So there are a least two real world examples of the dangers of allowing any yutz to carry loaded weapons in public. In either case it could have ended up killing an innocent person, rather than injuring the carrier or a bystander.
That first incident came very close to resulting in the death of an infant. What really floors me is that the guy wasn’t charged with anything. I hope that woman sues the idiot for every penny he has.
And you think that’s a good thing? You think it’s good to desensitize people to men carrying guns? You think it’s good to suppress people’s survival instinct, their gut feeling that “this is incorrect” - “this is out of place”. You want to suppress their instinctual reaction of “I’d better get my children out of here” or “I’d better call the police.”?
You may end up creating a situation where the crazies on their way to massacre school children can openly approach the school without having to be concerned about how to conceal a large weapon because the public has been desensitized to people carrying weapons.
Now let’s be fair. A fifth grader isn’t necessarily that well-versed in cost-benefit analysis. A tenth-grader could tell Bricker the social risks gained are higher than the social risks prevented.
If I recall correctly, that McDonalds slaughter that Bricker was holding up as an example of, well, as an example of something, was carried out by a survivalist.
FWIW, I think your rational and sober attitude is a welcome change from the “I can’t wait for some spree shooter /mugger/home invader to show up so I could blast them away in a heartbeat” crowd that seems attracted to any and all gun rights/post-tragedy threads like moths to a nuclear flamethrower.
I dare hope you’re part of a silent majority, but… America, y’know ? :o
I realize that this incident isn’t about open or closed carry, but it’s another example of somebody who shouldn’t be around guns. Would you want to live in an apartment next to this guy? How the hell do we evaluate whether someone is responsible, or an idiot like this? Why did this guy need seven firearms? Was he afraid of being attacked by seven muggers? Yes, I know that some people like to collect guns, that it’s a hobby. What if someone enjoys hand grenades?
I don’t support banning the ownership of any and all guns, but idiots like this give me pause.
Of course. I have said on this very board, more than once, that I have loaded handguns at home in case of a home invasion…and if I heard an intruder downstairs stealing my stuff, I’d get my child, lock all of us in the bedroom, call 911, and wait for the police to arrive. Because I don’t own any property that’s worth killing someone over. I’d rather pay the insurance deductible than kill a human being. I don’t think there EXISTS any ordinary personal property worth killing over. I can always buy a new flat screen TV.
But if that intruder were to come up the stairs and threaten the safety of my family, I would be able to use deadly force to protect their lives, and my own.
I’m sure I’d have nightmares about having done so for the rest of my life. But I would do it, because the health and safety of my family does justify killing an intruder who threatens that health or safety.
No you should not. I do not want to live in Somilia or the wild wild west. This is where modern society is heading. NOT carrying around guns. Just because something is an unremarkable sight does not make it a good thing.
The point is that it should not be a legal activity. Because when we make it legal (for no good reason that I can discern) then it becomes difficult to tell if someone openly carrying firearms is to be trusted or not. If it’s illegal, then we can have them arrested. Causing people with guns to stand out, be noticed, and be regarded with suspicion, IMHO, will likely save more lives than not.
Then you should actually be happy that these yahoos are acting the way they are. I’m sure it provides support to make the practice illegal.
I personally think concealed is the way to go, but I can see some benefit to open carry being legal. If you are concealed, and you accidentally print or your firearm becomes visible for any reason, I don’t want that to be a crime.
I don’t even really have a problem with open-carry. I have a problem with these idiots and others like them “making a point” and carrying around rifles all over the place. I don’t care what they say, there’s more going on here than “making a point”.
I still make a distinction between “responsible gun-owner” and “stupid rightwing asshole trying to intimidate because he’s afraid of shadows”.
There is some notion that much of the irrational fear surrounding guns are the result of a lack of exposure.
I think there is some evidence that CCW holders are more law abiding than the general population.
Well, the way these guys are doing it? Yeah, not much to be gained.
They pull their gun frequently, they usually don’t fire their gun.
Sure, a guy with a knife on his belt raises the threat assessment. People feel entirely comfortable walking along a street where cars are zooming along at 45 mph but flip their lid if they see someone carrying a rifle on their back. There is some profiling going on there as you say and the profiling is based on myths and the reaction might be overblown.
:rolleyes:
Where do I say that?
There is a time and place to try to make the point they MAY have been trying to make and that was not the time or place. But that doesn’t mean that this point shouldn’t be made.
