MD residents say MD is one of the worst states to live (Baltimore: crime rate, purchase)

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

Funny I've been to Baltimore, DC, and a number of other cities hundreds of times, probably closer to a thousand. Not once did I carry a gun and not once was I a victim of a crime. And I wasn't always in the best part of town.

It is simply amazing to me how paranoid gun nuts are.

I think you need to break this up into categories. Some people own guns. Some people carry. Situational awareness is a requirement in certain professions and environments. Paranoia? You may not see what might happen, but others, from experience, do.

I'm glad that you've never been a crime victim. I was--twice. The first one was almost over before it happened. Twenty years later I started having nightmares about it. Having a gun wouldn't have helped me. The second time was worse. I thought the guy was going to kill me. Had I been armed, it wouldn't have happened. Neither of these things happened in an area which I deemed unsafe.

When I read the words, "paranoid gun nuts" I know that that person has never carried career of been attacked.

[Gerania]

...or been attacked. I hate when that happens.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by Gerania

I think you need to break this up into categories. Some people own guns. Some people carry. Situational awareness is a requirement in certain professions and environments. Paranoia? You may not see what might happen, but others, from experience, do.

I'm glad that you've never been a crime victim. I was--twice. The first one was almost over before it happened. Twenty years later I started having nightmares about it. Having a gun wouldn't have helped me. The second time was worse. I thought the guy was going to kill me. Had I been armed, it wouldn't have happened. Neither of these things happened in an area which I deemed unsafe.

When I read the words, "paranoid gun nuts" I know that that person has never carried career of been attacked.

Oh I've been a victim of crime plenty but never directly. House/car broken into etc. I lived in crappy areas while in school. But even while living in those areas I was never directly approached. I've been asking around and nobody I know has ever been directly approach where a gun would saved them. And it's happened to you exactly once in your lifetime. Not sure how old you are but we are all in our late 50's. And again pulling a gun could escalate things and change the results. So the odds are so incredibly slim that carrying a gun will save you that to me it is like walking around with a lightening rod attached to your back for fear over what may happen even though the odds are off the chart that it will actually be necessary.

And when a poster claims he won't even venture into Baltimore without a gun out of this fear when millions are there without incident every single day yeah I think I'm sticking with my paranoid label.

[fibonacci]

Not sure what all the complaints are about. From DE originally and MD is way better. if you want to talk about a bad state, holy Toledo DE has got to be up there.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Delaware is a strange one. Talk about a state with no identity. We know of the beaches but if you asked someone in Ohio or Florida what they think of when they think of Delaware pretty sure you would get a blank stare.

[YourWakeUpCall]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

Oh I've been a victim of crime plenty but never directly. House/car broken into etc. I lived in crappy areas while in school. But even while living in those areas I was never directly approached. I've been asking around and nobody I know has ever been directly approach where a gun would saved them. And it's happened to you exactly once in your lifetime. Not sure how old you are but we are all in our late 50's. And again pulling a gun could escalate things and change the results. So the odds are so incredibly slim that carrying a gun will save you that to me it is like walking around with a lightening rod attached to your back for fear over what may happen even though the odds are off the chart that it will actually be necessary.

And when a poster claims he won't even venture into Baltimore without a gun out of this fear when millions are there without incident every single day yeah I think I'm sticking with my paranoid label.

Try looking at it from a different perspective:

Has your home or the home of anyone you know ever burned down? Do you carry fire insurance? Do you think it is more likely that you will be the victim of a major house fire or the victim of a violent crime? Total loss house fires are pretty rare, but no one is being called paranoid for having fire insurance, smoke detectors, etc. Furthermore, home fires almost always make the news - many, many violent crimes don't get nearly the media attention of a single house fire. Why is it OK to be prepared for one unlikely event (a total or near-total loss fire), but paranoid to be prepared for a much more likely event?

Guns aren't about being paranoid, they're about being prepared for a possible event which could have life altering consequences. Guns level the playing field. There will always be someone bigger/stronger than you and you don't stand a chance if attacked by a mob. A gun at least gives you a fighting chance.

If anyone is paranoid, its the anti-gun crowd. Your entire position is based on the preposterous assumption that possession of a firearm causes a Jekyll and Hyde personality transformation. I assure you, that is not the case. I know plenty of highly educated professionals who are pro gun who you would probably think are some of the nicest folks around. Guns didn't change them. Opposition to guns is nothing more than irrational hysteria - one might even characterize this baseless fear as paranoia.

Finally, any police officer will tell you that the average person is completely unaware of all of the crimes that happen in the areas which they frequent. Even ardent followers of the local police blotter aren't getting the full picture. Having been a police officer, I can tell you with certainty that you would probably never leave home again (that's an exaggeration, but you get the point) if you saw what police see everyday.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by YourWakeUpCall

Try looking at it from a different perspective:

Has your home or the home of anyone you know ever burned down? Do you carry fire insurance? Do you think it is more likely that you will be the victim of a major house fire or the victim of a violent crime? Total loss house fires are pretty rare, but no one is being called paranoid for having fire insurance, smoke detectors, etc. Furthermore, home fires almost always make the news - many, many violent crimes don't get nearly the media attention of a single house fire. Why is it OK to be prepared for one unlikely event (a total or near-total loss fire), but paranoid to be prepared for a much more likely event?

Guns aren't about being paranoid, they're about being prepared for a possible event which could have life altering consequences. Guns level the playing field. There will always be someone bigger/stronger than you and you don't stand a chance if attacked by a mob. A gun at least gives you a fighting chance.

If anyone is paranoid, its the anti-gun crowd. Your entire position is based on the preposterous assumption that possession of a firearm causes a Jekyll and Hyde personality transformation. I assure you, that is not the case. I know plenty of highly educated professionals who are pro gun who you would probably think are some of the nicest folks around. Guns didn't change them. Opposition to guns is nothing more than irrational hysteria - one might even characterize this baseless fear as paranoia.

Finally, any police officer will tell you that the average person is completely unaware of all of the crimes that happen in the areas which they frequent. Even ardent followers of the local police blotter aren't getting the full picture. Having been a police officer, I can tell you with certainty that you would probably never leave home again (that's an exaggeration, but you get the point) if you saw what police see everyday.

Oh I have nothing against gun owners, I have no doubt many "nice" folks own them including several of my friends. Again the poster said he would not even go into Baltimore out of fear. My paranoid comment quoted that post directly. Your fire analogy is a good one but not even going into Baltimore without a gun is not like buying home insurance, it's more like cutting off all electricity to the house out of paranoia.

[CBMD]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

Delaware is a strange one. Talk about a state with no identity. We know of the beaches but if you asked someone in Ohio or Florida what they think of when they think of Delaware pretty sure you would get a blank stare.

Virginia is...........for lovers.
Delaware is........for the banks.

[DistrictSonic]

Ones perspective on Maryland entirely depends on where one is in Maryland. Maryland has some awesome communities, and some of the worst ones in the developed world. Example, Bethesda vs Western Part of Baltimore. They are two entirely different worlds. This dynamic is in several states, but it tends to be common in Maryland. It's either awesome or awful. Maryland does not have much inbetween.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by DistrictSonic

Ones perspective on Maryland entirely depends on where one is in Maryland. Maryland has some awesome communities, and some of the worst ones in the developed world. Example, Bethesda vs Western Part of Baltimore. They are two entirely different worlds. This dynamic is in several states, but it tends to be common in Maryland. It's either awesome or awful. Maryland does not have much inbetween.

Fortunately, the only reason anyone would live in the isolated awful places in Maryland is if they're crazy or poor.