Studies show personal gun ownership is highest among people 65 and over.

[demsrule4life]

People have differing opinions of why the numbers have shifted upwards. Gunowners say older people have started using firearms for protection.

http://www.arkansasnbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1595101&nav=F8n2K7D1

[ClintonTyree]

1. THAT is scary....................

I live in a retirement community where everyone is 55+, most are much older than myself, I'd say 75-85 is the demographic here. These people should NOT be allowed to have weapons like this. Half of them can't remember what they had for breakfast. This scares the hell out of me.

[RoeBear]

2. Tell me how to...

...go about disarming older citizens.

[alwynsw]

4. Are you shackled to your house?

If not and you're as frightened as you claim to be - MOVE!

[Fescue4u]

7. Yea, there certainly is an epidemic

Of Senior citizens going on rampages.

(rolling my eyes)

[alwynsw]

3. With age comes wisdom

at least in this case.

[demsrule4life]

5. That is the answer I was waiting for

:)

[CO Liberal]

6. I Prefer to Think.....

...that the younger generations are less inclined to get guns. Because they're getting smarter....

[-..__...]

8. Or just slow learners...

but, they'll eventually wisen up as they get older.
Experiance is the best form of education.

[alwynsw]

10. They're probably less inclined

because of the brainwashing techniques used by groups such as the brady bunch and the MMM's.

[demsrule4life]

11. Should make your life a little easier

figuring out which assholes are carrying. :)

[MrBenchley]

12. It's the same reason hunting is dying out

Not many people these days need to get their jollies killing something else.

Telling that it's Bwana Dick Ccheney's hobby, isn't it? Or that Chimpy McDipstick killed a bunch of birds over the holidays....

[-..__...]

13. I suppose these hunters are pimping for the NRA, also?

Source




I am a gun owner and a hunter, and I believe that law-abiding adults have the right to own firearms. But like all rights, gun rights come with responsibilities. And we need responsible gun laws that are designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals without unduly infringing the rights of legitimate gun owners.

quote

[MrBenchley]

14. Next show us

where they stand on gun control......oh that's right, they SUPPORT IT.

[-..__...]

16. Which is why I would vote for Dean.

Kerry is so hopelessly anti-gun that he has little to no chance of winning the nomination.

Clarks anti-gun stance isn't as harsh, but I don't think he'd push or petition Congress for any new legislation.

I disagree with Deans position on leaving firearms legislation up to the states, but that's pretty much the way it's been for quite a long time now anyways.

Their positions on the AWB are moot... the future of the ban will be decided at least a couple of months before the general election.

Besides, my response was in regard to your earlier comment.

Not many people these days need to get their jollies killing something else.

By that statement are you claiming Kerry and Clark "need to get their jollies killing something else"?

[MrBenchley]

17. Hahahahahahahahaha!

Dean's position is a helluva lot closer to mine than it is to the RKBA crowd's....

[-..__...]

18. Whatever.

But, you still didn't answer my question (lets try again).


"Not many people these days need to get their jollies killing something else".

By that statement are you claiming Kerry and Clark "need to get their jollies killing something else"?

Either they do, or they don't.

[CO Liberal]

19. If Kerry is So "Hopelessly Anti-Gun"....

...then explain this picture:

[MrBenchley]

21. I guess by "anti-gun"

it means he doesn't pander to the Tim McVeigh wanna-bes.

[-..__...]

22. Ever hear of a photo-op?

How about a staged event? Do you really believe gun owners are that naive? This "pheasant hunt" is just as laughable as Bush in his flight suit.

[CO Liberal]

23. Oh, I Get It Now

Just because Ted "Shit-For-Brains" Nugent, Wayne "The Weasel" LaPierre, and others on the pro-gun side say someone is "anti-gun", then they must be right and everyone else is wrong. Even photographic evidence will not sway those who have been blinded to the truth by their lust for guns.

If John Kerry was so "anti-gun", then why did he serve in the military? (As opposed to the "great white quail hunter" GW Bush, who went AWOL?)

[-..__...]

26. This compulsive obsessive disorder...

with Nugent, LaPierre and others has been hashed over again and again.
What do the statements of 2 people have to do 60-80 million gun owners?
I suppose it's acceptable and accurate that the rest of the world can judge all Americans by the statements of Bush, Chenny, etc?

For the record, I'm no big fan of Nugent (although in my younger days I thought his music kicked ass... I even saw him live a couple of times).
Nugent has too much alpha-male in his blood and just doesn't seem to know when to shut-up. At times I've found him amusing, but it gets tiresome after the first 5 minutes or so of hearing Ted talk about Ted.

Quite honestly, I don't listen to Nugent, LaPierre or others to shape my opinions on firearms ownership or the RKBA. I'm quite capable, knowledgable and responsible to form my opinions on my own.


If John Kerry was so "anti-gun", then why did he serve in the military?

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[MrBenchley]

28. Too frigging funny...

Nugent and LaPierre are the LEADERSHIP of the largest group of gun owners...and the leader of the next largest group is so repugnant that even Pat Buchanan had to shun him publicly when the spotlight hit him.

Of course, even a majority of gun owners support gun control....the RKBA crowd represents the far fringe..

"I suppose it's acceptable and accurate that the rest of the world can judge all Americans by the statements of Bush, Chenny, etc?"
Yeah, they're just two guys....why even bother to run against 'em?

[CO Liberal]

30. And I Don't Hang On Sarah Brady's Every Word

Like some of the pro-gunners around here think all us pro-control folks do.

I've said it before, and I;'ll say it again - if you pro-gunners want your position taken more seriously, get the assholes out of pro-gun leadership positions.

[demsrule4life]

31. That would mean more people would have to join the NRA

If NRA membership would get up to let's say 10,000,000+ NRA would be unbeatable.

[CO Liberal]

32. WASH YER MOUTH OUT WITH SOAP!!!!!!

Blasphemy!!!!!!

I'd rather see the Nuts Ruining America get driven out of business.

[RoeBear]

40. Quick and easy recipe...

...elect more pro-gun Democrats.

[MrBenchley]

20. The gun nut vote goes Republican anyway

They hate uppity women, gays, blacks and Jews as much as they love their guns...as the NRA's idiotic enemies list shows clearly.

Anybody that thinks the major problem facing the country is that he can't get his shaky sweaty hands on an assault weapon isn't the sort of loony the party should be pandering to. Better to concentrate on the solid majority of Americans who want gun control, and are MORE worried about the economy, the job exodus, a foreign policy gone mad, the threat of terrorism, the gutting of environmental laws, the rollback of civil rights, etc., etc., etc.

[-..__...]

24. What about the...

"uppity women, gays, blacks and Jews" who are gun owners? Who do they vote for?

If the "gun nuts" vote Repub anyways (as you claim), then why doesn't the Dem party (and all Dem candidates), repudiate firearms and gun ownership all together? I mean, if gun owners are going to vote Repub, what have the Dems got to lose by adopting the position of say a Chuck Schumer or Dianne Feinstein?

[CO Liberal]

25. And If Ther Pro-Gunners On This Board Truly Want to Help Their Party...

...why do they persist in posting much nastier stuff against the likes of Chuck Schumer or Dianne Feinstein than they ever do against ANY Republican?

[MrBenchley]

27. Hahahahahahaha!!!

Too frigging funny.

You might recall, last time the RKBA crowd dragged out the "gay gun owners group" it turned out they counted Barney Frank and Barbrra Streisand among THEIR enemies, but had not a single unkind word to say about Fred Phelps or any of the other right wing loonies who shout out loud that they want gays dead and in hell soonest.

And the "black gun owners group" consisted of just one guy, eho actually had a link on his page to the far right wing think tank that conjured him up, which boasted openly about how such groups were a tactic to use against liberals.

http://www.northbridgetraining.com

[demsrule4life]

15. Nice post

:toast:

[demsrule4life]

29. National study debunks myth about youth and hunting

CORPUS CHRISTI -- For years, state wildlife officials worried that young people were losing interest in hunting because schools were teaching it was a negative sport.

Now, a national survey suggests interest is alive and well among the young. Researchers at Virginia market-research firm Responsive Management surveyed more than 2,000 children between the ages of eight and 18 years old.

http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=94257&SecID=2

[CO Liberal]

33. Oh, THERE'S A Real Impartial Survey.....

From the Responsive Management Web Site (http://www.responsivemanagement.com/):

Responsive Management is a Virginia-based public opinion polling and survey research firm specializing in fisheries, wildlife, natural resource, outdoor recreation and environmental issues.

Bottom line? They, like the Nuts Ruining America, have an agenda.

[MrBenchley]

34. Whistling past the graveyard...

Hunting's a dying sport...and good riddance to it..

"The number of American hunters has been in a slow but steady decline for the last 20 years, and in the last five years alone fell from 14 million to 13 million, one of the steepest drops since the USFWS began keeping records in 1955. And as the general population has swollen to 290 million, hunting has become important to an ever shrinking minority. Today, only 6 percent of Americans 16 and older hunt.
More unsettling, the average age of hunters is increasing. Sixty-seven percent of all hunters are now over the age of 35. Only 14 percent are between 16 and 24—and just 4 percent are 16 and 17 years old. In the language of wildlife biology, the sport of hunting is having "recruitment failure"—a condition that, in the wild, ultimately leads to extinction.
The prospects for a quick turnaround are dim. Surveys by state game and fish agencies in recent years revealed that children who are not exposed to hunting by the age of 14 never become involved. That could mean hunting is facing a serious collapse over the next 25 years as the bubble in its population begins moving into its 60s. Currently, only 3 percent of people who hunt are over 65. "

http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/hunting/article/0,13199,458090,00.html

Of course, if young folks are inspired by stuff like Bwana Dick Cheney slaughtering birds in a pen, that could change (snicker).

[demsrule4life]

35. Exactly

Hunters will be whistling past both our graves in the future.

[Superfly]

36. I was going to say something similar

For all of these guy's bitching, we'll all be dead and gone, and hunting will still be a popular sport enjoyed by millions.

[CO Liberal]

37. But Fewer Than In Years Past

Face it - pro-gunners are in the minority. And the political parties are giving them more attention than they deserve.

[Superfly]

38. As with everything, there are cycles to the ebb and flow

of issues and their importance. The gun control issue is one that will be in the forefront of the next election, and could cost the Democratic party crucial votes if not addressed.

You will find that gun ownership in the US is increasing, the call for more and longer hunting seasons is being made in more states (like NJ), and the focus on the RKBA is going to be right in the middle.

[RoeBear]

39. It's because...

...when you piss off pro-gunners or hunters they vote, enmass.

Give the politicians a little credit. I mean why do you think Kerry took time off the for the photo-op while pheasant hunting? Was he trying to get the PETA vote? No, he was trying to look like a regular guy and get the hunting vote.

[MrBenchley]

42. Not even close to true

buit it's hilarious to hear somebody pretend so....

"Hundreds of species of land plants and animals around the globe could vanish or be on the road to extinction over the next 50 years if global warming continues, scientists warn.
The findings by Thomas and 18 other researchers appear in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.
They found that more than one-third of the 1,103 native species they studied could disappear or approach extinction by 2050 as climate change turns plains into deserts or alters forests. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040108/ap_on_sc/global_warming_4

By the way, almost all the candidates the NRA support are ALSO supported by the big polluters. As Iverglas pointed out some time ago...

http://fecweb1.fec.gov/pages/24_2002_can.html

Lists expenditures that the Brady Campaign did report, along with expenditures reported by various other organizations, in 2002. Also reporting expenditures AGAINST a candidate that the Brady Campaign opposed:

- Planned Parenthood organizations
- League of Conservation Voters

Ah, those funny bedfellows.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=26648&mesg_id=28042&page=

And for that matter...

"ALEC is a right wing public policy organization with strong ties to major corporations, trade associations and right wing politicians.
* ALEC’s agenda includes rolling back civil rights, challenging government restrictions on corporate pollution, and limiting government regulations of commerce, privatizing public services, and representing the interests of the corporations that make up its supporters.
* ALEC’s mission: “To promote the principles of federalism by developing and promoting policies…To enlist state legislators from all parties and members of the private sector who share ALEC’s mission…To conduct a policy making program that unites members of the public and private sector in a dynamic partnership to support research, policy development, and dissemination activities.”
* ALEC claims that it is “the nation’s largest bipartisan, individual membership association of state legislators.” All of ALEC’s officers who are state legislator members are Republican.
* ALEC is supported by many right-wing foundations and organizations, including but not limited to: National Rifle Association, Family Research Council, Heritage Foundation, Sarah Scaife Foundation, Milliken Foundation, DeVos Foundation, Bradley Foundation, and the Olin Foundation. "

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=6990
The RKBA crowd has such NICE playmates

[alwynsw]

9. Thank you.

:toast:

[solinvictus]

41. Pro Gun Voter

Again, look at 2000. Al Gore renounced his moderate pro-gun views and embraced the Million Mommies and it ultimately cost him many swing votes. Gun control is politically dead and only a candidate willing to throw the election would embrace the issue on a national level. That's why Dean and General Clark have espoused moderate positions on the issue. Now, Senator Finegold is saying he doubts the need and effectiveness of the 1994 ban. The Brady Bunch and Million Mommies have seen their heyday and need to be put out to pasture.

[iverglas]

43. how about the really obvious factor

From the article:

Studies show personal gun ownership is highest among people 65 and over.

In the past, the middle-aged held the majority of guns.

In the past, people 65 and over were middle-aged.


Unless we have some actual numbers, we might surmise that people do not give away their firearms when they retire, and that this fact might go quite a ways toward explaining high firearms ownership rates (if such there are) among the over-65 -- particularly, say, if the middle-aged had been owning firearms in higher proportions than they used to, so that the over-65s (the ex-middle-aged) would now be owning them in correspondingly higher proportions than the earlier cohort of over-65s.

If the now-over-65s do in fact own firearms in relatively higher proportions -- higher than the now-middle-aged, say -- that could also mean that the now-middle-aged (who ones are replacing the middle-aged who turn 65) are owning firearms in lower proportions than their predecessors did. Again, without actual numbers, we wouldn't know whether the over-65s own firearms in higher proportions than the middle-aged because the over-65s are owning more, or the middle-aged are owning fewer.

Of course, we could always just guess ... or ask the owner of a gun store like the author of that article did ...

(spelling typo fixed)

.

[MrBenchley]

44. Does seem pretty obvious, doesn't it?