Guns at home


When I was growing up, my dad had a .32 semi-automatic pistol. He didn't lock it up, but he kept it unloaded and separate from the ammo. After moving to upstate NY, he traded it for a spud gun, which is larger caliber, but muzzle loaded.
When my mom started spending time at their rural NY house, she bought a shotgun. They kept it, unloaded and in a fiberglass case, until they moved to a senior community.
We've never had a firearm in our house. I've never regretted that decision. When I was in college, I went deer hunting with a 12 gauge rifle. While I practiced firing it, and several other firearms, at the Knoxpatch city dump, I never fired it at any animals.
The data show that homes with guns have a higher probability of homicide and suicide.

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