Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms have one job. Guns are not and never have been defensive weapons. They are offensive weapons. They do not protect, except in very rare circumstances^^* and mostly by threat.
^^* Less rare though in the USA and countries at war.
A firearm is a tool, like any other tool, there to be used when or if needed, like the pressure washer in my garage that gets pulled out every 3 years or so. Or the Hilti drill my father left me that I've never used but might someday (probably not).
The only civilians (non-war) who use firearms offensively are criminals. Home invasion happens and I shoot the people who weren't kind enough to knock, that's not offense. The threat is the defense, kind of like an ICBM, you don't have to use it for it to be effective at its job.
As soon as there is a gun restriction proposal that actually impacts criminals with guns (nearly exclusively hand guns) rather than those that legally own them, 2A supporters (including the NRA) would probably be willing to engage in a reasonable discussion. Banning rifles (which seems to be the end game) will be as effective at gun violence prevention as banning drugs has been (and those we can't even keep out of prisons).
My grandfather used his (now mine) .30-06 to put food on the table in lean times. I've taken it to the range a few times, and I know I have it in the event of a zombie apocalypse, a Carrington level solar event, or Yellowstone lets go. (Really it's just another tool I will pass to my son, like my father's Hilti).
How often do people use fire extinguishers? Or smoke alarms?
The fact that people use them rarely means they shouldn't have them? Or be allowed to have them?
Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms have one job. Guns are not and never have been defensive weapons. They are offensive weapons. They do not protect, except in very rare circumstances^^* and mostly by threat.
^^* Less rare though in the USA and countries at war.
My take:
A firearm is a tool, like any other tool, there to be used when or if needed, like the pressure washer in my garage that gets pulled out every 3 years or so. Or the Hilti drill my father left me that I've never used but might someday (probably not).
The only civilians (non-war) who use firearms offensively are criminals. Home invasion happens and I shoot the people who weren't kind enough to knock, that's not offense. The threat is the defense, kind of like an ICBM, you don't have to use it for it to be effective at its job.
As soon as there is a gun restriction proposal that actually impacts criminals with guns (nearly exclusively hand guns) rather than those that legally own them, 2A supporters (including the NRA) would probably be willing to engage in a reasonable discussion. Banning rifles (which seems to be the end game) will be as effective at gun violence prevention as banning drugs has been (and those we can't even keep out of prisons).
My grandfather used his (now mine) .30-06 to put food on the table in lean times. I've taken it to the range a few times, and I know I have it in the event of a zombie apocalypse, a Carrington level solar event, or Yellowstone lets go. (Really it's just another tool I will pass to my son, like my father's Hilti).