This appears to be a Dear Abby type of column. Based on the way it read I had to make sure it was not an Onion type of article. The father is looking for advice. His daughter has a gun (not a normal one, it shoots .40 caliber) and he now locks his bedroom door because he’s not sure what his daughter of 24 years might do.
The columnist is weeping because there is likely another unsafe gun owner out there.
Ask Amy: Dad horrified there's a gun in house
Amy Dickinson
Dear Amy: This week I discovered that my intelligent, hard-working, responsible 24-year-old daughter (who lives with me) is a gun owner! And it's not a normal gun either — it is a 40 caliber semi-automatic, and she has hollow point bullets.
Amy, this is the kind of weapon a criminal would possess! She says it is for emergencies. There have only been two home invasions in our neighborhood in the last 11 years.
I've given her three choices: She can either give her weapon to me, sell it or move out in three weeks.
I love my daughter and would be so sad for her to move into a place that she would hardly be able to afford, but now I have to lock my bedroom door at night because I don't know what she's going to do.
She says I don't trust her, and is barely speaking to me. How can I convince her to stop endangering us?
— Dumbfounded Father
Dear Dumbfounded: According to my research, possessing hollow point bullets is illegal in 11 states; is it legal in your state to own this sort of exploding ammunition?
In a report published in 2015, researchers at the University of Chicago found that 31 percent of households reported having a firearm in 2014, down from about 48 percent in 1980.
According to this study, there are more guns, but concentrated in fewer households. Why must your household be one of them?
Where did your daughter get this weapon and ammunition? Has she received any safety training or certification? (Accidental gun death is a substantial risk of owning a gun.) Is she perhaps engaged in another activity outside of your household that exposes her to increased risks and makes her believe she needs to have a weapon?
I have news for you: A locked bedroom door is no match for this weaponry; as I write this, just five days ago a father in South Carolina tragically shot and killed his own 23-year-old daughter through a closed door — when he mistook her for an intruder.
I agree with your ultimatum; I also weep that there is yet another (likely unsafe) gun owner in this country.
June 13th, 2019, 06:42 AM
Noah_Zark
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Amy Dickinson is a well-known syndicated advice columnist (Ask Amy) and certified liberal. She is also a regular panelist on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, a weekly comedy-quiz radio show which is known for Trump bashing, but lately the host and panelists have been slinging mud at Biden, Booker, and other Demoncrats. Buttgiggle was a guest about 7-9 months ago.
Based on what I know of Dickinson, the Ask Amy letter seems genuine, and her response is totally in character.
Noah
June 13th, 2019, 06:47 AM
internet troll
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Noah_Zark
Amy Dickinson is a well-known syndicated advice columnist (Ask Amy) and certified liberal. She is also a regular panelist on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, a weekly comedy-quiz radio show which is known for Trump bashing, but lately the host and panelists have been slinging mud at Biden, Booker, and other Demoncrats. Buttgiggle was a guest about 7-9 months ago.
Based on what I know of Dickinson, the Ask Amy letter seems genuine, and her response is totally in character.
Noah
Thanks, I see she took over for Ann Landers. I had never heard of her before and did not know anything about her but am not surprised she is anti gun. I’m sure her response is genuine. Is the letter itself real or written by a pro gunner to get a ridiculous response from her?
June 13th, 2019, 06:49 AM
Gun
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
is it legal in your state to own this sort of exploding ammunition?
Does one not need a tax stamp for this:confused::rolleyes:
June 13th, 2019, 06:50 AM
phoenix01
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Dear Dumbfounded Father: Grow a pair.
June 13th, 2019, 06:58 AM
Gun
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenix01
Dear Dumbfounded Father: Grow a pair.
Makes you wonder if he was the biological father.
June 13th, 2019, 07:01 AM
Qtrborecrazy
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
I wonder if the daughter took took door #3 and grew a pair.
June 13th, 2019, 07:14 AM
DennisH82
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
The sad thing is there are many like her father out there, ignorant, emotionally unstable and unable to deal with life in general/ Hopefully his daughter moves out and severs contact with this weak and clueless sperm donor.
June 13th, 2019, 07:18 AM
Noah_Zark
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by internet troll
Thanks, I see she took over for Ann Landers. I had never heard of her before and did not know anything about her but am not surprised she is anti gun. I’m sure her response is genuine. Is the letter itself real or written by a pro gunner to get a ridiculous response from her?
I would not be surprised if Dickinson wrote both the letter and response, given her liberal activist stance. It is sometimes common for advice columnists to do so. If the letter was genuine, and I'll admit it may be, it would have been "edited" (rewritten to polish it up) for publication.
Noah
June 13th, 2019, 07:19 AM
DukeConnor
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
"Only 2 home invasions in 11 years". Sounds like a shitty neighborhood.
June 13th, 2019, 07:26 AM
lemko
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Hope the daughter does move out and her dumbass father is the victim of a home invasion. He'll wish he had his armed daughter still living there. Notice there's no mention of a wife. She probably left this effete soy-boy wimp a long time ago.
June 13th, 2019, 08:12 AM
archie19
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
[QUOTE And it's not a normal gun either — it is a 40 caliber semi-automatic, and she has hollow point bullets.
Amy, this is the kind of weapon a criminal would possess! .[/QUOTE]
I could be wrong but wasn't/isn't .40 cal popular with LE?
June 13th, 2019, 08:24 AM
lts1ow
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by archie19
[QUOTE And it's not a normal gun either — it is a 40 caliber semi-automatic, and she has hollow point bullets.
Amy, this is the kind of weapon a criminal would possess! .
I could be wrong but wasn't/isn't .40 cal popular with LE?[/QUOTE]
Not anymore, the 40 has completed its arc and is now falling out of favor.
All hail the 9mm
June 13th, 2019, 08:34 AM
archie19
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lts1ow
I could be wrong but wasn't/isn't .40 cal popular with LE?
Not anymore, the 40 has completed its arc and is now falling out of favor.
All hail the 9mm[/QUOTE]
My point was that a lot of LE agencies have or had this caliber as their duty weapon. Was it not developed with LE use in mind? I was just trying to point out the ridiculousness of the comment about only criminals possessing this pistol....
and no, I don't have a .40 and do have 2 9mm...…..well I did before the tragic boat incident....
June 13th, 2019, 08:41 AM
God's Country
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
The real sad part of this is if the daughter wanted to move her boyfriend in and fuck like rabbits, and live in the basement for 20 years dumbfounded father would shrug.
June 13th, 2019, 08:47 AM
jthrelf
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
I'd be concerned if my 24 year old daughter was NOT armed...
Also she said 11 states have banned hollow points. No, 11 states have banned AP rounds. Not the same thing.
June 13th, 2019, 09:34 AM
alpacaheat
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
^ And claimed gun ownership in households is DOWN 17%? Not a chance but then again she cited the Univ. of Shitcago.
June 13th, 2019, 12:23 PM
eagleclaw
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
I suspect the letter itself is written by a sock puppet/troll. It's probably written by someone from an anti gun organization in hopes of getting it published in major newspapers with the given response.
The reason I suspect this is the father implies he is terrified of guns yet he knows what a .40 caliber is and about hollow point ammunition? One of the options he presents to his daughter is that the gun needs be turned over to him. If he was terrified of guns there would only be two options the gun goes or she needs to move out.
I say the letter is a hoax.
June 13th, 2019, 12:41 PM
mixednuts
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
100% scripted virtue signaling
June 13th, 2019, 12:45 PM
JenniferG
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Dear Dumb man, the young woman that lives in your house seems like she has started on the road to become and adult in spite of living with a diaper wearing sperm donor man who did something. You are a useless tax wasting drag on society and add little to nothing to improve the gene pool. I suppose the young woman has gotten her protective genes from her Mother and maybe it would be a better idea to cut you loose and leave you to fend for yourself instead of her being there to protect you. I'm sure if you took a paternity test you'll find that the young adult woman that lives in your house has zero relation to you and that her Mother is probably guilty of paternity fraud. My question to you is "how can you call yourself a man?" "Do you call yourself a man?" is probably the better question. Anyway, please write again if you have any further questions. I do have some suggestions for you if you continue to act this way. Sincerely yours, Dear Jenn.
June 13th, 2019, 04:04 PM
raxar
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Depending on what she looks like I might have somewhere for her to stay, although she's going to have to go 9, .45 or 10mm. I'm not stocking .40 yet
June 13th, 2019, 04:10 PM
spartakis252
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by raxar
Depending on what she looks like I might have somewhere for her to stay, although she's going to have to go 9, .45 or 10mm. I'm not stocking .40 yet
Damn I was hoping to make this post...you beat me by 6 minutes...
June 13th, 2019, 04:12 PM
str8shooter
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Sounds like he's the one she wants to protect herself from.
June 13th, 2019, 04:28 PM
Walleye Hunter
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Sniff, sniff...something smells like bullshit to me.
June 13th, 2019, 06:04 PM
RockIsland
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walleye Hunter
Sniff, sniff...something smells like bullshit to me.
My spidey senses were tingling too.
You know you've been shooting .40 for a while if you remember these...
My house never caught fire but I have fire extinguishers. I guess I could just call 911 and wait for them to get there, get set up, run out the hoses and put out the fire. :rolleyes:
June 13th, 2019, 06:59 PM
Walleye Hunter
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Well...the supposed father knows it's a .40 with hollow point bullets but thinks it's not a normal gun? Too much knowledge and ignorance all in one mouthful for me to believe it.
June 13th, 2019, 07:16 PM
raxar
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walleye Hunter
Well...the supposed father knows it's a .40 with hollow point bullets but thinks it's not a normal gun? Too much knowledge and ignorance all in one mouthful for me to believe it.
It obviously isn't real, its written in the exact same style as the "advice" is. Whole this is just lazy BS.
June 13th, 2019, 07:51 PM
ShooterInPA1
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
What a horrible generalization!
Imagine someone saying: I also weep that there is yet another (likely unsafe) muslim in this country.
June 13th, 2019, 08:34 PM
str8shooter
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by raxar
It obviously isn't real, its written in the exact same style as the "advice" is. Whole this is just lazy BS.
^^^QFT^^^
Giving advice is easy when you're talking to yourself.
June 13th, 2019, 08:37 PM
spandexlurch
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by t1066
You can find the letter here. Hey, what do you know, you can comment using Discus.
Nearly all the comments are calling out the BS in the article.
June 13th, 2019, 10:39 PM
FJRMarty
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Listen, this is easy. It cost Bloomberg pocket change to hire a few hundred breathless, eager little socialists to pen letters like this, script responses like that, paint signs, publish newspapers, get voted in to Congress, pay a second year junior representative from the most corrupt city in America to run for and get elected president who reads scripts written by breathless, eager little socialists......
The old term is shill. You know, like the folks who appear on CNN, shills who read scripts written by breathless, eager little socialists, then pass them over to MSNBC, then pass them over to NBC, PBS, and so on.
June 14th, 2019, 08:39 AM
dannyb
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by str8shooter
Sounds like he's the one she wants to protect herself from.
THIS
If this were real (and I doubt it, like so many others here), the above might explain why she has the pistol and why he's so afraid. "Sweeetie! I'm here to tuck you in!" -- "Dad! If you so much show your face at the door..."
June 14th, 2019, 01:15 PM
mixednuts
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
sad how many people here are responding as if the letter was real.
June 17th, 2019, 06:28 PM
OwnTheRide
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by raxar
I'm not stocking .40 yet
Well, yeah, obviously. That's the kind of caliber a criminal would possess!
Dear Readers: I recently ran a question from “Dumbfounded Father” in my column. This man had a 24-year-old daughter who was living with him. She had recently disclosed that she possessed a .40 caliber semi-automatic weapon, with hollow point bullets. This father did not want to have guns in his home.
In my response, I incorrectly stated that hollow point bullets “explode.” I stated that this ammunition is illegal in 11 states.
I take responsibility for this error, and apologize to readers who were misinformed, confused or furious about it.
I reached out to Eric Delbert, a second-generation law enforcement officer and owner (with his father) of LEPD firearms range and training facility in Columbus, Ohio, who patiently described the characteristics of hollow point bullets. They do not explode. They expand. This ammunition seems to be only partially banned in one state (NJ). He also pointed out that the .40 caliber semi-automatic is extremely popular, and — in his opinion — an appropriate choice for this young woman.
I firmly believe that homeowners have the right to protect themselves and their homes from civilians bringing firearms onto their private property.
An adult family member who pays no rent or expenses is a guest in the home. If this daughter won’t relinquish her firearm — this houseguest should take her gun and find another place to live.
This Q and A from my column has been widely shared on social media, and I have been called out scores of times by gun owners and advocates who used my error on hollow point bullets to disregard my point of view. That’s on me.
Many angry readers also suggested that my ignorance of firearms and ammunition disqualifies me from commenting on gun ownership or gun violence.
Obviously, I disagree. I don’t have to know the intricacies of a car engine to advocate for commonsense driving and licensing laws.
I was also accused of having a “bias” against guns. A gun is an inanimate object. I don’t hold a particular bias against these objects.
I definitely have a bias against the people who use guns to terrorize and kill one another. I also have a bias against the gun lobby that gaslights Americans into believing that gun ownership is not only a right, but also — these days — a necessity, as many readers have suggested.
Additionally, the disrespect, anger, violent language, and threats contained in many of the responses to this Q and A are, frankly, a great argument for stricter gun control.
My position on gun ownership arises from my own exposure to the heartbreaking aftermath of gun violence. As a journalist, I spent time with and interviewed many mothers who had lost their young children to random and unprovoked gun violence. I wrote about the killings at Columbine High School, and the culture of violence that contributed to that massacre.
My very small rural hometown has been rocked by a series of gun killings, including an entire family murdered on Christmas Eve, a workplace murder, and the tragic story of a father (the football coach at my high school) who was murdered protecting his daughter from her gun-wielding boyfriend.
Plus, I live in the world. School killings, church killings, workplace killings, mall killings, partner killings, accidental shootings — we are awash in violence, and ready access to dangerous weaponry makes it too easy for innocent people to get shot. Thoughts and prayers, it turns out, are no match for a hollow point bullet.
And someone like me: small, physically inept, and — (according to many commenters) not too bright and/or possibly deranged — has no business wielding a gun. Most importantly, I don’t want to own a gun, and so I will exercise my right not to own one or allow one in my home.
On the day I’m writing this, two fairly quotidian stories of senseless gun violence caught my eye: One involved two men who killed each other in a shootout when one cut another off in traffic (both men reportedly had concealed carry permits). The other was of an ambush shooting at a California Costco parking lot (the second Costco shooting in three days): one dead, two injured.
This column is a great space to explore the vagaries of the human condition. Questions from the lovelorn, love-lost or betrayed; the confused parents, Bridezillas, and angry in-laws — all provide insights into the daily struggles presented just by being human and living in the world. Gun violence is part of our world, and so we should talk about that, too.
July 1st, 2019, 09:50 AM
marinville
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
I firmly believe that homeowners have the right to protect themselves and their homes from civilians bringing firearms onto their private property.
Best quote ever. Tell that one to the armed bad guys who disagree.
July 1st, 2019, 11:24 AM
Sgt.K
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
Quote:
I firmly believe that homeowners have the right to protect themselves and their homes from civilians bringing firearms onto their private property.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marinville
Best quote ever. Tell that one to the armed bad guys who disagree.
Sounds like she's perfectly OK with .gov agents bringing their firearms onto private property.
Yeah, no thanks.
July 1st, 2019, 11:42 AM
lts1ow
Re: Is this a troll or real letter?
She seems to make a great argument about why she SHOULD carry, but then says its not for her.
Ironic, but, this is America and she is free to do as she wants.