When I took a class to get my Concealed Carry Permit, on the very first day the instructor made a very interesting statement.
“If you are somewhere where you feel you need a gun to feel safe… Why are you there in the first place?”
While I did go on to get my permit I never once carried. I never went anywhere where I felt I needed it. If I became uncomfortable at a location, I left.
They say every gun enthusiast has their scenario they’re planning for: home invasion, civil war, post apocalypse/disaster, mass shooting event, mugging, etc. When I think about what my scenario might be there isn’t a single one where I don’t end up dead, with or without a weapon. There is no number of weapons or amount of ammunition that would change that for me.
I struggle with that reality when I think about my own relationship with guns, but I can’t help thinking that “prepared” is better than “helpless”, even if the outcome is the same.
Queer leftist person with a trans partner and I have a Mexican name in a red state.
I really, really, REALLY don’t want to need it.
I dread the day I might need it.
I’ll probably just die. But I wanna believe it’ll be on my feet if it comes to that.
It happened to me once. I was sitting on the back porch on a farm in Tennessee, and there were cans on the ground about 100yds away. Things would have been better if I could have put some holes in those cans
Hope you had a backstop
I hunt. I depend on venison for food. Does that count? Honest question.
As a pro gun pro hunting guy
Do you actually need to depend on venison for food or do you choose to?
Personally, I think hunting is a good way to stay mindful of the food chain and what it takes to eat meat. If one is going to eat meat I view this as the most ethical way to do it.
But its not necessary.
Unless you’re doing the whole process yourself (which you might be) then its not cheaper than purchasing meat. And also its not better for you health wise unless you have some sorta allergy to beef. I guess its more lean, but truthfully I’d rather have smaller portions of fatty meat for flavor and health benefit reasons than more frequent lean meat.
I’d personally prefer to keep my ability to obtain protein myself if needed and the easiest way to do that is with a gun, but I have been looking I to bow hunting because that feels more ethical environmentally and in a lot of ways safer than explosion tubes that I hold next to my face.
So I guess I have two questions. Do you need to hunt? Do you need a gun specifically to hunt?
Most of the time you will be told “don’t sweat the small stuff”, but in this case it’s the opposite, “don’t sweat the big stuff”. Climate change, nuclear war, genocide, giant asteroids, all of them can end us in a second, and I sleep like a baby, because there is nothing I can do about it. Focus on loved ones, self-fulfilment and inner peace.
I have lived in Oakland. I have lived in some of the seediest areas in Northern California. I have known gang members that wore colors. I have seen bikers with patches all over the place.
Not once have I been in a situation where a gun outweighs treating people like they are people.
I’ve faced many attempts to severely harm me but I usually escaped. I failed to escape twice: got kneecapped with a bat once (leaving me with a permanent injury), and stabbed once miraculously missing anything vital.
My crime: having to work late, growing up in a poor neighbourhood.
I’d feel a lot safer if I could be armed. I don’t want to die.
There are plenty self defence tools apart from guns.
Rule #1: Cardio
That’s a hell of a thing to say to a person who has literally been stabbed.
Why? I mean if a gun could help you in that situation, some other non lethal stuff could have also been enough. At least those are enough for people not in the US facing similar situations.
Exactly I’ve never needed a gun I think its purely marketing and social expectations causing Americans to default to “muh guns” when someone’s mentioned self defense. Like if ur up against guns js wear body armour at all times rather than trying to be john wick.
I’ve been stabbed too. Ive never felt the need to carry a gun. I face a lot of risk anytime I leave my house esp rn acc due to political unrest essentially I still don’t feel the need for guns yet the government do feel the need for arming trained police (known for corruption and violence where I’m from) who I think are a lot more likely to kill me than someone w a knife. As I mentioned tho I still don’t feel the need to arm myself against those people infact doing so would worsen the situation as I’d be more of a threat and could be further used for the narrative justifying the arming of police in the first place
Edit: if an unarmed person is shot by police even if its attempted to be covered up the people who were there will know what happened. if I try to shoot the police because im threatened and they shoot back that’s going to worsen things. I don’t see how its better to carry a gun in this situation
Not so fun fact: Gun suicides are far more common than any other type of gun related death. Having a gun in the house is a big risk factor for suicide.
Without getting into details I believe this to true.
Not really, suicide is historically just under half of all gun deaths. But your point stands!
What do you mean, “not really”? Is there a single type of gun-related death that is more common? Because OP is saying “the most common,” not “the majority”.
Turns out now it’s also the majority
It hasn’t been under half in ages. In 2023 it was 58% in the US and in some areas it’s noticeably more
Haven’t looked at numbers for 4-5 years, and holy shit did it flip around 2022-2023. Last I saw was 43-48%.
Anyone want to see for themselves, this is a solid search:
“cdc gun deaths”
Plenty of data from solid sources to back treesquid. Thanks for getting me up to date! I was quite ignorant.
I think you missed the point. Not what percentage of gun deaths are suicides, but what percentage of suicides are gun related.
It’s never one way. It’s not like owning a gun is driving people to suicide. It’s intersectionality that drives higher numbers.
You’re absolutely right. Owning the gun gives them the opportunity that wouldn’t exist as easily otherwise. And just for the record I’m not anti-gun.
Here’s one my conceal carry instructor taught about, and I’ve seen it play in my own life:
If you have a machine in your pocket or pants that is capable of taking a human life, you think and act differently. You’re more situationally aware, because you don’t want to stumble into a situation where you have to use the fucking thing. A concrete and steel box may be the next place you find yourself. Forever.
I lack the words to put the reader in that emotional state, but it’s real. Not like you’re paranoid, constantly on the lookout, but you are more aware. Used to put myself into crazy situations when I was younger, got stories all night long, but now I’m way more chill.
In the past, I have been threatened with violence, many times, from the homeless downtown.
Unarmed me: “FUCK YOU!”
Armed me: I’m out, not a word. More to the point, I wouldn’t be anywhere near that situation in the first place.
“But you can peace out without a gun!”
Very true, I’ll grant that. But having one makes me more aware of what’s going on around me, makes me less threatening. The vast majority of us are exactly like this. If you watch GunTubers, you will find none of them talking the way we’re made out in social media, drooling for violence. Most of the “give me an excuse” people are already in jail or dead. It’s a Darwinian thing.
The stories you hear on the news are outliers, or they wouldn’t be news. (That applies to everything else in life.)
I’ll only add this: Almost everyone in America is woefully ignorant of self-defense laws. Cops are the only shooters that can kill with impunity. You cannot, almost no matter how justified you think you are. Concrete and steel box.
Anyway, I’m sure a European from a healthy society will be right along to lecture me on how nuts I am.
UKian here to lecture you on how nuts you are: I’m sure there are cases like yours, where you will retreat from a situation because you have a deadly weapon hidden on you. I’ve known people who carried weapons and who would generally try to avoid danger. But I’m 100% positive that’s not the norm, and most people who feel the need to have a gun would react less predictably. I’ve not lived in the US, but the impression I get from media is that there are a lot of gun owners who haven’t trained with them or who are “muh freedoms” idiots.
Maybe getting chill and more aware is just a function of getting older. I mean, I live in a country where nobody is armed and: I get in less dangerous situations and am more aware than in my youth.
Cops are the only shooters that can kill with impunity. You cannot, almost no matter how justified you think you are.
Tell that To Kyle Rittenhouse…
“Yes, this is my emotional support firearm. Why do you ask?”
Unfortunately a lot of people seem to put a hammer in their pocket because they are always looking for nails. Hammer or not.
There are untold numbers of videos, clips, tiktoks or whatever of people who refuse to walk away from an escalating situation. Out come the fists, or sometimes a gun. The comments are full of people agreeing with FAFO with no thought of walking away and the violent means and end, and plenty claim to be fine with using a gun.
I’ve been through those courses and carrying a firearm is sobering. I don’t do it anymore, and sometimes I miss it, but not enough.
Conceal and carry holders statistically are the safest segment of society for the exact reason you just gave. I would rather be in a room full of conceal and carry holders than the general public or police.
I was walking in a relatively safe part of downtown last month when two drunks suddenly started fighting over a dog 8 feet from me. I noped my way out of there. I had my gun on me but had no interest in intervening.
For the vast majority who carry we don’t want to put ourselves in a situation where you have to use it.
But yeah, I’m also sure some internet guru who has never held a gun in their life will tell me why I’m an irresponsible death machine.
I live in a duty to retreat state. And damn if this isn’t accurate. You have to be cool as a cucumber. Back out of all situations.
You just try not to put yourself into situations at all cost.
I have, but its because of where I live.
you a woman?
The pig who shot Michal Brown said he had to shoot because Brown could have taken his piece away. If you accept that, then you agree that, at least in this situation, the public and the police would be safer without guns.
It used to be: I had to shoot him judge, he had a gun
Then it was: I had to shoot him judge, I thought he had a gun
Now it’s: I had to shoot him judge, I had a gun.
I’ve never set my house on fire, but I still feel better having a fire extinguisher.
I don’t see how this applies to guns.
If your house is on fire, you would want a fire extinguisher, not another flamethrower.
I don’t see how this applies to guns.
Americans like to shoot out the flames.
I personally don’t find it persuasive, just drawing logical parallels isn’t that impressive compared to actual research. But if you can’t understand the analogy, then you’re probably not mentally fit to have a gun anyway.
But… They said to fight fire with fire!
Same, been in multiple life or death situations and none were improved by a gun. Staring down the barrel is so fucking funny when the only reason you’re there is because it is freedom or death. Like they don’t expect you to pick death if you don’t get freedom?
