[ad_1]
As a longtime advocate of gun-free homes, I find myself in a predicament Wednesday that has me driving to Des Plaines and packing heat.
My gun is a Remington 11-48 semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun, which was made in the 1960s and would blow your head clean off.
My dad, who was not a hunter, won the shotgun in a Lions Club raffle simply because he was club president and bought all the tickets that he didn’t want to harass his friends to buy.
Under my dad’s supervision, I shot it once at age 12, on the night before my first and last hunting adventure. The shotgun was heavier than I expected, louder than I expected, and delivered a ferocious kick to my shoulder in a display of power that my dad had warned me about. I understood the risk and responsibility. So much so that when I trudged through the corn stubble with a group of men early the next morning to hunt pheasants, I never moved the gun from my shoulder.
My dad, worried that my brother, Bill, or I would get into trouble with the shotgun, kept the unloaded gun in the closet and refused to buy any shells for it. Once, when a rabid raccoon stumbled near our front door, he told us to wait inside while he drove a mile to the neighbor’s farm to borrow a shotgun shell. When his shot merely stirred up the gravel next to the raccoon, Dad had to drive back to the neighbor’s to get another shell.
That Remington shotgun, a civilian version of a gun used during World War II, was marketed as a hunting weapon. But shotguns have been used in grisly slayings, from the infamous 1980 murders of Bruce and Darlene Rouse in Libertyville to the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old unarmed Black jogger who was shot to death with a newer-model 12-gauge Remington shotgun by three white men currently on trial in Georgia.
After my mom died in November 2019, I found the unloaded shotgun and my grandfather’s .22-caliber rifle still in a closet in the house where I grew up. Worried that they could be found by somebody else, I renewed my Firearm Owner’s Identification card and took them with me. I originally obtained my FOID years ago when my virulent anti-gun columns inspired a couple of NRA members to take me to a shooting range, where they impressed me with their calm demeanor, attention to safety and appreciation for the law, and I impressed them with some surprisingly good marksmanship.
But I don’t want any guns, even those with no ammunition and a long history of idleness, in my home. So I fill out an online form at Maxon Shooter’s Supplies and Indoor Range in Des Plaines, where I have gone before to get quotes for my columns, to see what my gun’s worth. An online search said the average resale price is about $550. “Whether you are just wanting to get rid of something you never shoot anymore, or are looking to upgrade to something better that you really want, we’ve got you covered,” the website says, offering me a better deal on a trade-in. I clearly really don’t want a new gun, and I immediately regret the temptation to sell an old one just to make some money.
Maxon’s appraiser says my shotgun, which has no real sentimental value to me, has too much rust and too many scratches to meet their minimum $400 value to resell, which is music to my ears and removes the chance to make a decision I’d regret. Selling the weapon, even to a responsible gun owner, still leaves a gun in circulation.
Some people say that when the Civil War starts between Republicans and Democrats, Biden supporters and Trump supporters, or Black Lives Matter and White Power forces, we liberals might want a shotgun. But I have more faith in America than that. I call my local police, and a pair of officers come Wednesday afternoon to retrieve both my weapons.
After the guns sit in storage for two years, they will be destroyed, and my conscience will be clean. Provided the serial numbers don’t show those guns were used in crimes during the previous millennium.
[ad_2]
Source link
910472 767689Yeah bookmaking this wasnt a risky determination outstanding post! . 480095
360779 361504Hey! Excellent stuff, do tell us when you finally post something like this! 962673
185236 905144Id always want to be update on new content material on this website , saved to fav! . 632407
334780 758341Cheers for this superb. I was wondering if you were thining of writing comparable posts to this 1. .Maintain up the great articles! 398613
774848 892689So funcy to see the write-up within this blog. Thank you for posting it 855465
49796 22662There is an ending. Just remember that I meant for this to be an art game. I do feel like I spent an inordinate amount of time on the far more traditional gameplay elements, which might make the meaning with the game a bit unclear. Should you mess about with it though, youll uncover it. 897918
526847 100103Thank you for sharing with us, I conceive this site genuinely stands out : D. 396848
95909 819081Normally I dont read this kind of stuff, but this was really interesting! 424888
864939 102893This was an incredible post. Truly loved studying your internet site post. Your data was extremely informative and helpful. I feel youll proceed posting and updating frequently. Seeking forward to your subsequent one. 967048
939708 212354Deference to web site author , some excellent entropy. 678321
737333 505136Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It actually used to be a leisure account it. Glance complicated to far more delivered agreeable from you! Even so, how can we be in contact? 881667
522467 215351Hi there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing many months of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers? 149044
113362 231427obviously like your web site however you have to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts. 759996
413620 844576educator, Sue. Although Sue had a list of discharge instructions in her hand, she paused and 818312
592561 961791Absolutely composed written content , thanks for data . 499902
640743 721262I certainly did not realize that. Learnt something new nowadays! Thanks for that. 539606
490620 430249Ive just been talking to Sean Gallagher about his upcoming Instant Income Cash Machine course, and hes been kind enough to fill me in on a couple of details regarding his upcoming course. 826516
618964 42544Awesome weblog, Im going to spend far more time researching this subject 581701
128144 598339I want reading through and I conceive this site got some actually utilitarian stuff on it! . 995332
144430 323441appreciate the effort you put into getting us this data. Was looking on google and located your post randomly. 753946
192413 48893Glad to be one of the visitors on this awe inspiring internet site : D. 867523
466382 34661You wouldnt feel it but Ive wasted all day digging for some articles about this. You might be a lifesaver, it was an outstanding read and has helped me out to no end. Cheers! 498158
511719 524460When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get three e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Cheers! 581176
645725 110702You got a very amazing website, Sword lily I observed it via yahoo. 365474
424072 284828I enjoy your function , regards for all the informative posts . 391906
464127 131673You must get involved in a contest first of the greatest blogs more than the internet. Ill recommend this page! 583739
126715 368511Yeah bookmaking this wasnt a bad decision excellent post! . 580644
616484 969358This really is often a fantastic weblog, could you be interested in working on an interview about just how you developed it? If so e-mail myself! 924019
855613 6984I come across your webpage from cuil and it is high quality. Thnkx for giving this sort of an incredible write-up.. 792913
941436 96037I like this post a great deal. I will surely be back. Hope that I will probably be able to read far more insightful posts then. Will probably be sharing your expertise with all of my associates! 248824
901092 308152Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to assert that I get in fact enjoyed account your weblog posts. Any way Ill be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently rapidly. 585197
847333 945670Looking forward to move into one more hous?! […]Real estate busines is getting more and more less protitable, take a look at why[…] 775825
838938 822103Aw, this was a quite good post. In thought I want to put in writing like this moreover ?taking time and actual effort to make a quite excellent write-up?nonetheless what can I say?I procrastinate alot and definitely not appear to get one thing done. 830419