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<\/p>\nAt a party recently, after sufficient “lubrication,” I polled the guests on their “barrel count” (number of firearms they own). These are multi-generational Americans, living, in addition to Seattle, in California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. The result was startling even to the guests themselves. These people, 6 of them, can out gun an infantry platoon. They were stunned with the answer themselves.
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In this country, I must assume that my neighbors have guns. I must assume the driver next lane on the freeway has a gun in the glove apartment. I should assume my fellow campers have guns with them. By personal experience, I believe gun owners are statistically nice people, loving parents, highly educated professional, and law-abiding citizens.<\/p>\n
Every year or so, a person, who previously showed no trace of madness and behaved like one of those nice people, brought some guns to a public place and killed. This will continue, since nice people have bad days, get pushed too far, or simply forget to take their medicines.<\/p>\n
Statistically, this is simply part of the risk of living in this country. Not much different than driving to work, fly to a far away city, or touching an shining surface with a smear. Everyday, we accept the risk of getting seriously damaged, or even killed, without thinking too much of it.<\/p>\n
What’s the probability of getting killed by a mad gunman going to the movies? How about getting into a traffic accident? Falling off the sky in an airplane? Contracting a virus from a public surface? Or even from an earthquake, tsunami, or tornado? Even eating a big fat hamburger?<\/p>\n
Yes, Americans have more guns per capita than other countries. Gosh, probably more than they all have added together. But try inserting a word into the blank in the sentences that follow: “Americans love their <…> and are willing to pay a lot for them. This is history, passion, and a fact. It is not going away.”<\/i><\/p>\n
In addition to guns, can you come up with anything else? Is that thing more dangerous than guns?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At a party recently, after sufficient “lubrication,” I polled the guests on their “barrel count” (number of firearms they own). These are multi-generational Americans, living, in addition to Seattle, in California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. The result was startling even … Continue reading