Freedom is not gauranteed safe, it is gauranteed equaly free for all. Freedom is about having choices, other countries are about taking away choices, tools, and options for statistics (which can be created to favor whoever is choosing which statistics and under what light to view them.) New government agencies created to oversee and restrict every little thing in life that people think could be done better simply leads to a lack of freedom, especialy when regarding a primary tool for safegaurding freedom like a firearm. It becomes official business detached from reality or the reality of what is governed, especialy if what is being governed is not deemed a necessity by those governing it.
Carrying a gun is a big decision, it means you are safer if you need to use it (firing or merely brandishing), but in even more danger if you are in a situation where it will be taken away if you do not use it. Armed and polite. De-escalate situations. I have had a fiery temper and got into quite a few scuffles when I was younger, never willing to be bullied, even verbaly. This has changed in no small part because responsible firearm ownership has made me much more secure as a person in letting someone else be rude and disrespectful and not feeling any wrong must be righted, even to the extent of calmy encouraging de-escalation. I now have a very firmly established boundry that is only crossed by physical harm or a danger of physical harm to myself or or another person.
When I have a firearm I am as timid as a mouse and become absolutely passive. I know any physical altercation I could be involved in could require use of the firearm for the sake of firearm retention alone. So unless I see an innocent victim that needs immediate rescue, or need to defend myself I am content in allowing others to think as they wish about my passiveness. I know putting myself in a situation to defend my ego could have lifelong altering consequences to my freedom, my safety, my rights, or at the very least my financial security. Your highest level of control in a potential situation resides in avoiding a situation altogether.
This is something I think anyone choosing to carry a firearm should consider.
Felons are subhumans in our society, forced to take whatever employment will settle for them, usualy making far less, and thus living in poor high crime neighborhoods where they are both likely to be victimized and at the same time unable to defend against being victimized because they cannot legaly have the tools to do so (but those victimizing them likely will). I do not wish to join thier ranks either. Of course once you do you might as well have the best firearms possible (full auto battle capable) if you choose to own anyways as the law no longer allows any ownership anyways, but that is a different topic, and a choice I hope never to have to make. For at that point one no longers identifies with being an American, because quite frankly they no longer are, thier rights vanish, and thier voice in politics vanish. They are an outcast with limited choices, living in a form of slavery.
Don't be stupid or put yourself in situations where you might join them. The legal system is not always fair, justice is not always the outcome. Even if your in the right, moraly and legaly, the more often you put yourself in the position to gamble with the system the worse your odds become. Be smart, leave your options in life open, and take THEHIGHROAD.
)
