Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Monday, June 21. 2021

Life in America: Firearms

Somebody asked me this weekend how many firearms I owned.


"Not sure," I said. "Never counted them." I guess I have too many. I am pretty sure that I have never shot anybody intentionally, but I did shoot a pal with birdshot one time accidentally. It happens in the woods. He was fine, and just glad I did not hit his dog.



Posted by The Barrister in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 19:55 | Comments (11) | Trackbacks (0)

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In 2013 I was crossing into Canada and the border agent asked if I owned firearms. Yes.

He asked if I had a concealed weapon permit. Yes.

He asked how many handguns I owned. Don't know. Haven't counted.

He asked me to lift my shirt tails and turn around slowly. Then he searched my car.

He did let me in, eventually.
#1 Mad Gerald on 2021-06-21 22:10 (Reply)
Similar experience way back in 2002, when we took a family vacation in Canada. Driving a conversion van, wifey in passenger seat and two young daughters behind. Questioned by the border guard, then pulled over, vehicle searched before we were allowed entry. I passed that off as an aberration, due to heightened concerns after 9/11. I have since come to believe it was not. Canadians are a pissy lot, and there is a superabundance of jingoist, chauvinistic assholes among them. They seem to suffer from a serious national inferiority complex. Probably stems from being America's hat.
#1.1 Steve on 2021-06-22 07:10 (Reply)
In 1984 crossing into Canada they asked if I had firearms. I had one handgun which I was taking to Alaska. They put a seal on it and the seal had to be unbroken when I crossed the border into Alaska. I think you can still do that.
#1.1.1 Anon on 2021-06-22 10:38 (Reply)
"Probably stems from being America's hat."

More likely the border agent's attitude and subsequent actions stemmed from your own seeming ignorance that the writ of US firearms laws does not extend to another country.
#1.1.2 JJM on 2021-06-22 16:00 (Reply)
Wait a minute - I don't suppose you ever held political office, or sat on the board of a multinational corporation, by any chance?
#2 Aggie on 2021-06-21 22:16 (Reply)
The proper answer when asked how many guns or bikes one owns is "one less than I need"
#3 Woulde on 2021-06-21 23:15 (Reply)
The correct answer is to lie and say you have none. If the person asking knows you have firearms, only admit to the ones that person knows of.

I know of a person who acquired a Thompson sub and popped off to all his friends about it. That was great fun until the ATF showed up at his door.

You don't want that.

Nor do you want local LEOs showing up because of some snitch's real or imagined guess of what you own.

If you own a lot of weapons, keep a low profile and don't talk about them.

My opinion.
#4 feeblemind on 2021-06-22 10:27 (Reply)
No, the correct answer is another question, something like "How many battery-powered sex toys to you own?" Or perhaps "How often do you scratch your butt in public?" You know, something to convey how rude and intrusive the questioner is.
#4.1 Mike Anderson (Link) on 2021-06-22 22:09 (Reply)
The correct answer is two. One Daisy and one Crosman.
#5 CPenn (Link) on 2021-06-22 13:07 (Reply)
Squirt guns. Pump action.
#5.1 Stargazer on 2021-06-22 13:34 (Reply)
I never discuss firearms with anyone except my parents, spouse, and children. I was in the doctor's office getting a physical, and an assistant came in to ask me questions for my "insurance company." Among other instrusive questions, he asked if there were firearms in my home. I kindly sent him out of the room with his tail between his legs.
#6 HH on 2021-06-24 11:37 (Reply)

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