[hackerspaces] Firearms in Hackerspaces?

[Jake]

one of the reasons I am skeptical about the idea that more guns == more safety 
is your statement below.  You seem to think that "removing a gun wielding 
ass-hat would not a huge issue." if you and/or others had guns.

bullets don't care who they penetrate.  They go flying until they hit something 
or someone, and it's hard enough to aim them when you're not stressed out in a 
firefight with a crazy person.  That's why if a shooting starts where I am, I 
am going to look for something to get behind that might stop bullets, which are 
hopefully coming from a single source.

you seem to propose that multiple sources of bullets would make everyone safer, 
or that if the situation hasn't progressed to shooting yet, the "gun wielding 
ass-hat" would be more easily escorted off the property by armed hackers (as 
opposed to law enforcement or unarmed hackers).

the NRA and gun nuts like those who suggest every school should have an armed 
guard (some say every classroom) say that more guns == more safe. Those people 
include Nancy Lanza (mother of the Newtown schooter and his first victim) and 
Keith Ratliff (found shot in his office) and countless parents whose children 
found their guns and killed themselves or others.

I live in a neighborhood where I hear shots every week or two nearby.  My 
friends have been mugged all over this city, often by a person with a gun. 
Fortunately they were not injured, but they lost their phone / wallet / cash. 
They did not fight back.  They didn't want to get shot.  Would you prefer to 
have a gun in that situation?  Someone is pointing a gun at you and demanding 
your wallet, a few hundred dollars worth of your money. It's a speeding ticket. 
Do you really want to get in a gun battle and risk your life in that situation?

it's obvious to me that people who advocate guns everywhere are a bit excited 
by the idea of using it to shoot a bad guy or save the day when there are 
bullets flying.  it's also obvious to me that that is unreasonable and 
dangerous thinking, and that's why I would oppose people following through with 
that line of thinking (by carrying a gun) in any community space I am a part 
of.

disclaimer:  I own one and i shoot bottles and car parts and TVs with friends 
about once a year but i don't Carry it anywhere, Ever.  I can't think of a 
single situation (other than hunting) that i would find myself in where that 
would be a good idea.

note:  if you're worried about muggers or hoodlums who are not carrying a gun, 
consider a crowbar for protection.  They are available in several sizes, and 
are unlikely to be taken away from you if you hold onto the hook end, and 
should be enough to fend off anyone demanding your holdings without proper 
credentials (a gun).

-jake

Chris Weiss wrote:
...
so, ArchReactor has no specific gun rules.  We do have a "don't be a
dick" rule though, and we have enough concealed carry licensed members
(that discretely do so) that removing a gun wielding ass-hat would not
a huge issue.