NPR: Does carrying a pistol make you safer

[Pietro Beretta]

There is a pistol-packing revolution going on in America. Nearly 13 million Americans have permits to carry concealed handguns — triple the number just nine years ago — and that figure is low because not every state reports.

Read the rest of the article here.

 

[M-Cameron]

does carrying a pistol make you safer......no.....no it doesnt.

the pistol is useless unless you have a willingness and training to use it.

a pistol is not a magical talisman.....a pistol is a tool......and like all tools, they are only as effective as the person who uses it.

 

[kBob]

Thanks. Good read and surprisingly balanced for NPR.

Once spent almost an hour being interviewed by local NPR stringer and national used 15 seconds kind of sorta out of context. Decades ago though.

-kBob

 

[tkaction]

very good read

 

[southoftheboarder]

I don't think I feel safer carrying but I do have the option of defending myself/family. Practicing at the range gets you acquainted with your weapon and shoot with accuracy. In a real life situation you will have to make a quick decision and it needs to be correct. Make a wrong decision and your life could be ruined. So before you pull that trigger make sure your life is in danger.

 

[FL-NC]

It gives someone options that they wouldn't have without it. Training, situational awareness, and willingness to use it are what will carry the day.

 

[ATLDave]

Nice story, goofy title. One might as well asked if owning a hammer makes your furniture more fixed.

 

[herkyguy]

I think it leans just a bit to the anti-gun crowd, but not by much. For NPR, not bad. I do think the author took a rather fatalistic approach to the increase in those carrying guns for protection, which could actually be a positive.

 

[longspurr]

I think the article is definitely slanted antigun. Reading this makes me think the author just dropped into our world and doesn't understand reality yet. A good writer – not a clue about the subject he is writing about.

No where is it mentioned that MOST of the time a gun is displayed by the good guys, the bad guys leave quickly with no shots fired and the police may not even be called!!! Figures for this i've seen range from guesstimates of 70+ to 90+ percent of all altercations.

He says folks are not anxious to talk about their experiences using a gun is self defense. With Sue happy lawyers abounding, the common wisdom is to Shut UP about any recent shooting you are a part of. Even the folks coming back from military deployments are reluctant to talk about some of what went on, except to other vets that also understand.

This guy is like many “news guys”. They present an exaggerated sense of danger to make the story seem exciting. If he were writing about swimming, then he would focus on shark attacks and drownings, not the millions of happy swimmers.

 

[Drail]

Even IF carrying a gun did not make you safer - it does make you somewhat harder to kill or rape.

 

[OilyPablo]

The random violent nutters are out there.

 

[bannockburn]

The first thing I thought about when I saw the title is it's like the old adage concerning insurance: Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I feel the same way about CCW, not just about feeling safer but more like being prepared.

 

[Newcatwalt]

Not only do I carry for personal protection I consider it my civic duty to carry concealed.

 

[Pietro Beretta]

I was impressed by the NPR article, very neutral. So neutral in fact the multiple forums I linked this article to; people either like it or hate it.

The article was written to let you put your own bias on the subject.

People who immediately don't like NPR call it anti-gun.
People who don't like guns call it pro-gun.
People who are pro gun find it surprisingly neutral with a touch of bias.


Very interesting indeed.

 

[Shane in MT]

To me it is far safer than being a defenseless victim.

Of course there are responsibilities that go along with it.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

From the article:

There is a pistol-packing revolution going on in America. Nearly 13 million Americans have permits to carry concealed handguns — triple the number just nine years ago — and that figure is low because not every state reports.

It's puzzling that so many Americans are choosing to arm themselves at a time when the FBI tells us violent crime and property crime have been falling dramatically for two decades.

Hmmm . . . ya think those two things could be related? Ya think?

 

[shafter]

It makes you more prepared, especially if you train yourself mentally and physically, but who can really say if it makes you safer. Anyone can win or lose a gunfight. Luck is not entirely uninvolved.

Thirteen million have permits to carry according to the article. This is pure speculation on my part but I would guess at least half of those carry rarely if ever. Some will carry occasionally and very few will carry religiously. The number of firearms in America is staggering, the actual number of Americans carrying at any given moment however is probably much less impressive.

 

[dragon813gt]

I feel less safe when I don't carry. Same end result and one could say carrying makes me feel safer. But I honestly don't think this when I carry. It's when I'm not carrying that I feel exposed. I've been in NYC all week so this point has been hammered home. I hate being dispatched to NY or NJ.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

Safer?

No, I don't think so.
I also don't think it makes you less safe.

A gun can make you more effective should you decide to act on an unsafe situation (when applicable).
A gun can help you get to safety. But doesn't make you safe or unsafe.

If bad guys are coming after you they area going to mug you whether you have a concealed pistol or not.

Many people find a gun to be comforting. I think for some that equates to feeling safer.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Phil Shoemaker, who is a licensed bear guide in Alaska, wrote an article on the perineal question. "What kind of gun should I carry in bear country?"

One point that he made was body language is important when you encounter a bear -- you want to send the message, "I don't want to bother you, but if you mess with me, I'll hurt you bad."

Phil said that carrying a gun that you have confidence in is an important factor in your ability to send that message.

 

[Sniper66]

Car and house insurance doesn't make you any safer, but you feel better when you have it. I feel safer when I have a gun in certain situations, like road trips.

 

[Milt1]

As is often said, I rather have it and not need it as opposed to need it and not have it. We all know, if we've taken a good CCP class, what the legal ramifications are and we also know that we'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6. If I can save my wife or children's lives then I don't care what happens to me afterward as my job is done.

 

[Mousegun]

It made me a more peaceful person and personally safer too. I recognize the awesome responsibility that comes along with it.

 

[RugerBob]

I'd rather have a pistol then cower behind a chair.
Some may cower either way, but to those trained, at least there is an option if they have one.

 

[orionengnr]

Since the entirety of the article and the interviewees appear to be in Detroit, that puts an entirely different slant on it.

Hard to many of us to relate to a third-world city.

The article wasn't too slanted, until the end when it started to veer off the tracks. Careful selection of people who said that "the licensing does not require enough training" and "owning a gun is more likely to get you shot" is not unbiased in any way.

As far as overall value goes...that is up to the reader. I didn't get much out of it.