Curious Why some people think the way they do

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I myself owned a shotgun and rifle for hunting. Shortly after getting married and having a wife and home to look after, i bought a pistol. Not because it was some uber-ultra-tastic weapon, but because it was a S&W on sale. Sometimes I carry, sometimes i dont. It really depends on where I'm going. However, since buying that pistol and going to the range i've discovered a love of shooting. I recently bought a revolver so I could have a different experience at the range. I feel no different now compared to before, when I had no gun whatsoever. But then again, that's just me.
 
We used to be younger and more naive.

We used to be more physically capable (and of course assumed we could handle anything.) I can't run anymore :(

There did not used to be home invasions.

There didn't used to be the high level of violence there is today.

When I was in college, I often walked the ten blocks to the electronics parts store. That same neighborhood now is averaging a shooting per day. The city police have asked the county sheriff to provide patrols. None of that happened 40 years ago.

Also, until six years ago, it was generally illegal to carry a handgun for self defense.
 
robhof

I've got 40 round mags for my M9 and keep a full one in it for home defense. I don't want to be accused of reloading and using unnecessary force should someone invade my domaine. I have 4 of these mags as well as speedloaders for my revolvers, why; because I can as an American. I collect and shoot many guns and enjoy shooting and hunting and as long as it's legal I'll continue to enjoy my rights under the 2nd amendment.
 
“I carry a Colt 45 Officers model and have for years. The reason I started carrying was due to a couple of friends who were LEOs telling me about what had happened on their shifts.’ Sir has anything’s happened to you, and if you were armed at that time could you have stopped them?

“Is it unrealistic that your neighbor two houses down gets raped at home in broad daylight and your wife feels threatened by the proximity to the crime? If your wife had a weapon would she be able to get to it and would she be willing to use it if need be?

Is it unrealistic that two women who are driving downtown Minneapolis are shot at several times by unknown assailants for no other reason than being in a vehicle going down the same road? The women having a weapon would not have prevented this from happening, at best all they would have been able to do was return fire and who knows what or whom they would have it shooting from a moving auto.

How about the fellow that goes to a bar with two or three friends and throws darts and gets killed on the way home for the three dollars he has left in his wallet?” In many states you cannot C/C in any establishment that serves alcohol, so he may not have had his weapon with him. If the victim did have a weapon with him would it have made any difference, or would the person who murdered him have ended up with $3.00 and the victim’s weapon.
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My point was and is if you have no weapon then you may well not be able to have any other outcome than what the BG decides your fate will be.

As far as my wife pulling the trigger to stop a BG from violating her body.. I have every confidence that she can and would if given no alternative.. Would other women act in the same manner... Maybe but without a weapon the choices for a lady could all be bad or worse.

The women driving in a car might have had a chance to stop the BG's as DRT. with a firearm but with no firearm they were unable to resist and simply moving targets for as long as the BG's chose.

The fellow that left the bar may have had a different outcome if he was armed... Who knows but the fact that he didn't have one lead in part to him ending up 100% dead.

No weapon can = no choice except what the BG has chosen for you.
 
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I am near 63. In 1965 I had just started college and a guy pulled a knife on me told me to give me my money or he would stick me. I was too scared to move and after a few seconds he cussed me and ran off. In all the years that have past I can't think of another situation where someone pulled a weapon on me. It might be time for my luck to run out and so about a year or so ago I started preparing to defend myself, home, family, etc. No big deal. Besides that if the shtf I want to be a little ready.
 
A couple people understand what I was asking. Many here are still way off. Moderator, you are more than welcome to close this thread or just let people have fun posting. I expect threads to drift off topic, but some people can't even stay on target with their first post. Sorry I brought up the subject. I really am sorry that I brought it up.
 
You are asking rhetorical questions, not sure what you expect for answers.
It makes sense to me that people decide to carry because their eyes open up after reading story after story of someone getting car-jacked or shot by some nut-job. Maybe they weren't aware prior to carrying or owning a gun that these things happen fairly often?
As far as what people carry or own, I think they decide to carry what they think will be effective - a gun that can shoot 15 rounds is a lot more effective in some instances than a 6 round revolver. Why would it bother you if they feel more comfortable with more firepower? what business is any of this to you anyway?
 
It's hard to firgure out where you're going with that.

I think you're wondering why some gun owners get all hard corps and obsessed with using the gun, and equipping themselves for unrealistic scenarios.

Many people without guns don't defend themselves. See how many folks go around in public totally unaware? A lot of robbery victims here say the bad guys just suddenly appeared. Avoiding trouble is good though.

The perception of threat goes up before (or after) buying a gun simply because the owner is now paying attention. Many exaggerate this perception because they're dismayed to find out how much actually goes on they hadn't noticed.
The news doesn't show it all, read the police blotter.
It's not a matter of being naive or enlightened. It's just becoming aware the world isn't always a nice place and seeing what happens sometimes.

I agree the gun is just a tool, an item of emergency equipment just like a first aid kit or a fire extinguisher. One should try and prevent having to use any of these.
 
I can only speak for "me", but I grew up with firearms in the house, and usually had one "around" somewhere.

Sometimes it was on my side, others it was in my vehicle, but it was there if/when I needed it.

That said, I've seen some things "change" in the world around me. People are less forgiving, and can get more "in your face" these days. Crime is higher in my area, and I know folks who've been robbed and had other evils done to them.

When I was growing up, mass-murders weren't a common thing. A murder in this town was talked about for weeks. Now, such things barely hit the newspaper.

I'm no longer a care-free teen. I have a family that depends on me to protect them, and I take that responsibility pretty seriously.

Firearms are not "new" to me; they're a tool that I've always had access to. They do not "replace" other lines of defense, but instead give me one more line of defense should it become necessary.

I carry pretty much always these days, and pray each day that I'm never forces to use it against another human being.

Daryl
 
Well, I read the original post, I read every subsequent post, and I'm confounded by the last few where you say that people are missing your point....I guess I am too.

What, exactly, is your question?
 
There is no true believer stronger than the converted

The staunchest conservative is a liberal who has been mugged.

A lot of the answers you are looking for are simple. People have a tendency to go "overboard" when they feel strongly about something. Religion, politics, morality, self defense, sports, pick any subject at all, and you will find a percentage of the enthusiasts who take it as far as they can. Sometimes they know what they are doing. Other times, they don't.

A lot of the time, people will choose the latest whiz bang tactical hi cap weapon, because they get told it is the best. Or they may choose what the police carry. Or yes, what they see on the screen, in movies or video games. These people are almost always neophytes when it comes to guns, shooting, and the moral and legal issues surrounding self defense.

Yes, they believe that the gun will protect them, assuming automatically that they will have the skill and opportunity to use it correctly. And the "badder" the gun, the better job it will do. And our entertainment industry constantly re-enforces this unrealistic expectation. People who know guns and shooting seldom have this belief. We know guns are not magic wands, and there are no magic bullets, that never miss, and always stop attackers with a single hit. It just ain't so in the real world.

As to our world being more violent and dangerous than it used to be, I havesome ideas, but I'll save them for another post, if the thread stays open.;)
 
Most people who have a gun for self/personal defense, didn't always have one. How did they defend themselves walking down the street, at home, etc... prior to owning a gun?
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For a lot of carriers who now own guns for self defense have never had to defend themselves. So the issue of how they defended themselves may be moot.

Also, why do people who all of a sudden buy a gun for self defense, believe that the threat has all of a sudden changed and increased dramatically; compared to when they didn't have a gun?
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For some, it may be due to some traumatic event. For others, the "sudden buy" really isn't all that sudden. It is something they have been considering for quite some time. It may not be that the threat has changed, but that the consequences of being attacked (robbed, beaten, etc.) are realized. I have noticed that in many CHL classes, the attendees are largely middle aged and older. They are at a point in their lives where they have managed to accumulate enough wealth that they now look like a profitable target.
 
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Direct personal experience...

My father was beaten with a brick to the head, by a neighbor, broad daylight, early afternoon. Several years later, he was again robbed and beaten, in his own front yard - by a stranger this time.

My mother was carjacked and forced at gunpoint to drive across town, to a dangerous area several miles away before being released (thankfully unharmed).

My sister was held captive overnight, beaten and gang-raped at the age of 19.

None of them carried guns. Ever.

I have carried for over 20 years. In that time, I have successfully avoided not one, but two attempts to rob me when I worked as manager at a convenience store. One of those times, I managed to out-draw the would-be robber. The other time, I didn't have to draw at all, since my experience with firearms enabled me to be able to recognize that robber's weapon as a fake (having a non-fake .38 on my hip helped a bit with the confidence, too). Yes, I carry a gun. All the time. But I also make it a point to be aware of my surroundings to prevent having to use my gun. I make note of exits, people dressed inappropriately to the weather, or acting suspiciously (nervous, jumpy, looking around, scanning the crowd, etc).

Like the night when I stopped into a neighborhood 7-11 for a late night coffee and heard the clerk say "Hey, is that a gun?" to the man who had just walked in and was standing at the cash register. Or the time when I noticed a man walk into the pawn shop where I was shopping and just stand there, watching the cash register, the door and the other customers. Did I have to draw my gun? No, but being aware, and being confident that I had the tools to effectively defend my life and the lives of others - should that become necessary was a very comforting feeling, indeed.
 
Many here are keyboard commandos, never seen a real fight much less been in one. they sure talk a good game but i bet once the lead flies they wont be so brave. I was scared sh^$%less the first time i knew i was going into a real fight. As Marines we did it anyway and all our hours of training took over. I would bet many of the chest beaters here would not pull the trigger when it came time. Also many here would pull the trigger to soon and wind up killing some one they will regret the rest of their life. You can see how many people carry 3 guns. I never carried that many in combat. They put bayonets on Glocks. Now what idiot would want a bayonet on a Glock?? It sure looks cool though if you want to look like a ninja. They have lights, lasers, all kinds of cool toys. They look tough if you didnt know better. But to each his own. I carry because i can. Its my 2A right. i dont feel naked with out my pistol. My brain is my best weapon.
 
christcorp,

You pose six different questions in addition to the rhetorical question. Any of which could evoke thousands of words in reply.

I guess you had an encounter with someone who acted in a manner you don't understand and do not approve of in a personal/self/home defense related manner.

We can only speculate on why anyone does anything.

So long as someone's acts do not infringe upon (or conflict with) anyone else's right to life, liberty, or property; they should be free to act.
 
Well, you guess wrong.

But by all means continue with the thread. Some seem to find it interesting enough to post in. What I wanted and asked is not being addressed, and that's Ok. I'll let it go. Personally, I'd rather let it drop.
 
The gun is just a tool, like a knife, a club, a rock, or a fist. Once you fixate on the tool, you lose sight of the fact that the real weapon is your brain. That said, a gun makes a lot of things easier during a confrontation. It is a great equalizer.

I think a lot of people who don't own a gun either think it can't happen to them, or that someone will help them if they need help. If they have actually been attacked, they realize that no one will risk their life to save them if they need help, and they have to act.
 
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I cannot speak about why an American would consider the world a more dangerous place - or even whether they do -after buying a firearm, but I think I could generalize a thing or two about the subject. First, not everyone has the oportunity to grow around firearms or even to own one until later in life. Some of them are already very fond of weapons but simply do not have the opportunity to get one, others just never consider doing so. Second, most people who buy a gun because of some traumatic situation actually start to feel the world as a more dangerous place before they acquire what they consider will save their lives, even though that might not be the case. Third, IMHO people who know how to use their brains are the exception, not the rule. Also you must consider the fact that some people are better at taking care of themselves than others; the latter group will be defenseless no matter what.

As to the increased threat the world poses to you as soon as you become a gun owner, I can only speak about my own country. Here, carrying a weapon actually make the world more dangerous to you. If you are unarmed there is a big chance the criminal will let you go "unharmed" whether if you are armed and he finds out he will definitely kill you. Also, if people know you own a gun they are likely to target you for it. That doesn't make it so that bigger capacity or firepower will save your life, but good training and common sense will. But my point is that once they own a gun the potential threat to them is, in fact, greater than when they did not own one.
 
christcorp

Personally, I don't believe the threat has changed.
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I believe that this is the crux of your frustration.

Apparently, there are many who do not agree with your threat assessment.

For whatever reason, they now perceive that their own "threat level" has changed; whether gradually over time during their lifetime or more rapidly in recent times, this may be due to an increased access to news/media nationally and/or events that are closer to home or personal.

Still wondering why? When was the last time that there wasn't a color associated with airline travel? And remember that we are still at war, now for the better part of a decade, with a noun or is it a verb?

Personally, I think that the bears and the moose are still about as dangerous as they were ten years ago... but, that is where I live.

I still carry pretty much like I wear socks; I live in Alaska, pretty simple math!

I also don't eat at McDonalds or eat a lot of junk; this will probably do far more for my life expectancy than my daily carry, but I would rather carry a "spare tire/gun" than a "spare tire/around my middle" if you know what I mean!

Let people buy all the do-dads and newest, bestest, shinest, things coming down the pike. After all someone needs to keep this economy rolling along! I mean just what would happen if we all just inherited our Father's old Colts?
 
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