http://hannahhurtful.tumblr.com/post/100088452252/superhappy-cognitivedissonance-after-threats
There is much that I do not understand. Not because I am stupid, although I am decidedly naive, and perhaps ignorant of many things. This just blows me away, though. I don't understand guns in public places, and I really don't understand pistols for general public consumption. The only possible justification I can logically think of for a civilian owning a pistol is if one is going hiking out in bear country. Mainly because bears are unarmed.
Pistols, like guns of any kind, are not weapons of defense. Defense is things like shields, bullet-proof vests, kevlar helmets, and hiding inside a tank. That's defense. Whenever you have a projectile moving towards someone else, you've gone on the offensive. Now, some people may claim that the idea of a pistol-toting populace is a deterrent against crime. Studies on this are ambiguous, but having more guns around doesn't necessarily lead to less gun crime.
By way of anecdotal evidence, I've spoken with several folks who have concealed carry permits and who regularly have weapons on their person. I've asked them why they carry guns. Invariably they say that they feel more secure, and that they have them for defense only. The latter concern I've talked about above, but the security thing always makes me scratch my head. How does having a gun around make someone feel more secure? There's a lot of assumption going on with such security - that the baddie won't have a gun; that said gun won't already be pointed at you; that you can get your gun out of whatever location it's hidden in such a manner as to not be alarming to the baddie; that the baddie will be incapacitated by your adrenaline-induced shooting - enough to not shoot back. Check this:
Please don't misunderstand me - I'm not (!) advocating that people throw their guns into the sea. What I'm suggesting is that the premise behind having guns is flawed. It's a false sense of security and may actually do more harm than good.
I've been in the military and have shot everything from pistols to rocket launchers, from the M-16 to the M-203. I was a pretty good shot, too, qualifying as a sharpshooter, which means I could put a round in a target the size of a pumpkin from 200 yards with over 90% accuracy. I am not afraid of guns, and I'm aware that they have their place, both in sports and in armed conflict. But when it comes to concealed carry of pistols, I just don't see the logic.
And it makes me upset that Anita has had to cancel her address due to stupid morons with guns. Or even the potential for such. Because the message is important - female representation in gaming is atrocious...
Sigh.
There is much that I do not understand. Not because I am stupid, although I am decidedly naive, and perhaps ignorant of many things. This just blows me away, though. I don't understand guns in public places, and I really don't understand pistols for general public consumption. The only possible justification I can logically think of for a civilian owning a pistol is if one is going hiking out in bear country. Mainly because bears are unarmed.
Pistols, like guns of any kind, are not weapons of defense. Defense is things like shields, bullet-proof vests, kevlar helmets, and hiding inside a tank. That's defense. Whenever you have a projectile moving towards someone else, you've gone on the offensive. Now, some people may claim that the idea of a pistol-toting populace is a deterrent against crime. Studies on this are ambiguous, but having more guns around doesn't necessarily lead to less gun crime.
By way of anecdotal evidence, I've spoken with several folks who have concealed carry permits and who regularly have weapons on their person. I've asked them why they carry guns. Invariably they say that they feel more secure, and that they have them for defense only. The latter concern I've talked about above, but the security thing always makes me scratch my head. How does having a gun around make someone feel more secure? There's a lot of assumption going on with such security - that the baddie won't have a gun; that said gun won't already be pointed at you; that you can get your gun out of whatever location it's hidden in such a manner as to not be alarming to the baddie; that the baddie will be incapacitated by your adrenaline-induced shooting - enough to not shoot back. Check this:
Please don't misunderstand me - I'm not (!) advocating that people throw their guns into the sea. What I'm suggesting is that the premise behind having guns is flawed. It's a false sense of security and may actually do more harm than good.
I've been in the military and have shot everything from pistols to rocket launchers, from the M-16 to the M-203. I was a pretty good shot, too, qualifying as a sharpshooter, which means I could put a round in a target the size of a pumpkin from 200 yards with over 90% accuracy. I am not afraid of guns, and I'm aware that they have their place, both in sports and in armed conflict. But when it comes to concealed carry of pistols, I just don't see the logic.
And it makes me upset that Anita has had to cancel her address due to stupid morons with guns. Or even the potential for such. Because the message is important - female representation in gaming is atrocious...
Sigh.
Comments
REALLY?
I was flabbergasted.
Yeah. I don't understand. The world needs this kind of message. It's a shame (in the truest sense of the term) that it's going to be stifled in this manner.