Back to the Old West

A recent shooting in my town that left 3 people dead has brought about many issues. For example: it has been suggested that if more people "strapped guns on their sides" that this tragedy could have been averted or at least the perpetrator stopped (as of this writing he is still at large). What disturbs me most about this suggestion is that it came from a police officer. Of all professions I would think a law enforcement officer would want to keep as many guns off the street as possible. He made a pretty convincing argument but the idea still scares the hell out of me.



I have considered getting a gun to protect my family. I live in a very rural county and if someone broke into my house while my wife were home alone she currently has no protection other then our 2 large, vocal dogs. The Sheriff's office is only a phone call away but the nearest Deputy might be quite far away. What would happen if really hard times hit and we have any kind of societal breakdown? What I mean by this is: suppose fuel prices skyrocket again (greedy oil companies and evil Arabs) and the grocery store shelves start getting bare. Electrical service becomes intermittent. Suppose I saw this coming and stored a year's supply of food essentials, fuel and water on my land. Next thing you know, my neighbor wants some. He comes over with his hand gun to appropriate some of my stores and I repel him with my shotgun. So he returns with a couple buddies and an assault rifle or two. OK, where does this end? Someone ends up dead. Do we really want to return to the day when he who carries the biggest gun wins all the gold? I know it is an extreme example but it could come about.





What really frightens me is that I am a pacifist, yet I am considering getting a gun. Next thing you know I will want to carry it around with me. I have had lots of training as a martial artist and tournament fighter; however, every time I began a fight the adrenalin rush was almost too much for me to control. I think that if I were in such a tense situation as having someone shooting a gun around that if I drew a weapon I'd be shaking so much I might shoot anything or anybody. I am having trouble getting past the idea that when eventually most people are walking around armed, that every argument would end up with a gun being involved. I've got an employee that I know loves guns and has a carry permit. What if I have to terminate this person someday? Should I keep a gun in my desk to protect myself? I wonder how to keep guns out of the hands of people that have no business handling them. I knew a guy who was a University Police Officer and was so paranoid he should never have been allowed to own a gun. Neither of these people are criminals but I shudder to think of what might happen if either finds a bottle of SCOPE in his mailbox someday.

I wonder if it would be much of a deterrent for criminals if more people were armed? A sign outside the door that says "I own a gun and I'm not afraid to use it" might be just as detrimental. I suppose it depends upon the type crime. A crime of opportunity is more likely to be second thought then a crime of passion.



I guess that a perfect world only the Police and the criminals would have guns and there would be enough police around to protect us all.





stw