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comment by mk
mk  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: My Month With a Gun: Week One

I like my Second Amendment. Still, I would appreciate people not acting like the world is so dangerous it justifies carry at all times. The US is as safe as it has ever been. I'm not suggesting a law against carrying, but I am suggesting that the people that do are delusional.

Our inability to evaluate risk is a big problem in the US.

Every sane person should be able to have a gun. But walking around with one is silly.





cliffelam  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Well, you can feel it is silly. MY father-in-law thinks seat belts are silly when he's "only going 35."

I carry when I can and when I am going places where it is dangerous. I would fell a lot sillier if I didn't have it when I needed it.

-XC

mk  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Well, I suppose I think that you're both taking unnecessary risks.

cliffelam  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It's not risky to me when I'm carrying a gun. I've probably carried a gun for 10K+ hours without even one handling error. I've also spent 10K+ hours at the range learning to draw and aim safely.

Basically I've had a ton more training than your average cop.

Oddly, I am not that great a shot. :-)

-XC

mk  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I doubt that you aren't safe carrying. It's just tough to imagine a scenario where it works:

This guy looks suspicious, but he hasn't pulled a gun. -I don't pull mine. This guy pulled a gun on me. -I don't pull mine.

I know several people that have had guns pulled on them. Not once in a scenario where having a gun would have done them any good. They are all fine.

cliffelam  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

So, shall we discuss the difference between anecdote and data?

I got out of jury duty once because I was carrying. That was handy.

-XC

mk  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'd love to see the data on successful vs. unsuccessful use of guns in self-defense. But you'd also need to include instances where people didn't have a gun for defense and weren't harmed, which is the majority of incidents.

I'm also talking about several people I personally know. Six come to mind immediately. That's enough anecdotes for me.

EDIT: Make that 8. Detroit is a special place.

cliffelam  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

"people didn't have a gun for defense and weren't harmed which is the majority of incidents"

Seriously? It's the majority of people the majority of time. Including the need for food, water, shelter, and diet coke.

-XC

mk  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I meant people that were threatened with a gun (or maybe a knife) in a crime.

cliffelam  ·  4458 days ago  ·  link  ·  

LOL, I figured.

I bet 99% of threats don't get reported. Be tough to collect that data.

-XC