[QUOTE=holmes]
Dude, bring it down a notch. The thing about crime in New York and I haven’t lived there in over a decade, so take it for what it’s worth…were criminals attacking other criminals. Very rarely did innocent people have to fear for their lives…did it happen sure, but I assure you that the majority of us, rode the train, read our papers and minded our business without fear of thugs packing heat, looking to kill us.
However, due to our experiences, we understood that someone hiding a gun was looking to do harm to someone; because we don’t have a gun culture. The only people who had guns were cops, criminals or people that needed them for their business. That’s the way that I grew up. My grandfather being a Southerner had rifles in the house; it’s a different culture, not bad or good; just different.
Understanding that, and agreeing with that type of restriction if the state wants it; doesn’t mean I’m saying “fuck you” the rest of the country; that has a different relationship with guns than NY does and I imagine neither is Obama.
Even if he thinks allowing concealed weapons is a bad idea; he believes in the Constitution…but like I said, we all have to draw our lines in the sand.
[/QUOTE]
I’d like to add to this because I agree with you. I don’t mind if you guys out in the country have guns, but here I think most New Yorkers prefer not to have guns. Do you really think for one second, that if I wanted a pistol that I couldn’t get one? Everyone in New York who wanted a gun could certainly get one somehow. As far as concealed carry? When was the last time you were stopped by a cop walking down the street? Never. The only possible time would be when they stop you for searching bags in the subway, but you can refuse that and leave.
New Yorkers don’t carry guns because, as holmes said, there simply isn’t a need to. When am I going to need a gun? In a stickup? Seriously? Those people just want your money. The minute you pull out a gun there’s an actual confrontation with way too many variables that I would rather not get into. And if it is some lunatic that wants to kill, are you better off returning fire or running? I’d go with option two, becuase it’s not the wild west. I’m not very confident in my quick draw abilities.
The point of all that is that Obama realizes that guns mean different things to different people. To the vast majority of people in the larger cities of the US they mean fear. In the rurual areas they mean freedom. You know, only 23 percent of Americans even own guns. I don’t think that we in the cities are being unreasonable to want stricter laws. I like our gun laws, and I’d bet a large percent of New Yorkers do too.
