On Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:35:14 -0500, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


As the man said, everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but he isn't
entitled to his own facts. The truth is that the extensive effort some gun
owners put into defending themselves with a gun is NOT based on "reality,"
but rather it's based on the very common, very intense anger and resentment
we feel about the prospects of having our lives threatened, or taken, by
some criminal who uses a gun to coerce and kill.

Yes, I think that's so. There is also an element of fear involved.

Anyone who is honest about this issue has to realize that the whole carry
issue is based on at least 75% emotion and maybe 25% reality.

So is marriage. Tawk about risk!

In the case of most threats of that order of magnitude most of us exercise some caution but
we don't engage any extreme measures -- certainly nothing like dry-firing
your pistol every night.

I do that for maintenance and improvement of skill. It works. I
enjoy shooting, and I enjoy it more when I do it better. You probably
know that shooting a pistol well isn't nearly as easy as it looks on
TV.

Some guys putt golfballs in their offices and homes.

So the "reality" argument is so much hogwash. The crime figures show that
the risk for almost all of us, except for those people who live or work in
seriously crime-infested areas, is much lower than for other kinds of risks
we face. This isn't really about risks, in other words. It's about emotions,
and they aren't usually rational. The disparaging remarks Dave and Steve
made about Andrew's take on all this are just so much insulting baloney.

I must agree. Can't speak for them, but I think it is extremely
unlikely that I shall ever have to shoot anyone nor even face an armed
confrontation situation. I'm far too old to be recalled to military
service. However, after a week-long power outage and blackout
shortly after Katrina, during which I felt quite vulnerable, I must
admit that I feel better being able to defend my home even though I
really don't expect I'll ever have to. If that's irrational, so be
it.

I don't care what you call it, Don, but the kind of disparaging sarcasm I
referred to above shouldn't go unanswered.

Reason and tolerance are certainly preferable to sarcasm.