Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Texas A&M Study Says Castle-Doctrine Laws Increase Homicides, Don't Deter Crime [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)They ate bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning, and, of course, topped it off with coffee and lots of cream. The side was toast and a big hunk of butter.
That was just breakfast. Lunch was a cheese sandwich with mayonnaise, lots of mayonnaise. And supper was a one-inch steak for those who could afford it or mashed potatoes and either butter or gravy for those who couldn't. Every dish was, of course, well salted.
Of course, they also smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.
And then they wondered why they developed heart disease -- well before their time.
Nothing wrong with an occasional dish of bacon and eggs, some butter, a steak or mashed potatoes and gravy. But that generation overdid it.
They were asking for trouble.
So are gun owners who carry their guns even when they aren't hunting or planning to use it to defend themselves against an animal.
It's easy to point to others and say they are criminals, but as far as I am concerned, if you carry a gun and use it to harm someone who is not carrying a gun, you are a criminal.
There are very, very, very few situations in which there can be any excuse for using a gun against someone who is not a criminal. And using guns against criminals is what we hire and train the police for. That is not our job as plain citizens. You really don't want that sweet old 80-year-old neighbor who gets just a little confused (but isn't senile) every once in a while to carry a gun to the supermarket do you? It's bad enough when that person drives to and from the market, much less does it with a gun in the car.
In addition, as these SYG laws proliferate (not talking about defense of hearth and home), we will see an increase in homicides by people who mix guns and alcohol. That is a very explosive mix.
People who use good judgment about where and when to carry and use guns don't worry about these statistics because they know they are most likely true. If you think about all the people who are alcoholics, you can be sure that you will have just as large of percentage of gun owners abusing guns as drinkers abusing alcohol.
It's human nature. These gun laws invite fools to act, well, like fools. Unfortunately, when a gun is involved, someone is likely to get hurt or die.
Nobody is going to take anyone's guns away, but insuring that every one is safe in the supermarket or on their way home from the supermarket is the job of the police, not private citizens who do not answer to the citizenry as a whole.