Gun at your side lessens your fear

Sept. 25, 2007 12:00 AM

Although I am not a rabid Second Amendment defender, I do have concerns about the increasing use of guns in crime.

Many of us remember Khrushchev defending the lack of civil rights in the Soviet Union by stating that they may not have some freedoms but that they do have freedom from fear.

Fear is a persistent emotion in our society. We fear "nukes," and we fear personal attacks in our streets and in our homes.

I sort of feel that any effort should be made to lessen fear in our society. That may mean that people do have the right to carry weapons to defend themselves.

Even if never used, it helps one get relief from persistent fear of being attacked.

- Douglas L. Roberts,Scottsdale

Sorry Douglas, but a gun does not prevent people from attacking you. Openly carried, it dissuades many thugs from choosing you as a target and concealed it does even less. Carrying a weapon simply gives you better odds of survival in case of an attack. And the better the weapon, the higher your chances go.

I don't fear being attacked while I walk places. I don't live in fear that my house is going to burn down. I don't fear every second I'm in the car that I'm going to be in an accident. Yet I have smoke detectors, seat belts, and a sidearm, just in case.

Being a 6'3" male, I don't make a good target for most thugs. I don't generally find myself in "those parts" of town and I'm rarely out at night. My neighborhood is relatively quiet (there's been the occasional break in or fight, but nothing making a trend).

You've got the right idea - It's a human right to be able to defend oneself, but the gun is not a talisman that will ward off fear. Goblins aren't the smartest bunch. Stupid people will attack others even if the chances of that person having a gun are high. But carrying a weapon gives you the peace of mind to know that you have a much better chance at surviving the encounter than if you didn't.

Free societies cannot alleviate fear and maintain their freedoms.