How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

[Lakhota]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a moron.

 

[Lakhota]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a moron.

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a moron.

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

 

[Lakhota]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a moron.

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

Do you also consider people who don't own guns morons?

 

[Searcher44]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

He's making a statement by this action, I'm sure everybody that believes in freedom of speech will support him even if they are ardent opponents of gun control.

 

[Missouri_Mike]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a moron.

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

Do you also consider people who don't own guns morons?

Yes people that disarm themselves like left wing idiots are at their base existance morons.

 

[Lakhota]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

He's making a statement by this action, I'm sure everybody that believes in freedom of speech will support him even if they are ardent opponents of gun control.

I agree. I also think the phrase "gun control" should be changed to "gun ethics".

 

[whitehall]

The world is truly upside down in the liberal mind. Eight presidents were members of the NRA. If I'm not mistaken he first illustration of a weapon on the post is typical of a government "demiled" or destroyed weapon. Keep in mind the first illustration of a destroyed weapon. The ATF murdered about 80 men women and children in Waco Texas in a tank and poison gas assault because they assumed that some innocent people were converting junk like torched and destroyed WW2 weapons to be functional. That's the bottom line in the rogue criminal investigation into the Branch Dividians. The freaking jihadist muslems were attending flight school in the U.S. preparing for 9-11 while the idiotic ATF was concentrating on soft targets in the U.S. They thought the Branch Dividians were the next terrorsits because they bought junk rusty WW2 surplus. God help us when the left blames the NRA for gun violence and justifies government terrorism. .

 

[Lakhota]

It sort of pisses me off that all my guns will outlive me. I may just destroy the little bastards before I bite the dust.

 

[Missouri_Mike]

It sort of pisses me off that all my guns will outlive me. I may just destroy the little bastards before I bite the dust.

Funny how you don't want to live without them but at the final moment you want to deny anyone else using it.

 

[westwall]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a dipshit. I also find it hard to believe that a "lifelong gun owner" would only have that one pistol, and that it would be a cheap Ruger. Now, an anti gun activist I could see trying to spread his propaganda around with a little bit of theatre. Sounds just like them to spend a couple hundred bucks to buy a cheap pistol and destroy it to send a "message".

And of course a dimwit like you would lap it up like the little doggy you are.

 

[Lakhota]

Sportsmen Avoid Talking About Guns. I’m an Oregon Hunter, and I Think It’s Time We Start.

Why the debate needs us, now more than ever.

Deer season opened here in Oregon on Saturday, two days after a shooting at Umpqua Community College left 10 dead and nine more injured. Instead of getting dragged into a national dispute over firearms regulations, many of the roughly 166,000 deer hunters in Oregon decamped to the woods. I’m sad not to be joining them. I’ve been a hunter for eight years, but I’m sitting out this season after the recent birth of my second baby. Even if my fellow hunters weren’t preoccupied with scoping out steep hillsides and scanning the ground for hoof prints, however, they wouldn’t be jumping into the firearms policy fray.

Politicians who support increased gun control, including President Obama and Hillary Clinton, have asked hunters like me to stand up to the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups. There’s a disconnect between hunters and the organizations that claim to represent us. Like the majority of gun owners, we support policies that gun rights groups oppose, like universal background checks. But there’s a reason why sportsmen and sportswomen in particular have long been absent from the national debate on gun control: Hunters don’t like to talk about guns.

When I set out to write a book about my experience as an environmentalist urban dweller who learned to hunt, one of my mentors — in hunting and writing — advised me to avoid the topic of guns altogether.

“Don’t even touch it,” he said.

But I have to, I told him. It would be dishonest not to address an issue that I — raised near Washington, D.C. when that city was designated the murder capital of the world — saw as the most imposing barrier to becoming a hunter. Without guns, hunting would be as controversial as, well, fishing.

On guns, my mentor said, “You can’t win. No matter what you do, you’ll just make people angry. Then they won’t listen to anything else you have to say.”

Hunters don’t like talking about guns with other hunters, either. As with abortion, the topic of gun control conjures strong, deeply held convictions. And because hunters are a diverse group of gun owners, there’s always the possibility that someone will have an opposing view. At wildlife conferences, I’ve been impressed by the agile social tactics used to redirect a conversation that appears headed toward gun policy.

I want my children to grow up feeling safe. Instead, my son practices lock down drills in his preschool classroom, the symptom of a society where unfettered access to weapons creates its own form of oppression. I also want my kids to go hunting with me when they are old enough, which of course means I don’t want to see anything close to a gun ban. And as a hunter, I acutely understand that there can be balance, that passing new gun laws isn’t going to bring an end to the world as we know it.

We need new laws to shape a future that has less violence but still has room in it for firearms. Hunters can help lead us there. But first, we have to start talking about guns.

More: Sportsmen Avoid Talking About Guns. I'm an Oregon Hunter, and I Think It's Time We Start. - The Trace

It's refreshing to hear responsible gun owners and hunters talk about this subject. I call it gun ethics.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a moron.

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

Do you also consider people who don't own guns morons?

No.

 

[Lakhota]

A lifelong gun owner explains why he is destroying his gun.

Usually, "responsible gun ownership" refers to someone using their weapon safely. But for lifelong gun owner Steve Elliott, it means taking responsibility for America’s epidemic of gun violence and the lax regulations that have allowed it.

That is how Elliott, who owns a copywriting and public relations agency in Northern California, explained his decision to destroy his handgun in a Facebook post on Monday. By early Saturday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had shared the post, which included a photo of his disassembled 9mm Ruger handgun.

Elliott describes himself as a quintessential example of the responsible gun owner, using firearms only for sport and protection. He decided to destroy his gun not because of anything he has done personally but because he is fed up with how the concept of “responsible” gun ownership has been used to block gun safety laws.

“My gun is being used to argue against common-sense laws and policies that could reduce gun violence in America, arguments I find unconscionable,” Elliott wrote. “That’s what being a responsible gun owner means today – I’m responsible. I’ve been uneasy about that for a while now, and ashamed to admit it’s taken two more mass shootings for me to do anything about it.”

Though he has never used his weapon to hurt himself or others, Elliott wrote that his life has been scarred by gun violence. His grandmother used a gun to kill herself; his father attempted suicide with a gun and someone murdered his stepbrother with a gun before committing suicide. His sister’s coworker lost her husband to a mass shooting.

“None of us individually can stop gun violence in America, but as a responsible gun owner, I will no longer be used as a justification for doing nothing about it,” Elliott concluded. “Today I did what I could. Today there is #ONELESSGUN.”

Other gun control advocates have taken a different approach, mobilizing gun owners who support gun control in order to show that the National Rifle Association's opposition to virtually all regulation does not represent them.

Andy Nieto of eastern Tennessee also got rid of his guns out of disgust with the NRA after the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. He turned his pistol into a paperweight.

How One Man Is Redefining 'Responsible' Gun Ownership

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA. I've been disgusted with the NRA since radicals took it over in 1977. Although I'm not ready to dispose of my guns, I agree that it's up to responsible gun owners to bring about change by fighting back against the NRA lobbying machine. BTW, archery is fun.

How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby

What a moron.

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

Do you also consider people who don't own guns morons?

No.

So, a person who has a gun and gets rid of it becomes a moron? But a person who doesn't own guns is not a moron?

 

[westwall]

What a moron.

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

Do you also consider people who don't own guns morons?

No.

So, a person who has a gun and gets rid of it becomes a moron? But a person who doesn't own guns is not a moron?

No, a person who destroys a gun for a political message is a moron. A person who sells the gun to a responsible buyer, or someone who chooses not to have a gun is merely defenseless. Their choice, their consequence for their action. A moron like you though, can't see the difference.

 

[Wildman]

I applaud Steve Elliott and Andy Nieto for getting rid of their guns out of disgust with the NRA.

WOW!! three idiotic imbeciles, the two who destroyed perfectly good guns and the poster.

 

[Lakhota]

Moron? No, just a brave man with principles.

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

Do you also consider people who don't own guns morons?

No.

So, a person who has a gun and gets rid of it becomes a moron? But a person who doesn't own guns is not a moron?

No, a person who destroys a gun for a political message is a moron. A person who sells the gun to a responsible buyer, or someone who chooses not to have a gun is merely defenseless. Their choice, their consequence for their action. A moron like you though, can't see the difference.

Fuck you! It's radical NRA gun nutters like you that are hurting responsible gun owners - but you're too rabid to see it.

 

[Wildman]

The freaking jihadist muslems were attending flight school in the U.S. preparing for 9-11

do not forget to mention that Bubba Cliton approved their student visas.

 

[westwall]

Yes, a moron who has not made the world a safer place.

Do you also consider people who don't own guns morons?

No.

So, a person who has a gun and gets rid of it becomes a moron? But a person who doesn't own guns is not a moron?

No, a person who destroys a gun for a political message is a moron. A person who sells the gun to a responsible buyer, or someone who chooses not to have a gun is merely defenseless. Their choice, their consequence for their action. A moron like you though, can't see the difference.

Fuck you! It's radical NRA gun nutters like you that are hurting responsible gun owners - but you're too rabid to see it.

I'm not a member of the NRA silly person. Never have been. However, unlike you who claim to, I actually DO own guns, and a lot of them. I have also never used a single one of them to kill anyone, or anything. I sincerely hope I never have to. However, in the highly unlikely event that it does occur, I will be ready to defend myself and those I love and care about. You on the other hand will wait for the police and suffer for your idiocy.