Why do so many people in America carry guns?

Question

Is this a war zone or something? So many punks and nuts around here carry guns like it's Baghdad or something. What good will a gun do if someone gets the drop on you? It's idiotic. This country is hardly the kind of place you need a gun to survive. There's cops everywhere! It's not like the colonial days where you had to fear Indians in the wilderness!

I think a lot of people carry guns because they think they're cool and tough. I think carrying a gun in this kind of society is stupid, because if you are trigger-happy and end up killing an innocent person, you are in for a world of legal hurt! I don't want to ban guns, but I wish less idiots would carry them. I'm sick of losers bragging to me about being armed. Good for you John McClane...

Answer 1

It happens to be our right at citizens of this country. We have the right to defend our selves. Most gun owners don't carry them in public as most do not have a permit for a concealed weapon. Have you ever noticed that the problems with gun violence only occure with the criminal element. You hardly ever see it with the law abiding element... yet the people everyone want to attack first are the law abiding people. Doesn't make sense does it?

Answer 2

Well, in Alaska, where you aren't on the top of the food chain anymore, you're a complete idiot to go traipsing around the wilderness without one.

Farmers have guns in care of livestock emergencies. It is far better to end an animals suffering quickly than to force it to wait for the vet.

Hunters have guns to hunt - and the vast majority of hunters utilize the meat. Only a fool wastes good meat. Lots of people up here - even in the cities - would have a hell of a time getting through winter without bagging a moose or a caribou.

Some people have a legitimate reason to want self-protection. But some people are just freaks - and no laws will ever change that. If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.

And I agree -idiot punks who have no respect for the power a firearm wields has absolutely no business owning a gun. I am a strong ownership advocate (it *is* guaranteed in our Constitution) but I'm an even bigger advocate of gun EDUCATION.

Edit: I find it both amusing and alarming that so many on the left get bent out of shape about Bush "trampling on our rights" - yet so many of them think absolutely nothing of strongly believing that we should severely restrict gun ownership. Hypocritical, no?

Answer 3

Each year in the U.S. about two million crimes are stopped or prevented because an honest citizen had a gun. If you happen to be one of the two million this year that is protected by a citizen with a gun, you will change your opinion on this right quickly. As the sheriff of a large western city said, what most people don't understand is, by the time the police get there, it's generally all over. We have a name for people not willing to take responsibility for their own protection. Victim.

Answer 4

I see a lot of good pro-gun answers. Cool!! Not your typical scared of guns, ewwww guns are evil responses. I have been a professional soldier for 11 yrs. I was a Military Police Officer for about 9 yrs. I am now a scout/attack helicopter pilot. I have trained many years with firearms and I have trained my wife and I am now training my 11 yr. old son. We as responsible trained adults and parents, we can teach our children the right way and build a generation of responsible children. Children that are taught firearms safety. I am a firm believer in the Second amendment. Not because,. its words on a piece of paper. But because what it means as private citizen. If the government takes away our guns from us then how are we to defend ourselves from an armed government. I am not saying our government will turn on us, but the 2nd amendment is a tool to deter this. We need to preserve it. As for idiots bragging or boasting about packing I cannot label them as unworthy or untrained because I do not know them. The act of packing a firearm legally is not idiotic but the bragging about it is. A concealed weapons carrier should be humble. They should be humble fore they understand the consequences of having or needing to utilize there tool (a firearm). Like in my case I carry a .45ACP Semi-automatic Kimber 1911, (not to boast but for example) I understand what my caliber of pistol will do to a person. I understand what it will do to a human body. Now I imagine if I am negligent and accidentally injure or kill and innocent bystander. These are the thoughts of a responsible gun owner. As for the police being everywhere, they are not and about 90% of the time they are responders. Until they arrive on the scene they are not responsible for your safety.....YOU ARE.

Answer 5

Comparing criminals who have guns to honest law abiding citizens is like comparing apples to oranges.

A law abiding citizen isn't going to kill an innocent person because they know how to use a gun responsibly and they abide by the gun laws.

But a person whose a criminal isn't going to use common sense or abide by the gun laws and are going to hurt innocent people and act like they're big and bad all because they have a gun.

If the law abiding citizens weren't armed themselves then the criminals would take that as a golden opportunity to commit crimes and kill indiscriminately without fear of facing any immediate danger themselves.

And have you ever had to call the police in the event of an emergency?
Sometimes it takes hours before they are able to respond and if someone has broken into your house and intend on killing you along with your entire family calling the police isn't going to stop them.

But a gun will.

In my opinion the only people whose against private gun ownership are those who fear they might get shot by one while committing a crime.

Honest law abiding citizens don't have anything to fear regarding private gun ownership and that's why you don't hear us complaining about it.

Answer 6

There are many reasons people in America own guns other than those given listed after the question. Not everyone lives in a place where police show up in seconds which is all it takes to be attacked in one's own home. There are a lot of people who would have survived if they'd had a gun.

Answer 7

That's all well and good but completely typifies liberal ideology. You can name a problem but what is the solution. You think making guns illegal will stop the problem? If the problems with guns are caused by people who do not respect laws against murder, assault, and armed robbery, what makes you think they will respect a law about owning a gun? All a law like that does is take the guns away from law abiding citizens.

Answer 8

I deal with scum everyday, First No matter if you ban guns, criminals are still gonna find away to get one and used them to commit crimes. Second, if a burglar breaks into your home and you call 911, it's gonna take the police time to get there and anything can happen in those 5 minutes!!! I am glad I can get my Sig to protect my wife and 2 young boys. I have also taught gun safety to my children and when I am gone my wife knows how to use it to protect herself and the boys.

3, The 2nd Amendment look it up sometime.

Answer 9

I would own a gun right now if I didnt have mike bloomberg the lunatic as my mayor. In my opinion the more people out there who have got guns, the safer the world is!

Answer 10

Criminals carry guns because guns are easy to get, and because it increases their ability to commit crimes.

Many people (who are not criminals) own guns either because of family/cultural tradition, or because they engage in hunting or shooting as a hobby -- same with many other countries.