Category Archives: Poll

Poll

Poll: How did the 9-11 attacks affect you?

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main_1200I remember precisely where I was the day those planes hit the World Trade Center. It had been three years since I left active duty Army, and I was part of an Army Reserve unit here in Virginia. I did my reserve duty at the Public Affairs office of the Chief of the Army Reserve once per week for several hours. The office was located in Crystal City, and we did a lot of work at the Pentagon.

It was my son’s fourth birthday, and we were looking forward to a birthday dinner for the munchkin, who demanded we go to a Chinese buffet place in town, because it had pizza. (No one said four year old boys had to make sense, right?) I was at the office, working my civilian job and chatting with a friend via instant messenger.

And then all hell broke loose.

We stopped work. We gathered in our conference room. We turned the TV on and watched in horror as the news replayed the scene over and over again.

I tried my military supervisor at Crystal City, but all cell service was down.

I tried my husband. Nothing.

I couldn’t take it after a while, so I left my office and went to pick up my son, whose kindergarten only lasted half the day.

It was hard to explain to that little boy what happened. He knew bad people had attacked us and flew planes into buildings. He knew a lot of people died. He knew his daddy was a federal police officer and was called away. He knew we would not be having a family birthday dinner at the Chinese buffet place.

For years after that birthday, he became hypervigilant. He would demand I help him “clear” his room of monsters. I’d have my gun, and he’d have his little toy guns, and together we would clear his room before bed.

I started training more, and I think I became hypervigilant myself. I was terrified something would happen to my kids. I started writing more about civil rights and joined several gun rights organizations.

So now, on the 15th anniversary of that horrible day, think back. How were you affected by the attacks? Were you affected at all?

You can choose as many answers as appropriate, or add one of your own.

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Poll

Poll: Superpowers

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Oliver Queen as Arrow
Oliver Queen as Arrow

For this week’s poll, I figure we could have some fun. We’re always so serious, given the constant attacks on our rights. But maybe it’s time to chill and put reality aside.

As many of you know, I’m a nerd. I will watch any superhero show or movie anytime. I prefer Marvel to DC, although I’m a huge fan of the Arrow, and I think the new Wonder Woman movie with Israeli superstar Gal Gadot is going to be fantastic!

We’ve explored the many reasons why our members and readers carry firearms. Self defense seems to be an overwhelmingly popular reason to carry – whether concealed or openly. We understand that police cannot be there to protect us all the time. They merely come out after a crime happens to clean up the mess.

Most of the time, it’s up to us.

A few days ago, I finally saw Suicide Squad. Predictably, I loved it, and I found myself wishing I had the skill to hit my target every time like Deadshot. The movie was followed by several days of binge watching Arrow and being jealous of just how accurate his archery skills were. So I got to thinking…

What kind of superpower or skill would you want to have most, given how important defense of ourselves and our families is to most of us? Replies below. You can always explain your choice in the comments.

Have fun!

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Poll

The greatest current threat to gun rights?

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orlando-shooting-about-terror-not-gun-controlGun rights are constantly under attack. Anytime a shooting happens, gun control groups and anti-gun legislators spring into action in an effort to condemn our Second Amendment rights.

As soon as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died, Barack Obama tried to install a new Justice – Merrick Garland – who likely would have been a disaster for our gun rights.

Gun grabbers use any strategy they can, including lies and obfuscation to opportunistically push their agenda, and some gun owners and organizations are only too happy to compromise away our rights – either out of fear of losing even more, a desire to appease the clamoring hordes, or a simple lack of understanding of our gun rights and our Constitution.

With all the threats out there, what do you think is the biggest one? These are hard choices, but intentionally so. Maybe once we figure out what you all believe is the biggest threat and why, we can figure out how to address it. Together.

Provide as much or as little by way of explanation for your choice in the comments, but do comment and let us know the reason for your choice.

 

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gun control, Poll

Poll: The Next 2A Supreme Court Case

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AK-74There have been several Supreme Court events pertaining to the Second Amendment during the past year.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-2 vote that domestic abusers convicted of misdemeanors can be barred from owning firearms.

The Court also refused to hear a challenge to the Connecticut “assault” weapons ban that outlaws many popular semi-automatic rifles, in effect allowing the ban to stand.

This year the Court also overturned a Massachusetts decision that determined that stun guns were not covered by the Second Amendment, siding instead with a woman who said she carried one as protection against an abusive former boyfriend.

In recent years, we’ve also seen Supreme Court victories such as Heller and MacDonald, so the Court’s Second Amendment record has been somewhat mixed.

Given what we know, which Second Amendment case would you like to see the Supreme Court take on next? Do you trust it to impartially rule on any gun-related issue?

 

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guns, Poll

Poll: Trouble for Olympic Shooting Sports

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Even if you haven’t watched every minute of the Olympic Games, you have to know something odd is happening with Olympic shooting sports.

RioOlympicsShootingWomen-f039cDuring her first Olympic showing, 19-year-old Ginny Thrasher became the first gold medal winner for the United States and the first medal winner of this year’s Olympiad after firing an unbeatable score in the Women’s 10-meter Air Rifle event.

It is no doubt a feat to be proud of, and yet, the American teenager faced sneering and snark from the likes of Piers Morgan and whining has-been Wil Wheaton (aka Star Trek’s Wesley Crusher), who instead of appreciating her achievement, decided to wax sarcastic about America and guns on social media.

Kim Rhode won a bronze medal in skeet shooting last week, and in the process became the first woman to take the podium in six straight Olympic Games. And yet, big name sponsors want nothing to do with her, because GUNZ!

An odious bill entitled the HEART Act, which I briefly discussed in last week’s poll threatens to shut down youth shooting sports.

Are things really that grim, or are shooting sports going to come out of this just fine? That’s the subject of today’s poll. What’s the danger? Let us know.

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Poll

Poll: A Good Time for Machine Guns

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My son was eight years old when he fired his first machine gun. It was an MP5 9mm automatic that a nice man at the range offered to let him fire.

He was 11 years old here. Very small for his age.
He was 11 years old here. Very small for his age, with a lot of hair!

I stood behind him, helping his little hands control the weapon, and the gentleman stood next to me, also behind my son, guiding him.

Danny had been exposed to firearms since he was probably four years old. He knew gun safety rules before he learned how to tie his shoelaces. Prior to his range trip, he had fired numerous firearms under supervision, and I felt he was ready to try something new that day.

Not everyone thinks that children should be taught to use these firearms, let alone semi-automatic rifles. Two hoplophobic imbeciles last month introduced separate bills – one in the Senate, and one in the House – nauseatingly named the Help End Assault Rifle Tragedies (HEART) Act to prevent young people from using these firearms.

We’ll discuss these noxious proposals more in depth in a separate article. For now, we’d like to know when you believe is a good time to introduce youngsters to automatic weapons.

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Poll

Poll: Buying New Guns?

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gunsA recent Rasmussen poll reported that Americans are buying guns at a record pace.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that nearly one-out-of-four Americans (23%) say they or someone in their immediate family has bought a gun in the past year. Seventy percent (70%) have not, but six percent (6%) aren’t sure.

The majority of the respondents claim their purchases are for self defense. What about you guys? Are you purchasing more guns? Why?

Let us know below.

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Poll

Poll: The Democratic Party Platform

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Hillary-Clinton-Gun-Control-600x337Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Democrats have “perfected” their party platform, if you can call it that. The platform unsurprisingly includes their gun control plans, otherwise known as all the different ways they plan to infringe on your right to keep and bear arms.

So our question today is simple: what are they likely to focus on first?

It’s been hard for them to pass any kind of gun control measure, given the public’s lack of support and Republican majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but it doesn’t mean they won’t try. So where do you think they’re likely to strike next?

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hoplophobia, Poll, Terrorism

POLL: Will hoplophobes finally get that it’s not all about GUNS?

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After last week’s monstrous mass-murder-by-truck in France, is it possible that American hoplophobes will finally begin to get that guns aren’t the problem — that vicious humans are the problem and that they’ll use any weapon to carry out their evil will? Give your opinion here or below.


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Poll, Uncategorized

Poll: How will gun owners’ legal status change in the next five years?

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This week’s poll requires no explanation. It simply asks how (or whether) the legal status of guns and gun owners will change in the next five years.

Of course, there’s really nothing simple about that question. But polish up your crystal ball and tell us what you see. You can give details in comments.

Oh, and if you don’t personally care about the legal status of guns and gun owners because your rights are above the law, fine. I know that’s a common view hereabouts (and I’m glad it is). But this question looks at the legal, not philosophical, issues.


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