Why do so many gun owners have this attitude?

Folks, I think you are going pretty far afield. She asked why so many, not why do ALL gun owners have this attitude. I have a good friend who had this attitude, which always disappointed me, since he is a very intelligent fellow with a wife and 2 children. We have discussed it over the years, and it finally clicked with him. He is now in the process of stocking up a pantry. He already has most of the other things that everyone should stock up on...(ie he has the bullets and such, now he is getting the beans.)

I concur with Garnet, there are far too many people that have this attitude. Not all gun owners, but too many unfortunately. I agree with the folks that have pointed out that people have a sense of entitlement, thank you "New Deal."

Oh, the person that said 40 acres is not work, I bet he does not work his 300 something acres by himself...if he even has acreage. It is flat not possible to actively work that many acres with a couple of people...truly work it. If you have 400 acres of pasture, ok, sure. Try farming it. Unless you have help, or money falling out of your rear end, it cannot be done.

I am also a prepper. I reccomend www.survivalblog.com. There are a few people there that have this attitude on that site, but most of them are truely trying to get prepared and ready. My only problem with the site is that there is a bit of "get right with god." on the site, but I just ignore it.

I heard this kind of chatter much more when I lived in a big city in south Florida.

Most of it came from punks and hoodlums who have no problem "talking big" but I suspect most of them would become a bunch of trembling, worthless, overly dependent "wastes of space" if push ever came to shove.

Now that I live in N. Carolina I rarely hear it but, when I do, I take the speakers a little more seriously.

I live in an extremely rural area of a textile town that is largely going to pot because the 3 textile mills that employed these people have shut down and left town.

The closest city is Charlotte but it is a 2 hour drive. No job, no money, no money, no gas, no gas, no transportation as there is literally no public transportation (bus, train etc.) available in this area.

The anger, frustration and resentment are building rapidly.

They can't leave because they don't have the monetary resources to relocate and for many of them this is the only place they've ever lived.

Many people are getting desperate and desperation only leads to trouble.

Consequently... I take their talk very seriously.

I've worked very hard to get what little I have and although I'm perfectly willing to share my knowledge and skills to help someone else learn how to live dirt cheap and off the grid, I'm not willing to just hand it over to anyone who demands it because they didn't have the foresight to prepare.

The public knew these hard times were coming since January 20, 1989.

They just didn't want to believe it and get ready.

My brother and I own our own 75 acres. Deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit and a host of migratory waterfowl. We can grown just about anything on it (not sure about sugar cane or bananas).

I have the guns to hunt on it and defend what we have.

Ask the idiots in N.O. if they were prepared. Hell, most didn't even put up as much as a gallon jug of water and were stealing TV sets and tennis shoes.

I live in the south eastern US. Imagine this. A terrorist group sets off a nuclear device in NYC, Philly or DC. How many people are going to hit the road to get away from the fallout? How many people are going to panic and even though they may be safe from any fallout, still hit the road? A million? 2 million? 5 million? Where are they going to go? I figure a good third is going to come right by my home. By the time they get this far, they will either be pushing their cars or walking. They are going to be hungry, thirsty, tired, scared and desperate.

The chaos that followed Katrina is a micro study in what we could expect. from a terrorist attack with some form of nuclear device.

Let me give you my answer by telling a true story.

I have a buddy that has worked hard. Has a nice farm like yours. Many guns and just about completely self-sufficient. Talking about certain things someone overheard the conversation and said, "I know where I am going when the SHTF. Without missing a beat, my buddy said, "And you'll be shot like the other looters."

As it has been said, people have a sense of entitlement without having to put in any sweat equity. Back during one the major hurricanes, I was very shocked by the number of my neighbors and friends that had little to no preparation. No batteries, canned goods. water, or most other basics.

Some of us like to prepare at least a few things in case something happens. Not all of us are parasites.

Well...

I'm what is known as a "prepper" due to the fact that for a variety of reasons, I believe a MAJOR disaster is eminent the like of which this country has never seen. I own several firearms, and have a sizeable stash of ammo. The reason is of course to defend my food, water, medicine, etc. from the 'thugs' like you mentioned. I can, at this moment, survive completly independant from any outside assistant for one year. Like you, I've worked Hard to get where I am, and by years end I'll be able to exist indeffinatly

Gun Owners like you described, gang members, thieves, and the like will Not survive very long after the SHTF

I reccomend http://www.whenshtf.com/ to see Real prepardness people's take on the matter.

You have just given yourself, and all of us,the very reasons why you and every law-abiding citizen should own guns, know how to use them and be "on guard" for an attack if TSHTF.

There are Scum-Bags everywhere who will take what you have and kill you to get it, so decide that it is better to be Paranoid and survive than to be trusting and die by default. Be prepared to shoot first and talk at their corpse id it comes to that. The worst thing you can do is try to reason with someone who has the ability to kill you to get what you have.

I think myself and most others I've heard have spoke of their firearms as a defensive and hunting tool, not as a weapon to enable them to take from others. I'm sure this would happen in some scenarios, but I haven't heard people speak that way. Even in some of the "paranoia" websites that I've visited, I hear these people talking about having their own supplies, and using firearms for hunting and defense, not to enable theft.

Having a gun for SHTF situation doesn't mean fighting someone else, it means protecting what you've got.

Very few of us have the luxury of a self sustaining farm and source of water. The vast majority of us live in urban or suburban, high-population density areas. If, God forbid, a band of hoodlums decides that strength is in numbers, we will be able to thin out their herd. Look at the genocide in Rwanda. Bands of Hutu rebels slaughtered tens of thousands of Tutsi men, women and children with machetes. I can put an AR-15 and plenty of ammo in the hands of my wife, children and neighbors if neccesary to defend our lives and the lives of innocents.

It has nothing to do with what YOU have.

You do your thing and I'll do mine.

Have you talked to EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE USA? Nope. Then you do not know what everyone is like and you do not know what everyone one will do. And 40 acres is NOT a lot. You try working on 300+ acres on your own then talk about work.

I thought you said you had no 'toys'.. then WHY DO YOU HAVE THE INTERNET?

Then use the internet for work and not play.

D_Offio

funny how you say that I'm fibbing on that and you don't even know me. Yes, the person I am talking about DOES farm over 300 acres on his OWN and has been since he could drive a tractor. There are other people who are there but they are too busy sitting on their butts in the shade to help. And its over 300 acres of cotton and soybeans.

It CAN be done. Lets see.. the person I'm talking about gets up at 6 and doesn't come back home till about 9 that evening.

I doubt the majority of our fellow citizens hold that attitude. It's more that the ones who express that sentiment tend to stick in your memory. At least I hope that's the case.