Paranoia as a Favorite Topic on This Forum

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butch50

New member
I have noticed that paranoia is a common topic on this forum. Paranoia is introduced in jest, and ofen in all seriousness in many threads. Sometimes I even wonder if I am acting paranoid. No I don't take a shower with a pistol, but I do carry just about everywhere in public, even playing golf. So, I decided to see if the average CHL is indeed paranoid. The following quotes suggest not:
The odds of being a victim of a violent crime during adulthood are greater than 2 to 1. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Youth Violence Research Bulletin — February 2002)

More than one in three (35 percent) of adults are estimated to fall victim to violent crime. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Youth Violence Research Bulletin — February 2002)
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http://www.witnessjustice.org/news/stats.cfm#violentcrime

Far from being paranoid, according to the CDC and DOJ, we are very likely to be victims of violent crime. The odds given here are startling. I know that statistics are malleable, but these are pretty stark, and they appear to be from reputable organizations, and from a reputable source - url is given so check it out for yourself.

These are averages of course and YMMV, but on average, watch your average non-paranoid back!
 
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There is a distinct difference between awareness and being prepared for a situation and being paranoid.

Most people here are the former, a few of you are deep into the latter.
 
I don't like the source of the statistics. It isn't that I disagree with them, it is just that I don't care for them. You can almost say whatever you want with statistics.

For one thing, violent crime is not a disease and if it is, the cure might be worst than the disease. It is a point of view.

And I definitely don't like a law enforcement point of view. It is never in the interest of law enforcement generally for crime or crime rates to drop. Criminals are always dangerous. I must admit that the media, especially television, plays up anything like violent crime, car chases, fires, anything like that. That is always what's on first on the local evening news. Politicians also like to play up the "crime wave" angle, too. Remember when canditates ran on a "law and order" platform?

Likewise, from the standpoint of government generally, it also appears to be to the government's advantage for there to be an emergency or near emergency, whatever that might be, in order for the government to have "emergency" powers, like the Patriot act.

But maybe I am just being paranoid about it.
 
The statistics are not enough. Do they say that one in three average americans will be a victim, or do they really mean that the it's just the bottom five percent of the population beating the snot out of each other?
 
It says that more than one in three (35%) will be a victim. Sounds like for every 100 adults in this country that 35 of them will become victims of a violent crime. That would be on average, so say in some locales that 100% will be victims and in some others that 0% will be victims.

If you are the glass is half full type then you could look at it that out of every 100 adults 65 won't be victims of violent crime.....:)
 
No paranoia here...

I just hate bullies... :barf: especially the ones who terrorize and murder helpless people in the schoolyard, and McDonald's. :mad:

I'm not paranoid. It's not my fault if everyone's out to get me!! :eek:
 
Even paranoids have enemies....My wife used to think I was slightly paranoid for carrying off duty when it was not required until we walked into the middle of a gang shooting at a large mall where one person died and we had to chase down the suspects. (I and other officers, not my wife) She does not mention it now, either do my kids...
 
you cant look at those stas without putting them in a geographical and sociological context.

If you lead your life based on those raw stats you are indeed paranoid

WildstoptalkingaboutmeAlaska
 
"Paranoia is an illogical fear not based on fact" - Doug Lamb

The fact is that the world is not a nice place. Never has been, never will be. We all prepare ourselves to face that world the best way we feel is neccesary to protect ourselves and our loved ones from it. Some of us feel that one 5-shot revolver without extra ammo is all we need. Some don't feel safe unless they are carrying a full-size .45 IWB, a .45 compact on the ankle, a .32 NAA Guardian pocket, a 6" bowie small-of-back, while walking with a 2oz can of Fox OC in hand for getting the mail. It's all in what makes you feel comfortable. Bad things happen to good people everywhere. It can happen at home, at work, at the mall, in the shower, playing with your kids at the park, anywhere! Being prepared for "it", whatever form "it" may be, is just common sense. I saw a thread on here last night that leads me to my next thought. The stats make no difference to me. I might be a victim I might not. It's not whether or not I'll be a victim that matters as to why I prepare, I prepare simply because of what's at stake. My safety and that of my family, friends, and those around me are why I prepare. Not that I think we may end up being a victim, but if we ended up in a situation where we might, I'm prepared to defend what's at stake. I just started CCW'ing this week and I'm heading out to dinner tonight with my wife with my XD9 sitting 2:30 IWB with 1 extra mag on the holster. That's all I feel I need to be safe.

All it comes down to is "what level of protection makes YOU feel safe". If how you come to that decision allows you to sleep at night, then it's the right thing for you. I think the word paranoid and paranoia gets tossed around rather easily here without much thought.
 
Wildalaska... you are correct about sociological and geographical context... for example...

according to the statistics (adjusted by soc and geo) 1 out of 3 residents of Montana and Alaska are alcoholics, 1 out of 5 are violent

Also consider the adjusted statistics show that you are 4 times more likely to have your home burglarized if you live in a MIDDLE class neighborhood than if you are in either a low or high end one.

Wildalaska... I lived in Montana for a few years...so this wasn't a jab at you, merely a sobering thought about what you said
 
Actually I was leading my life before looking up those stats:)

I believe that a socio/economic adjustment would make a significant difference. Say it makes a difference of twice as unlikely for me - looking at the chance of being one of 17 out of 100 victims doesn't qualify as paranoia either.
 
You have to also bear in mind that most of that violent crime takes place in cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, and DC, where armed self-defense is essentially forbidden. About 10-15% of violent crimes take place in fewer than 10 anti-gun cities across the nation, while states like Vermont and New Hampshire have a lower violent crime rate than Norway.
 
according to the statistics (adjusted by soc and geo) 1 out of 3 residents of Montana and Alaska are alcoholics, 1 out of 5 are violent
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Now put that in a further sociopolitical and geographic context and tell me how I should behave in my own sociological mileu.


Also consider the adjusted statistics show that you are 4 times more likely to have your home burglarized if you live in a MIDDLE class neighborhood than if you are in either a low or high end one.
Click to expand...

Again..needs to be put in a geographical/cultural socioploitical context

WilddigdeepAlaska
 
1 out of 3 residents of Montana and Alaska are alcoholics, 1 out of 5 are violent
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but what are the odds that a violent person will be an alcoholic?

thankfully i'm 2 of the three and 4 of the five. not saying i havent tried. to be an alcoholic that is. i dont have a violent cell in my body. :D
 
butch50 ~

Some people just enjoy insulting other people. On TFL, they can get away with it as long as they insult an entire group of people ("some of you folks are NUTS!" "all libertarians are fruitcakes!" "anyone who carries a gun in their own home is paranoid!"), but not if they insult any particular person -- so that's what they do. They just want to dance on the line without getting their hands slapped.

Other people simply cannot comprehend how another person could live life any differently than they do themselves ... and thus when it comes out that someone else has made different choices than they did, they're befuddled by that. Befuddled people are sometimes unintentionally insulting, but they don't mean any real harm. They simply cannot comprehend that everyone doesn't live in the same basic demographic situation that they do themselves.

Then there are the folks who need to resort to ad hominem attacks in order to feel like their own choices aren't bad. "Sure, the gangs in my neighborhood all shoot at each other every Saturday night. But I don't run drugs, so no one will ever shoot at me or invade my home; anyone who thinks that way is paranoid!" They're just trying to reassure themselves that their denial of reality is both rational and normal, and the way they do this is to attack other people.

It's too bad, really. All entirely normal. But too bad.

pax
 
Wildalaska ... I think you inadvertantly made my point... that was posted to specifically show that statistics are a generalization, and should be treated as such. It is necessary for each of us understand how those statistics apply to us, to educate ourselves, not blindly follow numbers, and to constantly evaluate our lives. This is how we grow as individuals, and how we grow as a society.
 
I have noticed that paranoia is a common topic on this forum. Paranoia is introduced in jest, and ofen in all seriousness in many threads. Sometimes I even wonder if I am acting paranoid. No I don't take a shower with a pistol, but I do carry just about everywhere in public, even playing golf.
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It goes back as many as four or five years, but I read a story in the newspaper that some violent criminal attacked some guys who were playing a round of golf, and one of the golfers was CCWing and popped the badguy right there on the course.

It's not paranoid to keep things you may need at a moment's notice with you so that they're available at a moment's notice. It's called preparedness.

Don't let pathetic small minds tell you different, and make you modify your behavior to where you act helpless and non-self-sufficient like they do.


-blackmind
 
Don't let pathetic small minds tell you different, and make you modify your behavior to where you act helpless and non-self-sufficient like they do.
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:rolleyes:

:)

:D

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahah

WildproudtobepatheticallyhelplessAlaska
 
It is necessary for each of us understand how those statistics apply to us, to educate ourselves, not blindly follow numbers, and to constantly evaluate our lives. This is how we grow as individuals, and how we grow as a society.
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Kudos to you Doc, spoken like a responsible gun owner!

WildnowwhereismyglockonaropeAlaska
 
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