitting targets is fun.

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[–] nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Im American. All the people who think the laws were never meant to apply to them already have more guns than I have friends. And when they die, their likely rotten kids will get them. I can either accept that I live in a country where only terrible people have guns(this includes the cops). Or I could do something about it and take my sefety into my own hands. Really simple choice at the end of the day.

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[–] count_dongulus@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Police don't show up quickly enough to deal with a serious threat, so I have a firearm for home defense. Just one. Not into collecting, whether firearms or anything else.

[–] syreus@lemmy.world 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)
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[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 days ago

Guns make the police in my area more polite. That was thing I witnessed following the Ukraine revolution as well. Marshal law is more costly on an armed unwilling population.

I also hunt as part of our wild life management where I live.

Its also something that as a maker I love to tinker and build stuff for. Just one of those because you can kind of things

[–] flandish@lemmy.world 24 points 3 days ago

need? no need. want/have? I tinkered and shot target with my (now passed) stepfather and we bonded over the science and nerdy parts of it. do i carry? nope.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 16 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (4 children)

Everyone I hook up with always asks if I have protection so I figure I might as well get some. 🤷‍♂️

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[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

My dad is into guns, so he gave me one. And I sold it. And then he gave me another, and I guess I'll hang onto this one for a bit.

[–] BurgerBaron@piefed.social 13 points 3 days ago

I didn't ever want one until Trump threatened Canada and now I'm getting licenced. Just in case. That and winter survival training refresher. Hadn't done any of that since Scouts long ago.

I'd still die but maybe I last 20 minutes longer.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (18 children)

End of the world prep

I don't need or want guns the way the world is now.

But if society and civilization collapses, you'll need a gun because you'll need to protect yourself and your family from everyone else. I won't want it to attack other people, I'll just need it to survive every other murderous idiot that will want to kill me for a can of beans.

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