You're perfectly free to not carry a gun if you don't want to, and I don't carry a gun myself (the area where I live is relatively safe), but considering the right to bear arms is specifically stated in the United States Constitution, and that the statistics show a sharp decline in crime across all categories when concealed gun carry is allowed, it's a matter of principle to help defend that right for anyone who -does- want to carry a gun. Think about it for a second. How many of the evil-horrible-guns-must-be-stopped school shootings were done using legal weapons? How far do you think those killers would have gotten if the teachers were all carrying?

Also, since virtually all violent confrontations happen at short range, removing guns from the equation entirely just means that the bigger, stronger, more experienced attacker has all the advantages. A kitchen knife or baseball bat can kill you just as dead as a gun (in fact, I read an article some time ago about doctors considering -knife- safety...) The object of guns is to make everyone, even the weakest old lady, as strong as the strongest attacker, thus either deterring criminals or giving the people being attacked at least an equal chance at survival.

(Caveats: Never point your gun at something you're not willing to kill. Never fire without aiming first. If you're not sure if you can use your gun in combat, don't carry one.)

In reply to Re: Principle of Inclusion by TedPride
in thread Principle of Inclusion by apotheon

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