The author, a doctor, makes the case that in our climate of daily random violence and desperate drug addicts, a doctor would be wise to have a gun in his office. He brings up the example of emergency rooms having metal detectors and bullet proof glass because shootings have actually occurred there. So he asks:
Would you not see a doctor if you knew he had a gun in his office?
To those who would fear ....... I ask you this, why would a doctor having a gun bother you? Do you live in fear that your physician is trying to kill you? I mean if he really wanted you dead, he could stab you with a scalpel or inject you with something lethal. He could do so with the tools of his profession in a much more efficient manner than with a gun.
So while I understand it must seem unusual to you, I'd encourage you to try to be dispassionate and objective. A visceral negation of guns and those who own them, coming from a non-American, could be a form of chauvinism.
You had me with your sensible post right up until this paragraph. Now I am fighting the urge to say something rude. I'm not sure what leads you to think a) I am not being objective or dispassionate, b) I have a "visceral negation of guns and those who own them", or c) that anything I said can in any way be construed as "chauvinism"!
Considering the dictionary defines chauvinism as "Extreme and often unreasonable nationalism" I just don't see where you are coming from.
I think you'll find that YOU are tending towards bigotry/discrimination in your assertion that being a "non-american" has anything to do with what I said. My views are no more or less valid coming from a "non-american". Yes, I am living and working in the USA at the moment, and I abide by all laws therein. That doesn't mean I have to think any differently than I do about anything. I am Australian. I don't get less Australian because I'm living in America.
I just don't know what the ... that paragraph was about!
Currently or not- anyone who has ever been assaulted IMO can't be faulted for wanting to have the means to protect themselves on them at all times.
As far as your statement- "the only people I have ever seen that insisted on carrying a gun on their person 24/7, had a few issues with their ego." I disagree- MOST people who carry concealed- carry *concealed* and keep their mouths shut about it- meaning you'd never know they were carrying in the first place. For those, like the "gentleman" you mentioned- who are carrying, but not in a *concealed* manner- THOSE are the ones for whom such statements regarding ego apply.
If you are CURRENTLY being stalked, have an ex-husband that has threatened to kill you, I can understand someone wanting to carry a gun.
However, I live in an area where you won't find a household, including mine, without at least two.
So obviously, I have no personal issues of gun ownership. But in my 40 years or so of living in gun-country, the only people I have ever seen that insisted on carrying a gun on their person 24/7, had a few issues with their ego.
I was eating at a restaurant one day, and a man came in with a firearm strapped to his waist. A few customers complained. The manager went over and asked if he was a member of law enforcement in any capacity, he said he wasn't (he was wearing the tightest jeans and a tucked in shirt where everyone could see his gun), he said he had a concealed weapons permit and started to show it to the manager.
The manager said, "I'm sure you do, but we have a policy not to allow firearms on the property unless you are a member of law enforcement. You are welcome to take the weapon and leave it in your car and I will give you two a free appetizer for your trouble."
The man was so angry, and had to have "his gun" where everyone could see it, like a little kid, that him and his wife got up and left.
People like that...scare me.
You are right...some folks that carry a gun 24/7 probably have a reason to carry one all right...and it makes me wonder exactly what they are involved in.
PS: Gun safety courses are dirt cheap around here. Nothing expensive about them.
If you are CURRENTLY being stalked, have an ex-husband that has threatened to kill you, I can understand someone wanting to carry a gun.
However, I live in an area where you won't find a household, including mine, without at least two.
So obviously, I have no personal issues of gun ownership. But in my 40 years or so of living in gun-country, the only people I have ever seen that insisted on carrying a gun on their person 24/7, had a few issues with their ego.
I was eating at a restaurant one day, and a man came in with a firearm strapped to his waist. A few customers complained. The manager went over and asked if he was a member of law enforcement in any capacity, he said he wasn't (he was wearing the tightest jeans and a tucked in shirt where everyone could see his gun), he said he had a concealed weapons permit and started to show it to the manager.
The manager said, "I'm sure you do, but we have a policy not to allow firearms on the property unless you are a member of law enforcement. You are welcome to take the weapon and leave it in your car and I will give you two a free appetizer for your trouble."
The man was so angry, and had to have "his gun" where everyone could see it, like a little kid, that him and his wife got up and left.
People like that...scare me.
You are right...some folks that carry a gun 24/7 probably have a reason to carry one all right...and it makes me wonder exactly what they are involved in.
PS: Gun safety courses are dirt cheap around here. Nothing expensive about them.
If you are CURRENTLY being stalked, have an ex-husband that has threatened to kill you, I can understand someone wanting to carry a gun.
You know, it must be wonderful to walk in a world of such certitude. When does a stalker stop stalking? And why does a threat have to be limited to stalking?
some folks that carry a gun 24/7 probably have a reason to carry one all right...and it makes me wonder exactly what they are involved in.
Sooooo, you're point is what??? Only sleazy people get permits to carry? You can rummage through these posts and figure out why and when I got mine. I guess with the exception of the stalking exemption you graciously offer, all the rest of us are just lower class paranoids.
I was eating at a restaurant one day, and a man came in with a firearm strapped to his waist.
Madam... you are comparing apples and pumpkins. The man was not carrying a concealed weapon. He was obviously trying to be obvious for reasons that are equally obvious. So you've encountered one gun-toting loon and you naturally conclude that everyone with a gun is similarly deficient, even though you don't know they're carrying a gun because they are carrying concealed, but if you KNEW they had a gun (maybe their beady little eyes, sub-burned neck and NRA ball cap gave them away) you could safely judge them as loons.
I never stated only sleezy people GET PERMITS..I am saying that there is a difference between having the permit and having to feel like you have to keep the gun near you all the time.
Personally, I can't find my cell phone half the time in my purse. Even if I carried my gun in my purse (which is very, very rare and only when I feel it's warranted such as when traveling late at night and having to stop and get gas, rest stop, etc), I sometimes question whether or not I could grab it quickly enough.
I disagree that hospitals are more dangerous. No more than parking lots of sorority row at a college or women's dormatories. Not all Walmarts are in "good" parts of town...I have seen a few that needed massive security after dark.
Tulip...I just find that it's odd that you bring up words like "lower class" and "sleazy people".
You pulled those words out...as if I actually WROTE them..and I didn't.
Goes to show...you can read anything you want to into anything...if you look hard enough.
PS: For the record, when I was referring to "those types of people" I am talking about those that are living life where they feel that they have a reason to be paranoid....that has absolutely NOTHING to do with socioeconomic class.
Yes- if you carry your weapon in a purse- you won't reach it fast enough in an immediate threat situation. I far prefer a shoulder holster under a nice blazer or my jacket.
As for "those people"... Some are the victims of domestic violence. Some have been the victims of stalking and/or rape. Some have been kidnapped and assaulted and almost murdered. Does that kind of life suck? Sure it does. But it sucks MORE to be living it without the means and ability to protect yourself from it happening again- and you darn well better believe that having a gun available 24/7 helps alot with that sense of security.
...I am saying that there is a difference between having the permit and having to feel like you have to keep the gun near you all the time.
Personally, I can't find my cell phone half the time in my purse. Even if I carried my gun in my purse (which is very, very rare and only when I feel it's warranted such as when traveling late at night and having to stop and get gas, rest stop, etc), I sometimes question whether or not I could grab it quickly enough. ....
PS: For the record, when I was referring to "those types of people" I am talking about those that are living life where they feel that they have a reason to be paranoid....that has absolutely NOTHING to do with socioeconomic class.
Yes- if you carry your weapon in a purse- you won't reach it fast enough in an immediate threat situation. I far prefer a shoulder holster under a nice blazer or my jacket.
As for "those people"... Some are the victims of domestic violence. Some have been the victims of stalking and/or rape. Some have been kidnapped and assaulted and almost murdered. Does that kind of life suck? Sure it does. But it sucks MORE to be living it without the means and ability to protect yourself from it happening again- and you darn well better believe that having a gun available 24/7 helps alot with that sense of security.
...but that isn't the topic.
The topic is should doctors and nurses carry guns...this is for the sake of the profession, as if they need SPECIAL protection, up and above folks working in other professions.
My answer is no. I can think of quite a few other professions such as social workers, attorney's, judges, district attorney's, etc...who are just as at risk, if not more, than healthcare workers for someone to retaliate.
The topic is should doctors and nurses carry guns...this is for the sake of the profession, as if they need SPECIAL protection, up and above folks working in other professions.
My answer is no. I can think of quite a few other professions such as social workers, attorney's, judges, district attorney's, etc...who are just as at risk, if not more, than healthcare workers for someone to retaliate.
Topics drift- as topics tend to do on internet message boards :) So yes- it was "the topic" because general gun issues became a part of the topic. :)
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.
I have had to endure shootings in the workplace (large inner city county hospital ED) more than once. I have been followed home, I have had people threaten to kill me. I have a carry permit and I carry my weapon at all times. At night I walk to the car with my gun in my right jacket pocket with my finger on the trigger. I am not going to let anyone jump me if I can prevent it. Recently I had someone watching me from his car as I drove into my driveway at home. He was just sitting in his car staring at me. When I got out of my car I had my gun in my right hand, holding it at my side and I turned toward him so he could see that I had a weapon. He took off. I don't trust anybody.
I never stated only sleezy people GET PERMITS..I am saying that there is a difference between having the permit and having to feel like you have to keep the gun near you all the time.
Personally, I can't find my cell phone half the time in my purse. Even if I carried my gun in my purse (which is very, very rare and only when I feel it's warranted such as when traveling late at night and having to stop and get gas, rest stop, etc), I sometimes question whether or not I could grab it quickly enough.
I disagree that hospitals are more dangerous. No more than parking lots of sorority row at a college or women's dormatories. Not all Walmarts are in "good" parts of town...I have seen a few that needed massive security after dark.
Tulip...I just find that it's odd that you bring up words like "lower class" and "sleazy people".
You pulled those words out...as if I actually WROTE them..and I didn't.
Goes to show...you can read anything you want to into anything...if you look hard enough.
PS: For the record, when I was referring to "those types of people" I am talking about those that are living life where they feel that they have a reason to be paranoid....that has absolutely NOTHING to do with socioeconomic class.
So... you and I BOTH carry guns. With permits. We have quite a lot in common.
When I made the decision to get my concealed carry permit... (I didn't want to do it... but an objective threat from a heroin addict, and an oblique threat from his dealer convinced me, and my husband provided the necessary further encouragement...) I decided to do it in a deliberate and (I think) very responsible way.
I found the right pistol. Then went to great lengths to figure out how safest to carry it. I carry it in a purse designed for it. (I tried on and dismissed every form of holster there is... just not right for me.) The purse cost several hundred dollars. It isn't at all flashy, in fact quite the opposite. Draws absolutely no attention to itself. Trust me when I say this. I have been carrying for 2 years and no one knows but me and my husband. I don't talk about it. I don't venture any opinions on such things outside the home. I understand that there are felons who, if they knew we were a gun-owning family, might burglarize our home for guns when we are away.
Believe me when I say this, we went through all the pros and cons before we did this. The grandchildren, the safe storage of ammunition, how often to schlepp out to the range to practice, periodic disassembly and cleaning, changing clips... everything...
So, maybe this is counter-intuitive, (but work with me on this... put your prejudices aside and try to understand my reasoning...) having made these decisions (with regret... trust me...) in a step by step manner, the question arises, when should I NOT carry it? If it's important enough to go through the decision, purchase, training, practice, and so on and so on... how can I treat the gun so casually as to only carry it episodically... IF you're going to do it, do it carefully and deliberately and be serious about it at all times. It's always there and safety is always on my mind. It becomes a good habit.
Let me say, unlike you... I don't know when I'm going to encounter danger. Reference my sister and the road rage incident she defused with a .45 Smith. (No she didn't have to kill the guy. Full story many posts back.)
Carrying it with me 24/7 is a non-issue because it is in a purpose built hand-bag that is my everyday walking around purse. I remove the pistol and store it away when I fly. But otherwise, what is the mental calculus about when I should NOT carry it?
You specifically say that people who carry ALL the time are a little bit off center (for some reason you didn't directly specify.) I postulated sleazy because you didn't quite explain how and why or in what way they were deficient. You mentioned maybe they were doing something they shouldn't, perhaps something illicit... rubbing shoulders with a bad crowd? The adjective I supplied seemed to fit but admittedly you were vague. And then you said something about ego? Implying that full-time-gun-totin'-folks made up for poor self esteem with the weapon.
Whatever your implications were, you're just wrong. No ego here. I don't want anyone to know it's there and have gone to great lengths to make sure they don't. So how would it serve my ego? And I'm a nice person who obeys the law. (fingerprinting, background check, etc...) Soooo... what is it you think is wrong about me, my PPK and my purse?
You carry, but not always. I can understand why you wouldn't carry 24/7 if you haven't set yourself up to carry conveniently and with great safety consciousness. (And like you, I can't find my cell phone in that bag either... but I can find the gun.) And why have you NOT gone through these steps? Is it because you imagine those who do carry ALL the time are odd in some way? You say you carry when you do riskier things like go out at night. Maybe if you have to carry to go to these places... you shouldn't go there. I'm just sayin'... Listen to your instincts. The best self-defense is "not being there." When that fails, and the threat comes to me... I have the pistol. Always.
Yes- if you carry your weapon in a purse- you won't reach it fast enough in an immediate threat situation. I far prefer a shoulder holster under a nice blazer or my jacket.
Check out the Galco website. There is a "purse" which is actually a holster. That's what I use and I can reach my pistol much faster than I could if I were carrying it in the small of my back or under my arm. But you're point is well taken otherwise.
Um, I just re-read your post and realize you're probably a guy. Ignore the implication you'd be better off with the purse holster.
Check out the Galco website. There is a "purse" which is actually a holster. That's what I use and I can reach my pistol much faster than I could if I were carrying it in the small of my back or under my arm. But you're point is well taken otherwise.
Um, I just re-read your post and realize you're probably a guy. Ignore the implication you'd be better off with the purse holster.
LOL No- I'm not a guy. I just prefer having mine a bit closer access. I also prefer not to carry in a seperate bag because it's far easier for someone to steal a purse (or to forget it somewhere) than it is to take one out of a concealed shoulder holster under my blazer. :)
I would also never carry in my purse. That wouldn't be too smart! Someone could steal your purse and then you are out your gun. Would they commit a crime with it? Or, you could forget your purse somewhere. I got a t-shirt from sportsmans guide that has a built in holster on the side. A blazer or whatever conceals really nice.
ghillbert, MSN, NP
3,796 Posts
You had me with your sensible post right up until this paragraph. Now I am fighting the urge to say something rude. I'm not sure what leads you to think a) I am not being objective or dispassionate, b) I have a "visceral negation of guns and those who own them", or c) that anything I said can in any way be construed as "chauvinism"!
Considering the dictionary defines chauvinism as "Extreme and often unreasonable nationalism" I just don't see where you are coming from.
I think you'll find that YOU are tending towards bigotry/discrimination in your assertion that being a "non-american" has anything to do with what I said. My views are no more or less valid coming from a "non-american". Yes, I am living and working in the USA at the moment, and I abide by all laws therein. That doesn't mean I have to think any differently than I do about anything. I am Australian. I don't get less Australian because I'm living in America.
I just don't know what the ... that paragraph was about!