On Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 7:22 PM, Kiran K Karthikeyan <[email protected]> wrote: > Righteous indignation and idealism are great for coffee table conversations, > and I indulge in them too. But when push comes to shove, I prefer being a > realist and practical. > > Moreover, I'm concerned when ordinary people start arming themselves. I once > had a gun pointed at me (for no fault of mine I might add, lest I be judged > :) ) and I know what it feels like, and I would never do that to a fellow > human being, no matter what the circumstances.
Sounds more idealistic than practical to me. The right to defend yourself is pretty fundamental. We have to a large extent (and in my opinion, not entirely wisely) traded in that right to have the government defend us. Now, if the government is unwilling or unable to defend me, I will set about defending myself. I'm not saying it has come to that right now, but if it ever does, I would have absolutely no qualms about getting a firearm, preferably licensed. > I also know what holding a > deadly weapon does to a man (or woman). The power to take another's life is > not something you want to or should possess unless it’s your job and you’re > trained not to use it at the slightest provocation. I really very much doubt people would go about taking potshots at other people just because they own a deadly weapon. It is like being in a car in a tough neighbourhood. You feel much more secure than if you are on foot. But that doesn't mean you run people over if they shake a fist at you. A firearm, like a functioning legal system, is primarily about deterrence. Most places, the kind of harassment we are talking about is not common because the threat of legal repercussions is very real. As we all know, that is not the case here. But it would take a brave goon to attack a girl if he though there was a reasonable chance she might have a Beretta in her handbag. It is just not worth the risk. I don't understand why owning a firearm is so taboo. If anything, people who are willing to risk their own lives to avoid owning guns should be among the safest people to carry them! All this seems very similar to (I hate that term!) "the moral police", who are so convinced of their inability to control themselves in the presence of naked skin that they want to force everybody to cover up for their own good! :) Venky.
