Well, considering the US is also one of the worst when it comes to income inequality, it would seem that making poor people richer via socialism, like many other countries do, tends to make countries safer as well. Huh... reduce income inequality and heavily regulate guns?
Not seeing a down side here....
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Originally Posted by Lost Cause
Yes, we saw how well bans and heavy regulations worked in Chicago last summer now didn't we?
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You aren't bothering to read. It's been said many times now, that a city or even state-wide ban won't work. It needs a country-wide solution. See:
California Can't Go It Alone for reasons why.
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I'd like to ask Kyuu, Kaijo, and Sugetso to put themselves in syn's position, for a week. No "Star Trek" weapons, no guns, no nothing except your wits and survival instinct to get you thru your daily routine. What do you do if confronted by a robber or thief? Remember your equipment if your life's work, losing it means you don't eat or can't make the rent! What do you do, how do you act?
For me; I have four years of Aikido under my belt, a collapsible baton, attaché case. But then I've had training. Now what about you?
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This is what we are reduced to? Comparing penis sizes? "Um... well... I know nothing about you, but I'm SURE you've NEVER had any bad things in your life! It's never been as rough as everyone else's!"
Sorry, that reasoning doesn't hold water. Everyone has hardships. Everyone has faced things you probably wouldn't imagine. But if you really want to know, I'm not a rich-boy, if that's what you're trying to get at. True, I had middle-class parents, but they aren't rolling in dough. Dad was a blue-collar worker, and could barely afford to provide. I got a college loan, went to school part time and worked full time to support myself and pay my education. Moved back home for a couple of years after to save up money, then moved out into a cheap $500 a month place of my own. Lost my job in the recession, spent almost a year on unemployment, and almost two years on food stamps(which means I wiped out all my savings and had to borrow money to keep myself funded), before finally landing some temp jobs, and then back into a real one. Still only make $11 an hour, but I support myself and am paying off my debts.
Oh yeah, did I mention the time I worked for Safeway(a grocery store) while working for college, and on a late night shift, we were held up by a pair of gunman? It was a bit humorous in retrospect, but it didn't exactly make me shit my pants and decide I needed a gun. Had to wait until my depression kicked up years later for that, and went into a gun shop in Arizona where, after a 30 min wait for a background check, I walked out with a gun. Had there been a month or even a week's waiting time, I wouldn't have been able to go through with it. Not that I"m blaming the gun... well, maybe a little. 80% my fault, 20% gun's fault. I got myself into my mess, but I also dragged myself out of it.
I know what it's like to scrimp on food and to go hungry at times (skipped meals while in college to be able to pay for my apartment and books, and had to skip meals while in unemployment to keep my third-rate condo). I hear police sirens occasionally at night(my cheap place isn't in the best side of town, but I'll admit, not the worst, either). And I know people have been attacked out there. I was bullied in high school, and kept to myself in college. But through all this, I never felt like I needed any weapon to defend myself. I know a little akido, and I have a bow and arrows that I take out occasionally for fun, but that's about it.
I had my depression, but outside of that, I've never let fear get to me. Perhaps it is not an easy thing for people to come to, but I've always been more logical and less emotional than most, so I can compartmentalize the threats and risks, and recognize how precious little control I have in this life. Anything could kill me. I could step out on the sidewalk and a have a speeding car strike me down. I could eat some poisoned food. I could be shot at, knifed, held up, or any number of things. I've come to understand how fragile life is, and as cold as I may be about people, I do recognize one timeless bit of logic as a nerd: "The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few... or the one." As cold as I can be sometimes, I decided to never put my security above the needs of everyone else. I'm not so important, that I deserve special treatment at the expense of anyone else. And considering the extra potential for harm that a gun brings, I have decided to respect everyone else's security, by not supporting Big Gun and owning a firearm that can later be stolen and used to hurt people. Despite the dangers out there, despite having a gun waved in my face and told to get down on the ground, face down, I decided long ago not to let fear get to me.
But that's just me.