I currently have 6 guns. 3 handguns 2 shotguns and 1 rifle. 4 I have been given or inherited. 2 I purchased (barretta 92 9 mm and HK45). 1 of them I was given was from my sister-in-law, had belonged to my dead BiL. Was his military spec M9A1 (he was a capt. In the army before he died). 1 gun is a 30-40 krag used by a family member as a sniper in WWII.
I enjoy shooting them. There is some history there as well. I enjoy cleaning them and the engineering that went into them. I have hunted in the past and still do on occasion (mostly birds).
They are all kept locked up, Separated from the ammo, which is also locked up. 1 of them is in a small 2-compartment gun safe in my closet within easy reach if needed.
I enjoy them as keepsakes, as a hobby, for their history, and I also like the idea that I have 1 available should it really be needed. I find it prudent.
So tell me, am I driven by hand-wringing debilitating irrational fear first and foremost, and all the other stuff is just how I cover it up or justify it? Do I need to go to guns anonymous since I have a "problem" that I need to eradicate with a 12-step program? Am I a wild-eyed devotee of "gun-culture" just watching the yard every night hoping some black man steps on my lawn so I'm justified in killing someone?
Seriously some of the stuff people say about this subject is just ludicrous *********.