Feeling Safe in the United States

[manaman]

How crappy is your town if you feel the need to walk around with a gun?

I know it is well into the thread, but you realize how stupid this saying is right?

Rarely anyone that carrys a firearm actually expects anyhting to happen. Legal owners of firarms account for a very small percentage of gun crime statistics. You are actually less likely to be a victim of crime in the US (through a little more likey to have that crime be a homicide) then in the UK.

I could as easily ask how crappy is your town that you couldn't trust any single person with a firearm?

 

[Alordo]

Just some opinions I have from what I read.

1. You're a spoiled rich kid. It's evident by your opening statement. Because it isn't cheap to do the things you've described.

2. You're a pacifist. You said it. So guns are clearly the enemy.

3. You felt safe in a combat zone when a man with an AK-47 walked into the place you were eating? Yet, in a video game store in a non-combat zone, when someone showed their weapon to a friend, you felt dread and fear? I think your priorities are backwards. Oh, right, he turned out to be a friendly chap.

4. Are you sure the person with the pistol wasn't a friendly chap? Did you talk to him and find out? Or did you automatically assume he was a deranged gun nut because he briefly showed a friend his weapon and then put it away?

5. I'm not so afraid that I feel I need to carry a weapon. But I also feel secure that I have access to one to defend myself, my loved ones, and/or my property. And that is why most law-abiding Americans have a firearm or two.

 

[Azahul]

Just some opinions I have from what I read.

1. You're a spoiled rich kid. It's evident by your opening statement. Because it isn't cheap to do the things you've described.

2. You're a pacifist. You said it. So guns are clearly the enemy.

3. You felt safe in a combat zone when a man with an AK-47 walked into the place you were eating? Yet, in a video game store in a non-combat zone, when someone showed their weapon to a friend, you felt dread and fear? I think your priorities are backwards. Oh, right, he turned out to be a friendly chap.

4. Are you sure the person with the pistol wasn't a friendly chap? Did you talk to him and find out? Or did you automatically assume he was a deranged gun nut because he briefly showed a friend his weapon and then put it away?

5. I'm not so afraid that I feel I need to carry a weapon. But I also feel secure that I have access to one to defend myself, my loved ones, and/or my property. And that is why most law-abiding Americans have a firearm or two.

1. I'll thank you to not drag personal insults into this, thanks. Yeah, travelling was an incredible, amazing experience. It also meant spending several years at a time in countries where I was surrounded by the most abject poverty you can imagine, on a boat which, while certainly better than most of the accomodation we tended to see around us, could hardly be termed luxurious. I'll thank you to take adjectives like "spoilt" and shove them somewhere else, if it's all the same to you.
Besides which, what the hell is this point even meant to mean? So my family has enough money to travel. Ergo, my comments are invalid?

2. Yeah, you're right, not a big fan of guns. Personally, I never want to own one. I also find something very odd about anyone not living in a warzone owning one. I wouldn't call them my enemy, but they are an incredibly deadly weapon and I treat them with, at the very least, the same amount of fear and respect I would treat a chainsaw in everyday life. With the exception, of course, being that the chainsaw actually has a common non-violent application.

3. I've already explained this reaction. I knew the situation in the Sudan. I expected to see members of the militia around, and I expected them to be armed. I'm also aware of the situation in the United States, which is not engaged in a war on the home front. There's a reason for a guy in the Sudan to be carrying a gun, and I knew that it had nothing to do with me. He had a gun because he was engaged in a war. That's easy. So long as I'm not an enemy combatant and I'm not getting caught in some kind of crossfire, I have nothing to worry about from that gun.
In a civilian setting, however, the intention behind carrying guns is a lot harder to ascertain at first glance. Hence the fear reaction.

4. Odds are, he is a perfectly friendly chap. Wasn't really my point. What I was trying to get at was that is the situation in the United States really so bad that you need to treat everyday life like a combat zone. I get the whole "carry a gun just in case, and hope you never have to use it" sort of argument, but unless the odds of something actually happening are rather high, it strikes me as the same as carrying goggles around at all time in case there's an acid spill (in which case, there's a chance that the goggles may do nothing, making this both an apt comparison and a totally shoe-horned in Simpsons reference).

5. Thank you. I just wish you could have started off a little more politely.

 

[Zeren]

I open carry all the time. The cops don't care, the other people don't care, no one here cares if I have a gun because as a stand up citizen, they know I won't pull it unless someone needs defending.

 

[Eddie the head]

I guess I can see where you are coming form you're a product of your environment. I live in a place that the max speed limit is 60 mph (I think that's about 100kph?)and when I go places that it gets up to 70-85Mph I get terrified. I scars me to no end, and I am sure to someone that deals with that every day it's nothing but it scars me to no end. The unknown is scary.

 

[Ulvai]

I'm not a pacifist. I am military, so I am comfortable with having guns, ammo, explosives and such around. But when not on duty I prefer my service weapons to be safely locked in weapons room, and I don't actually own any myself. I don't really know why a civilian would need a gun on him day to day. In war zone - yeah, sure. But... I've seen civilians around guns - that's accident waiting to happen, even in US, where, as far as I know, firearm culture is developed and you can expect a random civvie to actually know at least the basics of handling gun safely. But still, shit happens, and when it happens with something as dangerous as a gun it's probably is going to be bad. And as for self defense - mostly you will be attacked too suddenly to pull that gun out, or drunk (favorite targets for muggers) when you shouldn't have gun on you anyhow. So why would you have it? No idea.

 

[Angie7F]

Always afraid of getting shot one day (I'm American) TAKE ME TO JAPAN!!!

Yes, I'd much rather be beaten to death with a baseball bat. More peaceful, y'know?

Yeah, if I had the choice I would choose one fatal gun shot to the brain than a slow, long multiple beating with baseball bats...

But you have to have the intent and determination to kill someone with a baseball bat whereas with a gun, one shot is all you need.

THat is why I agree with the following...

But still, shit happens, and when it happens with something as dangerous as a gun it's probably is going to be bad. And as for self defense - mostly you will be attacked too suddenly to pull that gun out, or drunk (favorite targets for muggers) when you shouldn't have gun on you anyhow. So why would you have it? No idea.

At least you have higher chance of a baseball bat than a gun shot...

 

[Daystar Clarion]

How crappy is your town if you feel the need to walk around with a gun?

I know it is well into the thread, but you realize how stupid this saying is right?

Rarely anyone that carrys a firearm actually expects anyhting to happen. Legal owners of firarms account for a very small percentage of gun crime statistics. You are actually less likely to be a victim of crime in the US (through a little more likey to have that crime be a homicide) then in the UK.

I could as easily ask how crappy is your town that you couldn't trust any single person with a firearm?

Well, I'm so happy to know that, while I'm less likely to be a victim of crime in the US (assuming I take your facts at face value), that if I am a victim, I'm more likely to have a acute case of death

 

[manaman]

How crappy is your town if you feel the need to walk around with a gun?

I know it is well into the thread, but you realize how stupid this saying is right?

Rarely anyone that carrys a firearm actually expects anyhting to happen. Legal owners of firarms account for a very small percentage of gun crime statistics. You are actually less likely to be a victim of crime in the US (through a little more likey to have that crime be a homicide) then in the UK.

I could as easily ask how crappy is your town that you couldn't trust any single person with a firearm?

Well, I'm so happy to know that, while I'm less likely to be a victim of crime in the US (assuming I take your facts at face value), that if I am a victim, I'm more likely to have a acute case of death

It's actually such an infantesimall ammount when all crimes vs homicides are taken in, but the fact is the homicide rate is higher in the US than the UK and while I could have left that bit out I didn't feel right.

 

[manaman]

Just some opinions I have from what I read.

1. You're a spoiled rich kid. It's evident by your opening statement. Because it isn't cheap to do the things you've described.

2. You're a pacifist. You said it. So guns are clearly the enemy.

3. You felt safe in a combat zone when a man with an AK-47 walked into the place you were eating? Yet, in a video game store in a non-combat zone, when someone showed their weapon to a friend, you felt dread and fear? I think your priorities are backwards. Oh, right, he turned out to be a friendly chap.

4. Are you sure the person with the pistol wasn't a friendly chap? Did you talk to him and find out? Or did you automatically assume he was a deranged gun nut because he briefly showed a friend his weapon and then put it away?

5. I'm not so afraid that I feel I need to carry a weapon. But I also feel secure that I have access to one to defend myself, my loved ones, and/or my property. And that is why most law-abiding Americans have a firearm or two.

1. I'll thank you to not drag personal insults into this, thanks. Yeah, travelling was an incredible, amazing experience. It also meant spending several years at a time in countries where I was surrounded by the most abject poverty you can imagine, on a boat which, while certainly better than most of the accomodation we tended to see around us, could hardly be termed luxurious. I'll thank you to take adjectives like "spoilt" and shove them somewhere else, if it's all the same to you.
Besides which, what the hell is this point even meant to mean? So my family has enough money to travel. Ergo, my comments are invalid?

2. Yeah, you're right, not a big fan of guns. Personally, I never want to own one. I also find something very odd about anyone not living in a warzone owning one. I wouldn't call them my enemy, but they are an incredibly deadly weapon and I treat them with, at the very least, the same amount of fear and respect I would treat a chainsaw in everyday life. With the exception, of course, being that the chainsaw actually has a common non-violent application.

3. I've already explained this reaction. I knew the situation in the Sudan. I expected to see members of the militia around, and I expected them to be armed. I'm also aware of the situation in the United States, which is not engaged in a war on the home front. There's a reason for a guy in the Sudan to be carrying a gun, and I knew that it had nothing to do with me. He had a gun because he was engaged in a war. That's easy. So long as I'm not an enemy combatant and I'm not getting caught in some kind of crossfire, I have nothing to worry about from that gun.
In a civilian setting, however, the intention behind carrying guns is a lot harder to ascertain at first glance. Hence the fear reaction.

4. Odds are, he is a perfectly friendly chap. Wasn't really my point. What I was trying to get at was that is the situation in the United States really so bad that you need to treat everyday life like a combat zone. I get the whole "carry a gun just in case, and hope you never have to use it" sort of argument, but unless the odds of something actually happening are rather high, it strikes me as the same as carrying goggles around at all time in case there's an acid spill (in which case, there's a chance that the goggles may do nothing, making this both an apt comparison and a totally shoe-horned in Simpsons reference).

5. Thank you. I just wish you could have started off a little more politely.

You did nothing to argue against you being spoiled. It isn't necessarilly and insult in itself. It's not a positive quality to be sure. I guess you can take the mention of any negative quality as an insult, but you ask me and I believe it takes a little something else to be an insult. For starters it isn't really an insult if there was no intent to harm behind it. Having seen poverty does not mean you experianced it. And that final little bit no your comments would not be made invalid, but it does point out a source for some of them.


Just thought you should know.

 

[BoogieManFL]

I've lived in the US, all my 32 years of life and I've never seen anyone with a gun in a public area other than police officers and soldiers at airports.

 

[psijac]

Its called cognitive dissonance, the uneasy feeling the occurs when you hold two conflicting ideas at once. You feel you should be safe in a Country like America, yet people are using guns to protect themselves. In a war zone you have accepted you are not safe so you can accept the presence of guns.

A gun is like the airbag on a car. The absolute last resort in a worse case scenario. Like a gun there are time when you don't want the airbag to go off. Modern cars has sensors that detect when small children are seated and turn off airbags because it would kill them.

Guns an arm citizenry make the states safer. In Illinois it is illegal to carry a firearm on your person and they have a very high murder rate per capita its not uncommon to have a weekend where 30 people are shot in Chicago.

Saying, "Why would you need a gun you live in a safe city" Is like saying why would you need an airbag you have a safe car?" The airbag makes the car safe and the gun (in the right hands) makes the city safe.

You could argue you should just increase the amount of cops but it won't be long before those cops spend more time writting tickets to make money for the city than stopping true crime

 

[Brotha Desmond]

As an American who is for tighter gun control I can say that it's not a safety issue. Have you ever heard of the National Rifle Association (N.R.A)? Americans are obsessed. Although most of the states that are obsessed with guns are those that the other states don't want to acknowledge.

 

[micahrp]

So this, odds are, will likely devolve into a gun control debate. That's not really what I want to talk about, though. I'm more interested into whether people in the United States are really so scared that they feel the need to carry a lethal weapon on their body at all times in order to feel secure.

A military escort would not make me feel secure. This is more a product of my parents choice of how to raise me. They believed they could be missionaries to the crack-ridden by living among them. Regular beatings by locals. Enough breakins that us kids knew what to look for when coming home and how to go to the local payphone and call the police.

 

[Aaron Sylvester]

We own some hunting gear (7mm rifle, .22 rifle, 12G shottie) but I've never seen anyone carrying a sidearm out in the open, not here in NZ...someone would immediately phone the police and get that person arrested lol.

 

[winginson]

The thing about guns in America that scared me wasn't the fact loads of people have them. I grew up around guns so I don't fear them, but I do respect them. What scared me in America was the amount of people I met who didn't respect guns and just viewed them as a toy or something. People who don't respect how lethal guns are scare me.

 

[Tye Hillesland]

In response to the op: I have lived in the US all of my life. I have issue with America's gun laws and think that we need better gun control, but that being said I have never, ever, EVER seen a guy walk into a video game store or otherwise with a gun that is unconcealed. In most stores if someone did that the cops would get called or they would be asked to leave. I don't know where you were, but either you were really unlucky or your story is total bs.

 

[Toriver]

I've lived in the rural US most of my life: small-town Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. Many people I know in this area, including family, own hunting rifles and go hunting regularly. I've been skeet shooting a couple times myself (though admittedly I suck at it). Never once has anyone I've known in the US been shot, either accidentally or on purpose. Never once has anyone I know even thought about shooting anyone else. They have a healthy respect for firearms, and any time I have ever been to a place with guns, they have always been safely and securely stored away when not being used. In the US, I have never been in a place where I have felt unsafe.

I lived in Japan for four years, the last part of which was in a neighborhood in a mid-size city where there were known Yakuza. The only time I ever believed I heard gunfire that was not skeet shooting was in that neighborhood in Japan. It may or may not have actually been gunfire, but whatever those sounds were in the middle of the night, they did not sound safe. However, at the same time, that was the only time I felt unsafe in Japan, too.

Essentially, my stance and point on the whole subject is that it's not the presence and prevalence of guns, but the individuals that have them. In many places in the US you have to pass a background check and other tests to get a concealed carry permit and/or buy a gun. Sure, you could say that we can never be sure who will snap and suddenly go crazy on everyone, but they could do that with any number of dangerous objects. Instead of a firefight in Texas you may end up with a real-life Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not like anyone's going to go out and call for a ban on chainsaws.

What I really don't understand is how somehow people still feel more unsafe with a hunting rifle in a redneck's hands than a pistol in an inner-city gangster's hands. That's just beyond me.

 

[Azahul]

You did nothing to argue against you being spoiled. It isn't necessarilly and insult in itself. It's not a positive quality to be sure. I guess you can take the mention of any negative quality as an insult, but you ask me and I believe it takes a little something else to be an insult. For starters it isn't really an insult if there was no intent to harm behind it. Having seen poverty does not mean you experianced it. And that final little bit no your comments would not be made invalid, but it does point out a source for some of them.


Just thought you should know.

I didn't bother to argue against being spoilt because it should have been patently obvious that I'm not, and I didn't particularly want to turn this into an argument about me. Regardless, if you're going to insist I am, then let's make some things clear. First, my parents aren't exactly wealthy. They're reasonably well off, but they sacrifice any chance at financial security by spending their money on doing what they love, travelling. Take the three year sailing trip, for example. A family of five on a 14m long yacht that, at its widest, was about 2.5m across. Having a shower consisted of a bucket of salt water and then rinsing that off with a kettle of heated fresh water that needed to be shared amongst at least two other people. We had food, and the electricity to operate lights (and fans when it got too hot), and that was about it as far as luxuries went. So for three years we washed our clothes by hand, baked our own bread, had no access to any of the electronic mediums of entertainment that I'm nearly positive you must have in order to be able to post on this site, and by and large ate either what we could catch or what we could trade for from locals. No, not poverty, but I hardly think the experience left me a spoilt rich kid with no appreciation for what people below the poverty line go through. The biggest luxury we had in those years was just always having enough to eat, and seeing how the people around us lived during that time I can say I'm damned well thankful for that.

Just thought you should know.