What Handguns Have Done for America

[Dale]

The National Rifle Association likes to claim that all adult men are somehow part of "the militia." Somehow this absurd notion justifies widespread ownership of handguns, although handguns have no military value.

Handguns do have a place in American history. Alexander Hamilton died after being shot by Aaron Burr in a duel in 1804.

President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head with a handgun at close range by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. Perhaps Lincoln could have managed the aftermath of the Civil War better than Andrew Johnson and his successors. We will never know.

James Garfield may be one of the most able men ever elected President. Again, we will never know if his qualifications would have led to a successful presidency. Shortly after taking office, he was shot at close range with a handgun by a disappointed office seeker, Charles Guiteau. Garfield died some months later.

In his second term, President William McKinley was shot and killed by an anarchist. The assassin, Leon Czolgosz, concealed a handgun under a handkerchief.

In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was running for President as a Progressive. In Milwaukee, he was shot with a 38 caliber revolver. TR recovered and the assailant, Joseph Schrank, was found insane.

In 1933, President-elect Franklin Roosevelt was speaking in Miami. The Mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak, was there. An angry assailant, Guiseppe Zangara, opened fire, hitting five people and killing Anton Cermak.

Bobby Kennedy might well have captured the Democratic nomination and been elected President in 1968. Instead, after winning the California primary, he was shot and killed with a handgun by Sirhan Sirhan.

George Wallace was shot with a handgun in an assassination attempt in Laurel, Maryland in May of 1972. Wallace was seeking the Democratic nomination. He was paralyzed in the legs but continued to hold political office.

A couple of months after taking office as President, Ronald Reagan was shot with a handgun by Arthur Bremer. Reagan was shot in the chest. Surgeons removed the bullet and Reagan made a full recovery after being hospitalized for a month. Press Secretary James Brady was hit in the head by another bullet from Bremer's gun and sustained serious brain damage. Bremer was found insane.

Although handguns have no military value, they have taken a terrible toll on American leadership.

 

[grasping the after wind]

The National Rifle Association likes to claim that all adult men are somehow part of "the militia." Somehow this absurd notion justifies widespread ownership of handguns, although handguns have no military value.

Handguns do have a place in American history. Alexander Hamilton died after being shot by Aaron Burr in a duel in 1804.

President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head with a handgun at close range by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. Perhaps Lincoln could have managed the aftermath of the Civil War better than Andrew Johnson and his successors. We will never know.

James Garfield may be one of the most able men ever elected President. Again, we will never know if his qualifications would have led to a successful presidency. Shortly after taking office, he was shot at close range with a handgun by a disappointed office seeker, Charles Guiteau. Garfield died some months later.

In his second term, President William McKinley was shot and killed by an anarchist. The assassin, Leon Czolgosz, concealed a handgun under a handkerchief.

In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was running for President as a Progressive. In Milwaukee, he was shot with a 38 caliber revolver. TR recovered and the assailant, Joseph Schrank, was found insane.

In 1933, President-elect Franklin Roosevelt was speaking in Miami. The Mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak, was there. An angry assailant, Guiseppe Zangara, opened fire, hitting five people and killing Anton Cermak.

Bobby Kennedy might well have captured the Democratic nomination and been elected President in 1968. Instead, after winning the California primary, he was shot and killed with a handgun by Sirhan Sirhan.

George Wallace was shot with a handgun in an assassination attempt in Laurel, Maryland in May of 1972. Wallace was seeking the Democratic nomination. He was paralyzed in the legs but continued to hold political office.

A couple of months after taking office as President, Ronald Reagan was shot with a handgun by Arthur Bremer. Reagan was shot in the chest. Surgeons removed the bullet and Reagan made a full recovery after being hospitalized for a month. Press Secretary James Brady was hit in the head by another bullet from Bremer's gun and sustained serious brain damage. Bremer was found insane.

Although handguns have no military value, they have taken a terrible toll on American leadership.

Handguns are much more efficient in self defense at a close range than rifles. A woman being assaulted might have a harder time defending herself with a rifle or shotgun than a handgun. The constitution does not specify what type of arms or how militarily effective an arm must be at which point it will allow Congress to make laws abridging the right to carry arms. If one does not like the 2nd amendment one would be better off attempting to get it repealed rather than making irrelevant points about how militarily useful particular armaments might be.

 

[A Realist]

....handguns have no military value.

I would venture to say that many veterans who have had to use them in combat would disagree.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Although handguns have no military value, they have taken a terrible toll on American leadership.

Pistol side arms are still an important military weapon.

M1911 pistol - Wikipedia

Air Force Follows Navy in Adopting New Army Sidearm

 

[joshua 1 9]

Handguns are much more efficient in self defense at a close range than rifles.

Hand guns are faster, rifles are more accurate. With a hand gun I can hit a squirrel in a tree at most any distance. With a rifle I can hit the branch the squirrel is sitting on.

 

[Sabertooth]

A couple of months after taking office as President, Ronald Reagan was shot with a handgun by Arthur Bremer.

It was John Hinckley Jr. (Bremer shot Wallace.)

 

[timothyu]

Handguns are much more efficient in self defense at a close range than rifles.

How much of the purpose of a militia involved close range?
But on the other hand I still have my toy Paladin derringer from back in the day.

 

[Yarddog]

Hand guns are faster, rifles are more accurate. With a hand gun I can hit a squirrel in a tree at most any distance. With a rifle I can hit the branch the squirrel is sitting on.

I thought that you were going to say that you could knock the cap off the acorn the squirrel was eating. Lol I saw my Dad shoot through the opening of a coke bottle and knock the bottom out with a. 22. He was a Sgt. In the Army during WWII and Korea and he would also say hand guns were a vital part of a soldier's weaponry.

 

[Darkhorse]

How much of the purpose of a militia involved close range?

Quite a bit, actually.
One of the most dangerous situations for anyone is to have an assailant close to you.

 

[Darkhorse]

People who think handguns serve no good purpose are saying that a 110-lb. woman could defend herself adequately from a 220-lb attacker, using only pepper spray, or martial arts, or...good vibes.

Get real.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Hand guns are faster, rifles are more accurate. With a hand gun I can hit a squirrel in a tree at most any distance. With a rifle I can hit the branch the squirrel is sitting on.

I've popped a lot of squirrels with a scoped single shot .22. Head shots only. To the OP; I've had a lot of fun shooting handguns.

 

[timothyu]

It's a wonder some people ever leave the country. How do they cope in the civilized world?

 

[joshua 1 9]

I've popped a lot of squirrels with a scoped single shot .22. Head shots only. To the OP; I've had a lot of fun shooting handguns.

I get mad at the squirrels because there are a LOT of them: black - gray - brown - big and small. I have seen 30 or 40 of them chasing each other at one time. They always want to pig out on the food for the birds. So I have a soft pellet hand gun I use to try to keep them under control.

 

[joshua 1 9]

People who think handguns serve no good purpose are saying that a 110-lb. woman could defend herself adequately from a 220-lb attacker, using only pepper spray, or martial arts, or...good vibes.

Get real.

I am 220 pounds and my wife is 110. At least when we got married All she has to do is look at me and she can control me with no problem.

I sold knives for 20 years and I sold pepper spray for people to use to defend themselves. Not only can you defend yourself against a 220 pound attacker you can defend yourself against an 800 pound bear in Alaska. But you need to carry a bigger amount on your belt. Here I sell the pepper spray that hooks on their key ring. You spray that within 15 feet of a 220 pound attacker and he will leave her alone. I use to carry pepper spray when I was out walking in the woods in the park. The biggest problem out there are the dogs that people have with them. Those dogs like to test people and I would look them straight in the eye and let them know that I am no one to mess with and they would back off. I knew I had my pepper spray and I had nothing to worry about. I have talked to mail men who have actually had to use their pepper spray to defend themselves against dogs that try to corner them. Of course in basic training they teach you a LOT more then how to defend yourself against a dog.

There is very little chance the police would ever give anyone any problems for using pepper spray. They could but they seldom do. For one thing it is just pepper. If it does get in the eyes you can rinse it out or flush it out in 10 minutes and there is NO lasting damage.

You Can Rent Bear Spray at Yellowstone National Park This Summer

 

[joshua 1 9]

good vibes.

As far as good vibes we do have power over the evil in people. Also there are lots and lots and lots that a gun will not protect us from. If you are trusting in that gun to protect you from the next disaster to come along you may found yourself in trouble. God is always there for us and He longs to protect us from harm: ""Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37)

Even the power of attraction people say we have positive and negative energy and negative attracts negative. There are whole "videos" about this on YouTube.

 

[joshua 1 9]

I thought that you were going to say that you could knock the cap off the acorn the squirrel was eating.

Depends on the distance. If I can shoot the branch off of a tree I have the highest rating the army gives people out on the rifle range when I went through basic training. Because I use to shoot a BB gun when I was a kid so I got pretty good at it. You have to learn how to hold your breath like when your taking a photo with your camera. Also concentration is important because I do believe in the power of mind over matter. I did a lot of construction work and if you do that long enough it seems like there are times when we do the impossible. Because we always seemed to manage to finish our project no matter how difficult it seemed to be at the time or no matter how long it took us to finish the job.

My son likes to do the tricks that young people do with coke bottles.

 

[Darkhorse]

As far as good vibes we do have power over the evil in people. Also there are lots and lots and lots that a gun will not protect us from. If you are trusting in that gun to protect you from the next disaster to come along you may found yourself in trouble. God is always there for us and He longs to protect us from harm: ""Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37)

I have been through several disasters and never expected a gun to protect me from them.
Of course, they ARE useful protection from people who want to exploit them afterwards...

I never trust a gun instead of God to protect me, but I frequently get accused of that.

...Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. (Psalms 127)

 

[SkyWriting]

Hand guns are faster, rifles are more accurate. With a hand gun I can hit a squirrel in a tree at most any distance. With a rifle I can hit the branch the squirrel is sitting on.

Those stinking branches. Good riddance!

 

[The Barbarian]

There is very little chance the police would ever give anyone any problems for using pepper spray. They could but they seldom do. For one thing it is just pepper. If it does get in the eyes you can rinse it out or flush it out in 10 minutes and there is NO lasting damage.

People have been hospitalized for ingesting large amounts of super hot peppers like Carolina Reapers. The symptoms, although temporary, mimic a heart attack. I don't believe anyone has been harmed by a one-time exposure to pepper spray, although chronic exposure to huge doses of capsaicin (active ingredient in hot peppers) can damage pain nerves, which do not grow back. It's actually being investigate as a way to control chronic pain. It's already being used as a topical pain reliever. (external use only)

I'm partial to Habeneros, which have a really good tangerine-like flavor, once you get past the nuclear heat. I'm planting some supposedly mild ones this spring to see if my honey-mango-Habenero sauce could be made acceptable to the rest of my family.

Take a fresh bagel, cut it in half, and toast it until lightly browned (both sides).
Layer on some reduced-fat cream cheese
Slather on a tablespoon of my sauce.
Really, really good.

 

[Dale]

It was John Hinckley Jr. (Bremer shot Wallace.)

You are correct on that. I should have caught that error when I was writing it up.