The fear of flying (and I'm talking about flying as in an airplane) is irrational. People who fear flying believe that because they are not in control, the situation is out of control. Facts do not tend to sway them--desensitization does. So despite the incredibly safe record of flying as a means of transportation and the much higher risk of being involved in an accident in your own car, people somehow continue to believe that as a driver, they are safer than flying in a plane. Most people also say they are good drivers while describing most other drivers as less reliable--something like 80% say they are good and will say only about 20% of others are good. Talk about a disconnect.
Gun owners are under a similar delusion, as far as I can tell. The information is quite clear: gun owners are more likely to be involved in crime and that crime is going to involve a gun; they--or someone in their household--are more likely to be injured by a gun (something like 42 times more likely, in fact) than those who do not keep guns.
So because of these irrational fears, the rest of us are forced to live in a society that is significantly more dangerous for all of us. The proliferation of guns makes it just too easy for the bad guys to have guns. We all know that and it would be silly to dispute because no one would need to fear being the victim of a gun-related crime if the criminals didn't have access to weapons. Thanks, gun lobby. Me, my children, and everyone I love is now more at risk because of you.
I am bitter about this, because I can see the paranoia in the postings on many sites of those who are scared enough to think that they need a gun to be safe--and who then also jump to the conclusion--despite all the evidence to the contrary--that owning a gun will make them safer. They cling to this irrational belief. Each one of them is convinced, individually, that THEY will be the exception to the rule. And all the while, the people of many other countries can live without fear of being accosted by an unanswerable weapon.
So let's address the mental health issues of gun fanatics. Talk about killing two birds with one stone--increasing mental health services and reducing gun proliferation. Yes, it will take time. Yes, the proliferation of guns and ammunition will mean that until guns are rare--a rifle or shotgun at home, in the event of an intruder, and everything else removed--we may see the paranoid a bit more paranoid. But as a society, it would be a small price to pay to get the guns out of the hands of the criminals, because future generations would be so much safer.
And if only outlaws had guns, it would be a whole lot easier for the police to identify whom to arrest. Keeping your doors and windows locked, using safe habits in public--these are enough to keep those of us who don't walk around with guns safe. All the guns in the world won't protect you if you have unsafe habits, and you know that too. You don't need a gun: you just need common sense.
Gun owners are under a similar delusion, as far as I can tell. The information is quite clear: gun owners are more likely to be involved in crime and that crime is going to involve a gun; they--or someone in their household--are more likely to be injured by a gun (something like 42 times more likely, in fact) than those who do not keep guns.
So because of these irrational fears, the rest of us are forced to live in a society that is significantly more dangerous for all of us. The proliferation of guns makes it just too easy for the bad guys to have guns. We all know that and it would be silly to dispute because no one would need to fear being the victim of a gun-related crime if the criminals didn't have access to weapons. Thanks, gun lobby. Me, my children, and everyone I love is now more at risk because of you.
I am bitter about this, because I can see the paranoia in the postings on many sites of those who are scared enough to think that they need a gun to be safe--and who then also jump to the conclusion--despite all the evidence to the contrary--that owning a gun will make them safer. They cling to this irrational belief. Each one of them is convinced, individually, that THEY will be the exception to the rule. And all the while, the people of many other countries can live without fear of being accosted by an unanswerable weapon.
So let's address the mental health issues of gun fanatics. Talk about killing two birds with one stone--increasing mental health services and reducing gun proliferation. Yes, it will take time. Yes, the proliferation of guns and ammunition will mean that until guns are rare--a rifle or shotgun at home, in the event of an intruder, and everything else removed--we may see the paranoid a bit more paranoid. But as a society, it would be a small price to pay to get the guns out of the hands of the criminals, because future generations would be so much safer.
And if only outlaws had guns, it would be a whole lot easier for the police to identify whom to arrest. Keeping your doors and windows locked, using safe habits in public--these are enough to keep those of us who don't walk around with guns safe. All the guns in the world won't protect you if you have unsafe habits, and you know that too. You don't need a gun: you just need common sense.
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