Art Vandelay
Bovinius Maximus
I suppose that the people who have responded to this thread fall into the following two camps:
A) Those that always carry weapons because the government is not trustworthy and/or everyone is a threat to assault them or steal their possessions, or;
B) Those who do not view themselves as a perpetual target of violence or robbery and do not view the risk justifies a weapon.
While I fall into the latter camp, there is no certainty that if I carried a weapon that I would be guaranteed protection for myself, my possessions or my family. While everyone boasts about how they would shoot anyone that "threatens" them, the use of a firearm has its own implications and might in fact escalate the situation and instead result in injury or death to them.
I realize that I am not going to change the views of the NRA and Tea Party members here, but there are some in society that view that everyone (including the government) is not out to screw them and take everything they own.
I will leave you guys to shoot it out...
Well I don't fall in either category. I fall in the category of I own a 42 acre farm that I don't live on and I've got hoodlums, crack heads, thugs or a full fledged nut job for all I know ripping the aluminum gutters off the house, stealing the copper (even tore the drywall off to get every last piece), kicked in all the doors on the house and out buildings, slashed the tires on a MF 185, spray painted graffiti on all the buildings, stole my deer stands, etc. etc. etc. It's not a once a year deal. Every week I go over there I notice something missing or damaged. I carry a gun every time I go hoping to catch the bastards. I have no idea if the guy is a common thief or there is more to him than that. I've only caught on person over there so far. He was riding a four wheeler right over the soy beans. He seen the gun on my hip, he nearly pissed himself and after a severe ass chewing I was confident I would never see him again. Now when it comes time to cut the gun stays in the truck. I wouldn't risk messing up a firearm while cutting. I prepare for the worst and expect the best in life, you just never know what you may encounter these days.