Tennessean says thanks for the suggestion. I believe you may be right.

But regardless of any “haunting feelings” I might experience, what would haunt me more would be standing helplessly by while someone brutalized a loved one because I ascribed to some Pollyanna Vision of the world where I chose to depend on smiley faced good will to protect myself and my loved ones.

I may never need the option. But in the event of the unlikely, I want…I DEMAND the option and RIGHT to protect myself and my loved ones.

Worry as you wish. But if you are ever visiting me, and someone intrudes on us with the intent of doing you harm, I will at least have the OPTION of possibly being able to save you from whatever horrors might be intended……or…..wait a minute. I DID say “loved ones”??

I grew up with guns, was trained in their use, carried a hunter’s safety card from the age of 14 which is the first year you can carry one in Oregon. I later in life became a trained security officer in California. I have spoken with many police officers who back me up in saying that there is nothing worse than untrained, angry, fearful, mixed up civilians who think that carrying a firearm will solve any problem of violence. Even worse, a civilian who thinks he is trained, who then thinks that his gun is his salvation is every situation and who then uses it under the strain of every bad moment in life.

The other thing to consider is this. A gun gives a very unique situation. You don’t have to get in close. Easily concealable, easy to trigger, so powerful that temptation is severe to brandish it in either arrogance or just the idea of “scaring someone” with it. Adrenaline does funny things to one’s ability to aim correctly and really interferes with proper judgment and ability to think clearly. Even when you think you know all about using a gun, your emotions can make your sighting ability go haywire and the target you meant to shoot isn’t what gets hit.

If your opponent decides to fight you for the firearm and lunges at you, knocks you off balance or gets the upper hand by surprise or something in the area distracts you sufficiently, there goes your concentration and the opponent can take your gun from you or wrest it from your control before you know it. Then bad things happen. Things never intended. You or your loved ones become the unintended victims. The police have seen this too many times.
Even with all their training, they themselves do not like having to use their weapon and try not to use it if they can solve things with their brains instead.

Heaven help us all when the average citizen thinks they are Wyatt Earp in the Wild West! Police live in fear of things like this everywhere they go. I don’t blame them. Automatic weapons, concealable handguns …. these are not hunting or sporting weapons. They are designed only for killing humans. Lastly, ask any police officer and they will tell you that after having to use their weapon, they do have nightmares and that awful feeling of having killed a human being is one that does not go away all that easily and for some it never does.

Do you really want to have to deal with that? I think it would haunt you if you were ever the source of the loss of human life. And if it wouldn’t bother you….then I never want to see a gun in your possession!