New to Tucson. Will I see guns? (I get uncomfortable) Can I be open about my political views? (Phoenix: rent, violent crime)

[WildBill1971]

Personally, I feel if someone wants to do us harm, they are going to do it whether they have a permit for the weapon or not. The average citizen walking around with a pistol on there hip is doing it for their personal protection.
I carried a gun when living in Montana, only to protect myself from rattlesnakes. Granted a .357 Mag is a little much for a snake, but being a ranch hand there were times I needed to use a large caliber gun. I no longer have the gun, I traded it to the ranch owners son for an engine for my pick-up... I wish I kept my gun. The heads were bad!

[teddyearp]

Personally, I feel that open carry is a deterrent and not only that, but if you conceal carry, the bad guy has the element of surprise. Once the bad guy pulls on you, it's going to take quite a bit of luck to protect yourself from a crime to be commited on you. If you are open carrying, the bad guy will just move on to the next person or even area.

[R_Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by 9162

While I know this does not fit the OP, I have to admit, when I seel this type of post, that opens with, "Will I see guns?" The first thing I think of is, is this person looking to commit a crime?

I live in a blue New England state, and like many New Englanders I envy the gun laws in the South West. Once you have been the victim of a crime, you realize that guns keep you safe. The idea that laws in AZ permit people to be licensed to use guns to defend themselves and their homes is the way every state in this country should be. Criminals love gun restrictions. They love knowing that they can break into a person's house, and they don't have to worry about being shot at, because in most blue states one is not even allowed to defend themselves, their children, their home, or their belongings with a licensed gun.

^^^^
That.
As a cop's exwife from a non-carry state, I used to be afraid of guns. My ex would patiently point out to me that at no time in his career had he ever arrested a gun. At no time had a gun jumped out of the bushes at him. And at no time had an inanimate object harmed anyone. The person behind the gun, knife, baseball bat, taser, or pruning shears for that matter, is the perpetrator of evil. To be afraid of a gun or even someone who is open carrying is really more the result of lack of information and exposure. Yes, there are those on this forum who have been attacked and have witnessed shootings. Each person reacts differently to those things. I have been attacked. I now carry. Some people who were attacked or witnessed such an attack decide to stick their heads in the sand and yell "tralalalalalalala" in hopes the danger will magically disappear. I have no illusions about bad guys, or about the ability of the police department to "save me." As my ex and many other cops have pointed out, the police have a job description: it is to protect 'the public.' It is not to protect YOU individually. Their job, essentially, is to respond to a 911 call and count the bodies, write reports, and assign blame if they can. Othern' that, you are on your own.

IMHO, the whole gun conversation is not a political one. It is a Constitutional one. You have a constitutionally protected RIGHT to carry. It clearly states that right "Shall Not Be Infringed." You don't have to carry. You don't have to like it when someone else does. But the actual act of carrying does not make the carrier a dangerous person. I would rather be around those who do, because I feel safer. I refuse to patronize any place that has a "no guns" sign unless I absolutely must. I don't like the idea of being a target.

For the Record:
1. Few, if any, of the shooters in the highly publicized shootings over the past decade had a permit to carry or a permit for the gun. Most had mental illness issues. And, sorry kids, most were Democrats.
2. In cases where people have protected themselves or have stopped a mass shooting because they were carrying, the media just "decides" not to report THOSE... they don't fit the narrative of the anti-self-defense crowd.
3. Mexico "banned" guns in 1972 with a huge gun control measure. See how well THAT is working? Oh and there's this: Guns are Illegal in Mexico | U.S. Consulate General Tijuana, Mexico Glad all those cartels and rogue Mexican cops are scrupulously following the law.
4. Gun deaths, both intentional and accidental, have steadily gone down over the past 20 years. That is not reported either in the mainstream media. *
5. Our illustrious Attorney General stated in a public forum in 1996 that it was important to
"brainwash people about guns."
When he was confronted recently by a congressman on CSPAN, he stated that he actually meant he thought we should

brainwash "young black men against guns." So a lot of what you see and hear is brainwashing, not real.
6. I know a lot of people who engage in the shooting sports. Many people may not realize that the shooting sports are the Number one sport in the US - behind golf. Safety and Education are paramount in this culture. Training is rigorous and thorough. One man who carries most of the time said to me that he feels he is far more polite and careful about confrontations when he carries. Those who are trained are not randomly going around harming people any more than those who are trained to drive cars are randomly going around driving up on sidewalks and hitting pedestrians.
7. Are there wackos who get their hands on guns? Of course. If they didn't use a gun and were intent on doing damage, they would find a way. Is it like you see in the movies? Heck no. Hollywood is complicit in the brainwashing garbage. See #5 above.

As far as being afraid of guns, let me tell you that the smartest thing I did was go take a class. I decided to confront my issues and deal with it. It took one day and I "got it." You may or may not choose to do that. Most of us in AZ could not care less if you get it or not. Just please don't bring your notions here and try to take away our Constitutional Rights. I read once that the reason some people CAN be pacifists is because many people are not. And if you happened to be in one of those "gun free zones" and some wackadoodle decides to take advantage of it, you might find yourself wishing there was someone in there who was on your side and disobeyed the sign.


* According to the Uniform Crime Report issued by the FBI, all violent crime — including gun homicide — has gone down over the last 20 years. The gun murder rate has gone from 6.62 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1993 to 3.27 in 2012, a decline of more than 50 percent.

PS to the OP: I was a liberal who was afraid of guns when I got here. Go figure! Be open to change! You never know....

[deedolce]

R_Cowgirl, love what you wrote! It sounds similar to me. I was an avowed liberal, and afraid of guns too. When I got together with my bf, a former Marine who taught firearms in the service, I told him I didn't want to see the guns at all, when he was cleaning them when he got back from the shooting range. Then on our 'meeting-for-the-first-time anniversary' last year, I told him I wanted to try shooting. I didn't want to be 'afraid' out of ignorance. I wanted to be knowledgeable since they were part of my household.

I was nervous, but the first thing that struck me was all the safety involved. He made me memorize and name all the parts from pictures, then on the gun itself, before we practiced 'making it safe' and mock shooting with dummy rounds at home. He made me do this for a couple of months before we actually went shooting. He was so incredibly safety conscious.

I enjoy it now. I have a HUGE respect for them as well.

I WANT the good guys to be armed, whether they're the police, or honest citizens who follow the law, enjoy and own firearms. Bad guys don't care, don't bother, and won't listen to any law put out there. That's why they're the 'bad guys.'

I can't wait to move to AZ when I retire and get out of the ridiculous and ineffective gun laws made by politicians who are woefully ignorant here in CA.

[Arizona84]

If could help, I lived in Arizona for four years, and I saw a guy carry a gun only one time (obviously I'm not counting police officers!). One of the reason could be that I live near the U of A campus, but in general I feel pretty safe going around the city.

[Steve Pickering]

There are more people carrying in Arizona then you may realize. You don't even need a permit anymore. Some like myself have been know to carry open like this. .........



Maybe you should choose Chicago or New York City where only the bad guys have guns.

[motormaker]

Strange, the OP only has 2 posts and hasn't been back for a few months.

[Steve Pickering]

There are people who are offended by the sight of a firearm. Arizona is not for them.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by motormaker

Strange, the OP only has 2 posts and hasn't been back for a few months.

Busy getting settled in Tucson, probably....

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by RHLauren

Thank you for all the thoughtful responses everyone! And thanks for letting me air a couple insecurities. I'm excited for my next adventure. The city seems lovely and I hope I can bring a touch of kindness and life to it, myself.

Well it is not like the city couldn't use a little kindness.