After thinking about the state of affairs, I am convinced that a person, or group of people are judged and their relative worthiness determined by one position in a broad gradient of their overall belief system. Let’s take gun ownership for a case in point. From my read on things, there is no middle ground. You are either a gun owning NRA life member who believes your individual Second Amendment rights take precedence over someone’s rights you don’t agree with. Or, anyone who owns a gun is a paranoid, violence prone bible pounding anti government conservative extremist whose gun rights trump everyone else’s rights. Well, as I have said I believe the majority of Americans are pretty much middle of the road on all issues.
As to guns, I own firearms and have a conceal and carry permit. I will state right here, I HAVE NEVER, AM NOT NOW AND NEVER WILL BE an NRA member. I think they are too extreme. I keep my firearms in a gun safe. While I have a CCW, I don’t feel the class I took qualifies me to carry concealed in public. All it did was make me legal and legal does not make or even imply qualified. Before I would think about carrying on my person, I will spend many hours on the range to insure I am a competent marksman. THEN, I will take tactical shooting classes, make use of the “shoot/don’t shoot” simulator. I will obtain as much training as I possibly can to become as proficient as I possibly can. Then, I will practice regularly. With all that said, my first thoughts regarding a potentially hazardous situation are to get away from it first and foremost. In pilot parlance it’s called “see and avoid.” If I can’t do that, then de-escalation if at all possible. You see while I have and want the OPTION to carry concealed, I most certainly DO NOT wish to draw and fire on another. The legal ramifications do not drive that thought. Killing someone does. I spent 31 years as a Paramedic, I know what gunshot injuries look and smell like. That said, I will as an absolute last resort, fire on another to protect my family, someone being victimized and lastly myself. I have had my sidearm in the car with me, in the glove box. I have noticed a profound psychological shift. I find myself far more tolerant of drivers who cut me off or crawl along at 45 mph on the freeway. I find myself becoming more aware of ways out of situations and my avoidance outlook is stronger. Am I afraid of an ISIS guy in the mall or office building? Not in the least. I am however worried about the alt-right weirdos, the evangelical extremists or the mentally unstable with a real or imagined bone to pick with anyone. I’m not particularly worried about being carjacked or mugged. How one caries oneself goes a long way to prevention.
I was taught to shoot at an early age. I was taught firearm safety first. While I have a constitutional right to own firearms, I believe exercising that right involves a high degree of responsibility. That includes proficiency and safe handling. It also involves respect. Respect for others views and wishes. If a business doesn’t want firearms in their establishment, that is their choice and I respect that. I won’t take a gun into their place of business, even one held by permit. I think refusing to patronize such a business because they choose not to allow firearms on premises is childish, inane and extremist. I respect my friends wishes who don’t want guns in their house as well.
I think my position here is pretty middle of the road and reasonable. I recognize others may and will disagree with me. That’s fine by me. Just respect my view and don’t push it, I won’t push mine on you. My broader point is this; one can hold a position on something that in essence embraces both sides of that issue, which I think my position on gun ownership does. For what ever reason(s) the ability to meld both sides of an issue into a personal position is/has faded from American discourse and our society has become so polarized as to be unrecognizable. What drives this is a topic for another post.
Be Well :-)
