one MEEN Ag said:
Everyone here who is against guns in the house or keeping them for self defense lives in a bubble created by their wealth. Where all the impoliteness, desperateness, and violent tendencies of man are kept away. And while it's okay to live in a bubble, understand that bubbles get popped all the time. I've never understood not having any protection-period.
Do I think I'm going to get run up by a gang? No. But I also know that I can be a target anytime and I owe it to my family to protect them.
I empathize with this view. I have guns but never carry. And never in my life have I needed a gun and it's my good fortune. Twice in my life I've put myself at physical risk to stop harm coming to someone. Once at a bar in houston and once to break up a domestic in the neighboring hotel room (at a very nice hotel which is probably not what you just pictured)
I did not want or need a gun in either situation, but I'm still young enough to be strong. Women and the elderly have no security in their person the way men do.
Further once I started training Jui jitsu years ago I got to where I could comfortably incapacitate most people who are not dramatically bigger. I don't even want to hit anyone doing harm anymore I'd rather incapacitate as harmlessly as possible.
My wife on the other hand has been a victim of sexual assault. And carries pepper spray at all times. And feels much more comfortable with a knife in her pocket or purse. She's got no instinct to harm anyone, this isn't a redneck almost if not outright hoping for an opportunity, she's been bitten and knows she's to small to fend off most men.
Dogs scare me less, I've found an extremely aggressive reaction works well. We are a joke to bears or a moose and I always want something in the woods.
I don't mind people being armed I'm generally pro second amendment. But honestly I'm LESS likely to render aid when armed. When armed I'm not going to try and restrain someone, what If they felt the gun and reached for it, I just made a possibly non lethal situation lethal. Same with a knife.
And I think for active mass shooters (terribly rare) we should teach people to bum rush attackers not shoot unless you have a very clear shot.
I respect shepherd minded people. But I've got nothing but respect for the pacifists, I think it's a failed strategy if too many people do it to resist bad actors broadly, but I don't see that happening. And I think we'd benefit from a larger portion of our population thinking this way than the small percentage that does currently.
