RedWhiteandRed wrote:
Houses with no guns have zero likelihood of a death from the non-existent gun.
respectfully......... what about their friends' houses red?
in this day and age we're never going to see a world without guns. a kid raised with respect for firearms is a kid who will walk away alive when his friends decide to mess around with a found gun.
snegron wrote:
LMAO! This has to be one of my favorite posts ever! This thread has spiralled over to the wildest depths of our imagination! I really hope the mods let it continue just to see how creative it gets!
p.s. My hat goes off to you Mr. Scott Mosher! You are a creative genius!
I should have noted (post will be edited) that I didn't PS that photo. its one thought that I've had on my computer for a while.
It is ironic that I just joined this fine forum for photography and the first thread I reply to is related to guns.
I don't think a good lock, a phone and a few molecules of reason is going to help.
A determined burgler can get past a good lock. Someone who breaks into your house is far beyond reason, they passed the point of reason when they decided to do something violent against someone.
A cell phone can help. However I have listened to a recording of a girl who was subject to a break-in. She was on the line with a 911 dispatcher and the whole conversation was recorded. The intruder made it all the way into her bedroom and proceeded to beat her up and rape her. She was screaming for her life and all the dispatcher could do was calmly tell her that help was on the way. Pitiful.
The average response time for a "Priority 1" call at the US capital (DC Police) is somewhere in the 6-9 minute timeframe. The avg response time for NYPD is somewhere in the 4 minute timeframe. NYPD is the largest police force in the world: 35,000+ strong.
A human can bleed to death in less than 3 minutes. You do the math.
Mr RedWhiteandRed, I respect your position. If an intruder(s) breaks into your house, I will respect your position as he/they do damage to you, your loved ones and your property. I will let you dial 911 and try to reason with them. All I ask is that you respect my right to own and use a gun.
I carry OC spray and a Ernest Emerson CQC7 whenever I have all my stuff with me.
I have a sword in my room that I could use for protection.
No really, its a civil war era sword that was given to me by my grandparents. I'm still waiting for someone to pull a knife on me in my house so I could pull a Crocodile Dundee on them
RedWhiteandRed wrote:
Houses with no guns have zero likelihood of a death from the non-existent gun.
Unless a gun is brought into that house by a criminal seeking to commit a crime, and then without a weapon to defend oneself you are at the mercy of the criminal.
This thread has drifted into emotionalism and politics instead of being a positive and supportive discussion of photography. Please, avoid the gun ownership discussion and stay on topic. Thanks for your cooperation.
Fred- I probably did not put my best foot forward when my first post goes off-topic. Please accept my apologies in advance.
Back to Nikongirl's concerns about security of her equipment (and I hope this helps other photographers to think about their security options)
Taser- It seems like a miracle solution, a non-lethal method to stop criminals. However, other people have pointed out that it won't protect against multiple attackers. There is also a time constraint. I will add this: there are two variations- the taser that shoots darts and the stun-gun version where you have to stick the device against their skin.
The problem with the stun-gun version is that you have to touch the criminal with it. If they are that close to you, you're already in really big trouble. The shooting darts version is relatively accurate...as long as your aim is accurate. If you miss, the device is useless. Criminals have also figured out a way to stop the darts from penetrating their clothing and making contact with their skin...and making contact with their skin is how the electrical current shocks them.
OC Spray (mace, pepper-spray..etc..etc..) If you're going to get this, get one that is dummy-proof to operate. The better designed canisters have a groove that naturally guides your thumb to press it, which means the nozzle is facing the criminal....not you. The best analogy I can give is...the card release latch on a Nikon D3. By looking on the back of a D3, you can see a latch that invites you to push your finger down upon to get the memory card out. You should be able to close your eyes, grab the sprayer in your hand and feel your thumb naturally slide into the grove to release the spray.
Spray is the operative word. I know it's not the first thing you're thinking about but...you have to consider wind conditions when using a spray. On a really windy day, you risk some of the spray coming back at you and temporarily blinding yourself. Also, criminals actually spray themselves repeatedly in order to get themselves used to the spray and once they are used to it...all bets are off. There is a portion of the population that do not react to spray, it's genetics. Find someone who can train you to use the spray....preferably a police officer friend.
I keep my equipment in a non-descrip rolling box and my hands free. If I feel threatened, my weak hand reaches inside a pocket and I have my thumb over the release lever. If the criminal(s) attack, it comes out. If they get inside my 21 foot personal defense radius, the knife comes out on my strong hand and...well...you can imagine the rest.
I know I am insured. If it's a level playing field, I will fight. If it's not level, I will give up but I'm still ready to fight anyway. Some gangs have started "initiations" where they have to go out and purposely hurt someone in order to prove themselves and become a member.
Whatever security method you choose, make sure to check with your local authorities on the plan....just to make sure it's legal for the town you live it. Also get trained on your method and practice if you can.
dpun wrote:
The best analogy I can give is...the card release latch on a Nikon D3. By looking on the back of a D3, you can see a latch that invites you to push your finger down upon to get the memory card out. You should be able to close your eyes, grab the sprayer in your hand and feel your thumb naturally slide into the grove to release the spray.
Dave
On no! Now it will turn into a Nikon/Canon card release argument!
I had my first sketchy photo assignment last week, where I was asked to get a nighttime shot of a less reputable downtown community. So I was out there after dark walking around with my 1Ds3 on a tripod over my shoulder. I was thinking that I may either have to hand it over, or use it as a weapon...
When I hike and backpack for landscape photography I almost always carry a gun for protection, against 2 and 4 legged creatures. But I don't see myself walking into a wedding, or walking around downtown, with a weapon. In that case I'd just hand over the goods and ask for my life in return.
Also, the Canon card release mechanism is obviously superior
This has to be one of my favorite posts ever! This thread has spiralled over to the wildest depths of our imagination! I really hope the mods let it continue just to see how creative it gets! 