I just finished my NRA Basic Pistol class this weekend so that I can get the NRA Handgun Instructor certification next weekend. Personally, aside from having loved guns (and all other arms and armor) since I was in kindergarten, I’ve been competing in hit factor and PCSL matches for a few years. My intent is to offer free one-on-one classes to people in underserved communities that wouldn’t be comfortable around the kind of people that are normally firearms instructors. (Like, the person I took the class from seemed pretty cool, until he was talking to the RSO, and hooooooooly shit, dude’s pretty far right; apparently I can camouflage as being far right just because I know a lot about guns and shoot pretty okay.
Thing is, the right to keep and bear arms is both a universal civil right for Americans and is an individual right. (The last part is pretty clear when you look at the historical context; not only were individuals allowed to own firearms, but able bodied men were obligated to own military-appropriate arms, and be ready to be called up if they were needed.) Yes, it is for self-defense–that’s inherited from English common law–but that’s not the primary intent.
It’s an incredibly privileged take to think that you can remove guns from the people, leave them in the hands of the gov’t, and thing that you’re gonna be just fine.
raoulduke85@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Trump literally said he was for banning guns to people who are mentally unstable. When they rewrite what mentally unstable means, it means if you’re trans, lgtbq, take antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiety…
Also, us liberals are buying guns faster than MAGAts. We don’t fuck around.
TheOriginalGregToo@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Wait, are you suggesting that taking antidepressants, antipsychotics, or having anxiety aren’t forms of mental instability? That’s quite literally the definition. Seems super reasonable that we wouldn’t want someone in that position to own a firearm.
surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
I’m trying to think of a way to phrase this that you might understand…
Let’s say your left arm is weaker than your right arm, because you only yank your hog with your right hand. Your left arm isn’t unstable, but it has some weakness compared to your normal nightly lover. But if you got that left hand a textured glove, then it would be just as good as righty. Maybe even better because you do like the variety.
That’s what antidepressants are. They’re a small kick in the serotonin to get people to feel normal.
Mentally unstable isn’t that. Unstable are the people with rage issues. You know the ones. You’ll hang out with them sometimes, but if they’re going too hard at the bar, you duck out early because they’re gonna do something stupid.
raoulduke85@lemm.ee 23 hours ago
Maybe you don’t know what the fuck mental instability means? Someone could have some anxiety and not have to be put in a hospital because they may hurt themselves or others. I wonder if the J6 ers took anxiety meds or were trans? Id feel safer next to someone who takes antidepressants than a J6er.
Ziglin@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
I mean I wouldn’t trust myself with a gun and I’m not even on antidepressants… So uh yeah probably don’t give me one but that does also apply to transphobes and pretty much everybody else, who isn’t a hunter by trade or just uses them at shooting ranges and keeps them there.
stopdropandprole@lemmy.world 2 days ago
“Under No Pretense”