I may never "sharpen" a knife again (using a STeele)

Its largely dependant on which part of the US you are referring to, and then in large part because its illegal for either party to carry without a permit. Which granny will generally follow..but there is no such reluctance on the part of the kid. Now as to having Granny keeping a shotgun or handgun around the house..Id say there are millions of such. News reports often feature Granny chasing off, or blowing the 19 yr old pukes shit away.
First you have to be 21 to purchase a firearm at Walmart, so the 19yr old cannot do so legally. Secondly most amateur bad guys in this age range tend to rely on their size and strength (its a psychological thing) when confronting Granny. Which often leads to 19 yr olds being killed or wounded in the commission of a crime, by Granny.
In fact, a good many women are now arming themselves, both at home and on the street. Women getting CCW permits is at an all time high.
And surprisingly enough..in areas where its known women are armed..rapes, robberies etc etc against women are all down below our already low crime rate.
Shug..while you and I might be able to handle that young puke by hand, why deny those that are the most defenseless, have no way to defend themselves?
As to your claims that a firearm may be taken from a woman and used against her..please give me two examples. If you are unable to do so..then your claim is simply a meaningless "what if" .
Gunner
"Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"

US news reports seem to feature lots of folk getting blown away - *some* of them justifiably, it would seem.
Sorry. I'll have to shrug and whimper "what if". I don't collect broadcast anecdotes. I leave that to others.
You have posted previously about the desirability of self-imposed morality, as opposed to morality imposed by the barrel of a gun. (That was you, wasn't it?) Such a society is certainly preferable. I just don't fancy the concept of everyone having to go everywhere (including to bed) armed to the teeth.
Doesn't sound too peaceable to me, Pard.
Jeff

Indeed. As for those unjustifiably..it tends to be minority males between the ages of 13-24 doing most of the killing and dying, often in acts of tribal warfare. As occurs in the UK and Oz, etc. Far more people die by knife, blunt instrument etc etc. Factors that would occur even in the absence of firearms..and the world stats are there to prove it, given the murder rates in many countries where guns are outlawed. In fact..its members of those countries that live in the US that tend to bring their homicidal tendencies with them. Mexico is a notable example. Excellent. Honesty is a good start.
One never has to go anywhere armed to the teeth. Its a personal decision. Im not a fan of putting on a seat belt when getting into a motor vehicle either..and the chances of me being involved in an accident are very small, but I do non the less.
I should mention that in the past 30 yrs, Ive had to draw my CCW 5 times. In only one of those cases was there another firearm involved. But knifes, clubs, and large groups of individuals bent on harming one, can kill you just as dead. No shots were fired in any of those cases. And in each one of those cases, harm or death to myself, or others WOULD have occurred if Id not been armed and willing to defend myself with deadly force. Not maybe..but Would. And rape to my wife and or others.
So am I being paranoid? Or simply, like wearing a seat belt, prudent? Our crime rate is at an all time low, our homicide rates are down below levels of 1964, and still declining. There are more privately possessed firearms than ever before, 42 states now issue CCW permits and things are getting nice and peaceable. Im afraid that the same cannot be said for other countries that have banned the use of the gun for self defense, or even its ownership. But then..Im damned glad to live in a nation where each individual does have the right to properly use deadly force in self defense. And has the right as a basic part of its foundation documents.
Shrug..each to his own. Im quite happy to be a citizen, not a sheeple, and have the option of picking which I prefer being, rather than having the sheeple part forced on me by a government.
Gunner "Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"

Yeah, his definition makes you want to hum patriotic songs through your nose. d8-)
Ed Huntress

Why? Don't you drive very much? (You do realise that *no-one* admits to being a dangerous driver... and accidents are *always* caused by "the other guy".)
Deary me. I should mention that in a longer time-frame than that, I've never felt the need to produce or display a CCW. I've been a cab driver, a shop assistant, a truck driver, a delivery person amongst other potentially "hazardous" occupations, and I haven't ever hesitated to go anywhere at any time in this country for the sake of personal safety.
You must live in a very dangerous country.
Land of the free, home of the brave. Don't tell me stories like this, Gunner. I like Americans. I'd love to visit your shores (the Smithsonian, the Cape for a launch, Niagara, Yellowstone... sighhh) but you're doing a good job of frightening me out of it. Give me crocodiles and funnelweb spiders any day.
Another crook analogy. Seat belts are defensive. Can't be offensive (unless you strangle someone with one.)
And yet you've been in real fear of your life five times (at least?). Do you provoke trouble?
(I mean in real life, not on Usenet.)
Bahhhhhhhhh Humbug.
Anyways, keep shrugging. I can sense that tension diminishing already.
Jeff (still wondering)

I drive about 65,000 miles a year. Been doing so for many years. Im a defensive driver, and have actually been to school for defensive driving, albeit many years ago.
I can think of a number of places in Sydney that Id not like to take walkabout in, also Kimberly, Pilbara, Kalgoorlie. In fact..the first place Id ever been attacked by a group, was in 1971 in Sydney. Fortunatly my mates came to my rescue. Your lads made a rather poor choice of victims when they ignored that Ranger scroll on the shoulder patchs. Shrug. I suspect they all lived, though it was great fun. Indeed parts of it can be. Just like Oz. Indeed.
Why? Good for you. Id like to see Ayers Rock again, and of course sample more of your sheilas hospitality. Both singly and in group. My memories are fond ones. Dont worry too much about crime, as our crime rate is falling rapidly, while yours is rising, so you may be safer here in the US than at home. I know a goodly number of Aussie Ex-pats living here quite happily. Though..I do know more British Ex-pats, and you know what THEIR home country crime rates are..sigh..poor bastards. Hand guns are defensive also. A very poor choice for offense. Generally a handgun is the means by which you use to get to a rifle. Any tool can be used offensively. One should note that people have been dying from kitchen knives, blunt objects, sashweights, tire irons, etc etc for a very long time, so by your standards, a hammer is an offensive weapon? Having been a police officer, and in RVN (none of which were counted in the 5 times stats, Ive been in fear for my life many times. There are risks in life, for which I take precautions. Fire extinguishers (btw..I know at least one murder by fire extinguisher), smoke detectors, safety glasses, seat belts, motorcycle helmets and leathers... the usual. Shrug. Having a firearm at hand when servicing machine tools at 1am in East Los Angeles is simply another protective measure. Hardly. A number of folks here on this newsgroup know me well enough, and Id imagine that most would tell you that Im just a big old harmless fuzzball. And when bad situations happen, I generally tend to back away. However..unless you live in a cave somewhere, Im sure you have encountered those that wished to press the issue. I seldom worry about a criminal act directed at me specificly, but those "to whom it may concern" crimes are the bothersome ones.
I do tend to go where I wish, when I wish, rather than huddling in fear though, and some of those places may not be for the more gentile. However.. none of those 5 circumstances were in "bad places", as those in bad places are street wise enough to understand that some people are not to be attacked. At least if they are not drunk or strung out on drugs...they can recognize this. shrug. Im told that I have a certain "street presense" that can be a warning sign for the more street wise. Unfortunatly..those are not the types that I worry about.
I should also mention that I indicated that no shots were fired, no one was harmed overly much given the situations. If I were the type to provoke trouble..such would not have been the case. In fact, I was soundly chastized by the police in two of those occasions for NOT shooting the bad guys, as it would have ended some long term criminal careers and removed some very bad people from both the street and the gene pool. But then I do value human life, and having taken far more than my share of them in RVN and as a police officer, tend to not take a life without extreme provication. The "3 AM parade" is not one I care to add to.
See above. So your government allows you to keep a handgun close by for self defense? How about a decent self loading rifle? Tension? You have a tension problem? Take care of that..it can have long term health problems.
Btw..if you ever decide to visit the States, Id be happy to buy you a cup of coffee, and show you my shop, as well as give you some insiders places to visit. Im rather widely traveled, and as I indicated..tend to go off the beaten path.
Gunner
"Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"

Approximately 60 hogs, and 10 beef a year....butchered, cut and wrapped. Or were you implying that I should ask myself that question. I wasn't sure if you wanted a direct answer to that. Good. That's good to know. Yes you sure can feel them biting Okay, thanks. Ivan

Thanks Gunner. ..and reciprocated, here in Sydney. (dinkum)
Jeff

with no guard, i have settled on edge-away, stroke-away. my steel is too short for me to stroke toward the handle with the edge away which would be fairly safe, otherwise. i was doing edge and stroke to handle until my brother said either direction works fine. guess what? he's right. i still occaisionally reverse, just to prove it to myself, again.
it is counter intuitive, tho, to this amateur since you are supposedly only "straightening the bead" with a steel. seems like heel-away, stroke- away would be ideal for that. --Loren