Why does a civilian need to have a gun?

I have thought of a few scenarios. In some, there might be a way to remove guns from the picture.

LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKERS

My dad had a gun because of his job. He was the only person in all my life growing up that had a gun. I grew up in a metropolitan area so there were no hunters. The area was densely populated so our home could not be possibly invaded by bandits out of nowhere.

However, we knew he has a gun but never saw the gun. He was extra careful to hide it before coming in the house. That is why certain civilian households will have a gun in their premises and they possibly are not assault rifles.

That is an unavoidable condition if someone’s job necessitates carrying a gun.

RESIDENTS OF REMOTE AREAS

A civilian living in the middle of no-where in the US, they say they need a gun to protect themselves.

Let’s say Jack and Jill are our farmers near Fargo, South Dakota. They have a 0.45-caliber pistol that they keep in their bedside table drawer. Jack has been raised with guns. His grandfather was into shooting supplies. Jill says that the fact that they have a gun gives her calm of mind when sleeping. ” We are far from anywhere. The nearest police station is few miles away. In winter, there are times that there is so much snow that you can barely get to anywhere.”

Should Jack and Jill keep a gun at their house?

I am sure half of you say yes.

One day, Joy, their 3 year old found that gun. It happened that Jack had temporarily hidden it under the couch. It was a Memorial Day and the house was filled with hustle and bustle. No one took notice of Joy holding the pistol until they heard the BANG.

Joy shot himself through the eye.

The thieves never attacked Jack and Jill or any of the neighboring houses. But Jack and Jill lost their son in fear of their need for self defense.

I borrowed Joy from an actual report to make my point. Lots of kids get shot or commit suicide because a gun is available to them.

Let’s fancy we lived in a world that no one carried guns. So, what happens if someone breaks into your house? They will have no guns. They will have a knife or try to use their hands. I do not want to oversimplify the scenario and I certainly do not have the experience of living in the middle of nowhere so I might be very off base. But eliminating guns from civilian life can not be entirely possible. It certainly needs a mind set change.

RESIDENTS OF LESS SAFE AREAS

Now, a friend brought a point: Rooz believes he needs to own a gun. For example, he works in Watts towers in  south central Los Angeles. He sees everyday that even police will not dare to be in certain neighborhoods. Why is the police afraid to be in those areas? Is it because the gang or whoever is operating there are having guns and can shoot them?

Possibly yes. No one plays with fire that is eminent to catch them.

If those parties are disarmed and the police force is strengthened, will that be a possible scenario to pursue? Will that give more safety to people so people will stop thinking a gun is their personal defense mechanism?

A gun is not a personal item. It is a killing tool. If we get into the business of carrying guns because each of us needs to protect ourselves, the world would turn into a mess.

FINALLY…

As I said, I might be off base and feel free to enlighten me. I think the hype around allowing civilians to carry guns is overrated.

It is one of those cases that one can argue: we have had guns for ages and it’s our right to have them. Not everything that has worked for ages is guaranteed to work for another 100 years.

It is time to walk away from the notion: one    nation, under the gun. It is time to pause, think, and consider other possibilities when it comes to gun ownership.

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