The odds of finding yourself in a situation where you will have a gun on you (or having the time to find a gun) to stop an intruder or a crime in progress is slim. Yes, it does happen but the odds are astronomically not in your favor. However, the odds of someone you know using the gun to kill or maim you are much higher. The odds of a child finding a gun and accidentally shooting someone are also higher.

Oh and another thing, people with guns who use them in high-stress situations (i.e. not practicing at the gun range), are NOTORIOUSLY BAD SHOTS!!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Meh. You say tomato, I say tomahto. The reason I bought the gun in the first place was because I went target shooting with a friend at a range and decided that it was pretty darn fun, not because I was cowering in my house thinking "they're all out to get me!" Now that I have it, it serves more than one purpose. Makes me feel better that it's here, even if I never need to use it in self-defense (and I pray I don't).

If I wasn't completely comfortable with handling it and confident in my ability to "wield" it, I could see your last point. However, I've used it enough and know it inside and out. This is why I said people need to be educated firearm owners- not just,' oh, I bought a gun and am sticking it under my bed just in case I ever need it'.

Ok, well, please don't shoot me for saying tomato.

I'm sure you can wield your gun -- I'm sure you can load and aim and clean and shoot and store and break it down and all that. That's not the issue, though. The issue is that, in high pressure situations, the criminal ends up taking your gun and shooting you with it, more often than not.

The Grady County Sheriff's Office says McKinley called for help when Martin and another man were pounding on her door.

She was home alone with her baby.

McKinley told the dispatcher, "I've got two guns in my hand, is it OK to shoot him if he comes in this door?"

"Well you have to do whatever you can do to protect yourself. I can't tell you that you can do that. But you do what you have to do to protect your baby," said dispatcher Diane Graham.

http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-911-call-released-after-mother-kills-intruder-20120104,0,1591052.story

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.

This.

Anonymous wrote: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.

My mom owned a rifle and I remember laying in bed at night worrying that someone would break in and find it and then use it against us. She handed it to the police station eventually. Good thing, too, because she ended up being not the most stable person in the world.

Anonymous wrote:There are a ton of folks who work for agencies in DC who are armed with concealed weapons during their work hours. I've dated a few of them. They've all had to pass all sorts of security clearances, so I couldn't care less. I'm a gun-control type, but other than the waiting periods and registrations, I don't really care much. My dad owns guns. My daughter's dad owns guns. (military.) My brothers-in-law all own guns. (military, police.) It's just life.

military and law enforcement types are not included in most people's arguments of the general public and whether or not they should be armed. My uncle was an FBI agent and carried a gun - it was not a "I just want to carry a gun to feel safe" thing.

Personally, I'm really glad that my ex-military-turned-defense-contractor husband has absolutely no interest in having guns in his home. He's trained on them but doesn't feel the need to arm himself as a civilian.

Anonymous wrote:
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.

See here's the thing. I live in a poor neighborhood where 10 people have been murdered nearby in the 9 years I've lived there. In every case, the victim was killed by someone they knew and/or who had a personal beef with them - either a family member or a boyfriend or a competing drug dealer. Obviously no one wants to get caught in the middle of that. I do worry about that. But the reality is that none of those murderers were out to get me. In fact, the sad thing is that no one cares much about the typical murder victim in my neighborhood but if someone like me got killed - all holy hell would break loose.

I'm so sorry you were scared about your mom. But the reality is that women are more likely to be killed by the men in their lives (husbands, boyfriends, fathers) than by some stranger on the street. I understand your concern and I can see you're a careful gun owner but I think that gun owners like George Zimmerman (eg, fired from being a bouncer for being too aggressive) make the world less safe because they are more likely to make a mistake in judgment. What if George Zimmerman had followed you and demanded to know why you were in the neighborhood? You wouldn't have known who he was. What would you have done? Would you have pulled out your gun? Would you have escalated the situation? It's possible you would have spoken calmly and reassuringly (all the while ready to pull your gun if you needed to) and therefore de-escalated the situation. But what about other gun owners who don't have your sense of calm and good judgment?

There's just no guarantee that a legally carrying gun owner is going to have good judgment. You can't legislate that only smart mature people get to own guns. That's why I don't see this as evening the playing field. That's making the playing field considerably more dangerous.

It's a culture of fear. And for those who say it's fun, there are plenty of things that are fund that are more safe, not just to you, but to your loved ones as well.

There are a ton of folks who work for agencies in DC who are armed with concealed weapons during their work hours. I've dated a few of them. They've all had to pass all sorts of security clearances, so I couldn't care less. I'm a gun-control type, but other than the waiting periods and registrations, I don't really care much. My dad owns guns. My daughter's dad owns guns. (military.) My brothers-in-law all own guns. (military, police.) It's just life.

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.

Do you trust regular random people to determine who is a criminal and who is innocent? Do you trust them to react quickly enough to use the weapon properly without hurting themselves or "innocent folks?" The problem is that the vast majority of people are stupid.

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.

Kinda sounds strange. But agree. Criminals would think twice before trying to victimize someone if they thought for a second there could be fatal retaliation. They count on others not being armed.

Yeah, or they might be more likely to shoot first because they're afraid that people have guns. And if Trayvon Martin was legally carrying a concealed weapon there could have been an old fashioned shoot out right in the middle of a residential area as two people who didn't know each other but had suspicions about each other's intent decide to shoot first and ask questions later.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Meh. You say tomato, I say tomahto. The reason I bought the gun in the first place was because I went target shooting with a friend at a range and decided that it was pretty darn fun, not because I was cowering in my house thinking "they're all out to get me!" Now that I have it, it serves more than one purpose. Makes me feel better that it's here, even if I never need to use it in self-defense (and I pray I don't).

If I wasn't completely comfortable with handling it and confident in my ability to "wield" it, I could see your last point. However, I've used it enough and know it inside and out. This is why I said people need to be educated firearm owners- not just,' oh, I bought a gun and am sticking it under my bed just in case I ever need it'.

I'm worried that a lot of legal permits are given to unstable people. I realize there are some controls in place, but we've seen many times that these may not be sufficient.

I think it's also quite reasonable to worry about accidents. These happen even to generally responsible people. I'm in the general risk management business, and have to say that I know many competent, mentally stable professionals who just don't go far enough when they think about the "what ifs" out there, and are often taken by surprise when something goes wrong. It just seems like this gun pride thing is:

a) not really necessary

b) increasing the likelihood of accidental shooting or crazy person shooting

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So true.

Anonymous wrote: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

You're absolutely right. I hope none of my neighbors think they're protecting their family and neighbors by keeping a concealed gun. It's dangerous. Anywhere. For any reason.