For those of you out there who value your individual rights and have a sense of justice, the following is something you should strongly consider. Not sure which category this would fall under, so just leaving it here. A post I did awhile back on another site addressing a somewhat inconvenient reality to some, but a reality all the same...
I stand behind you in line at the grocery store with a smile on my face... and a handgun concealed under my clothes and you are none the wiser, yet you are perfectly safe having me standing next to you. I certainly won't shoot you, and my gun isn't going to fire itself, and rest assured it is securely holstered with the safety engaged. That said, also rest assured that if some thug or lunatic pulls out a gun with the intention to harm or kill people in the vicinity, I in turn will draw my weapon in self defense protecting not only myself but all of those around me as well. Now, I'm certainly no Doug Koenig, and I may very well get shot first before I could pull the trigger of my gun, but at that point that's a chance I am willing to take, because if I'm going to die it'll be on my feet and not on my knees begging for my life. I refuse to be the next helpless victim, and that be my choice.
As for you and the choices you make, I won't nor ever will ask you to carry a gun if you would be uncomfortable in doing so, and certainly would respect your decision. I only ask for the same courtesy in return, to exercise my right to not become a victim. Regardless of your own personal and political views on the world, one thing is certain, and that is there is genuine evil lurking about in the world. Sometimes that evil may be aggressive to others, but unarmed though. Sometimes that evil may use whatever weapon or tool is laying around at the time in which to harm or kill another. Sometimes that evil may be driving around with homemade explosives in their vehicle plotting to drive it into a nearby building and detonate the homemade bombs. And sometimes the evil may be armed with a gun, and if that's the case I want to have one too at the ready. Again, we live in a world in which true evil does exist, and to say otherwise would not only be a lie, but a pure blatant denial of the reality we all live in.
As for me, regardless of how grim or bleak reality these days may be, I'll take reality over comforting delusions any day. I hope against all hopes that I never have to find myself in a scenario in which it becomes necessary for me to draw my weapon in order to preserve my life and the lives of any other innocents around me, as I prefer to just live my life in peace. A gun is similar in concept to a condom if you think about it... I'd rather have a gun and never need it, as opposed to needing one and not having it. Likewise, I sincerely hope that none of you ever find yourself in a situation that could turn into the next mass shooting incident. That said, do know there are certainly other individuals out there like me who may be on the scene with you in such a scenario, and if and when evil rears its ugly face seeking to bring harm to innocent people, one of us armed citizens may be there to help save your life. Guns are not the problem in society, but evil in its purest form surely is though.
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6 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.So ... you are a closet psycho who fears everything in everyday life, and you think carrying a gun will help.
How often do you practice? (Not just the "quick draw" like on TV. And remember to sneer when you say, "you talkin' to ME?" )
Do you always hit the bulls eye, or are most of your shots missing the mark?
How do you judge who is the "bad guy" and who is "the other good guy with a gun"? Or do you just shoot everyone else who draws on the "bad guy"?
Do you look to see what is behind your target, or in the heat of the moment, do you get tunnel vision and shoot wildly at your perceived "bad guy" and don't look at the innocent bystanders to each side and behind him/her?
Is your manhood so small that you have to carry a .357 Magnum, .45, and use hollow point or armor piercing shells?
How many times in the last 10 years have innocent bystanders been killed by the good guys?
Are you willing to subject yourself to a psychological test to verify you aren't psycho, so you can actually prove it?
AtheistInNC
Level 7
Sep 19, 2022
1
@SpikeTalon
Oh, my ... thanks for the laugh.
Apparently, you don't realize how much of yourself you revealed with your little diatribe there.
If calling me a "frustrated two-bit slack-jawed cunt" and giving me the one finger salute is the the best you can do, you have the mind of an adolescent ... which really is kinda sad for a guy your age. And saying you take a psycho test and pass doesn't mean that has actually happened. Unless it was that one that Trump took and passed "Person, woman, man, camera, TV." Good boy!
Being a gun-for-hire aligns with your personality, so that was def not a surprise. Was getting a crew cut or flat top especially fulfilling for you? earning minimum wage an unexpected bonus ?
Since you didn't answer half of my questions, but rather tried to pivot to another subject, I'll just assume that you had a horrible accident in your youth which robbed you of your manhood and dangly parts and you have substituted a big truck with a lift kit and your .357 Magnum with hollow points to ease your mental anguish about your lack of manhood.
... oh, and "Spike Talon" for a profile name? LOL. You are a legend in your own mind.
Saying I am a vet doesn't mean it, but my DD214 speaks volumes about my service. What does your DD214 say?
Oh, I'm sorry ... I see you didn't join the service. Why not? Scared? Mommy and Daddy didn't give you permission? Couldn't pass the physical?
Your whole persona is built around your self-image of being a badass who carries a gun, but when it all boils down, you aren't badass ... you are barely literate.
It's all about you in your mind. I'm sure if someone pulled a gun and started shooting and you were nearby, you would run away rather than engage. You could probably apply for a position on the Uvalde police force and get hired immediately. Why don't you try?
Or are you afraid you wouldn't pass their physical, either?
@SpikeTalon This douche bag is an esteemed member of the asshole group .
I don’t mind if someone who is mental stable has a gun for whatever reason he wants to .
That’s not my problem .
I am too clumsy to have one . The word is stupid , but I try to be nice to self here . Also I have a temper that is legendary . A gun on my hands won’t be a good idea . At all .
I have a problem w people been able to get guns without any screening . And updates yearly . Like we do in Europe . That’s scary to me . Everyone can get their hands in a gun in usa . Everyone . And that’s how we end up w dead kids . Toddlers . .
I don’t want to be in a house w someone that has a gun . We are afraid of what we are deep inside .. we judge based to what we know , u know what I mean ? If that motherf has half of my temper , if , just if , I don’t want to be around .
Pralina1
Level 9
Sep 18, 2022
0
All I see is the difference in the mindset between Brits (or any people living in safe countries) and Americans (or any people living in countries where they feel they must have guns and the like to protect themselves). And I believe this is down to sociocultural differences. After all, culture plays an important role in how people feel, think and behave. In the UK, we, ordinary people, don't go out thinking that something terrible might happen to us, like being robbed at gun point. I'm not saying that it never happens in the UK, but we feel so safe that such a thought doesn't get in the way.
So, I guess you will have to establish a safe society before you no longer have to feel the need to carry a gun on you every time you go out.
Ryo1
Level 8
Sep 18, 2022
1
Ryo1:
'Criminals will always find a way to arm themselves if they want.'
Ah, that's an old argument. Still, it is true that criminals always find ways to smuggle illegal firearms. That is why we have strict firearms regulations on manufacturing, sales, purchases, use and importing of firearms so as to make smuggling and illegal use of firearms as hard as possible. Incidentally, we are not deprived of the right to own a firearm; one can apply for a licence under the law. There needs to be a comprehensive approach to creating a safe society.
Ryo1:
@SpikeTalon
'in the US gun control regulations have largely failed the people'
That's intriguing. How so? Can you elaborate on that? Because I am not aware of any country/society which has become less safe with increased numbers of gun crimes as a result of introducing stricter gun laws.
Ryo1:
OK, I can appreiciate that country-to-country comparison cannot be accurate. So, how about state-to-state comparison in the US?
I found two articles reagarding surveys on the relatioship between the strictness of gun laws and the number of gun deaths.
One survey concluded that you have higher rates of mass shootings in US states with more relaxed gun control laws. No surprise there.
The other concluded that three types of laws could reduce gun deaths by more than 10%, which are limiting children's access to guns, restricting concealed-carry permits, and restricting "stand your ground" policies.
These conclusions were each reached through a methodical and scientific approach.
Stand your ground laws encourage individuals to try to solve problems with bullets.
Try to solve problems with bullets - this is exactly the mindset you, and the like-minded, so firmly hold in your head, isn't it?
We agree that you and I live in different societies and different cultures. When I go out, I can confidently assume that no one around me will have a gun on them, whereas when you go out, you automatically take your gun with you with a thought that you might have to use it to protect yourself and/or others.
We have different starting points in thinking, and I naturally prefer the former. 
In the meantime, stay safe and take care. Over and out.
I too feel sorry for you, because you seem unable and unwilling to conceive of a better way; a better society. A world in which the fetishizing and mass ownership of deadly weapons is rightly seen as the problem, not the solution. A world in which the sane view predominates: The more guns in circulation, the less safe everyone collectively becomes.
As for comforting delusions, defining violence of any kind as “evil” is actually an insidious fantasy when you stop to think of it. Because evil, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Additionally, defining people and their actions as “pure evil” is a form of stereotyping that serves to objectify and dehumanize perceived adversaries. This in turn may leave to the development of MCS (Moral Crusader Syndrome), which essentially gives the righteous in our midst a blank cheque to do whatever they feel is necessary to purify society from the “evils” arrayed against them. And that, my boy, is why you should be extremely cautious when using this term. Instead, you cavalierly deploy it in the same way religionists do.
To which you may reply: “Well, wasn’t Hitler evil”? To which I would respond: “In his own mind Hitler was a righteous crusader against the forces of evil (Judaism, Communism) as he perceived and defined them. In his own mind, he was a champion of virtue and justice who desired to purify the world from evil. That’s why he was so destructive and dangerous. Because he perceived evil where none actually existed. Do you really want to share this personality trait with someone like that? Do you really want to sound like some kind of nativist propagandist by misdiagnosing the problem of violence in this way? As if “evil” is some kind of Dark Force that infects people like a malignant virus? Rather, I would suggest to you that people who think this way, who believe in a thing called Genuine Evil, are the ones we should most be worried about.”
NostraDumbass
Level 7
Sep 18, 2022
4
I feel sorry for you. I cannot imagine a land where simply buying groceries requires you to be prepared to take a life.
273kelvin
Level 8
Sep 18, 2022
3
You missed the point entirely.
@Alienbeing What point? the fact that the US has more people in jail than any other nation and that they are vastly disproportionally black or brown? No, because the invisibility program using "somebody else's problem" is at work here. Mather is white and rich so poor non-white problems do not exist in his world. He is on record for saying that he doesn't care about abortions because he's male. No, what constantly gets his goat his when he made to feel slightly uncomfortable. An unarmed black guy gets dragged out of his car by racist cops and a 10-year-old girl is forced to carry her rapist's child?... not his problem and not the problem of his all-white boomer audience. So this huge platform he has is just used to highlight non-issues and petty peeves
I hear you brother. Life in England, like here in Canada, is very different from life in America, isn’t it?
Don’t shop or work in ptown ( Portsmouth ), or Newport News . I work in a high crime area . The only trauma level 480 beds hospital . I work nights . At least 3 gun shots a week . I don’t stop to get gas . My commute is 30 miles ea way . The gas station near the hospital , gun shot at 1300 the other day . Regular joe went to get coffee and fill up his car . Shut to death for 22 dollars . Just like that 
I don’t live there , bcz I can afford to not live there . Many people they can’t 
@SpikeTalon Sorry if my comment was a little off kilter but thought I was replying to a different post. (it was late at night).
My point is for you to imagine a world where being shot was not an option or at least such a small chance as to compare with lottery wins or lightning strikes. I recently had this discussion with a gun owner on Zoom. Due to the time difference, it was around 3 am UK time. He maintained that he was freer than I because he could carry a gun. I said that I at that moment could walk to my local all-night liquor store (in not a great neighbourhood) at not worry about being shot. Who is the freest?
It is not just yourself I feel sorry for. I also feel sorry for the cops who have to deal with an armed and often intoxicated population. I feel sorry for kids who worry about being shot at their school. For the grieving parents that who lost their children. And for the ER staff who have to patch up the victims of gun violence on a daily basis.
I am not some liberal snowflake social worker. I worked in construction most of my life. And I can tell you truthfully that at least 4 times in my life I've been in a kick-off where, had a gun been around it would have been used.
Look at it another way; This is paraphrasing what the mayor of NY recently said "We had upwards of 300,000 people in Times Square not long ago. If just 5% of them were armed? It would only take one argument to get out of hand (this is NY)... a gun was drawn and then other people would draw theirs. Unfortunately, not everyone is as well trained or as sober as my officers and does not always hit their intended target. Can you imagine trying to police that situation?"
@273kelvin I see you missed the point also. I seems you can't understand what 'liberty" means.
@Alienbeing Free to walk to the liqueur store at 3 am or not is pretty basic.
@Alienbeing, @SpikeTalon Okay "mass shootings" are defined as 4 or more people being shot. As of 4th August 2022, in the US there have been 472 this year, around 5 a day. I would not call that uncommon. Obviously, violent crime does not disappear altogether when guns aren't part of the picture. I could get mugged on the way to the liquor store, maybe stabbed but I'm unlikely to be stabbed by accident. Yes, there can be mass stabbings but not 5 a day.
My point was, that being shot for us is like medical bills. Something that is a non-issue
@273kelvin You like it where you live, fine. We like it here.
@273kelvin I am unaware of any liquor store that is open at 3AM.
@Alienbeing Us brits must drink a bit more than North Carolinians or maybe I just live in the city. We generally have one all-night store per neighbourhood.
@273kelvin I think all U.S. States have laws requiring liquor stores to close way before 3AM
@Alienbeing I just Googled it and 1am is the closing time. So much for the land of the free? You can be trusted with an AR 15 but not to buy a 6-pack of Bud or a bottle of JD after 1am. Even in the 24/7 city of LV or NY which never sleeps. I bet you could buy ammo somewhere though?
@273kelvin Trying to equate gun or ammo sales hours to liquor sales hours proves you have no clue why each is the case in the USA.
First your 1AM statement is true in some Stats, not all. Each State regulates liquor laws in its own manner.
Next to educate you, liquor sales hours (and even forbidding sales entirely on Sunday) are the result of what are called "Blue Laws" which were enacted because of intense lobby efforts at the State level by Puritanical religious organizations. Most have now been nullified, but many still remain. In fact all retail saleson Sunday were forbiddden in many States for decades.
Since no religious group ever lobbied gun sales hours no particular restrictions (that I am aware of) exist.
In closing, neither situation have anything to do with "Land of the Free" since any laws that did or still do exist were passed by Democratically elected State Legislatures.
If you feel the need to comment on another country's laws, it would be a good idea if you actually knew what they were, and why they exist.
@SpikeTalon I thought the definition was "four or more people injured or killed in one event" and as such I googled it and although I don`t think I found the actual site (it was a while back) here are the top 2 links that came up when I googled it again.
[nbcphiladelphia.com]
As you can see, these are a little more detailed than a simple total. I can see that an average of 13 a week may seem incredible but it could be its frequency itself that leads to its underreporting.
@SpikeTalon Okay what are quibbling about here? What constitutes a mass shooting? That 4 or more people shot too small a number? Does it have to be at least double figures or it doesn't count? Okay, I will tell you some figures that I don't have to Google. The number of mass shootings in the UK in the last 25 years...0
@SpikeTalon Sorry, I forgot bout the 2010 one (it was 12 years ago) and yes there was another in 2021. Hungerford and Dunblane happened over 25 years ago and led to an almost total ban on firearms with the exception of shotguns and some hunting rifles which are both strictly controlled. So my apologies You managed to find 4 in 25 years, which is 4 too many but a far cry from 13 a week.
The fact is that shootings are so rare here that on the sad occasions they do happen it is big news. Unfortunately, we had one in my own city last month. A child was killed and her mother injured. This was a banner headline for weeks. I doubt the same would make it above the fold in the US.
@SpikeTalon It is nice for you to admit that mass shootings just might have some correlation to the amount of gun ownership.
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