Does anyone else find it upsetting that people are walking around in Target with guns?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope, not at all. More "ordinary citizens" should be armed, instead of being so terrified of guns as you are. The problem is that a lot of good people are too scared to take classes and get themselves familiar with firearms, so the proportion of criminals/nutjobs who are armed to the good people who are armed is way out of whack.

Me? I have a concealed carry permit, and I don't usually carry a gun on me, because I have young children, but I like to know I'm allowed. Also, I am educated about how to use the firearm should I ever need to, and therefore not afraid. I like to think that evens the playing field a little bit.

OMG. You are fucking insane. That is all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, not at all. More "ordinary citizens" should be armed, instead of being so terrified of guns as you are. The problem is that a lot of good people are too scared to take classes and get themselves familiar with firearms, so the proportion of criminals/nutjobs who are armed to the good people who are armed is way out of whack.

Me? I have a concealed carry permit, and I don't usually carry a gun on me, because I have young children, but I like to know I'm allowed. Also, I am educated about how to use the firearm should I ever need to, and therefore not afraid. I like to think that evens the playing field a little bit.

+1

I wish you'd had the experience of growing up somewhere that didn't allow guns. I'm so sure you'd feel totally different about it then. For us (those who grew up like this) it seems completely useless to allow people to arm themselves. It's so sad.

You know, it's funny that you say that. Until I was about 18, I felt exactly like you. I was completely opposed to guns, and wondered why anyone had to own them at all. I thought the whole thing was horrible. I also laid in bed at night as a kid, knowing that my mom had gone out to walk the dog, and listened for her to come back, worrying that she'd get murdered. (I watched the news too much, I think.)

Then I really started to look at the world, without allowing pure emotion to lead me. Truth is, as awful as it is, SOMEONE is going to be armed. Lock guns down all you want, the bad people are going to have them. There's no changing that fact. For me and my family, I would much rather, as I said, "even the playing field". Is it sad? Maybe. But it is what it is, and this is the world today.

[Anonymous]

How many times have legal gun owners opened fire on each other at target, lol target ironic name

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frightening if someone with poor judgment uses it illegally and improperly and hurts someone innocent. Not frightening if someone uses it to stop a criminal from hurting innocent folks.

How do you distinguish between a criminal and an innocent person in a split second?

[Anonymous]

Yea, terrified, the shootings that go on in in local Virginia Target are just off the hook!

I feel so much safer taking an afternoon walk down East Capitol Street....such a sense of safety I get in DC with their strict gun laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frightening if someone with poor judgment uses it illegally and improperly and hurts someone innocent. Not frightening if someone uses it to stop a criminal from hurting innocent folks.

How do you distinguish between a criminal and an innocent person in a split second?

If they jump on you break you noise and slam your head on the sidewalk

[Anonymous]

AMERICA IS SOOOO SCARY! I THINK I NEED 10 GUNS, LIKE RIGHT NOW!

[Anonymous]

I find it unbelievable that you're more afraid of people that follow the law and get a concealed permit to carry a gun, than of people in other states that illegally carry guns all the time.

[Anonymous]

OP, this should teach you that your nightmares about legal gun ownership are wrong. People are in fact walking around with concealed guns All The Time. And very very rarely does one of those guns get used, even more rarely is it used badly, as opposed to stopping a crime in action.

(And, no, obviously Mr. Martin was not committing a crime by walking through his father's neighborhood. Either Mr. Zimmerman used bad judgement and then had to defend himself or he just had bad judgement/was a loose cannon all around. I don't know the facts.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it unbelievable that you're more afraid of people that follow the law and get a concealed permit to carry a gun, than of people in other states that illegally carry guns all the time.

Exactly. Making something illegal will only make the LAW ABIDING people stop doing it. Anyone with any bad intentions is not going to stop carrying a weapon simply because it has been made illegal.

[Anonymous]

Can someone please give me the stats on how often a legally armed person actually stops a crime from happening? People use this argument like there are super heroes running around with concealed weapons saving innocent unarmed victims of random crimes.
The truth is, around here, most violent crime happens to other criminals

[Anonymous]

One more reason I'm glad to live in Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it unbelievable that you're more afraid of people that follow the law and get a concealed permit to carry a gun, than of people in other states that illegally carry guns all the time.

Exactly. Making something illegal will only make the LAW ABIDING people stop doing it. Anyone with any bad intentions is not going to stop carrying a weapon simply because it has been made illegal.

Who said more afraid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, not at all. More "ordinary citizens" should be armed, instead of being so terrified of guns as you are. The problem is that a lot of good people are too scared to take classes and get themselves familiar with firearms, so the proportion of criminals/nutjobs who are armed to the good people who are armed is way out of whack.

Me? I have a concealed carry permit, and I don't usually carry a gun on me, because I have young children, but I like to know I'm allowed. Also, I am educated about how to use the firearm should I ever need to, and therefore not afraid. I like to think that evens the playing field a little bit.

+1

I wish you'd had the experience of growing up somewhere that didn't allow guns. I'm so sure you'd feel totally different about it then. For us (those who grew up like this) it seems completely useless to allow people to arm themselves. It's so sad.

You know, it's funny that you say that. Until I was about 18, I felt exactly like you. I was completely opposed to guns, and wondered why anyone had to own them at all. I thought the whole thing was horrible. I also laid in bed at night as a kid, knowing that my mom had gone out to walk the dog, and listened for her to come back, worrying that she'd get murdered. (I watched the news too much, I think.)

Then I really started to look at the world, without allowing pure emotion to lead me. Truth is, as awful as it is, SOMEONE is going to be armed. Lock guns down all you want, the bad people are going to have them. There's no changing that fact. For me and my family, I would much rather, as I said, "even the playing field". Is it sad? Maybe. But it is what it is, and this is the world today.

Funny that you should read your response as not "allowing pure emotion to lead [you]." I see you being lead entirely by fear. OMG they all have guns! I need a gun!

And you're not actually evening the playing field at all. In fact, by having a gun, you are drastically increasing the odds that it will be used on you and your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:George Zimmerman's brother was on Piers Morgan last night and claimed that GZ was on his way to Target, not patrolling the neighborhood, when he saw Trayvon Martin. Apart from the case, that got me thinking -- in states where concealed weapons are legal (like VA), how many people are walking around with guns in their pockets? At Tyson's? Anywhere? I find this so frightening.

Nope. I'm more worried about criminals walking around carrying guns.