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.
I'm not particularly "anti gun", but it's ridiculous to be packing a gun to work in a clinic. Frankly, I'd refuse to live or work in such a violent and unprotected area. I don't care to live or work in such a place.
What if every citizen was packing a gun? I think that's a bad idea. Let's say everyone chose to do this. Would you feel safer? I wouldn't. I think people would end up shooting each other more. People would lose their tempers and a certain percentage would pull their guns. You'd be living in anarchy.
Actually- I personally WOULD feel alot safer. In areas where most people DO carry weapons, crime rates are noticeably lower. If everyone refused to work in violent and unprotected areas- there would be ALOT of people who went without healthcare... I'd far rather see medical professionals with firearms training and CCW licenses than I would seeing them assaulted or having to rely on facility security exclusively. MHO. Responsible gun owners would no more lose their tempers and use their firearm in anger than a car owner would lose their temper and run someone over. Does it happen? Occasionally- sure- but certainly not commonly. As it stands now- look at states that do have concealed carry laws- do you see law abiding citizens drawing weapons on each other regularly? LOL Hardly!
So, let's imagine that every single citizen decided to obtain a liscense to carry a concealed weapon. I'm talking theoretically. I happen to live in a state where it's relatively easy to obtain a permit to carry a gun, so I know what the reality is, but I'm talking 'let's imagine'.
So, in this imaginary world, 95% of the citizenry is packing a gun. Would you feel safer?
Specializes in home health, peds, case management.
so, you feel that you would be ready to draw your gun fast enough? you think that carrying a loaded gun has not inherent risks? no little kids are going to get their hands on gramma's pistol? no teenager will slip dad's handgun into his backpack?
everyone is walking the street with loaded guns, and no one ever misbehaves again out of fear of getting their head blown off?
sounds like a utopian paradise to me
actually, i was being a little tongue in cheek. sorry that didn't come through.
would carrying a gun with me make me feel more safe? no. do i feel less safe because my state does not allow concealed weapons no. we live in dangerous times....that's what makes me feel unsafe.
there are inherent risks in everything that we do (unless we're talking about sitting in a padded room wrapped in bubble wrap....but wait...there's the suffocation risk with that too.) automobiles kill more people than guns do. perhaps we should talk about banning them too.
the point i am trying to make is that yes, there are risks associated with gun ownership. i get that. but as i've mentioned before, there are inherent risks in just about everything we do. we can identify the risks, and take actions to mitigate them. it's simply impossible to protect us from everything that might happen.
Then why is the violent crime less in, say, the UK? The Western nations with stricter gun laws also have less violent crime. I'm not saying I'd want restrictive gun laws like there, but I do think those are more peaceful societies.
The United States has a higher crime rate, more people in prison, more violent crime, more gun deaths. THAT is a fact.
Because in the UK they've outlawed everything up to and nearly including butter knives. After years of training and licenses and one years supervised assistance, one MIGHT get to cut their own steak over there...
I think the crime rates are high here because the illegal guns are running rampant while the law abiding citizenry cower in fear because of overly restrictive gun and concealed carry laws. Criminals will carry what and when they like- gun restrictions don't deter them. However- if the "bad guys" knew most law abiding folk carried as well- they'd tend to think twice about how they chose to use their weapon. I do think a significant number of gun deaths and injuries here come from lack of training, knowledge, care and practice- however...
So, you feel that you would be ready to draw your gun fast enough? You think that carrying a loaded gun has not inherent risks? No little kids are going to get their hands on Gramma's pistol? No teenager will slip Dad's handgun into his backpack?
Everyone is walking the street with loaded guns, and no one ever misbehaves again out of fear of getting their head blown off?
Sounds like a utopian paradise to me
Kids won't get their hands on grandma's or dad's pistol if grandma or dad is a responsible gun owner and either has it on their person properly carried or in an appropriate gun storage container. If said children are raised to RESPECT firearms and said firearms are stored properly and children supervised adequately (yes- hard in this negligent parent society I know, but...) then no- I don't think there's any more risk in it than anything else in life. I'd MUCH rather have, carry and use my own firearms on my person and in my home and TEACH my children how to RESPECT them, treat them and yes- USE them, than to avoid them at all costs, look at them fearfully and gods forbid, have them come across one from a classmate and learn for themselves....
I personally would feel more nervous knowing that everyone was carrying a loaded gun and I think you would have an increase in gun deaths.
Can we talk evidence based nursing here?!
Once again, no evidence to support any of this, and overwhelming evidence to support the contrary.
The media (and certain members of the House and Senate, not to mention presidents) have successfully duped a lot of folks into believing falsehoods when it comes to guns. You know, like calling semi-autos 'machine guns' and such. It really leads to unwarranted hysteria.
The question is when was the last time you heard of a law abiding citizen using their gun in a crime?
The violent crime in our society mainly comes from an underclass in society that would be violent and crime-ridden with or without guns.
What has happened in America that some parts of the nation are too dangerous to live or work in without carrying a gun?
I'll tell you: Drugs, promiscuity, breakdown of the family, degeneration of the culture, violence saturated media, welfare culture, lack of discipline in schools, coddling of youth, divorce, materialism gone rampant, loss of religious faith, debasement of women.
What has happened in America that some parts of the nation are too dangerous to live or work in without carrying a gun?
I'll tell you: Drugs, promiscuity, breakdown of the family, degeneration of the culture, violence saturated media, welfare culture, lack of discipline in schools, coddling of youth, divorce, materialism gone rampant, loss of religious faith, debasement of women.
Quite frankly, none of that matters because it is what it is and it's not changing anytime soon.
What has happened in America that some parts of the nation are too dangerous to live or work in without carrying a gun?
I'll tell you: Drugs, promiscuity, breakdown of the family, degeneration of the culture, violence saturated media, welfare culture, lack of discipline in schools, coddling of youth, divorce, materialism gone rampant, loss of religious faith, debasement of women.
You're not going to return to the 'good ol days' without returning to personal responsibility. And you're not going to return to personal responsibility in this society when a growing number of its citizens look to the centralized government to solve all of their problems.
What we have is an underclass of society that did not exist before the Great Society began in the 60s. Sure we had poor people, but the problems began when welfare became a lifestyle. Work became optional, and drugs & violence ensued. We, the voters, are to blame for this. Every time we vote for more programs - as good as they sound - we enable groups of people to rely on others in place of themselves, taking away their God-given self-reliance. It's one of the most de-humanizing things you can do, really.
Sometimes I think one of these days, one of the gang members who comes in with multiple GSWs that I have to take care of is going to have another member come in to "take care" of him/her and I perhaps I'd feel safer knowing I have a CCW on me.
Sometimes I think one of these days, one of the gang members who comes in with multiple GSWs that I have to take care of is going to have another member come in to "take care" of him/her and I perhaps I'd feel safer knowing I have a CCW on me.
Equinox_93
528 Posts
Actually- I personally WOULD feel alot safer. In areas where most people DO carry weapons, crime rates are noticeably lower. If everyone refused to work in violent and unprotected areas- there would be ALOT of people who went without healthcare... I'd far rather see medical professionals with firearms training and CCW licenses than I would seeing them assaulted or having to rely on facility security exclusively. MHO. Responsible gun owners would no more lose their tempers and use their firearm in anger than a car owner would lose their temper and run someone over. Does it happen? Occasionally- sure- but certainly not commonly. As it stands now- look at states that do have concealed carry laws- do you see law abiding citizens drawing weapons on each other regularly? LOL Hardly!