-- RJGFrom my perspective, the crime around here is ‘low’ because of guns. Nobody is foolish enough to break into anyone’s house, or rob a local business, around here as most homeowners and shop owners are “packing” and are not afraid to defend themselves. We recently had a couple of (foolish) guys try to rob a jewelry store at a local mall near here. They learned the hard way that crime does not pay, by the “pistol packing” customers in the jewelry store. One robber died, and the other was wounded and arrested.
It seems to me that, without citizens having the right to carry guns, this would only encourage more crime, ...not deter it. Maybe the city of Chicago is going about it the wrong way? Taking away and restricting citizen gun ownership in the hopes of reducing crime, only seems to make matters worse.
Again, this is just my viewpoint. Please do not berate or pound on me because my viewpoint differs from yours.
See my post above, page one, on the cultural divide, and how guns are a proxy for larger issues.
We definitely need to have a dialog.
It may be useful to look at statistics of gun homicides in nations where the ownership of guns is more strictly controlled. I say "useful" because it helps to have facts, when considering how things "seem" to be. Those nations apparently do not see gun ownership as "a necessity to a civil society." What experiences do you think led them to that conclusion?
In that same spirit of statistical reality (i.e. guns more often are turned on their owners or family members, than on true "bad guys"), I would venture that I would feel safer in a jewelry store where the robbers were handed some jewelry and left, than one where other customers start discharging firearms at people who also had firearms. I think your jewelry store customers and employees were very lucky. Also, I know that you RJG have studied logic, so I know that you are aware of the relatively low value of anecdotal evidence in making policy decisions. What if we compared the number of robberies successfully foiled, with robberies where a shopkeeper goes for his gun and is, himself, wounded or killed by the robber? (this is why the police, who have some expertise on these matters, recommend handing over the money or goods and not trying to be a "hero")
And, finally, what is the value of a bystander's life, measured against the value of hanging onto a few pieces of shiny merchandise? Again, I know what trained law enforcement officers have to say on that question.
There you go, RJG. No pounding, no berating, just some questions for you to consider. Good day.