Yes, I'd kill the MF in a heartbeat no questions asked until later. You come in on me and my property and you are dead meat on a cold slab.

Having said that I have not been involuntarily committed HOWEVER last October I was put on prednisone and had a horrible reaction. I did get homicidal. Therefore I am VERY frightened this might happen again (even though I know not to take steroids anymore) so I would not choose to own a gun UNLESS I were in a VERY high crime area OR way; out in the country were my parents (now deceased) used to live. For example they had a wild dog come on to the property and attack their animal (they shot the dog) and then a wild boar (I kid thee not) came on to their property both are dangerous and in a situation like that I would be thankful to have a gun around. I'd keep it locked up of course and keep the ammo separate also locked up and preferably give someone else the key to the gun and ammo.

I was raised around a lot of guns so am not afraid of them. Just afraid that I'll get homicidal or suicidal again thus I'd give the keys to someone else.

I think most of us would do what we had in order to protect our loved ones.... I've thankfully never been in that position

I do think that people can find guns too easy to use do to not being as up close and personal as hands on

I'm thinking of the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case for example... George had no problem stalking someone 'he' believed to be a threat and confrontation and the death of a young kid followed because he had a gun

The gun death toll in the US is off the charts (in my mind and please know I mean no offence to me dear US friends but I see this amendment brought up every time there's a bunch of kids killed in a school shooting and I find it troubling)

You were talk to kill nobody but I would guess that most of the people using lethal force haven't had the same training and terrible mistakes and decisions are made around gun usage

So now I'll go and hug that tree...smile...x

I cant have a gun because i would absolutely blow my brains out. To answer your question: If my family was threatened I would not hesitate to pull the trigger.

My parents own alot of guns, some really high powered ones and they have always had a super volatile relationship. I really worry somethings gonna happen :/

you're imagining these awful scenarios happening to your son to justify buying a handgun, but statistically speaking, you just made your house a much more dangerous place for him to live in.

you couldn't have just gone with a large dog? or karate classes for him?

guns suck, and you're out of your mind to have one with a child in the house.

I've also stayed out of this but have been watching this thread unfold.

I'm not sure what we are trying to achieve here on a board where 25% of our members at least will have tried to commit suicide and a number I know have already "gone into the night".

I think the figures have shown - and if I could be bothered to google it I would - that the most likely victim of a gun killing is the owner as a result of deliberate or accidental self termination.

Given over the past week or so I've seen a few members go psychotic - yes, it's that time again folks, can yer feel it commin' can you? I'm sort of uncomfortable with this.

And from knowledge as a CL, I know these kinds of threads either end up getting closed and deleted or moved by DS.

personally I hate guns...won't have one in my house or on my body. my best friend was killed with a gun thus my hatred for them.

other people owning them doesn't bother me. The best man in my wedding is a police officer, his brother our fire chief has a few. My FIL has one or two. My dad had a few. And that is just the list of handguns. Hunting rifles I could name a lot more people whose house I visit has them. It doesn't bother me.

What bothers me is people that are irresponsible with guns. Leaving ammo in or near an unlocked gun??? Really, that doesn't sit with me. Having guns where anyone can get to them??? That's what bothers me.

Mentally ill people with guns...depends. Sandy Hook was done by a person with Aspergers...Aspergers did not make him kill...he made that decision on his own. About a year or so ago we had a mentally ill person go to the psych hospital and shoot 7 people before he was killed. He killed at least 2 people. The gun was his parents, not his. Once again, the parents were irresponsible.

I might have been influenced by statistics I've seen about the US but I wouldn't have a gun in my house without it being locked away somewhere safe - because statistics shows many of the kills in homes have been people accidentally shooting their loved ones in belief it was a burgular/someone else and there's always the risk that the assailant is the one ending up with the guns in their hands shooting YOU down... That fear of people makes people violent and unsafe, in my opinion. And you hurting someone would put YOU in jail, or someone killing YOU before the trial. Why risk it all?
Of course, here in Sweden we don't have that much firearms. Whenever there's a shooting there's a big commotion. We use guns for hunting or target practicing mostly.

The mentally ill owning guns? All for it. What could go wrong?

I honestly have no problems with homeowners owning guns and being able to defend themselves and their families if it came down to it. My husband used to be in the army so we own guns. I've only been to target practice once so I am not confident in my ability to use handguns if I needed to but I am fine with responsible gun owners who are trained in how to properly handle a gun and use it when the need arises, would I be able to shoot someone, probably not, I'd be more scared of the perpetrator using my own weapon against me to be quite honest.

I am pretty sure I could shoot someone as I get irrationally angry without even being threatened and not sure what would happen if threatened. I also can be a danger to myself. Hence why I do not nor will I ever have a gun. I don't even want one in the same zip code, honestly.

I have a very large dog and that satisfies my need for protection for me and mine.

Yes, I think we have a right to own a gun.

I would hope I could not kill someone.

I would hope my having a gun would not cause harm to myself or my family if taken away from me in a tussle.

Personally, I don't think owning a gun guarantee's "protection". If someone breaks in my home and points a gun in my face, I can't do much with a gun locked in a safe, or unloaded on the top shelf of my closet. So, I guess if I am sitting facing the door, waiting, I have a chance to shoot the person in the leg and cripple him before he shoots me?

Most people are not trained by the military to kill or shoot so asking a group of people with Bipolar Disorder if they could kill someone to protect their family seems odd. Of course we want to protect our family but how does a "gun" guarantee I can do that? Having a right doesn't guarantee that using that right will benefit me in any way.

You sound totally sane to me, but I wouldn't own a gun. I will use a baseball bat or Mag light if someone threatens immediate harm to my son, but I couldn't live with killing someone else. I just couldn't. Plus, I've only been stable for a little over a year. I don't think that's long enough to own a firearm (personally).

I just want to say..........I did not say if I had to kill or be killed that I felt it justified. I actually admitted it would burry me. I would be further under ground then the person I killed. I would rather kill someone then have my family burry me.

self preservation I know as a bipolar with a history of suicide attempts it sounds odd in my writing but I think it also shows progress in my treatment that I do have that now.

unfortunately criminals don't hold a value on any life and the rest of us have to deal with them as best we can.

I don't know if I could, I think Id jump in front of something. I might not do much good but I coudnt take a life.. but no prob with others choosing the right to bear arms

I think it's way to easy for people who should not have guns to get guns, I am so tired of reading in the news about school killings, children accidentally shooting themselves and other children.

As far as protecting myself or friends or family by shooting a attacker I just don't know if I could use a gun, I would lay my life down for certain people and hell even my dog I would protect to the end but I just don't know about using a gun. Guess that might make me a tree hugger.

Your comment about rape and your son triggered me because I was raped twice at 14 and 17. I deal with PTSD because of that but I never want anyone I love to sacrifice themselves by a act of vengeance and revenge on my behalf and I don't think your son would want you to go to prison for the rest of your life on his behalf if something like that was to happen.

I admit I wished these men dead in the most horrible way possible but they had already taken part of me with the rapes and I wouldn't give up my freedom for the rest of my life locked in a cell because of them.

I wish there were a lot less guns in this world because they make it easier to commit acts of violence then if people were forced to get right on top of someone with a knife or some other kind of weapon that you can't stand over ten feet away from. You don't see drive by knifings but you sure as heck see a lot of drive by shooting. Just a thought.

JMO