An obsession with violent crime (“At class, it was hard to discern the line between preparing for something awful to happen and praying for something awful to happen”) is just one element of a gun culture that Baum found himself immersed in once he decided to carry a handgun in public. In Baum’s words, “Anyone who tells you he has no fantasy life constructed around his gun either has been packing it for as long as he’s been watching television or is flat-out lying.”
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This is an extremely accurate article.
ReplyDeletePolice and LEOs often train hundreds of hours in order to learn to deal with hostile or dangerous situations. Even then, their training may fail them.
Similarly, I know many USN aviators who train relentlessly to be able to cope with combat, aircaft failure, and adverse flying conditions. Again, even this is not always adequate.
Yet, the gunloon--who may or may not be physically or mentally fit--thinks he can buy a gun and take a 3 hour course and he'll be prepared for some remote chance of crime?
Jade: “Yet, the gunloon--who may or may not be physically or mentally fit--thinks he can buy a gun and take a 3 hour course and he'll be prepared for some remote chance of crime?”
ReplyDeleteThey would still be better prepared than not being armed.
"Yet, the gunloon... ...thinks he can buy a gun and take a 3 hour course and he'll be prepared for some remote chance of crime?"
ReplyDeleteMan, I wonder how Jade gets inside my head like that? Hello, are you still there? Are you my conscience?
Jade: would you argue that a person is better prepared with a weapon and three hours of training than without?
ReplyDeleteThe danger of mandated training is that people are more inclined to be satisfied with the minimum level required.
TS said, "They would still be better prepared than not being armed."
ReplyDeleteBetter prepared for what, exactly? Obviously they'd be better prepared to have their weapon stolen or misused, which is exactly what we want to eliminate.
How much classroom time does it take to not have your weapon stolen?
ReplyDelete