As an American who has to hear about shootings pretty consistently, I'd like to say the fear can be pretty justified. I don't really know what it's like to live in a world without guns and their presence, so it's hard to imagine life without the necessity of them to protect yourself. It's just one of those things that's hard to understand unless you've lived in it I guess.
I suspect the whole geographic thing also plays into it.
Where I live, you're never more than 15 minutes from a police station. Maybe half an hour if you live in the middle of nowhere. There are also more than enough cops to go around. I can imagine if you live 4 hours from a police station in the middle of nowhere, or somewhere with 24hr response times, you would want a gun for protection. I certainly would.
I'm clueless european now living in a country where guns are generally available to trained and vetted to some degree public and I was always puzzled by US self-defense culture, some parts of it simply do not compute to me.
Like how does it work? Are gun owners in America spending reasonable amount of time at the range? Any gun is as good as your training. Safe handling should be muscle memory at the very least to promote an individual from a danger to themselves and people around (not necessarily to an attacker) to someone who is able to hold a gun. Then comes actual shooting practice, which will improve chances of achieving intended things with this gun.
Also strange obsession with high-power calibers, even knowledgeable gun bloggers mentioning things like .357 magnum in self-defense context. Did people really try to shoot them indoors without hearing protection? Do they really mind what's behind their target, i.e your kid sleeping in the room next door. High-powered round is a responsibility, however a lot of people talk about them like they are toys.
I really hope I'm missing something or maybe gun handling culture is really common knowledge over there not worth mentioning, because looking at the general public pretty much everywhere I've been - there's no way I'd trust them with a gun. It takes some dedication to learn, even if it seems simple.
If you want to purchase a firearm in the US, there will be a background check at time of purchase. To check if your a felon or have done serious crimes. After purchase of firearms you can do anything with them on private property as long as it is legal (no homicide or hunting). However you can protect land with the newly acquired firearm depending on your states statues on protecting property. For example where I live there's a statue for protecting livestock (cows, pigs, horses, lamas and allpacas) if any animal tries to harm or kill anything that falls into the catorgory of livestock. Which gives you the right to shoot it under circumstance.
Aswell as If you want to conceal Carry (having a firearm on you in public in places that don't explicitly say no firearms)
You need to take a class where they teach you, don't shoot at something your not willing to part with. Treat ever gun as if it is loaded. Know whats beyond your target Etc.
I think there should be more training on firearms. And when to and not use them.
Its not that guns are bad, people are bad aswell as stupid. I also must add that this is my opinion and your are welcome to your own. And please be civil if you do replie.
Also people need to stop generalizing (left wants this) (right wants this)
Its stupid not everybody is an extremist. So not everybody in a certain party or race agrees with outlandish stuff.
There's my 2 cents
Everybody have a nice day/night!!
Cheers,
I totally get qhat you're saying, but I can't help but feel bad about what you're saying too, because this isn't how it's supposed to be… You're not supposed to have to live with constant fear. I wish it was different 😔
As an American who has to hear about shootings pretty consistently, I'd like to say the fear can be pretty justified. I don't really know what it's like to live in a world without guns and their presence, so it's hard to imagine life without the necessity of them to protect yourself. It's just one of those things that's hard to understand unless you've lived in it I guess.
I suspect the whole geographic thing also plays into it.
Where I live, you're never more than 15 minutes from a police station. Maybe half an hour if you live in the middle of nowhere. There are also more than enough cops to go around. I can imagine if you live 4 hours from a police station in the middle of nowhere, or somewhere with 24hr response times, you would want a gun for protection. I certainly would.
I'm clueless european now living in a country where guns are generally available to trained and vetted to some degree public and I was always puzzled by US self-defense culture, some parts of it simply do not compute to me.
Like how does it work? Are gun owners in America spending reasonable amount of time at the range? Any gun is as good as your training. Safe handling should be muscle memory at the very least to promote an individual from a danger to themselves and people around (not necessarily to an attacker) to someone who is able to hold a gun. Then comes actual shooting practice, which will improve chances of achieving intended things with this gun.
Also strange obsession with high-power calibers, even knowledgeable gun bloggers mentioning things like .357 magnum in self-defense context. Did people really try to shoot them indoors without hearing protection? Do they really mind what's behind their target, i.e your kid sleeping in the room next door. High-powered round is a responsibility, however a lot of people talk about them like they are toys.
I really hope I'm missing something or maybe gun handling culture is really common knowledge over there not worth mentioning, because looking at the general public pretty much everywhere I've been - there's no way I'd trust them with a gun. It takes some dedication to learn, even if it seems simple.
If you want to purchase a firearm in the US, there will be a background check at time of purchase. To check if your a felon or have done serious crimes. After purchase of firearms you can do anything with them on private property as long as it is legal (no homicide or hunting). However you can protect land with the newly acquired firearm depending on your states statues on protecting property. For example where I live there's a statue for protecting livestock (cows, pigs, horses, lamas and allpacas) if any animal tries to harm or kill anything that falls into the catorgory of livestock. Which gives you the right to shoot it under circumstance.
Aswell as If you want to conceal Carry (having a firearm on you in public in places that don't explicitly say no firearms) You need to take a class where they teach you, don't shoot at something your not willing to part with. Treat ever gun as if it is loaded. Know whats beyond your target Etc.
I think there should be more training on firearms. And when to and not use them.
Its not that guns are bad, people are bad aswell as stupid. I also must add that this is my opinion and your are welcome to your own. And please be civil if you do replie.
Also people need to stop generalizing (left wants this) (right wants this) Its stupid not everybody is an extremist. So not everybody in a certain party or race agrees with outlandish stuff.
There's my 2 cents Everybody have a nice day/night!! Cheers,
I totally get qhat you're saying, but I can't help but feel bad about what you're saying too, because this isn't how it's supposed to be… You're not supposed to have to live with constant fear. I wish it was different 😔