• shalafi@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m certain of it, and that’s why I didn’t have a gun until I was 39. Too mentally unstable. Suicidal ideation is no longer on the table, and hasn’t been for some time.

      And yes, my guns could certainly fight the government. I’d likely die, but how many armed citizens fighting back would the government continue to prosecute? And it’s not like they would call in airstrikes on my hood. And how many soldiers would even participate, knowing they would be under fire from every 2nd window?

      I watched a video last year of jihadis randomly shooting up a residential block of apartments after last year’s Iranian protests. Think that could happen in America? Men running and gunning while the civilians all cower in helplessness? Why or why not?

      Or would they even start? Look OP, I’m 52 and never imagined America falling into the fascist hellscape we’re facing now. The front runner for the GOP candidacy just called me “vermin”, an “internal enemy” that must be exterminated. And he has a solid chance of winning.

      So if you think things are bad now, just how bad would they be if the government knew, for a fact, that the citizenry was helpless? I’m not taking bets, not anymore, not with what I’ve seen this past decade.

      You can choose to be peaceful, but if you are unarmed and practiced, you are merely harmless.

      • Pogbom@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Of those people that were protected, how many were protected from other people with guns? It’s just an arms race basically. Sure everyone needs guns for protection, because everyone has guns. Funny how all the countries with low gun ownership don’t have rampant murders.

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Funny how the countries with high gun ownership don’t have rampant murder. Israel and Switzerland anyone?

          America doesn’t have a gun problem, we have a culture problem.

          • ThunderWhiskers@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Maybe Switzerland and Israel aren’t the best examples. Switzerland has mandatory military service and by extension firearm familiarity training. Israel is…well Israel.

          • Pogbom@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Also s good point. I feel like that adds to mine actually. Considering the severe lack of education, mental health support, etc. in the US, the solution isn’t to add more guns then. Gun ownership increases safety when everyone is responsible (like Switzerland) but decreases it when everyone is not (like the US).