Why are we such a violent country? Almost every day you read about mass shootings. Is killing so entrenched in the DNA of the United States that there is no way out? Every year it seems like it just gets worse. There have been over 123 of these killings of 3 or more people in the US over the last 42 years. Now if you look up the total mass shooting gun deaths in the U. S. they only make up a small portion of gun deaths reported every year. The total of gun deaths is growing. Gun deaths in America become news when there is a mass shooting but it should be in the news all the time. I know guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Well I am sorry but people with guns kill people. You cannot take the gun out of the scenario.

I know people say that they need a gun for self-defense. My answer to that is really? You need an AR15 to defend yourself at the grocery store or at the hardware store? I am all for defending my home and property but walking around with an AR15 in public is not defending your home and property. Walking around with an AR15 is not promoting public safety. That is trying to look tough and intimidate people. I do not feel safe in a community where people are running around with guns. Of course that is just my opinion but of course I am doing the writing.

Conceal and carry is another concern of mine and one that I wrestle with. I do not own a pistol but if I did I would probably get a conceal and carry license.  That is a real personnel protection firearm. The main purpose of the pistol since it was invented in my opinion is to kill another human being. Whether for personal protection or revenge is was meant to be pointed at another human being. How do the police know who is a threat and who isn’t. Does conceal and carry make their job that much harder and that much more unsafe? As of 2016 a person on the no fly list could buy a gun. so let me see here. We sell guns to the people that may be a threat to us and sell gun so people to protect them from that threat. That folks is nuts!

I was involved with a minor on line discussion about the 2nd amendment and one of the comments the person stated was the 23 percent of women carry guns and that is a lot of loaded purses. I have always believed in the eye test meaning that I should know at least one women packing a pistol in their purse. I have never known one women around me that was packing a pistol in her purse. Now there may be one around me that haven’t told me but if almost one out of 4 women are packing I should know at least one. I did find a site from 2016 that has some very different statistics which I do find believable.

 Almost a third of American women—32 percent—report that they live in a household with a gun.

12 percent of American women own a gun themselves. 33 percent of men do.

61 percent of women who own a gun have more than one.

Among gun owners, women are less likely to carry their weapons in public than men are. 15 percent of gun-owning women reported carrying a loaded handgun in the last 30 days, versus 23 percent of gun-owning men.

56 percent of gun-owning women think having a gun at home makes it a safer place. But only 20 percent of women in the general populace do.

77 percent of gun-owning women said protection against strangers was a main reason they have a handgun.  

It is rare for a woman to be threatened with a gun—just one percent of women report having been threatened with a gun in the last five years.  Even fewer women—less than one percent—report having used a gun in self-defense in the last five years. 

When asked to rank several security measures by how much safer they would make the respondent feel, 36 percent of women ranked installing a home security system first. The next two most popular answers for women were having a large dog—15 percent—and taking a self-defense class—13 percent. Having a loaded gun in their purse/bag/car or having a loaded gun at home, followed—each cited by 12%.

47 percent of women said seeing a civilian in public wearing a holstered gun would make them feel less safe. 14 percent said they would feel safer.

74 percent of women believe that men and women have different mindsets about guns.

10 percent of women say they think about guns roughly once a day.

62 percent of women say laws governing gun sales should be stricter. 29 percent think the laws are fine as they are, and 8 percent say they should be less strict.

63 percent of women want gun laws to be a major topic in the coming presidential debates.

51 percent of women would vote for a political candidate who vowed to push for gun control. 47 percent wouldn't.

51 percent of women want the next president to take action about guns, including 25 percent advocating for tougher gun control and 14 percent asking for better background checks and mental health screenings.

Terrorist attacks and school shootings have had a greater negative impact on women's feelings about guns than men's. 49 percent of women report more negative feelings about guns, while only 33 percent of men do.

45 percent of women say mass public shootings have increased because of personal problems, like untreated mental illness. 30 percent of women blame society, including media coverage of mass shootings.

In the last five years: 

18% of women have become more interested in owning a gun 

18% of women have become less interested in owning a gun 

17% of women have shot a gun for any reason 

13% of women have gone shooting at a shooting range 

5% of women have attended a gun show or expo 

5% of women have given or received a gun as a gift 

4% of women have gone hunting with a gun 

4% of women have gotten a gun for the first time 

4% of women have witnessed gun violence or the threat of it in person 

3% of women have obtained one or more guns in addition to those they already owned 

2% of women have lobbied for gun rightsBottom of Form

 

I am sure the numbers have risen since then. I do know women that own guns which of course is their right just like any male.

As I have stated in past blogs I am a gun owner. Do I want my guns taken from me the answer would be no. This last fall when I went bird hunting there were 3 generations in the woods. Hunting with your children and grandchildren is a great experience. In the past I have also participated in a Trap league and may choose to do it again because it is fun and challenging. If I would buy a pistol I would probably be a regular at the range just to compete against the target.  One thing I have never had in my home is a loaded gun. I do have loaded clips but the guns remain unloaded. More guns do not make me feels safer.

After every shooting you here the rallying cry for gun control and I am a believer in common sense gun control.  What usually happens is that gun sales go up though and soon the cry for gun control dies down until the next shooting. This is not about a well regulated State militia this is about working to making our work place, public places, and homes safe. Untrained, under regulated, and undisciplined people running around with AR15s does not accomplish this.