My niece, DQ, takes care of my mother. In fact, Mom has been living on a bed in her living room for almost a year now. In general, she does a good job – i sure as hell don’t want Mom in my living room, so i’m judicious when throwing rocks.
My niece, DQ, is getting her “concealed carry” gun permit next weekend, and has been enthusiastically shopping for a gun. Trying to decide between a revolver or semi-auto. Or maybe the pretty pink* one that goes with her “Hello Kitty!” sweatshirts? Probably “semi” – doesn’t that mean less loading and more bullets?
As i watched the thread play out on her facebook page, i was clubbed over the head by the following thought: “These are not my people!”
Mind you, i have no problem with gun ownership – if i lived more than a 15 minutes away from police response**, i’d probably have a few outside dogs and a sawed off shotgun locked up somewhere in my home. Concealed carry? The right to legally strap a handgun under your coat, in your purse, or down the butt-crack of your sweatpants.
i just don’t get it. Her husband, BJ, is a sportsman, with a phenomenal gun collection – three locked gun cabinets in their utility room. So it’s not like they don’t already have guns in the household… She really doesn’t go anywhere other than doctors appointments, the grocery store, and the WalMarts. Takes Mom to play bingo once a month.
Guess she’s afraid of something. Just like her mother…
While i’ll never understand, i can guarantee that i’m not planning to drop in unexpectedly on them anytime soon.
*Google “pink handgun” and all sorts of fashionable weaponry pops up. For the true ‘femme fatale’ i suppose…
** i’m safe. there’s a donut shop just around the corner…
Trailer Park Refugee 
bless her heart, but just because she applied does it mean they’ll give her a permit? i have guns, i know how to shoot, so i’m not against gun ownership, but i swear just because you can get a permit doesn’t mean you should have one. it’s like spandex, just because it’s in your size doesn’t mean you should wear it. and i mean no offense to y’alls niece, sugar. xoxoxoxo
What is it with people and guns? Put one on somebody’s hand and they get that glazed-over look. I suppose it’s the ultimate power trip.
I was a pistol marksman in the Coast Guard but I cheated. There were three firings during the qualification. After each firing, they’d cover the hole in the target with a small piece of adhesive paper. On my third firing, I missed the target entirely but I hit the post the target was on and the vibration knocked the adhesive paper off, so some of my hits were counted twice. I wore the ribbon with pride.
Walmart is probably the place I would most want a pink gun. I also don’t have a big philosophical problem with guns. I just prefer a civilization where not everyone is walking around with a hog leg strapped to their thigh. (that’s what she said.)
Banishment — no wonder Galaragga got screwed last night — it was the karmic boomerang from your back-door ribbon, smacking the 1st Base ump in the gulliver.
Daise — You gotta love the camo shadings on that pink lady — she’ll be able to sneak up on that thievin’ pack of Skittles no problem!
A pink gun just seems wrong. It looks like a toy. Scum bags are just going to laugh at her, and then she’s going to have to shoot them. She needs a nasty looking gun. One that is going to intimidate them. Not, “Say Hello to my Little KITTY!”
Guns are wrong but pink guns are wronger than wrongest
my issue isn’t with guns. it remains an issue of stoooopid people with guns… smart people with guns are only a problem when they are blinded by rage or emotions, or drunk. that’s bad, too…
is BJ unwilling to share?
In NYS, it’s a catch-22 of having to have a gun to register your permit to but you can’t get a gun without a permit and you need a permit to get a gun to register on your permit and dear goodness, I’ve gone plaid.
The Mister has a permit and a Ruger, which is in pieces, in a locked box, hidden in the house, separate from the ammo.
Those burglars better watch the f-out.
I think I’ll stick to my catapult and winning smile ……
Those bingo sessions can get quite heated.
Pink Hello Kitty handgun ….
*sigh*
I wonder if they have a yellow Sponge Bob shotgun or rifle? (I’m not a fan of handguns)
I would so add that to my collection!
My brother has always been an avid hunter and has numerous guns. I was concerned when my niece was born but he showed me how the whole system works. Has 2 of those huge steel cabinets (keys kept in numerous hidden locations..then the ammo is hidden in a separate lock box with those keys in various places. The cabinet keys and lock box keys shall never be able to procreate. Even carrying it in his truck for hunting trips, it’s all kept separate.
I can shot a gun..at something and always hit something..they just happen to be 2 different things.
Besides..Walmart is dangerous now a days.
while the greasy haired, black painted nails, goth looking dirt bag teens are laughing at my “Hello Kitty” gun..i’ll just kick them in the nuts and run for it.
I’m not sure I can offer an intellegent comment. What a different world you guys live in.
savannah – in this state, the ‘concealed carry’ training course has absolutely NOTHING to do with your ability to shoot, understand or manage a gun. it’s about understanding the state laws that govern when, where and how you carry it… sadly, many people with permits (the course costs $100 and everyone passes) have no business packin’ heat…
unbearable banishment – you know, you OWE us photos of us in that damn uniform, buddy. with or without the gun, you know it’s hot…
chris – guns are not the issue. stupid people with guns are the issue. and we’re stuck with that… it does not make me feel safer to know that ‘bubby’ is packin’ iron in his waistband when i’m in the gas station…
blaiser – regarding the baseball incident? i am in total AWE of how that was handled. pure class – after the fact – by the ump, the pitcher and the coach. how reasonable and humane was that? no whining, no outrage. the only tears? the ump as he admitted he screwed up… amazing in modern big-dollar sports…
writerdood – ‘say hello to my little kitty’? THAT’S almost worth it… i may have to pass that along to her when she finally makes her purchase…
stephanie – i suspect BJ would share, DQ just likes to shop. oh, and they STILL have no money, but that doesn’t stop her from buying a new laptop last week and a new gun this week. i’m doin’ it wrong, apparently…
DP – i have a baseball bat under my bed. in case anyone breaks in at night and wants to play a game, i suppose… a catapult? how lovely!
kyknoord – i wonder if she’ll end up shooting mom ‘accidently’ while mom’s foraging in the kitchen for cookies at 3am… makes me a little nervous.
blazngscarlet – i’m sure they do. when it comes to weapons in this country, we got it goin’ on…
hisqueen – my sister, DQ’s mom, has a .357 magnum that is bigger than her head. she can barely lift it. i’d almost like to see her shoot it and watch it kick back and slam her in the forehead… but that’s just mean.
jon – (sigh) exactly. and even within this different world? my family lives a nearly alien existence… i am now the only one of four siblings (and a niece) who is unarmed. even my sister, the dean of graduate research at a large university, has a handgun… did i say “sigh”?
I just don’t like guns, even pink ones. Scary.
Pink gums are good though!
Say hello to my little kitty.
Wise idea to put an end to the unannounced visits!
America and its gun laws/culture is quite a spin out to me, so I read this with great interest, thanks Daisyfae
syncopated eyeball – pink gums! why yes, that’s the best way to deal with a crazy guy on a crime spree! i like it!
bearman – welcome to ‘the park’! and yes, say hello….
rubytwoshoes – i cannot argue with the constitutional right. it’s there, it was foundational. what i don’t get is that the gun lobbyists in my state are NOW arguing that they should be allowed to carry concealed firearms in establishments serving alcohol. ‘cuz everybody KNOWS that guns and booze go together like baseball and apple pie. (sigh)
I get the feeling the act of carrying a gun in public for a significant percentage of the populace is just a method that they can use to go to an extra level of assholery in daily life that they couldn’t achieve before. Like you can pin the asshole meter at 10 on your own, but with a gun at your side you not only don’t have to back down when confronted about your assholery, you can bump it up to 11. Maybe if they tried being less of an asshole, they’d have less of a reason for thinking someone would want to shoot them.
renalfailure – i think you’re onto it. license to be a dick. tucked down the front of your wrangler blue jeans… update from my niece today? “Concealed carry class is looooooooong!” as in “fuck all this training and legal stuff, i just wanna put a pink gun in my purse!”
Hmm. I don’t know. I think you’re underestimating her need for a gun. I’ve been to Wal-Mart, and the experience would have been far more enjoyable had I shot my brains out before entering the store.
Bloody ‘ell is that for real? A pink gun!
Indi
x
alonewithcats – hadn’t thought of it as a pre-emptive strike method… hmmm…
Indi – welcome to ‘the park’. and yes. she now has a pink Smith & Wesson. could not make this up… thanks for stopping by, and sorry. we’re a messed up society in these parts…
Yes, I’m not afraid of guns, I’m afraid of stupid and/or crazy people with guns like the idiot who wounded three people at Folklife a couple of years ago.