I've not fully hopped on to the pro-gun control bandwagon, although I do favor regulation and very strict registration requirements. The recent D.C. v. Heller decision seems more or less valid, to me, as far as it goes. And I see a natural right and, potentially, a constitutional right to firearm possession for self-defense. So while I fully admit guns and the ready availability of guns can be a problem (guns don't kill people but they do make it a lot easier), I'm not prepared to ban them altogether.
But I choose not to own a gun for self-defense (or for any other purpose). I have a lot of reasons, but here's one of them:
I could probably not defend myself with a gun. The mostly likely scenario, if I were attacked and had a gun, would be the following: I would brandish the gun and the attacker would take it from me. I know myself well enough to know that's what would happen. I imagine that part of the power of a gun for self-defense is to convince the other person you're willing to use it, and I'm too timid.
I suppose I could take courses on how to use a gun for self-defense, and maybe such courses would work. But I won't. And I have other reasons for choosing not to own a gun; reasons which I won't disclose right now.
2 comments:
"I could probably not defend myself with a gun. The mostly likely scenario, if I were attacked and had a gun, would be the following: I would brandish the gun and the attacker would take it from me. I know myself well enough to know that's what would happen."
This was exactly my reasoning for not wanting a gun until my daughter was born. After that I knew that I would do whatever I had to do to defend her.
We did pick out a gun safe with a combination lock - you put your fingers into grooves, they land on top of buttons and you push them in order. About five seconds to get into, but it was child-proof.
Never had to use the gun, but I won't say it didn't make me feel a bit more secure as Memphis in general and our neighborhood in particular went downhill.
Thanks for the comment, Laura. Your reasoning definitely makes sense. Because I'm not a father, I suppose I don't know firsthand the bond that a parent feels for being able to defend her or his child. However, the experience of my friends and family, who love their children very much (I can see it), bears out what you say.
I should say I didn't realize there were such safety locks as you decide.
Thanks, again, for your comment.
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