General News Story about Trump's victory has fearful minorites buying guns

What an absolutely tragic train wreck America is.

 

I absolutely HATE HATE HATE guns but I've considered buying one. I fear the southern confederate flag toting "militia" more than anything and fear they'll unite over the next 4 years

 

I've got a few knives and a sword, but the saying exists for a reason. Somebody breaks in and I'm not already behind them, I'm dead. I won't cave in and buy a gun though. If it's a quick death that's not too scary, but long and painful torture or harm towards my family is another story... I'd quite sooner take a bullet to the head than ending up drugged in someone's trunk.

My plan isn't to stick around and arm myself, but rather to flee and work towards moving away. If that fails and I have no other option, the insane rise up, there's always a last resort "less than legal" bolt for the border.

I hope I'm just paranoid. The local hate groups tend to "have a bark worse than their bite" but I often worry the circumstances will lead to them actually acting on their threats. I really hope I'm wrong.

 

Gun sales surge after Obama's election - CNN.com
US guns sales soar after Barack Obama's re-election - Telegraph

Long live NRA

 

What a mess the United states is. It was once a great land until the Europeans turned up.

 

jeezus christ....

 

Some of my friends have experienced threats, and we've all experienced bigotry following this election, but I don't think it's rational to buy firearms unless you are equivalent to some high military officer in your proficiency to use them... If someone breaks into your house, they already have a gun probably, and considering that you're fast asleep in your bed, they are going to overtake you before you overtake them... These are just the facts. I can't think of many cases where people have actually successfully defended themselves with their guns, whereas I can think of MANY cases in which people who thought they were trained enough end up shooting themselves in the face with their own gun because they did something wrong. Sorry, but to my friends in the south, GUNS ARE NOT TOYS. People here treat them like such, however.

 

I am one of the fearful people who decided to buy a gun after Trump was elected. But I don't think of it as a toy, and respect it for the deadly weapon that it is. Before even going to a shooting range, I took a 6-hour safety class that also qualifies for obtaining a concealed weapons permit. I also did a lot of reading about gun-safety rules before even setting foot in a gun shop. (Google "four rules of gun safety" for details)

I armed myself after seeing three days of reports of post-election hate crimes against LGBT people, including Episcopalian priests getting death threats.

While I have not personally been threatened yet, it is clear that hateful elements of society (the deplorables) have been emboldened to escalate their prejudices to violence.

I'm sitting on the paperwork to get the concealed weapons permit but will probably submit it within a week. While I don't want to "pack heat" everywhere I go, it may be necessary in the future, and I want to have the legal option to do so.

Somewhat disturbingly, it's actually easier to get a concealed weapons permit than a driver's license in many states. It took more than 6 hours of classroom instruction to pass the written and driving tests, and the written test was not easy. Contrast that to the CCW class, where I sailed to 100% (and most students did if they were paying attention). And the state where I live does not test firearms proficiency at the range as a condition of issuing permits.

More training is available through local gun shops and shooting ranges, and I will take some more advanced courses related to the legalities and tactics of self-defense before toting a pistol around. My own personal goal would be to attain comparable marksmanship skills as expected of a police officer.

For LGBT folks thinking about their self-defense, this is what I have observed when reading about gay-bashings and anti-gay hate crimes.

- Most gay-bashings take place outside the home. Often, it is on the street near a gay bar, late at night. Therefore, anyone planning to use a gun for self-defense would need a concealed-weapons permit. Also note, possessing/using a gun while intoxicated is extremely dangerous and VERY ILLEGAL! In class, they told me: don't drink AT ALL if carrying a weapon.
- Gay-bashing attacks are usually a group of 2-6 aggressors (almost always men between age 16-30) against 1-2 victims. Be especially aware of groups of younger men, particularly if they are drunk or have hostile attitudes. Avoid engagement or confrontation if possible. Unless you have hand-to-hand fighting skills to fend off several attackers: "more than one, use a gun."
- To get more advance warning of an impending home invasion, I recommend adopting a dog. Dogs have more sensitive hearing than people and give advance warning of a "bump in the night." Shelters are overflowing with pups that need homes. Save a pup's life, and they may just return the favor someday. Look for a companion / "watch" dog, not a "guard" dog. Dogs shouldn't be trained to fight; they should just use their keen senses and alert you to any suspicious activity.

 

@ piano: This is responsible behavior and I think you're a role model for people who belong to minorities.

 

I wish the class had gone into that in more detail. That is why although I can apply for the permit, I don't think I will CCW until I have further training and a more thorough understanding of the law surrounding use of lethal force for self-defense.

The class I took had a segment taught by a company that provides insurance and legal services to CCW permit holders. The insurance costs about $12 per month and gives access to attorneys if you use lethal force and need legal assistance. While I understand the need for this type of insurance as lawyers are very expensive, it gave me a different take on some of these shooting cases in the news. Can the rich kill with impunity because they buy insurance and can throw high-powered lawyers at the problem when they weren't really justified in using lethal force?

Most people, if taught to handle a gun safely and securely, can hit a target with "minute-of-bad-guy" accuracy at 20 feet (just under 7 yards). The first shot I put on a paper target was within 2-3" of the center. I don't think it's necessarily wrong to prioritize teaching the law over expert marksmanship, because responsibility comes with power. CCW holders have the power of lethal force in their hands and must know when it is appropriate to use it.

 

I've always said "The people worried about stricter gun control are most likely the ones who should not have them." Who knows, someday I might need the assurance of having a gun in the house, but for now I'm trying to stay my best out of this at school because I live a large hunting community, and even the KIDS are worried about it. I understand waiting sucks; I've waited 3 months for a shipment to come in before, but it shouldn't take that long if you really are clean enough to get a gun.
I believe with drug charges it shouldn't necessarily be harder to get a gun, unless you have more charges because of you being high. That's my personal input.