weapons

[coloradoclyde]

Clearly, the term "weapon" carries with it a tone of violence and intent.

Frankly, I object to any term (outside of a historical context)that portrays a gun or the shooting sports (this includes hunting) negatively.

 

[coloradoclyde]

but I chop fire wood with my tomahawk and Kentucky ax are they weapons?

No!....They are tools and were designed to be such.... But, They can be used as weapons....as were the sickle and pitchfork.

Now, A pitchfork is not used for hunting, but I have killed an animal with one....I used it as a weapon because, my intent was hostile. I did not hunt with it.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

If they call it a weapon, it gives them an excuse that can be used to take it away. Frankly, nearly anything can be a weapon - it is a matter of intent ...

Clearly, the term "weapon" carries with it a tone of violence and intent. Frankly, I object to any term (outside of a historical context)that portrays a gun or the shooting sports (this includes hunting) negatively.

^ ^ ^ THIS! ^ ^ ^

Personally ... I too despise the use of the ”˜W’ word! If you don’t think it hurts us ... one is truly ignorant.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

the connotation of "weapon" may not fit with some folks sensibilities, but horse manure. Wen you go out to shoot a deer, to the deer that little hobby cutesy gun is a lethal weapon. Sunday about 7:30 am when I noticed a coyote in my pasture, I did not grab for a cutesy gun. I grabbed a WEAPON. I was in defensive mode, hell bent on killing an intruder. Had to choose between a muzzle loader and my 22Rf. Took the 22. Fairly sure I hit it, (it jumped and yipped) before it found a place to climb the fence, but since the house and shop burned, a decent varmint eradicator was not on the list. That was remedied yesterday.

Another problem with shooting it, was my over protective 900 pound attack guard, Pixie. Momma cow extraordinaire. She protects the goats like she gave birth to them. She was trying to stomp that canine into the dirt. (she does the same to other errant dogs as well) She was chasing that coyote along the fence line and kept getting too close for me to risk a shot.

I have seen coyotes three times in three months. and ours are wolf hybrids. Bigger and meaner. This one looked to be as tall and heavy as our 70lb shepherd cross. The boy wanted a piece of his "cousin" but I don't need a vet bill right now.

 

[Patocazador]

Oh goody, a semantics discussion. I can't wait to see who wins. :snore:

 

[tenngun]

but I chop fire wood with my tomahawk and Kentucky ax are they weapons?

No!....They are tools and were designed to be such.... But, They can be used as weapons....as were the sickle and pitchfork.

Now, A pitchfork is not used for hunting, but I have killed an animal with one....I used it as a weapon because, my intent was hostile. I did not hunt with it.

Ah there in is a rub. My hawk is a British light ax, also called boarding ax. Clear away wreckage or enemy with equal dexterity. I use it for chopping wood. Lots of folks hunt with besses and Charlies more then one deer rifle and shotgun went off to fight the WBTS.

 

[Grumpa]

The point is that it does not matter what WE call them, or what we use them for, the people who want to ban them couldn't care less. They don't want any of us to have guns.

An armed man is a Free man.

Richard/Grumpa

 

[George]

The point is that it does not matter what WE call them, or what we use them for, the people who want to ban them couldn't care less. They don't want any of us to have guns.

I've been around guns all my long life and as a result have heard up toward a million statements such as that, but have seen zero indication anyone is actually trying to ban my guns or take them away from me. Am I just slow? What am I missing?

Spence

 

[Black Hand]

Seems to have started with the shooting of Brady during the Reagan presidency.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

the attitude about anti hunters and anti gun folks varies immensely from state to state. Eastern states are far more prone to be infiltrated by the big city liberal all guns are bad mentality than rural states.

Here in PA, we have the constant on-slaught from the Philthadelphia politicians concerning erosion of gun rights. One recent proposal was to require registration of all guns, require mandatory insurance for each gun and of course tack a $40 registration fee on for each. They keep concocting their guns are bogeymen myths and an increasing number of folks mindlessly go along with it. Only a fool could accept their "we don't want to take hunting guns" BS. For instance the guy that was caught transporting an original flintlock pistol in New Jersey in his car and faced felony charges. Or perhaps the New Jersey proposal to outlaw any firearm over 50 caliber. Suddenly Rev War muskets are illegal? In some states, people need to have a gun owner's permit just to possess a firearm. In the back woods of Idaho, such threats are so far away and unrealistic that folks give them no credibility. But the law abiding sportsmen of New Jersey face a constant battle over their rights.

 

[coloradoclyde]

The point is that it does not matter what WE call them, or what we use them for, the people who want to ban them couldn't care less. They don't want any of us to have guns.

I've been around guns all my long life and as a result have heard up toward a million statements such as that, but have seen zero indication anyone is actually trying to ban my guns or take them away from me. Am I just slow? What am I missing?

Spence

Fear is often the cement that binds together the bricks of one's beliefs....

There should be no fear in the heart of a man who's bumper sticker says, "You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers"...All else is senseless rhetoric.
That fear does make the guy selling bumper stickers rich though.... :hmm:

 

[CapPopper]

Guns are tools.. We can have fun with them. We can gather food with them. We can defend ourselves with them. The only common ground "weapons" have is the people who would them. Like I said people are the weapons. Shovels can be used to gather food or kill same with guns

 

[Kansas Jake]

I generally use the term firearm. For me the connotation of “weapon” is negative, especially with non firearm owners and the anti gun crowd. It depends a lot on where you are at and what you are doing. I RSO at a public range and the folks there are shooting for a wide variety of reasons so in my mind they are using firearms. If I was teaching the defensive use of a gun, I would probably use the term weapon. The situation and term matters.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I object to calling my hunting arms WEAPONS, they are not for killing people (weapons), but are used for the taking of game for use on my table. :shake:

Survey the deer. :v

I have no problem calling my firearms "weapons". My bows, either. They inflict harm. I don't believe the term implies to what living creature (or non-living structure) that harm is inflicted.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Bow? what bow?...Oh! you mean this walking stick with a sling?... :wink: ...Nope no weapons here... :haha:

 

[CapPopper]

The thing anti gunners really need to understand is that a gun is an object with no intent of its own. It cannot move and cannot think. It is not a weapon until used as such. Can it be a weapon why yes it can so can a car or fertilizer... Sure firearms don't have a lot of non recreational uses they excel at but it is possible to use a shotgun to spread seeds or salt.... As signal flares.... Firearms can be signaling devices they can open locks and they are really good at putting holes in stuff... And yes they can be weapons as much as tools for survival. The only dangerous part of the equation is the person holding it. They can be used to harm or protect. But without a person to make them do any of these things they will forever stay inanimate objects with no will, good or bad.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Everyone is forgetting the most important thing....

It doesn't matter what we think.....

We can stoke our own egos all we want...

What matters, is public perception....Because perception becomes reality.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Agreed.

"The thing anti gunners really need to understand is that a gun is an object . . ."

Never happen. Phobias are irrational fears and understanding will not happen.

 

[coloradoclyde]

There will always be that small percentage that will not change their minds....

But, the majority of non-gun owners are "fair game" and we must make sure that we don't scare them permanently into the fringes....

 

[Danny Ross]

You are correct in one sense about the human animal. But we must remember why and for what these inanimate objects were originally designed for by the human animal. It wasn't for hunting or target shooting, or art those are their secondary usage, with design modification in some cases. They were all designed originally as weapons of war antique or modern. WE have found/made other uses for them. DANNY