But I've read your other posts and there is dissonance in them - Edit 1
Before modification by Isaac at 21/12/2012 10:22:38 PM
"I don't want people carrying guns because it illustrates our lack of confidence in the nation" is about one step to the stupid of "I don't want anyone say anything negative about the government as it may make people think things are going downhill". Of all the reasons I've heard for banning firearms or concealed weapons, that's one of the worst, and I've heard some damn stupid ones.
If you read my other post, ideally my opinions and thoughts make more sense. While personally against handguns, I am willing to admit that I might be wrong in being against them. But I will not concede that it is asinine to conceal weapons. Nothing about that says protection to me. Concealing a firearm does nothing to deter situations in which a which you might need one and that should be the highest priority. Further, it is not that I have lack of confidence in the nation, but in the humanity our citizens possess and show.
Trying to explain to people one's thoughts and intentions in a few sentences is always tricky, I totally acknowledge that, but I still have to totally disagree here. At the fundamental level concealing a weapon means only that someone doesn't want others to see it, tactically that's common sense, and in the wider picture many people don't wish to advertise they are armed for many reasons. Strictly speaking someone who means me or anyone else harm doesn't deserve that last chance, nor should we be expecting some frail girl in an alley to offer it. A mugger doesn't warrant the right to know if their would be victim will send them to hell instead of meekly submitting.
No person should lay hands on another person without justification and I don't think people should have to advertise why, for them specifically, its a very bad idea. Personally I consider any parent who hasn't taught their kids to shoot a weapon to be borderline negligent, which I admit is a minority view, but I don't admit is an incorrect one.
I've a special viewpoint on this, in my latter days of service right before I got out I trained a bunch of teen and young twenties girls how to shoot... they make great students too, because they listen... and watching them grow confident, watching all those fears most women carry around constantly melt away, convinced me entirely that no adult should lack these skills and we should teach them to every kid. Why would we want to let the vermin know which man or woman poses a greater threat? Yes, there are loonies but I don't think wholesale bans are the way to deal with them. It's the wrong route to me. I respect your opinion Chris but I couldn't disagree more on this one. It's also a touch surprising to me, you're not one for airing your views a lot so its hard to know your philosophies but I always took you for more libertarian than most.