Advice Columnist Tells Father to Evict Daughter from His House for Owning a Gun

Opinion

Gun Banner Amy Dickinson
Gun Banner Amy Dickinson

Fairfax, VA – -(Ammoland.com)- Amy Dickinson is an advice columnist who, according to the company that syndicates her work, “combines storytelling with advice that is rooted with honesty and trust.” “Ask Amy” appears in newspapers that include The Baltimore Sun, The Chicago Tribune, The Lost Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. She is also billed as an “expert on relationships.”

Dickinson may be good at telling stories, but she is hardly honest, trustworthy, or expert in matters of firearms, which she nevertheless feels free to opine on, including in an article published last week that encourages an overwrought father to evict his adult daughter for owning a pistol.

A man identified only as “DUMBFOUNDED FATHER” (who we’ll refer to as “DUMB” for short) wrote Amy to breathlessly report:

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 to go with it.

DUMB believes the handgun to be “the kind of weapon a criminal would possess!” He dismisses his daughter’s choice to keep the gun “for emergencies,” arguing that there have been “only two” home invasions in their neighborhood during the last 11 years.

DUMB goes on to tell Amy that he has ordered his daughter to relinquish the gun or move out of his house in three weeks. He admits, “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 insists, “I have to lock my bedroom door at night because I don’t know what she’s going to do.”

DUMB complains that his daughter now says he doesn’t trust her and will barely speak to him, “How,” he asks Amy, “can I convince her to stop endangering us?”

Needless to say, DUMB’s question embodies a number of false assumptions, as well as a remarkably condescending attitude toward women and firearms.

First, there is nothing “not … normal” about a .40 cal. semi-automatic handgun. Semi-automatic handguns are in fact the most popular category of firearm in America today.

The .40 caliber S&W cartridge, meanwhile, was developed specifically for law enforcement use, following the FBI’s determination in the mid-1980s to replace their standard-issue .38 special revolvers with semi-automatic pistols.

Pistols chambered in the round went on to become a popular choice with law enforcement agencies across the United States, with civilians adopting them in large numbers during the Clinton “assault weapon” ban in effect from 1994 to 2004, which also imposed limits on magazine capacity.

Putting aside the technicalities, however, there is no evidence that the round – which is somewhat more expensive than other common handgun rounds – is especially popular with criminals.

Moreover, DUMB provides no information that would justify his need to lock himself into his bedroom at night to protect himself from his daughter or her firearm. That seems like a gross overreaction to a daughter he says he loves possessing a lawful and constitutionally protected firearm for emergency use. Indeed, in the event such an emergency arises, DUMB’s daughter will likely be the one protecting him.

Finally, DUMB is so irrationally fearful and controlling that he threatens to evict his daughter in three weeks unless she gets rid of the firearm, including by giving it to him. Why he thinks he is any safer with it than her is not explained, especially given his evident unfamiliarity with handguns.

DUMB’s letter is so over-the-top, in fact, that it comes across more like a parody of a narrow-minded, irrational, gun-phobic control freak than a serious question from a concerned parent.

Amy, however, not only takes the letter at face value, she ups the ante with additional misinformation and emotionalism of her own.

The very first sentence of her reply states, “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?”

Actually, only one state – New Jersey – and one city – San Francisco – bans the possession of hollow point ammunition. Amy’s “research” is completely erroneous.

And, needless to say, hollow point bullets do not “explode.” Rather, they are designed to stay intact and expand upon impact, which actually protects the safety and property of bystanders by reducing the tendency of the round to penetrate through the intended target and hit something else.

If anything, Amy’s faulty statistic would still suggest an 78% probability that the ammunition DUMB’s daughter possesses is legal. But is Amy suggesting that DUMB should solve his “problem” by seeking to have his own daughter arrested?

Next, Amy cites additional “research” which she claims shows that since 1980, the number of guns has risen in America, while the percentage of households with a firearm has fallen, concentrating the guns into fewer homes. “Why,” she asks irrelevantly, “must your household be one of them?”

Amy then starts casting aspersions on the daughter. “Where did your daughter get this weapon and ammunition?” she asks. “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?”

Rather than chide DUMB for overreacting to the common, presumptively lawful, and constitutionally protected conduct of his daughter, Amy tries to terrify him even further with a single, non-representative anecdote. “I have news for you,” she warns. “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.”

Of course, family members have also been known to tragically back over each other with their cars.

But those highly unusual and infrequent events do not suggest an intelligent and responsible 24-year-old woman cannot handle a firearm (or automobile) safely.

Ultimately, Amy encourages DUMB to enforce his “ultimatum,’ adding, “I also weep that there is yet another (likely unsafe) gun owner in this country.”

Again, DUMB’s letter provides absolutely no reason to suggest his daughter is an unsafe gun owner. Like DUMB himself, Amy apparently just assumes that a young woman – even an intelligent and responsible one – is incompetent to handle a firearm.

For an “expert” on relationships, Amy also seems unusually quick to suggest a father throw a beloved daughter out of his home for taking the responsible, adult step of seeing to her own protection. Worse, she advocates this potentially life-altering course of action based on poor research, false assumptions, and faulty reasoning.

Indeed, the advice Amy gives to DUMB is startlingly at odds with the advice she typically gives to  family members who disagree with their relatives’ lifestyle and choices; more often she counsels empathy and tolerance, rather than condemnation and alienation.

The irony here is that bad advice delivered by an incompetent researcher with no appreciation of her own ignorance or bias is the only real danger in this situation.

But we’re told DUMB’s daughter is intelligent, hardworking, responsible … and well-armed.

Something tells us she’ll do just fine on her own.


National Rifle Association Institute For Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)

About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

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Michael J

It’s interesting that columnists, actors and tabloid news are so full of advice but are so ignorant when it comes to the law of the land. Equally distressing are the millions of mindless people who take what they hear as if fact and not consider any contrary positions. The United States Constitution is the law of the land, however those states that come against it are not being challenged because those columnists, actors and tabloid news have determined for us what is right.

David White

My wife and I both own and carry guns every day. The right to own guns ALSO means the right to choose to not own guns. If the father (homeowner) chooses to not have firearms in his house, that is his right.

I would hope he discusses this intelligently, with his daughter instead of mandating she remove her gun or leave, but ultimately his property rights are such that he has the final determination.

No one should have fear (however unfounded) in their own home.

Sean C

….this kind of stupid merits sterilization. Don’t let them breed.

Heed the Call-up

Sean, he did breed, and created, to his horror, a human being that believes in her unalienable rights. As a father, I would want my daughter to be able to defend herself – and, as such, I have taught her.

The other Jim

This Left Wing Amy Dickinson sounds a lot like Katie Couric.

Piper's Colt

Irrational paranoia is the problem with most anti-gun people, and news people who are too ignorant to investigate, on their own, so that they may have facts with which to speak, are the real problem in our society today. Many people fear those things which they know little about and create their own fear because of that lack of knowledge. Somehow, the ignorant, think that the weapon is self-actuating in some regard, and is in itself a danger to man and beast. Thanks to our intellectually stupid news media, their paranoia is spread like wildfire to others too lazy to… Read more »

Scotty Gunn

I suspect that it is concocted so that “Amy” can lecture her readers on guns.

keith

Oh yeah, got it in one.
Can you say, “bullshit story?”
I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or choke when I realized that there are otherwise intelligent people who read this drivel and think it is real. A bit like the wrestling on TV. Sad really.

Jack Mac

Most likely concocted if not by her then by her news group.

Snuffy

Perhaps, but I’ve known people who cause me to believe it’s plausible.

circle8

If and I say a big IF the letter is legit the father raised a smart daughter but too bad some of that intel failed to enter his brain (if he has one). Note to the daughter MOVE and do it soon. Rid yourself of that whiny coward. Also never and I mean never read that trashy woman columnist (if the author is a woman) again.

Get Out

IMOA whether the letter is legit or not the anti-gun message and advice is to break up the family and boot her out if she doesn’t get rid of the weapon, insane. Had the father discussed it with her instead of going anti-gun on her, he might find she has a reason she wants to be able to defend herself.

Don Bailey

The one thing that Amy’s response lacked, could be Dumb’s daughter felt the need to protect herself against those that would harm her and her father. I think it is astounding that, despite Dumb’s fear of firearms, his daughter was still able to want to learn how to acquire, and hopefully how to protect herself.

Wild Bill

Dumbshit Dad calls daughter, ” Help me, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” EDC daughter, “Ok dad I’m on my way, but now that I live across town, it will be about four hours. I have to take a bus across town because I have to pay rent, now. I have to change busses a couple of times in bad neighborhoods, … so I’ll be bringing my .40 … is that Ok, because I know how you feel about that?”

Mr. Bill

Apparently the father is not mentally stable.
Good on the daughter for having the means to protect herself from him if he finally loses it completely.

Justista

Rampant hoplophobia from Dad and Amy.

JDC

Well, Amy and Dad are sheep who have bought into the anti-gun propaganda of the left. Lots of those folks around. I feel badly for that 24 yr old, as she won’t have much of a relationship with her dad after this…all from a “bad advise” columnist. The fact that the Dad feared that his adult daughter would be a threat (with no corresponding backup info) is sad. Even sadder is he’s still trying to control and manipulate his ADULT daughter instead of talking to her and respecting that she has a different viewpoint than his (baaaaaa!) My oldest daughter… Read more »

Mack The Knife

The father was right in describing his daughter, she is intelligent for owning a .40 caliber semi auto pistol. If that pistol is also a Springfield, she may even have an IQ at the genius level of intelligence. Smarts must have came from the mothers side.

John

Here is how the “Dad” should handle – get your big boy panties on and go the the range with your daughter / support her decision. A great opportunity for Father/Daughter time – and maybe the old man will see how responsible his daughter is, gaining respect – she too will gain respect for him in supporting her. Any differences I have with my kids, all goes away when we head to the range and spend that time together – shoot em up bang bang (of course – guess who supplies the ammo). Bet yaw the daughter out shoots the… Read more »

Matt in Oklahoma

24yr old needs to move out of the parents house.
The handgun is irrelevant

Deplorable Bill

Evidently this is a legit letter to Amy along with her response. It’s just so blatantly insane it does not seem real. Most of us personally know and/or know of people who think like the girl’s father and this Amy advice columnist. Pretty much the blind trying to lead the blind. There will be a wreck. But an advice columnist who has no idea of what she is talking about is a recipe for disaster. We have seen the socialist/demoncrat presidential hopefuls explain how they would force the turn in of scary looking guns, high capacity magazines, certain types of… Read more »

SavvyVet

You, sir, are cogent and thoughtful. I too have a similar background, and have just read your post which elucidates my very process of thought about my family, surroundings, and experiences. My only exception would be that the world will one day be peaceful without a 2nd coming. I too hope for a world where the only common thread would be peace, but wishes are not designed to dictate to logic and observation, so….I too stand guard for my lifetime for those I love and a country for which I grieve. My oath has no expiration date to first, my… Read more »

Deplorable Bill

Until we hear the words “come up hither” one cannot hope for peace in the world. “Just as it was in the days of Noah and Lott”…There is precious little to convince me that these days don’t match those days. So, we can only do what is right, good and true and stand against evil as defined BIBLICALLY until we hear those words.

Arm up, carry on.

Jim

Anyone with any familiarity in to the insane mindset and the typical way that liberals act will know this letter is a liberal setup, its not real at all. Its a sort of a false flag event if you will. No one would have EVER sent that letter but it is exactly what a liberal would post to try to get more anti-gun propaganda in front of the people. She herself or her puppet masters wrote that hit piece as propaganda.

JoeUSooner

Jim, while I agree that this “letter” is likely a piece of propaganda, most liberals (weak-minded and under-educated) will believe it anyway. To a diseased (liberal) mind, it somehow sounds plausible. That fact scares hell out of me… and I’m very worried about my grandchildren’s future.

TheHolyCrow

@jh45gun & JoeUS….I have to agree with everything said by the 2 of you. We should call out “Amy” to show a photocopy of that supposed letter, and the envelope it came to her in, with the date evident. I think the whole thing was fictitious and just a piece of anti-gun propaganda. Unfortunately, the Smith-Mundt Modernization act from a few years ago made it “legal” for the media to peddle donkey dust aimed at propagandizing and brainwashing US citizens. I think we can thank O’Bongo for that. Just another turd he left behind. Trump should repeal it posthaste.

Wild Bill

The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 allows materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to be available within the United States, like VOA broadcasts. MSM lies are on their own.