People around here are very polite, and armed.

The same way nuclear capable nations go to great lengths to avoid assured mutual destruction. The saying refers to a society where most everyone is armed so that would-be violent criminals are either deterred; or, violent criminal actions are stopped before mass casualties are inflicted. It falls along the lines of God created all people equal, Samuel Colt kept them that way.

But that's not important now. What's important is how the concept of a mostly armed society is reflected in our culture by music. There are lessons to be learned, how to act and not to act, from these songs that shape our emotional beings:

I Shot the Sheriff
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Janie's Got a Gun
Don't Take Your Guns to Town
… etc.


The Cellar: If the thread topic is music, drift it to guns, and vice-versa

MP George Eustace this morning on the Sunday Politics South West show:


"Theresa May is an overdried teabag in a Poundland sale."

(Quoted from memory within minutes of the broadcast)
:corn:

Ouch.

I hadn't heard of Mr Eustice but I find this on Wikipedia...

Presumably not a very successful one.


Link

That's certainly a popular thought with many people. But allow me to give another perspective that you might not have considered.

What if having a concealed weapon gives people the security to help people in distress? Maybe a motorist having troubles? Someone having very manageable troubles like a flat tire. Or maybe engine trouble of some sort. Maybe you see that this person is vulnerable in some way and nervous or scared.

You aren't billy bad ass rushing out with a gun to shoot everyone but you have a little security just in case. You can be a little vulnerable yourself to assist without completely compromising your safety.

Or maybe you go somewhere out of the way maybe late at night. You see some guy roughing up a woman and yelling at her. He turns to give you an intimidating look. That same look that tells you 'I'm fucking dangerous, don't get involved here, move along'. But he stares into your eyes and reads your demeanor. That demeanor that says 'I'm not prey mother fucker'.

Or maybe you see a confrontation heating up. A couple of guys are arguing and getting increasingly louder, more angry. And maybe I'm there on the sidelines watching this. Maybe I might ask some really fucking stupid ass question to break their concentration knowing that if I break their concentration they'll likely just calm down. And if they turn on me, I have some security.

"Hey guys, really hate to interrupt here but I have a question for ya. Is there a 7-11 around here? I'm dyin' for a Slurpee" :)

In these cases that have happened to me, I don't yell or shout, don't pull a pistol out and spin it on my finger, but the people involved know that I'm not afraid of them.

Then the question is, he's obviously not afraid of ME, should I be afraid of him?

It's powerful. Predators are experts at assessing risk. At sensing fear. If you can manage that fear with or without a gat, you're probably going to be in a position to avoid troubles. In some cases help people and be a better witness to events.

"Yes, your Honor, I saw that man punch that lady"

While I am sympathetic to people that think negatively about people having concealed guns, my experience and that of millions of others is completely different.

That's probably why we still have the 2nd amendment. Secretly people know and understand that much of the anti-gun narrative is completely false. Despite all the emotional press about guns, I still like to have a piece. I trust myself.

Here's a link with some citizen defensive gun use. Not quite the same as I've detailed here but similar.

And don't forget my favorite pro-gun bumper sticker.

"I'd rather have a gun in my hand than the cops on the phone"

Oh I'm all for carrying. Concealed or otherwise. But have the permit to carry concealed. Flag that fact when the license plate is run "This individual is on the list of ppl carrying concealed. Be warned."

And, I ain't stopping to help nobody. If I'm concerned enough, which I usually ain't, I'll go down the road and call 911 for them. That's as involved as I get, pretty much. Of course there are situations where I would get involved.

But, generally, I ain't getting involved cuz now urrbody got a gat in they belt. Those ppl in distress you mentioned, they got guns, too, now. Everybody wants to kill you. You now have to live that way.

Cops will start frisking everybody they stop. I believe that's how this made it to law.

Car/person searches will go through the roof, mark my words.

I wonder how the other states that don't require a permit handle this? And what their numbers are?

I've never had problems in any regard. Even after law enforcement arrives. Or if they aren't even dispatched.

That could change in a second though.

We live in different worlds I guess.

I stop and help strangers.

I don't carry a gun.

I'm not afraid.

When I am afraid, I don't stop. I use my judgement. I like the idea of having more tools in my toolkit, but I don't want a gun. In my opinion, the risk of a bad outcome is a lot higher than the chance of a good outcome, so, no gun.

As for the second amendment, I believe in and support our Constitution. I also think that there are sensible rules that can be applied to gun ownership that are not being applied. Rules that sensible, reasonable people can agree to that would have the net effect of making everyone safer.

The rule highlighted by Grav will not, in my opinion, make everyone safer.

My viewpoint comes from an incident that happened a few years ago in the next town over.

Well known local guy stopped to help a couple with their hood up on the side of the road. It was an ambush robbery. When the good guy got out to help, the man pulled out a knife and started stabbing, the woman grabbed the man around his legs so he couldn't get away from the bad guy. They took his wallet out of his pants while he lay in the road bleeding to death. This happened on a main street of the town, a state highway.

The killers put their hood down and drove away and were never caught.

It had been ~20 years since the last outright murder in that town.

It's situations like that that keep my head on a swivel, and Sturm, Ruger & Company close at hand.

That guy wasn't afraid, and he didn't carry a gun.

I guarantee he died terrified. And if he died unafraid, he still died.

People are rotten.

If they weren't caught how do they know she grabbed his legs and grabbed his wallet, did somebody see them or video camera?

Witnesses that drove by while it was happening. This was broad daylight on a main thoroughfare.