Gun Owning Nurses

[hppygr8ful]

I know that gun ownership is a hot button issue but I was just wondering how you all feel about nurses being gun owners. I recently acquired a very nice hunting rifle that was handed down from my dad. None of the boys wanted it so I jumped at it since I had many happy memories of hunting and target shooting with my dad. It is a stunningly Beautiful Henry Golden Boy in perfect condition. I have not gone shooting in almost 30 years so I took it to the range and familiarized myself again with all aspects of the gun and how to clean and store it with a range master.

Someone at work asked me what I had done that weekend and I said I went shooting. She arched her eyebrows and said something guns weren't very nurse-like.

This is not a handgun - but a family heirloom. I doubt I'll ever shoot it off the range but I may give it to my son when he is a grown man.

Hppy

[heron, ASN, RN]

No one is badgering you LOL. Go to your safe space with some hot cocoa.

Well, since you've been careful to avoid quoting the actual statements that you found so flippant and offensive, I have to assume that you asked your original question in order to pick a fight. Maybe that's what's frustrating you - no one in this thread is opposed to you having guns, so you just have to pretend we are so you can get something off your chest. Oh, well ... I hope it helped.

[WoundcarePhilRN]

I asked you to go re-read your post. Secondly, if you bothered to read the second post you will notice quotation marks around your words I did find flippant. No one is picking a fight here, seems you just want to complain. Try actually reading what was written in these post here. I have nothing to get off my chest, I think I made that clear to you when I stated, "I don't care what you think." Can't really get much clearer than that. So take a look at your own words please before making statements like that. I live in the real world, I'm not pretending about anything.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

No one is badgering you LOL. Go to your safe space with some hot cocoa.

Baloney. You're badgering another poster who said she didn't want guns. It happens to be perfectly fine for other people to live their lives in a way that's different from WoundcarePhil. The vast majority of people go through their entire lives without suffering a home invasion. Odds are she will be just peachy without any heat. Now you go drink some hot cocoa. LOL.

[heron, ASN, RN]

I asked you to go re-read your post. Secondly, if you bothered to read the second post you will notice quotation marks around your words I did find flippant. No one is picking a fight here, seems you just want to complain. Try actually reading what was written in these post here. I have nothing to get off my chest, I think I made that clear to you when I stated, "I don't care what you think." Can't really get much clearer than that. So take a look at your own words please before making statements like that. I live in the real world, I'm not pretending about anything.

I just did - the only quotes I used were around "no, thanks", "nurse-like" and "women's clothes".

How is that flippant?

ETA: the remark about women's clothes was a reference to an old-time dyke's response to a question about why she didn't wear women's clothes. She said, "If I'm wearing them, they are women's clothes." Was that the part that bothered you? Or was it "nurse-like", when I was actually agreeing with the group that guns are perfectly appropriate for nurses who choose to own them.

On the other hand, if you are upset because I politely declined to own a gun myself by saying "no thanks", then I think you need to check yourself.

[WoundcarePhilRN]

The bigger question here would be: Why would 2 men kick in your backdoor at 3 am?????

It is not common occurrence IMO.

People who just want to steal stuff will not chose that kind of action and always go for the less dangerous thing and chose a place that is not occupied during the day and not kick in a door either.

This scenario is unlikely to happen to a normal person. Does it happen - yeah probably somewhere - but it is not daily occurrence in the US.

If you live in high crime cities/areas outside of the US, are engaged in crime yourself, gang activities and such - yes that will target you and will make your life much unsafer. But in that case owning guns will also only do so much.

I grew up with violence. People who are involved in any kind of crime or gang activity will always have a higher risk of getting injured or killed. It is something that happens because of their actions. But if you are a normal person, who lives a normal live - even though you may be low income or live in a less than ideal neighborhood - chances are you will never encounter your scenario simply because there is not much reason for 2 men to kick in your backdoor. And if that was to happen because they confuse your house or what not - if they are kicking in your backdoor - they have guns. And they are determined and will use them. The second they realize you have a gun or try to get your gun you become an instant object that is dangerous and you will be shot. Even if they came to let's say take you super expensive TV that they saw through the window or if they came to steal some jewelry. Chances are that if they came to steal stuff and you are unarmed and allow them to take the TV and what not - they will just take the stuff and run. Because that is what they came for in the first place.

Your scenario is not only unlikely to happen to a normal person not involved in criminal activities or rich in the US, also your desired outcome is unlikely and often more like a wishful thinking kind of thing that is not rooted in reality.

Guess what - in incidents with active shooters in healthcare settings there are examples of what is successful in ending scenarios like that before the police arrives. And it is usually older folks who just jump that person (no gun involved - the power of more than one person).

Or people who defend their store against armed robberies - ever seen those videos were people just grab a broom and jump over the counter? determination is key and not necessarily a gun.

However - despite my person attitude and preference - I am not against people owning a gun. I do not support carrying concealed on hospital property though.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Did someone just hijack WoundcarePhil's account?

[WoundcarePhilRN]

Did someone just hijack WoundcarePhil's account?

[nutella, MSN, RN]

The bigger question here would be: Why would 2 men kick in your backdoor at 3 am?????

It is not common occurrence IMO.

People who just want to steal stuff will not chose that kind of action and always go for the less dangerous thing and chose a place that is not occupied during the day and not kick in a door either.

This scenario is unlikely to happen to a normal person. Does it happen - yeah probably somewhere - but it is not daily occurrence in the US.

If you live in high crime cities/areas outside of the US, are engaged in crime yourself, gang activities and such - yes that will target you and will make your life much unsafer. But in that case owning guns will also only do so much.

I grew up with violence. People who are involved in any kind of crime or gang activity will always have a higher risk of getting injured or killed. It is something that happens because of their actions. But if you are a normal person, who lives a normal live - even though you may be low income or live in a less than ideal neighborhood - chances are you will never encounter your scenario simply because there is not much reason for 2 men to kick in your backdoor. And if that was to happen because they confuse your house or what not - if they are kicking in your backdoor - they have guns. And they are determined and will use them. The second they realize you have a gun or try to get your gun you become an instant object that is dangerous and you will be shot. Even if they came to let's say take you super expensive TV that they saw through the window or if they came to steal some jewelry. Chances are that if they came to steal stuff and you are unarmed and allow them to take the TV and what not - they will just take the stuff and run. Because that is what they came for in the first place.

Your scenario is not only unlikely to happen to a normal person not involved in criminal activities or rich in the US, also your desired outcome is unlikely and often more like a wishful thinking kind of thing that is not rooted in reality.

Guess what - in incidents with active shooters in healthcare settings there are examples of what is successful in ending scenarios like that before the police arrives. And it is usually older folks who just jump that person (no gun involved - the power of more than one person).

Or people who defend their store against armed robberies - ever seen those videos were people just grab a broom and jump over the counter? determination is key and not necessarily a gun.

However - despite my person attitude and preference - I am not against people owning a gun. I do not support carrying concealed on hospital property though.

actually this sounds very much like my response and not herons!

Anyhow - this is my point of view based on my experience, based on my training to defend myself, my success in defending myself without a gun, and my general philosophy on perceived safety - of course my view is influenced by a bunch of other things that may or may not apply to anybody else.

You ask what to do when somebody enters your house in the early am? Well - that is up to you.

I am not deluding myself into thinking that the decision I made for myself also has to be right for everybody else or even desired! I am stating my opinion - but I am respecting other people's opinion and their choices.

One thing that I want to mention is that some people (or perhaps many - I don't know) connect "not carrying a gun" with "being a victim" or reverse - carrying a gun means that "they will never be a victim again". I understand that somebody who feels victimized or was victimized can "feel" safer owning a gun - however, there is more to it. If you "feel" safer - you will also carry yourself in a different way and your body language will reflect that. A strong body language that signals "I am not a victim" often discourages people to target a specific person. This is a known fact and taught in self-defense classes and is more about awareness of what our body language gets across.

So of course if you are convinced that carrying will result in your safety - this conviction will also translate into behavior that is different. I hope that makes sense.

I have no objections towards people engaging in target shooting as a sports or as a means to "relax" - it can be very meditative.

Luckily, I do not feel the need to own a gun. I see that as in indicator that I am a very lucky person because it means that I feel safe - which is a good thing. I am not in denial - there may be a time in the future when I decide that I need to own a gun but that is not the case right now. I have no hesitation when it comes to defending my life or the life of my family. If somebody was to enter my house in early am I would be able to defend myself without a gun - there are other things I can and have used.

I hope that you (or anybody for that matter) never have to use a gun.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

Did someone just hijack WoundcarePhil's account?

Heron - I think Phil is actually quoting me.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Heron - I think Phil is actually quoting me.

Can't find any of those terrible quotation marks - but maybe you're right. Think someone should tell him about the quote button?

[allnurses Admin Team]

Thread closed for review after reports.