It perpetuates itself. If someone thinks there is a significant probability a burglar might have a gun, getting a gun themselves can increase their chance of survival. This is even ignoring the actual culture around it, where people want guns “just to have them”.
You don’t own a gun in case of a burglar having a gun. It’s in case of home invasion period. I’m not going to wait around to determine if they’re armed or not and I’m not going to restrict myself to some lesser means of stopping them just because they aren’t. I didn’t create this situation and I am not going to accept risk to myself to preserve the life of some asshole who doesn’t even respect me enough not to break into my home.
Isn’t this just a vicious cycle? You own a gun, because other people also have access to guns. The burglar might bring a gun, because the home owner possibly has a gun, etc
I don’t own a gun, I am 100x more likely to use it on myself than need it for self defense where I’m at. But the scenario I’m describing, whether or not the home invader has a gun or not doesn’t matter, the simple fact that they are invading your home in the first place justifies lethal force. You could be injured/killed by them even without them having a gun so the safest option for the resident is shoot them immediately. The resident should not have to accept any level of risk whatsoever in dealing with this situation. You’re not getting a gun because someone might attack you with a gun. You’re getting a gun because someone might attack you.
It perpetuates itself. If someone thinks there is a significant probability a burglar might have a gun, getting a gun themselves can increase their chance of survival. This is even ignoring the actual culture around it, where people want guns “just to have them”.
You don’t own a gun in case of a burglar having a gun. It’s in case of home invasion period. I’m not going to wait around to determine if they’re armed or not and I’m not going to restrict myself to some lesser means of stopping them just because they aren’t. I didn’t create this situation and I am not going to accept risk to myself to preserve the life of some asshole who doesn’t even respect me enough not to break into my home.
Isn’t this just a vicious cycle? You own a gun, because other people also have access to guns. The burglar might bring a gun, because the home owner possibly has a gun, etc
I don’t own a gun, I am 100x more likely to use it on myself than need it for self defense where I’m at. But the scenario I’m describing, whether or not the home invader has a gun or not doesn’t matter, the simple fact that they are invading your home in the first place justifies lethal force. You could be injured/killed by them even without them having a gun so the safest option for the resident is shoot them immediately. The resident should not have to accept any level of risk whatsoever in dealing with this situation. You’re not getting a gun because someone might attack you with a gun. You’re getting a gun because someone might attack you.
Kinda. It’s also a remnant of the old west. Guns were freedom, protection, power, etc.
It would be much more effective to curb crime by meeting everyone’s basic needs than giving everyone a gun.
But dumb Americans don’t know any other way. They are just to self-centered and absorbed to think about anyone else.