It seems intuituive that if I live in an area where a subset of the population feels the need to assault me, I change the situation, either by leaving or by changing the paramaters of the assault. Based on admittedly nonscientific counting methods, I have been with a (hopefully) inflated opinion of the frequency of sexual assault on women, and of gay-bashing. So, why aren’t you armed? Or are you?
I don’t carry a gun (nor do I ever plan to) because, even though I support the right of other people to carry guns for their own defense, carrying one would frighten me. I would be afraid it would be used against me, or I wouldn’t be able to get to it in time if someone attacked me. I’ve never been assaulted or raped, though–if I were, my opinion might change.
My husband and I lived in a seedier part of town five years ago and briefly pondered arming me in the home. We have two large dogs, but they are more likely to bark and greet than eat visitors, even unwanted guests. We decided the odds of the assailant removing any weapon from me and using it on me was just too scary of a possibilty.
How safe are any of us, really? I don’t want to carry a gun. I don’t want to feel like I have to constantly worry about my own safety. I take routine precautions, I suppose, but I don’t want to live an armed life.
I have a friend who, as a teenaged boy, at church camp, was gang-raped by a group of boy co-campers. This is a place where he should’ve been safe. He wasn’t. None of us are. And unless we walk around like people from B-grade westerns totin’ six-guns, it seems more reasonable to accept the dangers of this life and go on anyway.
StG
Some people don’t like the idea of carrying deadly force around with them. My SIL wanted to work for the FBI. After some time on the range she realized she did not want to be an armed agent. She couldn’t deal with the thought of shooting another human being.
Female doper here.
I recently went to a gun range to fire a gun for the first time. Just for the heck of it, to see what it was like. Having done that, I can certainly respect the skill and responsibility that’s involved in owning and carrying a weapon.
Sorry, I don’t think I’m willing to take that on to carry a gun with me. Plus, I don’t feel like I’m taking my life in my hands every time I walk out the door. I choose not to live my life as if I’m always potentially a victim. I am alert and aware, but I’d never have the wherewithall to correctly use a gun.
And God help me if I did! [use the gun, that is]
Now pepper spray, well, I’d consider that much more easily.
At any given time I have at least one knife on me, readily available but not in an obvious spot. Depending on the situation I’m going into, I also own two batons. Of course, technically I’m kind of a walking deadly weapon- eight years of martial arts training will do that to a person.
But the only time I carry a gun (and then with a great deal of reluctance on my part and outright force on Mr. Kitty’s) is when I’m out and about on my property. I’m not worried about the neighbors (though, considering their collective IQ, I probably should be)… I’m concerned about the mountain lions, rattlesnakes, black bears, and other deadly critters that roam about.
I just don’t like guns… I don’t like carrying them, I don’t like shooting them, I don’t feel as comfortable with them as I do with either a knife or baton. I’m waaaaay more concerned about accidentally hurting myself when I’m carrying a gun. If I trip and fall, I’m not going to greatly injure myself with my knife or baton. If I trip and fall while carrying a gun, there is at least a small chance of shooting myself (which would be just my luck, really). And it’s also more likely that someone would be able to get the gun away from me. They’d have to come really close to pry the knife or baton away.
That cover it?
-BK
I carry a very large, heavy, metal umbrella. A bludgeon and a fashionable walking accessory.
I have no objection to others owning guns, but I will never own or carry a gun myself.
I can live with being assaulted (not that I should have to), I couldn’t live with being a killer. No matter how much someone deserves it, I could never live with myself if I had to kill them.
I carry pepper spray, and I have a cane.
If I were armed, I would be very tempted to spray bullets all day long.
Quite a few of my gay friends are armed. You can check out our website here: www.pinkpistols.org
I will soon be moving in with my friend and his boyfriend, and I suppose that people who see me with them will think I’m gay too. I now only carry sometimes, but once we move I do intend to carry more often. I also intend to teach them at least the basics of gun-handling so they can use mine if necessary.
I don’t carry a gun - I don’t feel unsafe at all in my current environment. If I did carry one, I’d probably feel more unsafe, not less. I’m not trained to use a gun, I’m not comfortable with them and, because of that, in all likelihood, carrying one would be more of a danger to myself than anything else.
The closest I come to carrying a weapon is the Maglite in my car - and I only have that because I got caught having to change a tyre at night once, and had to do it mostly by touch. I didn’t pick the Maglite because it’s a potential weapon; rather, it’s big enough not to get lost in the general clutter in my car.
I’m a pacifist, and I don’t really believe in the use of deadly force. I could not handle pulling the trigger. Beyond that, the thought of a weapon being used against me, or of a child pulling it out of my purse when I’m not looking, or some other situation llike that, seems even scarier than the idea of being assaulted.
I am armed to the teeth with pretty much bear strength pepper spray, a cell phone, and pretty good survival skills (keeping an eye out for shadows beind me, looking confident, wearing good running shoes and that sort of thing).
Although I am a pacifist and I find violence to be immoral and unexcusable, I can’t help but think it’d do the world some good if women started arming themselves heavily and exacting a very real and very intense vengence on the people that fuck with them. It wouldn’t take too many carved-up rapists to make people start thinking twice when they feel compelled to yell “hey hot mamma” out their car window. I could never do that, and I could never excuse that action, but the thought still sends a little shiver down my spine.
I’m with **Tavalla **. I walk around my city (and burbs) at all sorts of odd hours, and my household security measures are all but non-existent. (I pull the front door closed but not locked behind me when I leave).
Now some may say that I may well be slack, but it just never occurs to me that something bad is going to happen. And thankfully, nothing ever has (as kambuckta touches the desk to ward off the ‘don’t tempt fate’ gremlins.)
On the other hand, I have a close friend who won’t even answer her door for fear it maybe some sort of threatening situation…(and NO, she has never been attacked). I’d rather live my way than having to live with a perpetual seige mentality.
So, nope, you’d never find me armed.
Why didn’t you ask if straight men felt the need to carry guns?
Did you assume that all of them could handle any violent situation that came up? And women and gays would be to weak and passive to defend ourselves in any other way than resorting to carrying a gun.
Oh yeah, I’m an out gay man who’s never been bashed, but unfortunatly several of my friends (gay and straight/ male and female) have been attacked over the years. A gun would not have helped any of them.
I’m not a gun control freak either. Maybe when I’m 80 some years old I will be that scared of everything out my door, and feel a need to have a gun. But until then, I’ll just go about my business and enjoy life.
Female here. In my last job, I was required to carry my firearm when on-duty, and had the choice of whether or not to carry when off duty. I (and most of the other female officers) generally did not carry when off duty, unlike most of the men.I’m not afraid of firearms, nor am I terribly worried about killing someone ( I don’t want to, but if it’s me or an aggressor, it won’t be a difficult choice).The main problem, for me, is that with carrying all the time comes carrying that responsibilty all of the time. Not so much for what I’ll do with it, but for keeping someone else from getting it.I was much more aware of where people were standing in relation to the firearm than I have ever been of where people are standing in relation to my pocketbook. (no one ever stole a credit card and used it to kill someone)
Wow, kevja, as a gunowner I’ve been called a lot of names, but “weak and passive” are new ones for me.
Female here…
Well I don’t carry because A it’s kinda hard to get a weapon here (well maybe not that hard but I wouldn’t know how to go about it) and B I don’t like guns.
It’s not like I haven’t shot one before, I have, I just prefer not to have one. That would be a huge responsibility but considering the area I live in it could be helpful. This isn’t the best of areas. I have gone walking out at night on my own before though, and no one has bothered me. I am blessed with the build (almost) of a fairly strong guy… I’m 6 feet tall and pretty strong and can handle myself. People just never bother me…
Well, you do realize that most people who live in high-crime areas are too poor to move to lower crime areas, don’t you?
As for guns, statistically you’re more likely to shoot yourself or someone you know than an intruder. I don’t see that it’s worth the risk.