I'm going to preface this post with the following statement: This has nothing to do with the politics of owning guns or carrying a concealed weapon. This is about people and their reasons for doing so. I come from a gun family who actually has a vested interest in the firearm industry.
On to the actual topic: I have recently become interested in the fact that more people carry concealed weapons (guns) than I originally suspected, and sometimes I am surprised at who these people are, mostly because I cannot figure out how they can justify carrying a gun with them at all times. I'm all for freedom to bear arms, but I think that if you live in a middle-class suburban area and don't venture into dangerous areas it is probably not necessary to keep one in a holster or in your car. Heck, I live just outside of the murder and arson capital of NYS (and they are obviously high up in the rankings when it comes to other crime as well), and because of the nature of my work I end up in some of the bad parts of town, and it's never occurred to me to carry a weapon. During one of my gigs one evening there were two separate murders within a few blocks of where I was playing (definitely made driving home difficult), but in my opinion, if I were in a situation like that, having a gun isn't going to help me. One of the strangest things I heard recently came from an upper middle-class guy that has a brand new truck and doesn't live in/near a dangerous urban area. He basically said that he keeps his gun with him and in his truck at all times so that he won't be a victim of carjacking.
Really? If someone came up to me and told me to give them my car or they'd kill me I would just be thankful that that was all they asked for. A more level-headed person who I am a bit more familiar with was telling me that when he lived downtown in a dangerous neighborhood he carried a concealed gun with him all the time. He says it was the dumbest thing he ever did and he is lucky he didn't get killed. Usually just having a gun on you marks you as a target for people that otherwise wouldn't view you as a threat/opponent (in an urban area at least).
Again, I am all for the right to bear arms, but I think people need to think a bit more about whether or not their lifestyle mandates carrying a weapon.
On to the actual topic: I have recently become interested in the fact that more people carry concealed weapons (guns) than I originally suspected, and sometimes I am surprised at who these people are, mostly because I cannot figure out how they can justify carrying a gun with them at all times. I'm all for freedom to bear arms, but I think that if you live in a middle-class suburban area and don't venture into dangerous areas it is probably not necessary to keep one in a holster or in your car. Heck, I live just outside of the murder and arson capital of NYS (and they are obviously high up in the rankings when it comes to other crime as well), and because of the nature of my work I end up in some of the bad parts of town, and it's never occurred to me to carry a weapon. During one of my gigs one evening there were two separate murders within a few blocks of where I was playing (definitely made driving home difficult), but in my opinion, if I were in a situation like that, having a gun isn't going to help me. One of the strangest things I heard recently came from an upper middle-class guy that has a brand new truck and doesn't live in/near a dangerous urban area. He basically said that he keeps his gun with him and in his truck at all times so that he won't be a victim of carjacking.
Really? If someone came up to me and told me to give them my car or they'd kill me I would just be thankful that that was all they asked for. A more level-headed person who I am a bit more familiar with was telling me that when he lived downtown in a dangerous neighborhood he carried a concealed gun with him all the time. He says it was the dumbest thing he ever did and he is lucky he didn't get killed. Usually just having a gun on you marks you as a target for people that otherwise wouldn't view you as a threat/opponent (in an urban area at least).
Again, I am all for the right to bear arms, but I think people need to think a bit more about whether or not their lifestyle mandates carrying a weapon.