Reply #31: I dunno...tough call. [View All]

When I was growing up, all my Dad's guns were in a glass-faced display case. I always knew where the key was, so effectively, they were not locked.

I played with my Dad's guns where I was growing up. I wasn't supposed to, but I did. I would take his .22 and .32 pistols and steal a few bullets out of the box and shoot matchbox cars or whatever with them. One time I took his .44 magnum carbine and blew an old lock off of my bicycle as I could no longer remember the combination. Unfortunately the bullet and lock fragments put out the front tire! :) I had been trained with firearms since I was about 9 or 10 so I always handled them safely and knew my backstop, though. I was given my first .22 rifle when I was 12.

Then when I was about 15-16 or so I sat on my parents' bed with his .357 at my temple contemplating suicide.

I tend to lean towards the believe that the right to self-defense is something that belongs to adults and is something that adults should procure for themselves.