Feeling Safe in the United States

[Gavmando]

See, this is a perfect example of why I dont ever want to visit the US. I have no desire to be shot. (Another example is that the US collects your personal details like your fingerprints when you enter, and I dont want a foreign country having that over me.)

I work in public transport in Sydney, so i'm often in the worst parts of the city at the worst times of night. I've only ever felt treatened once in 8 years, and that was an ice addict who really wanted to punch my head in at Central Station. I got lucky and he didnt.

I'm often in the Auburn, Clyde and Granville areas and i've never seen any problems with gun crime. (I did once have a conversation with four Mormans from Las Vegas about guns and how they couldnt believe how calm and unworried we all were because we wern't all armed, and how if they were going out, they'd always carry a gun with them.) Those of you from Australia may recognise those suburbs as the place of a current and ongoing bikie war, and quite probably one of the most dangerous places in the country. But it's still not that bad.

Traveling around Sydney at bad times of night, i've never felt threatened by gun crime because we just dont have that many guns in this country. We dont need them. And if I were to travel to the US, I would definately feel uncomfortable. Fun fact: Psychopaths make up 1% of the population. And 2% of men are psychopaths. That means that there could possibly be up to 3 million male psychopaths in the US. And whilst not all of them would be threat and own guns, i'm pretty sure some would.
And that scares the shit out of me.

 

[Launcelot111]

Fun fact: Psychopaths make up 1% of the population. And 2% of men are psychopaths. That means that there could possibly be up to 3 million male psychopaths in the US.

Your numbers imply that all psychopaths are men (assuming 50/50 gender split in population). Is this consistent with your assertions? Also, if psychopaths are in every nation, why do guns scare you more than psychopaths themselves?

 

[angry_flashlight]

I remember being in a mall in Bellingham, Washington (near the US/Canada border) a few months ago and I saw a regular guy just walking around the mall with a pistol holstered on his hip, plainly displayed for all to see. I thought it strange to say the least. Suddenly I felt a whole lot less secure since I had not seen a single firearm so far on the trip. A mental arms race maybe?

 

[Xdeser2]

I was born and Raised (and still live in for that matter) Arizona, so this isn't too new too me. Im mostly okay with the second ammendment, but yes, in my mind you have to be completly devoid of common sense to just walk around with a fire arm.

Sadly people i know (including my father) justify this by saying "Oh well an armed society is a polite society." Which I would object to ANY day. For the most part, law enforcement keeps the streets safe.

 

[rednose1]

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering" -Benito "Benny" Mussolini

Live in Arkansas, guns are huge here. Own 4 myself, and while I don't hunt, I like to go out to the range with some buds and just spend all day shooting. It's fine if you don't find it fun as i do, but if you are scared and have the opportunity to learn more, why not take it? If there is one thing we like more than guns, it's talking about guns. Have yet to met a gun owner that wouldn't talk anyone's ear off about the gun he owns.

As to the whole notion of everyone is ready to shoot you, I suggest a different perspective; How much safer would you feel if anytime someone tried to pull some loony criminal antics, people around you were able to put a stop to it, armed with something other than cell phones and cameras?

 

[omega 616]

This might not be true, I always get the feeling from pro gun people that they are only a few steps away from either sat, hunched in a corner, jerkily moving there gun around saying "there coming for me" or walking down the street like there clearing a house.

You know how you see in films? Walking round with there butt stuck out, arms out straight moving round corners like there is a gun man round each one, maybe rolling from parked car to mail box.

That is just the feeling I get though.

 

[AngloDoom]

As to the whole notion of everyone is ready to shoot you, I suggest a different perspective; How much safer would you feel if anytime someone tried to pull some loony criminal antics, people around you were able to put a stop to it, armed with something other than cell phones and cameras?

I think that's the problem, the assumption that loony criminal antics can and will occur around you. It's like people I used to know who carry concealed weapons or knuckledusters with them and, if anything, it made them feel much more paranoid because they were carrying a constant reminder on them that something could happen.

Speaking as someone outside of any sort of 'gun culture', I think I can sympathise with the OP when the open possession of guns in the public scares them: just as how I would see a man carrying a shovel around him and expect him to need to use it at some point soon, seeing a man with a gun makes me feel that the person carrying it is expecting to have to use it soon.

It's just different cultures, I guess. I would see a man walking about with a gun in the same light as someone walking about with a knuckleduster on one hand and a flick-knife in the other - why carry it if you aren't looking to use it? I know it's not necessarily an accurate depiction of that person's intent but that's the only reason I can think to carry a weapon in England.

 

[piinyouri]

Guns absolutely terrify me, one of my biggest fears. When I went to DC, I found myself standing waaaay back from every cop I saw, with those massive pistols slung on their belts.

That's kind of funny, because in the US the fact that police have guns often makes people feel safer. I feel like some Americans would be freaked out that British cops aren't armed, haha.

Believe me, they would.
We are a really strange group.

 

[BeerTent]

I'm sorry, but I'm just laughing at you so hard right now....
No, people in the US aren't scared of where they live to the point where they feel the need to carry guns to feel secure.
I'm a Texan, so I live in gun central, and people don't carry guns "as if people were expecting to be caught in a firefight just walking down the streets".

There's no telling how many people around you at any given time have a concealed handgun license and have a pistol on them somewhere, but it's pretty much never that people just walk around with a rifle or something.

People have guns for the same reason that they wear shoes or have little flashlights on their keychains - not because they're afraid of stepping on something sharp or afraid of the dark, but simply so that they're equipped to handle sharp objects on the ground or needing to see in dark spaces.

Wild animals, shady part of town, or "just in case"? Carry a gun. Could be useful. As for your hilarious experience, are you sure you didn't spend the night in Compton or something?
XD

I gotta ask this, playing devil's advocate here in the shady part of town. Suppose someone does come up to you, got you surprised, pulls a knife and gets far too close for comfort demanding your wallet. What are you going to do? He's close enough to shank you at any given moment.Your not a badass, your an average, everyday dude who can aim down the sights and hit your mark in a controlled environment. This is not a controlled scenario. You fuck it up, you could die.

Oh, and don't think about giving him your money, and then just shooting him as he runs away with it. I know that shit won't fly with the US Police. What has your little glock accomplished?

I'm not against guns. But, really? You really think it's going to do anything for you other than get you hurt, killed, or knee-deep in shit?

 

[orangeban]

Guns absolutely terrify me, one of my biggest fears. When I went to DC, I found myself standing waaaay back from every cop I saw, with those massive pistols slung on their belts.

I know that guns are like America's thing, but I hope to God they never become Britain's thing.

I heard every officer in the UK has too carry a firearm now because of the increase in gun violence.

No, there's been calls for it after two cops were shot in Manchester, but no-one pays attention to that. Mainly because whenever a politician mentions it, most of the police and basically all the police chiefs go, "What? No, fuck that."

 

[Chunga the Great]

I'm from Perth and Tokyo, but I have never seen guns there.
the only time I really saw guns was after I started working for the military in Japan, and then when I went to SAn Diego to visit relatives.

Even mugging in Japan is like pushing and shoving followed by a sprint down the ally.
The most horrific murder that happened recently is of a guy being beaten by a bunch of guys in a club with baseball bats.

Other than that, it is a peaceful as this.

Always afraid of getting shot one day (I'm American) TAKE ME TO JAPAN!!!

Fuck, I'm moving there as soon as I get out of college. I never want to see the Midwest again.

OT: I very rarely see someone walking around with a firearm on them, and I live in a very pro-gun area with lots of people who are farmers or like to hunt. I can definitely see why someone might though, especially in a city. I'm not sure if you get this, but most cities here have areas that you simply DO NOT go to, especially at night. Not because you might get hassled or mugged, but because you could get fucking raped or stabbed/shot. While in most cases it's not necessary to carry a gun, in a lot of others it's definitely better than nothing.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I'm sorry, but I'm just laughing at you so hard right now....
No, people in the US aren't scared of where they live to the point where they feel the need to carry guns to feel secure.
I'm a Texan, so I live in gun central, and people don't carry guns "as if people were expecting to be caught in a firefight just walking down the streets".

There's no telling how many people around you at any given time have a concealed handgun license and have a pistol on them somewhere, but it's pretty much never that people just walk around with a rifle or something.

People have guns for the same reason that they wear shoes or have little flashlights on their keychains - not because they're afraid of stepping on something sharp or afraid of the dark, but simply so that they're equipped to handle sharp objects on the ground or needing to see in dark spaces.

Wild animals, shady part of town, or "just in case"? Carry a gun. Could be useful. As for your hilarious experience, are you sure you didn't spend the night in Compton or something?
XD

I gotta ask this, playing devil's advocate here in the shady part of town. Suppose someone does come up to you, got you surprised, pulls a knife and gets far too close for comfort demanding your wallet. What are you going to do? He's close enough to shank you at any given moment.Your not a badass, your an average, everyday dude who can aim down the sights and hit your mark in a controlled environment. This is not a controlled scenario. You fuck it up, you could die.

Oh, and don't think about giving him your money, and then just shooting him as he runs away with it. I know that shit won't fly with the US Police. What has your little glock accomplished?

I'm not against guns. But, really? You really think it's going to do anything for you other than get you hurt, killed, or knee-deep in shit?

In that scenario I'd say, if you're carrying a gun, completely unconcealed on your hip, and someone still has the balls to rob you at knife-point, they deserve to take your wallet. Seriously, how many people would attempt to rob someone they know is carrying a gun (which they can plainly see) when there's so many other people they can rob who are not carrying any kind of weapon? 99.9% of the time, if the guy with the knife sees his intended target has a gun, he isn't going to go for them, even if he does have the drop on them, because it's just not worth the increased danger.

 

[Imthatguy]

I think you've got some sort of psychological hang-up about guns. I might be wrong if you've been trotting around South America or Africa very much then your just overrating theres many places with high gun densities than the states and those will typically be military hardware rather than the hunting rifles and handguns that make up the majority of American guns.

 

[Sean Steele]

I can honestly tell you this as an American, there are a lot of us who own guns singularly for the feeling of power and control it gives them. (I.E. the most terrible reason to own a tool thats only purpose is to kill people.) They are cowards who like to hide at the end of the barrel, who openly carry their weapons in order to let everyone else in the room know that they are tough. Its an intimidation factor involved in carrying a gun around that some people genuinely want.

 

[Xpwn3ntial]

So you saw a guy show a gun to his friend.
And nothing bad happened?

Listen, if that's all that happened, suck it up.

Now, if you heard gunshots outside, I'd sympathize. I've never even heard a gunshot and I live in Chicago.

 

[Wyes]

Doesn't that part of the American constitution about the right to bear arms more about having armed militias, rather than arming individuals?

OT: All this gun culture discussion is really interesting. The observations I've made thus far as simple enough;
- Those who live in cultures where guns are commonplace don't feel safe unless everyone's armed.
- Those who live in cultures where guns are rare don't feel safe when people are armed.

As several others in this thread, I live in Australia. We never really had a gun culture, and there were always some restrictions on firearms. But the tipping point in favour of pervasive gun control came about due to the Port Arthur Massacre [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur_massacre_%28Australia%29], wherein one well-armed man gunned down 35 people and injured 23 others (and is to date one of the deadliest mass shootings to have occurred).

I'd just written up a little thing on gun control laws but that's not really what this thread is about...

The only other comment is my discussions with a former security guard was that carrying a gun made him feel like a target.

 

[Azahul]

]I get that, but I would still be more scared of an assault rifle than a pistol. Don't get me wrong, both are dangerous, but I would assume that a pistol pails in comparison to a assault rifle.

As Hornet0404 said, it was the context. Sorry, rereading my original post, I don't think I really explained what it was that I was getting at too well. See, in the Sudan, it was a Civil War and this guy with the assault rifle was a member of the militia. Knowing what the situation was like in that country, I knew with just about 100% certainty why it was that this guy was carrying a gun around, and was just as certain that the reason had nothing to do with me whatsoever. A war was on, he was involved in it, of course he has a gun.

Carrying over to the United States, a country that is not engaged in some form of war on its home front, and you can kind of see why I would be more scared of a pistol. Because in that case, I don't know what the intention behind carrying the pistol is. A man with a gun is a lot more scary when I don't know why he has a gun. In the Sudan I did, and in the United States I didn't, thus making the pistol scarier than the assault rifle. For all I know the reason he has a gun is because he intends to commit a crime with it, and thus I get nervous.

See, I'm not unfamiliar with seeing guns around, even guns being paraded in plain sight on the streets. But I am unfamiliar with seeing guns in a civilian environment. Outside of the United States, I've mostly seen guns in situations where those carrying them are carrying them because they intend to fight a similarly armed enemy with them. With that experience, I hope it's clear why seeing a gun in a civilian setting might be rather unsettling for me.

 

[Dimitriov]

As a Canadian who has been to the states a number of times I can honestly say I have never felt in the least bit scared. Hell, I'd be more scared of losing my passport and having to deal with their government than I would be of some dude showing off his new gun ;D

I can't even imagine why someone would be scared of guns, I really can't. Of course they theoretically could kill you, but so what? Are you afraid of kitchen knives? cars? dogs? getting on an airplane? going swimming in a river? The world is full of things that COULD kill you. It's really not a big deal.

Guns are just cool. Aesthetically, and in terms of the simple yet so well refined technology that operates them. There is something that's just plain desirable about guns. In the same way as say swords, trains, cars, furniture, various tools, etc. Really anything that has a beauty born out of that combination of function and craftsmanship.

It is certainly nothing to get bent out of shape about.

 

[Spanics]

Azahul, I live around the area where you saw the gun. That's a pretty rare incident, at least in Washington. Not many people carry concealed firearms with them, unless its downtown Tacoma(near Seattle in western Washington), where there are a ton of gangs(with mostly illegal firearms). Im not sure its even legal to take out a concealed weapon in a public place like that, except for in self defense.

Even so, i think our gun laws are still a bit too relaxed. I believe in the 2nd amendment, but the ability to purchase a weapon is still too easy. Plus, no one needs an AR-15, like that guy who shot up the Dark Knight movie had.

 

[sammysoso]

Unless you're in a bad part of the inner city, it's very unlikely that you would be involved in gun violence.

As for American culture, we've mythologized guns, this is going back all the way to our formation, an armed revolution. We LOVE guns, why do you think action films and first person shooters fly off the shelves here?