My attitude towards gun ownership is that it's kind of sad if you live in a country where you actually need to carry a lethal weapon to protect yourself with. Sure, it would be great if that wasn't the case, but it is in some countries - most countries. People just are not mature enough as a species. If it works in
@Blue Ocean's country, then that's awesome - I wish I could live there. I don't think it'd work in America, but only because the majority of the population over here is just one step up from caveman savages. Like genetic super monkeys with 300 years of fancy toys, really.
Actually, I take that back. A genetic super monkey would probably be smarter, and better at everything.
Exactly one half of the world population has
less than average IQ.
Remember that.
I remember just a few weeks ago in microecon the class was discussing New Years and someone mentioned how it was especially rowdy on x street and how the gun shots could be heard clear across town. The three Australian exchange students were actually shocked, not only because of the gun laws in the states but also at how irresponsible people can be, even asking if we were joking. Their expressions were something to see.
Supposedly, it's also uncommon where they're from to see robberies in broad daylight, yet police were chasing some guy in front of the house they're renting. Here, it's an everyday thing we take for granted.
But I agree that our society just isn't mature or well informed enough to handle guns. I'm reminded of this everytime I skim through channels and come across certain music videos.
Many Americans would feel the same way exposed to larger population centers.
Oregon is one of the laxest gun control states.
For example: Private sales are completely legal. The seller is liable for a federal crime should the buyer not be legally allowed to own a gun, but otherwise anyone can give or sell a gun to anyone else without any member of government knowing.
2004 in Oregon, out of a population of 3,591,363 only 90 people were killed by guns. 1.34 Gun related homicides per
100,000 people. I don't know if you guys are very good with numbers, but that is a very small number. There would be 1000 clinical geniuses born per one idiot with a gun.
Part of that is because of the number of gun owners.
(All statistics on that count are bogus, very very few gun owners would ever state on a census form that they are, as there is a persistent fear of the government ever compiling a list of gun owners which permeates pretty much the entirety of the states.
As an Oregonian I can tell you a HELLOVA lot of people have or have access to guns here.
Pretty much everyone knows at least one of "that one guy" with a bunker full of guns and ammo. Yet some stats read only %6 of Oregonian households own guns: complete BULL.)
As a result any idiot with a gun has a inborn fear of ever using it, while in a high control state they worry mainly about the police, in Oregon the police are the
least likely to shoot someone with a gun.
If you know you can pull off a robbery in broad daylight as long as you get out before the police arrive, sure lets just be quick about it.
If you
know that the store clerk is pretty much guaranteed to have a gun, and 50/50 anyone else in the store could have one too, you don't just think twice, you change your mind.
In states like Oregon criminals actually fear the citizens, in cities like New York they see them as helpless cattle, as long as they get out before the cops arrive.
But even in Oregon, with the laws as lax as they are, in the higher population areas, where crime rates are higher, there is still this sense of "urban safety" leaving more people
not buying guns because they feel safer, even though statistically they are not. Which leads again to higher crime rates through complacency. As well as overworked police departments leading to higher sense of anonymity among criminals.
But there are a nearly infinite number of issues with overpopulation of small areas. The planet is far from overpopulated, its our inherent need for "civilization" which drives us to vastly over extend the resources of a given area, including even the resource of safety in numbers itself.
All that said I guarantee I sleep Reeeeaaal good with an AR15 a few feet away.