Safety

[fish37town]

I am writing this in English, last Monday Nov 1st I had to take my husband out of Rehab in Lawton, OK. to drive him to OK City in OK.I have to tell you that my husband is a Vietnam veteran had his left leg amputated below his knee, in one month he had 5 operations. Anyway, I am furious at the city of Lawton, OK, when we returned to the Rehab Ctr, Comanche Hospital, Lawton, OK and parked in the designated spot of the hospital, a man was sitting feet on the ground in his car, where we were supposed to be parking and letting my husband out of our car getting him in his wheelchair. Well we couldn't do that, as this man was parked there. We thought that someone was getting a wheelchair and getting this man into the hospital, so we waited and waited and waited. Finally, I approached this man and explained the situation to him courteousely I was and still am stunned, this man went ballistic. He used the worst language cursed us, and unfortunately my husband replied, well I only have one leg but I can still whoop your butt, I was upset at my husband's remark and told him just regard this man. Well we did, when this man just came with a baseball bat swinging at us, fortunately the Rehab staff was leaving for the day and came over to help us. I informed the hospital about this incident. This is a community hospital, people of all walks of life go into this hospital, believe me this hospital is not poor, but they are too stingy to put security in places needed. I am not satisfied with the answer I received from the hospital still waiting for an apology and I will fight that this hospital will put a security guard in this secition of the hospital. Everybody asked me can't you remember the license plate of this man's car. I can't, it was like a movie rolling down in front of my eyes. I have lived a long time in the States, but I didn't expect this in OK rather in So CA where I lived for a long time. My husband always wanted to teach me how use a gun, I always refused, but now I will learn!!

[serabe]

I am writing this in English, last Monday Nov 1st I had to take my husband out of Rehab in Lawton, OK. to drive him to OK City in OK.I have to tell you that my husband is a Vietnam veteran had his left leg amputated below his knee, in one month he had 5 operations. Anyway, I am furious at the city of Lawton, OK, when we returned to the Rehab Ctr, Comanche Hospital, Lawton, OK and parked in the designated spot of the hospital, a man was sitting feet on the ground in his car, where we were supposed to be parking and letting my husband out of our car getting him in his wheelchair. Well we couldn't do that, as this man was parked there. We thought that someone was getting a wheelchair and getting this man into the hospital, so we waited and waited and waited. Finally, I approached this man and explained the situation to him courteousely I was and still am stunned, this man went ballistic. He used the worst language cursed us, and unfortunately my husband replied, well I only have one leg but I can still whoop your butt, I was upset at my husband's remark and told him just regard this man. Well we did, when this man just came with a baseball bat swinging at us, fortunately the Rehab staff was leaving for the day and came over to help us. I informed the hospital about this incident. This is a community hospital, people of all walks of life go into this hospital, believe me this hospital is not poor, but they are too stingy to put security in places needed. I am not satisfied with the answer I received from the hospital still waiting for an apology and I will fight that this hospital will put a security guard in this secition of the hospital. Everybody asked me can't you remember the license plate of this man's car. I can't, it was like a movie rolling down in front of my eyes. I have lived a long time in the States, but I didn't expect this in OK rather in So CA where I lived for a long time. My husband always wanted to teach me how use a gun, I always refused, but now I will learn!!

Do you actually think that you can shoot somebody? Because, if you have a gun and threaten somebody with it, you also must be ready to shoot if you have to. Especially if that somebody will pull a gun, too. Do you really think you can shoot a human being and aim well enough in a stressful situation to defend yourself? And after you shot somebody, could you live with the knowledge that you caused somebody permanent damage (like paralization) or that you even killed somebody? And don't just say "Yes" but really think about it.

Can you make sure to keep the gun in a safe place where e.g. no children can get a hold of it and hurt themselves or somebody else? Will you keep it in your glove department and take the risk that a cop could feel threatened when you get out your papers and he sees it?

I for myself am just not convinced that owning a gun keeps us safer. I think there are other ways to protect ourselves. In your situation I probably would have got in my car, driven around the block and called the staff of the hospital from my cell to make them aware of the situation.

I'm sorry all this happened to you and I'm with you that it was not right of this man to occupy this parking spot for no reason. And of course I can understand that his reaction was not appropiate at all and that you felt threatened. But there are people like that. Who knows, maybe he was a Vietnam vet, too, with psychological problems caused by whatever he went thru over there. I don't know.

I hope you can find a solution to this problem with the hospital and that you won't have to experience anything like that again.

[Poohle]

Do you actually think that you can shoot somebody? Because, if you have a gun and threaten somebody with it, you also must be ready to shoot if you have to. Especially if that somebody will pull a gun, too. Do you really think you can shoot a human being and aim well enough in a stressful situation to defend yourself? And after you shot somebody, could you live with the knowledge that you caused somebody permanent damage (like paralization) or that you even killed somebody? And don't just say "Yes" but really think about it.

Can you make sure to keep the gun in a safe place where e.g. no children can get a hold of it and hurt themselves or somebody else? Will you keep it in your glove department and take the risk that a cop could feel threatened when you get out your papers and he sees it?

I for myself am just not convinced that owning a gun keeps us safer. I think there are other ways to protect ourselves. In your situation I probably would have got in my car, driven around the block and called the staff of the hospital from my cell to make them aware of the situation.

I'm sorry all this happened to you and I'm with you that it was not right of this man to occupy this parking spot for no reason. And of course I can understand that his reaction was not appropiate at all and that you felt threatened. But there are people like that. Who knows, maybe he was a Vietnam vet, too, with psychological problems caused by whatever he went thru over there. I don't know.

I hope you can find a solution to this problem with the hospital and that you won't have to experience anything like that again.

i agree 100% .........guns dont fix nothing but create more problems. i am against guns and also think there are different ways to take care of a situation like that.

[Charlie]

i agree 100% .........guns dont fix nothing but create more problems. i am against guns and also think there are different ways to take care of a situation like that.

While I agree concerning this specific situation, and I agree that guns IN PUBLIC usually create more problems (and I think laws against concealed handguns should be in place everywhere), your statement itself is too general for me.

What about a gun inside your home? It can come in very handy.....
If someone broke in my home, especially while I was alone and threatened me and my animals, I would feel a lot better if I had a gun to defend myself (I think hitting a burglar with a frying pan went out of practice decades ago..... )

We have weapons placed strategically all over the house, so wherever I am, I have access to one if someone breaks into my home.

Luckily most petty thieves are deterred by the loud barking from inside the place. But some people are very desperate (esp. when they are on drugs and need to get the money for more....Alaska has a huge problem with drugs and alcohol), and they might try to get into the house after all. I would never want to feel defenseless when someone breaks into my "safety zone", and I would also never want to have to watch someone hurt my animals without being able to defend them.

That's why I believe that it's ok to keep a gun in the house (and use it, if I need to).

CW

[serabe]

While I agree concerning this specific situation, and I agree that guns IN PUBLIC usually create more problems (and I think laws against concealed handguns should be in place everywhere), your statement itself is too general for me.

What about a gun inside your home? It can come in very handy.....
If someone broke in my home, especially while I was alone and threatened me and my animals, I would feel a lot better if I had a gun to defend myself (I think hitting a burglar with a frying pan went out of practice decades ago..... )

We have weapons placed strategically all over the house, so wherever I am, I have access to one if someone breaks into my home.

Luckily most petty thieves are deterred by the loud barking from inside the place. But some people are very desperate (esp. when they are on drugs and need to get the money for more....Alaska has a huge problem with drugs and alcohol), and they might try to get into the house after all. I would never want to feel defenseless when someone breaks into my "safety zone", and I would also never want to have to watch someone hurt my animals without being able to defend them.

That's why I believe that it's ok to keep a gun in the house (and use it, if I need to).

CW

Do you keep them in your house loaded or do you keep the guns and the ammunition in the same place? If yes, do you ever have guests? Could they get a hold of the guns and hurt somebody accidentally? If no, do you think you'll have time to load them in case somebody breaks in?

I still believe that more people get hurt by guns accidentally than people actually get saved by them. My husband told me that his friend almost got shot by his wife when he got home from work unexpectedly in the middle of the night and she thought he was an intruder. Luckily she was too stressed out to pull the trigger, even though she had lots of practice using the gun on a firing range.

[Charlie]

Do you keep them in your house loaded or do you keep the guns and the ammunition in the same place? If yes, do you ever have guests? Could they get a hold of the guns and hurt somebody accidentally? If no, do you think you'll have time to load them in case somebody breaks in?
Yes, we do keep them loaded with the safety on (exactly for the reason you listed, there probably wouldn't be enough time to load them if you needed them in an emergency.) But 1. we do not have many guests, 2. the guns are not easily accessible, and guests would not even know where they are and 3. we would never have guests who would touch our guns....that's not done in Alaska, it's a no-no!

(I have to add, though, that we don't have any children, and if we ever had guests with children, I would lock the guns away before they arrived...we do have a gunsafe as well).

I still believe that more people get hurt by guns accidentally than people actually get saved by them. My husband told me that his friend almost got shot by his wife when he got home from work unexpectedly in the middle of the night and she thought he was an intruder. Luckily she was too stressed out to pull the trigger, even though she had lots of practice using the gun on a firing range.

Oops.....that would not have been good....
Well, my honey works during the day and is home where he belongs at night, so the danger of that happening is slightly less at our house. Also, maybe it would be a good idea for your husband's friend to call out something like "Honey, I'm home" if he plans to come home unexpectedly in the middle of the night again

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that everybody should have a gun in the house for protection.....far from it. But I want to be able to have it in the house if I choose to, since I want to be able to defend myself, and I think eberybody should have that right, that's why I couldn't agree with the general statement in that posting.

[serabe]

@CWR2005

I wish all gun owners would be as reasonable and responsible as you are. I think then the whole gun issue would be less of a hot topic. I know Americans have the right to bear arms and I accept that. I also can understand that in some areas it's a really good idea to keep one. I just wish everybody who wants to own a gun would have to take safety and gun handling classes first before they can buy one. It always makes me sad to read in the news that somebody got badly injured or killed because simple steps to prevent such a tragedy where ignored. And the idea of calling out when you get home unexpectedly is definetely a good one.

[Poohle]

While I agree concerning this specific situation, and I agree that guns IN PUBLIC usually create more problems (and I think laws against concealed handguns should be in place everywhere), your statement itself is too general for me.

What about a gun inside your home? It can come in very handy.....
If someone broke in my home, especially while I was alone and threatened me and my animals, I would feel a lot better if I had a gun to defend myself (I think hitting a burglar with a frying pan went out of practice decades ago..... )

We have weapons placed strategically all over the house, so wherever I am, I have access to one if someone breaks into my home.
im sorry but sounds to me like your paranoid.......

Luckily most petty thieves are deterred by the loud barking from inside the place. But some people are very desperate (esp. when they are on drugs and need to get the money for more....Alaska has a huge problem with drugs and alcohol), and they might try to get into the house after all. I would never want to feel defenseless when someone breaks into my "safety zone", and I would also never want to have to watch someone hurt my animals without being able to defend them.

That's why I believe that it's ok to keep a gun in the house (and use it, if I need to).

CW

we have no guns in our home........and im certain there never will be one! it is not even sure if a gun really saves your life if it is stored somewhere else, unless you sleep with that thing under your pillow. and i have kids in the house all the time so loaded or not dosent make a difference to me. im against guns and thats that.