# Americans: so, you walk into a store and spot that everyone is armed **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 5, 2014, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856 "2014-08-05T11:26:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/221 "2014-08-08T01:16:18Z")
I’d walk out the door and never do business with the establishment again. The only qualifier to that would be if it was a crime target like a gas station or pawn shop. But a sandwich shop or a Walmart? See ya. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/222 "2014-08-08T06:00:10Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > This was my first thought. I’m not anti-gun, but I don’t like them and I don’t like being around them. There’s too much stupid out there, and armed stupid terrifies me. I’ll take the chances of the danger when everything is going sideways & where idiots are in a cafe, or a fancy restaurant or whatever than my odds in 70MPH traffic outbound at 5-6 PM from the city on the expressway thankyouverymuch. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/223 "2014-08-08T06:04:41Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That is kind of a scary thought, in light of this: > > [For The Sixth Time In One Week, Man Shot At Gun Show](http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/01/26/1500431/for-the-sixth-time-in-one-week-man-shot-at-gun-show/): > > If they are the gun aware people, imagine the risk we take among armed shoppers outside of gun shows? He shot himself. Sort of like the driver who gets out of the traffic side door of the car with heavy traffic flow. I did not try to track down the rest for exactly what happened but the one you used does not add to your argument IMO. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/224 "2014-08-08T06:14:13Z")
As to hand guns are only for killing. Tranquilizer pistols? Long guns, bean bag shells used by the police. Guns should never be used for fun or entertainment? How are we going to train our military people if there are no guns in the whole country? If the police, military, etc whom most want to have guns with the full knowledge that means that even if we have perfect control of our borders and it is illegal to have one like crystal meth, (right) that the bad guys will not have guns? Somewhere back up thread someone said that the criminals would not be able to get one. I wonder what planet they think they are on? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/225 "2014-08-08T11:52:13Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > How are we going to train our military people if there are no guns in the whole country? Why would there be no guns in the entire country? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/226 "2014-08-08T17:31:46Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Why would there be no guns in the entire country? Because that is the only way that they can be kept away from criminals. There is no way to remove just hand guns as suggested up thread. Too easy to make a little gun from a big one. That is why sawing off long guns is rather frowned upon. 😃 Plus, there is no way to keep guns that are allowed, military rifles for instance, from the hands of criminals, someone will sell to the bad guys… $$$$$$ ya know. Heck, we can’t even control shoulder fired rockets. If this is happening, it will be difficult to never go someplace where there is no guns at all. So? Just explaining why I do not subscribe to the, “I won’t go where civilians have guns.” There aren’t really very many places that are like that which a civilian might normally be going. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/227 "2014-08-10T02:39:15Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Because that is the only way that they can be kept away from criminals. We have laws against speeding, and yet people still speed; I guess traffic laws are pointless also. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/228 "2014-08-10T03:27:25Z")
Wouldn’t bother me in the least, inanimate objects don’t scare me ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/229 "2014-08-10T03:40:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Gas mask on tight? Plastic gloves got your hands sealed o.k.? Are you my mummy? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/230 "2014-08-13T21:28:00Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > It is a weapon, which should require the user to be held to a high proficiency standard that can take years to achieve. Something tells me that the standard that you are wanting could never be achieved. High proficiency can be achieved in a matter of hours. Safely shooting a weapon, to kill a predator at close range, an hour or less. Sniping, or trick shooting- **that** , takes years. Or, at least, to be successful at it. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856/231 "2014-08-13T21:31:15Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > For The Sixth Time In One Week, Man Shot At Gun Show" He answers to the name of “Lucky”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-so-you-walk-into-a-store-and-spot-that-everyone-is-armed/694856.md?page=11)