The media and anti-gun politicians have done a great job of creating the perception that someone with a gun, a gunman, is a danger or a threat. We've been condition to the point where if we see someone holding a gun, we automatically think it's a problem. If you went to a friends house, and they had a gun on their hip, or were cleaning a firearm, you might instantly feel uncomfortable. Why is that? It used to be that guns were just another tool most people carried around. When packing for a camping trip, you'd grab your tent, food, stove, mess kit, gun, sleeping bag etc. When heading downtown for the night, you'd grab your gun. When getting ready for a morning jog, you'd strap on your holster and insert your trusted pistol. When heading out to work in public among unpredictable situations, you'd load your trusted defensive firearm. In fact millions of Americans still do this...silently.
So what changed that created the perception that these people are dangerous? Are there so many more people running around threatening us and provoking people with guns that this fear is justified by our societal experience? That hasn't been my experience. In fact, where I live, seeing someone with a gun is extremely rare, despite the fact that gun sales top the nation in my home state. It's estimated that 1/3 of households in the US have at least 1 firearm in them. Clearly, they are extremely common, and for every firearm, there is a person who owns it. There are millions of gunmen and gunwomen out there today. If you live in the inner city, then perhaps you have had negative experiences with firearms and gangs. I'll give you that, but those people are criminals, not the normal everyday gun owner that you're most likely to encounter.
So what happened?
I recently heard this myth promulgated by the media following a recent home invasion and murder. The news media was reporting that the "gunman was on the loose" and police were in pursuit of "the gunman" as if a gunman being out on their own free will is a problem and police would naturally pursue a gunman. Murders out on the loose are a problem. I'm a gunman. Me being on the loose is not a problem. I have a completely clear and clean record and am out on my own free will. Does that make me a danger? Absolutely not. My character and record prove otherwise.
In fact, in order to purchase a firearm in America, you have to pass a federal background check orchestrated by the FBI. Yes, every new firearm purchase has to be essentially approved by the FBI and the person purchasing the firearm vetted. That essentially means, just about every gunman out there is a safe, law abiding citizen with a clean record. In fact that means if you see a gunman while in public, you are probably safer with them that without them, because the criminals among us - the real dangers to our society - obtain firearms in illegal ways and aren't vetted by law enforcement. Law breakers on the loose are the problem, not gunmen.
You might be thinking, "well, you aren't the problem, the gun is the problem. It's dangerous because it can kill." I've heard that before too. Here's the problem; guns can't kill. If I load a firearm and set it on a table in a room crowded with people, it won't just start killing. If it is left there, even with a bullet in the chamber, no one will be harmed. Someone has to pick up that firearm, point it at someone else, and intentionally pull the trigger. That is a very intentional action. In fact, most "self defense" firearms sold on the market today have multiple safety features built into them to make sure that if you pull that trigger all the way, you really meant it. You can't just put light pressure on the trigger (except for with single action revolvers), and it will accidentally go off. No, there are no accidental shootings. Firearms are built so that the action has to be very intentional, and the motion specific. You see, it's not the object that's the danger, it's the person yielding it that is the problem.
You might object saying, "well, I understand that, but I don't trust everyone else in that room with a loaded firearm." Ok, fine, but you trust that everyone around you on the road has a drivers license, isn't under the influence of an intoxicating substance, is in their right state of mind, is fully paying attention, and has maintained their vehicle to make sure it's operating perfectly. You trust all of them with an object that can very easily become a lethal weapon, yet you don't trust a room of strangers around a loaded firearm? I think the average person is far more likely to get behind a car they've never driven, then they are to pick up a firearm they've never fired.
Just because someone owns a firearm, and you see it with them, does not mean your life is in any more danger than any other moment of your existence. In fact, I'd say you are probably safer with that person than away from them.
Before I end this though, I must say, if you see someone with a firearm, do assess the situation and follow your instinct in that moment - even if your instinct is based on miss-understanding. The reality is there are murderers among us and they use firearms as weapons. They are extremely rare...but they are out there.
Thanks and be safe.
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