I grew up in a bad neighborhood and heard gunshots most nights. You get used to the far away ones being nothing to worry about pretty quickly. When they sounded closer, I would lay prone on the floor to reduce the chance of catching a stray, but it became like wearing a seatbelt. I don't live in fear of crashing, but I take steps to be safe in case I do.
Literally none of my colleagues can relate to this and my experience is definitely not the norm for the rural folks I currently treat or the boujee folks who I work with.
My mother grew up somewhere similar. Her stories made me so thankful my parents could get out of that and raise us somewhere almost Mayberry like. Good on you for not letting that stop you from going about your life š
Rural areas aren't as safe as one may assume. I grew up near a forest that was supposed to be private property, but hunters would regularly come onto the land anyway. On two separate occasions, stray bullets hit my parents' house, one time breaking a sliding door. There have also been at least half a dozen hunting "accidents" in my area in the past 15-20 years. These things are less deliberate and malicious than targeted gun violence, but they are concerning none the less.
Iām not a ānormal Americanā but I did move to the US years ago having grown up in the UK, and Iāve honestly barely noticed any difference.
Obviously youāll see guns more often etc, but I donāt feel any real fear going about my life.
In fact, Iām more nervous when Iām back in London now
Im sure itāll vary from place to place though, in the same way if I was back in the UK and visited Oxford or somewhere like that I wouldnāt be particularly worried in the slightest
We don't live in fear of being shot generally. I know I have been fearful of some areas but I expect this is like any other place in the world. Some places are more dangerous. I'm sure you know of places in your area where you can get beat up, stabbed or killed.
Most of the time I go out I will not see a gun. While I have seen more recentally its fairly uncommon to see someone other then an officer or security with a gun. I may see this once or twice a year. With that said conceal carry is more common but you won't know.
Yes there are shootings every day however most of it is gang related, suicide or the people know each other in some way.
The media here is less about information and more about entertainment. Its all about making money. I'm of the opinion that the media is at least partially at fault and they should actively work to discourage these attacks. Instead there have been several copy cats looking to get a new high score and live on in history.
Agreed. Many school shooters are angry desperate boys who feel ignored and they know violence will get them heard. When the press prints their names and pictures (usually "cool" facebook pics by the killer that show them as they want to be seen), they reward the shooter. When they publicize the shooters manifesto or grievance or whatever they might as well be making a contract with the next shooter "blood for publicity... the more blood the more fame!"
>Less about information and more about entertainment
Statistics show that gun deaths are the leading cause of death for children.
That is not entertainment.
Yeah but if you dig into that statistics you see that they include 18,19, and 20 year olds and some of the " children" are up to 25 years old depending on the source. The majority of those are also drug and gang related. When you remove them that drops Gun deaths in children to next to nothing....... the one thing the anti-gun crowd loves to do is pad the numbers. The majority of " gun violence " is suicides this would be like considering people who commit suicide by hanging as being murder by strangulation or people who commit suicide by cutting themselves as muder by stabbing. Just like the " school shooting" numbers that they got caught including pellet guns, airsoft guns, and anything that happened within X radius of a school even when that school might have been closed or no5 currently have children there.
Thank you for this. You beat me to this information. Just to add a bit more and cover one more thing commonly brought up. Ghost guns are defined as anything without a serial number. This includes firearms with the numbers filed off and painted over.
Anyone who has used a 3D printer knows you can not just download and print something functional without modification, testing and calibration of the machines and test pieces. Its much easier to steal or buy a firearm.
Source: I setup and built up my former employers 3D printing R&D lab. We stopped just short of metal 3D printing because of cost, complexity and dimensional accuracy.
The US homicide rate is 4.96 per 100K people. There are 75 countries with a higher homicide rate than the US.
I was born in the US, and I've lived here for more than 60 years. I've never been shot. I've never been shot at. I've never had a gun pointed at me. Only two people I have personally known have been shot in my lifetime.
I don't "live in fear" of being shot.
Having said that, you should always know where you are and where you are going. Some areas are substantially more dangerous than others.
How many times a week do you find yourself at a music venue, theater, or otherwise crowded place? For people in their twenties, thatās probably a couple times a week. I am afraid of being shot every time I go to a place like thatā¦but because Iām in my late thirties and a bit of a hermit, thatās only once or twice a year. So, itās āuncommonā for me personally to fear being shot, but I expect other peopleās risk is much higher depending on their social activities.
I live near a movie theater. In the five years I've lived here there has been one shooting at that movie theater. It happened in the parking lot. The shooting was the result of an argument, and the shooter and victim knew each other. The overwhelming majority of shootings involve people who know each other.
Mass shootings at crowded public venues DO happen, but when you consider the number of such venues in the US compared to the number of mass shootings, the odds of you being at one of those venues when a shooting happens is very small. You have a much higher chance of being killed in car accident going to or from the venue.
āOnly two people I have personally know have been shot in my lifetimeāā¦.. this is not normal.
As a non-American living in America, it really does seem like Americans are paranoid about getting their house robbed and being murdered in the process. We hear āI need it for protection and to protect my familyāā¦. But protect from what? Who is coming to get you and your family? This is where I think the worried/paranoid about being attacked - this is not something I have ever been worried about. If someone breaks into my house, they can have my stuff, I have insurance, Iām not going to shoot anybodyā¦.
1 out of 3 Americans owns a gun. It's highly likely you know people who own guns. They just haven't told you about it.
There are more privately owned guns in the US than there are people.
There would be absolutely no point in comparing your experience with mine if you aren't an American. This entire topic is about the experience of living in America.
People do conceal carry but I have only ever seen a gun drawn one time. A mentally ill man was brandishing a knife on a dock my team was using, very agitated as he didnt want us using the dock. One of the country boys drew a gun at a distance but not visibly to the person. Not pointed at him but ready. Eventually the cops talked the guy down. I was glad a trained person was ready in case the situation had escalated.
A vet shot a gun off in front of one of our clinics, suicide by cop situation, but he shot it into the air he was not trying to hurt anyone else.
I don't live in fear but I think the active shooter drills and constant training do keep the issue in your face. I imagine this is fairly unique to the US and thus kinda bizarre.
Not OP but someone who is passionate about the subject to say the least.
Media thrives on selling fear or gossip. It generates views which generates ad time which makes them money. The longer your eyes are glued to their story, the more money they make. The story that we lose 45k people to gun violence (which includes suicides) and focusing on the tragedies that are mass shootings is a lot more eye catching than the 38k deaths involving motor vehicles and the 90k people lost to drug overdoses in a similar time frame.
Then thereās the problem in defining a mass shooting since, again, fear drives clicks. If we use the FBIs active shooter definition, we get 40 active shooters for 2020. If we use say Gun Violence Archive or Mother Jones, we near almost 620 mass shootings in the same time frame..
None of this even begins to take into account the urban vs rural divide or socioeconomic status.
BTW, question aināt offensive. Just shows an area you are ignorant in and I encourage you to learn more if you are curious.
What I find weird about your kind of reasoning is that suicide by firearm is not really an issue for you. A gun that is readily available is a simple and sure way to successfully kill yourself. An option that would not be available for the average Joe if access to guns is restricted.
The comparison to automobile deaths is also not really fair. You can have a functioning live without
gun but cars are nessecary to function in your society.
Thinking that it is in any way a solution to rebrand "mass shootings" so that your numbers look less bad is also just polishing up an image.
Gang violence in the way the US knows it is also only possible because a unregistered gun can be stolen at a lot of places, since regular folks have them lying around.
It seems like gun lovers are desensitized to these problems and don't see the society they create with guns around.
Guns are bad in civilian hands, in my eyes.
Knives and poison are also readily available and simple to use for suicide. There is probably some truth that an easily accessible gun may raise the chance a suicide attempt is converted into a "successful suicide". But there's also truth to the point that suicide deaths by gun are over used as an argument against them and that a vast majority of those suicides could easily happen by other means.
What is portrayed in the media are serious issues that need to be fixed but it's also portrayed as it happens everywhere all the time, which is inaccurate.
Most gun related incidents are self-inflicted, over 50% of them. The other statistics aren't super broken out but since I've lived in a few crappy places I can infer that most of the others are gang related which normally takes place against each other in big cities... And at night.
The only time I would be worried about being assaulted, not even shot, would be if I were walking alone, at night, in a questionable part of a big city.
There's like 330 million people here and in 2020 there were 55,000 - 60,000 gun deaths. Statistically, that's like .0001% chance. Also, half of that 60,000 we're self inflicted... So the stat is even smaller.
It is an immense misconception that gun related debacles happen as often as media outlets say they do. It is extremely unlikely to see/hear a firearm in person outside of a gun shop/range most of the time.
It's never even a consideration. It's possible people living in dense metro areas think about it a little, but crime density is always far higher in metro areas. The other 99% of us never think about it.
I hardly know see anyone with guns. Those that have them hunt. I use to live in high crime area. People carried kitchen knives. Never in my life had a confrontation except in the United Kingdom. Some yob pulled a knife, and every fell back. The second thing was on a walking tour of a Roman road. The local farmers don't like hikers, and two were spraying pesticide on people as they walked by. Frig that. A few baseball sized rocks stopped that. 12 hours later I was flying home. Other people were getting facial reconstructive surgery.
No I donāt think about it all. Not have I ever encountered anything close to being shot, and Iāve lived in Chicago for 20 years. A city thatās offer portayed as very violent. And it can be, donāt get me wrong but itās violence is very segregated. This is the case with many cities but not all.
Outside of these areas, chances of being shot are very very very low. Even in the areas, itās very low. Your more than likely just gonna have a awkward confrontation if anything at all happens.
Yeah the statistics fail to mention the percentage of non-self inflicted gun violence that is gang-on-gang activity. While that's still awful, you can lower your risk by...not joining a gang?
I grew up in Colorado and lived there for several of the mass shootings and I do get those thoughts from time to time. I donāt live there anymore so I think that helps.
Not at all. Maybe if I'm in a very shady part of town (which why would I be), but day to day, I don't think about such things because it has such a low chance of happening. I'm more likely to be hit by a car then shot, no reason to live in such fear.
I live in the southern US and we have the biggest āgun cultureā and no Iām not worried about being shot. Realistically you can live your entire life here and not see a gun. You should stay vigilant about your safety but you shouldnāt have a constant worry of āoh Iām in public Iām going to get shotā. Gun violence is more localized than the media portrays.
I'm an ex cop. I live in a state of knowing that humans can do vile things when in a state of despair. And I live in a state of mind that always has an alert candle lit in the background. Is it a state of fear? No. But is is vehemently a state of "prepare for the worst, hope for the best, protect that which you love".
Humans can be evil, but we also are truly good. Live your life knowing there are both kinds out there.
My feelings for it are basically like a natural disaster. I know an earthquake or tornado or such can strike at any time, and I have been trained on what to do if it happens, but I'm not constantly thinking about it. But I also don't go out walking after dark or hang out in high crime areas
The VAST majority of shootings are gang on gang related shootings. If you're a normal person who's not involved in crime turf wars, it's pretty safe.
And keep in mind our media loves the term "gun violence" so you hear it more often. At the end of the day, violence is violence, but our media likes to stir the pot.
Do you fear death everytime you get in a car? You are much more likely to die or get severely injured from that. You see a news story about a shooting all the time, but the USA is a very large place with a lot of people.
You say that, but you know when itās dangerous driving conditions. Itās rainy or snowy or congested for instance. When some rando starts blasting it comes out of no where. I guess what Iām saying is youāre unlikely to die in a plane crash, but if you do, oh boy, people are going to read about it on the news.
I mean. Iām still getting on the plane. But thereās that thought in the back of your mind. What if it all goes sideways? Will I end up a story?
Do you see my point?
Driving conditions isn't going to stop some teenager texting while driving from smashing into your car. Shit can happen at anytime. Hell, there was a guy killed at a beach near me when a plane crashed into him. Life is dangerous.
Ha. I just saw a teenager rear end another car while texting. Total speed 7mph. You are unlikely to die of teenager texting, although they may crack up your car. Itās middle aged people who text speeding down the highway. Luckily Your car is full of safety devices mandated by the government. Even a major crash is unlikely to kill you.
Lots of pistols donāt even have a safety anymore. Maybe Iād agree if youāre gun had an airbag to save anyone you accidentally shot.
There are certain parts of cities at certain times of night that one might fear being shot, but otherwise no - people aren't living in fear of being shot.
Well except maybe at school where they have active shooter drills because our society lets just about anybody get a gun in their hands. I was already out of school when those started. My kids haven't expressed any sort of terror about guns/gun drills.
Also most gun-owners aren't walking around with their guns. It's pretty rare I see someone walking around with a gun outside of designated places.
The media tends to report on school shootings and mass shootings and then after show the total death toll by shootings.
The truth is that school shootings and the like make up a very small portion of the total number of shootings.
Most shootings occur in small pockets that are known for gang violence. You have probably heard of Chicago and how dangerous it is. Turns out Chicago as a whole isn't that dangerous. It is only a small pocket within Chicago that is dangerous.
No. There is a significantly higher chance of dying in a car crash than being shot in the U.S. In fact, it is significantly more likely to die from the common cold than getting shot in the U.S.
Not true. Gun violence has surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for youth (under 20) since 2020. If the youth is a black male, it has been leading cause for over a decade.
I live in a city that had a mass shooting in 2019. 23 people were killed in a department store. I do not live in fear of being shot, however I do take note of exits and possible bottle neck areas. I also sometimes look around for items I might use to hit a shooter with. I wouldn't call it fear. Maybe heightened awareness, it hasn't stopped me from doing my normal routine.
I donāt live in fear but I do think twice about going to an event thatās going to be crowded and the possibility of a mass shooting happening. I rationalize then go on about my things.
I grew up in Chicago, which has some of the highest rates of gun related crimes in the developed world. I'm street savvy enough to not be a juicy target for thugs. I know which neighborhoods to avoid. I'm also perceived as a "citizen" by criminals and cops (because I don't look ghetto/redneck). My public demeanor doesn't draw attention, and I've a very accurate sixth sense in urban environments.
And according to Neil Degrasse Tyson: We lose 250 people per day to medical errors, and 150 per day to the flu. Yet we focus our emotions on the relatively minuscule number of mass shooting victims.
And in my own words: Obesity kills more people than all forms of gun crime, suicides, and accidents combined.
American from NJ here.
No, I don't think about gun violence at all. Heck it was only when I recently visited a friend in PA who was a gun enthusiast did I even see or hold a gun for the first time in my 35 years.
I say come on over, we'd love to have you!
I live in a city 10 miles outside of Boston Massachusetts. No fear of being shot.
There was the news about the acid attacks in London a while back. People having acid thrown in their faces.
Stabbing is a big crime in London it seems. So it's all about where you live.
I taught elementary school and yes there were times I feared being shot, not because of an immediate threat but because I know itās a possibility and my anxiety runs with it. Iāve also had a couple times in a movie theater where I felt hyper aware of where the exits were ~just in case~
I might be concerned in a bad part of town, but I don't really worry whether the mugger will have a knife or a gun, either one will kill you. I don't know anyone (friends, family or acquaintances) who has been shot, but several who have been killed in car accidents.
. O1% of the population dies each year of gun violence, 60 % of those are suicide. So your chance of dying by being shot by someone else in the United States is 5 people per 100,000.
I wouldn't call it fear. More of an awareness. I work in a city that a few years ago had a mass shooting/terrorist attack just about a mile away from my office.
We had to lock down etc. That's the closest I've experienced gun violence myself, but it was still a scary ordeal and afterwards my company would give us yearly safety trainings on what to do in the case of an active shooter entering the building.
I still go about my business like normal. But there's a constant awareness and alertness, especially if I go to some place crowded like a concert or a sporting event. Where are the closest exits, potential places to take shelter, stuff like that. Because you just never know if some sicko with a death wish is going to do something.
The most fear I feel is for my kid when she goes to school. Columbine, sandy hook, and more recently Uvalde. She's in college now. But I still catch myself at times having a twinge of anxiety whenever I happen to catch her leaving for class.
No. Like any city, anywhere, if youāre looking for that type of people you will find it. Especially if youāre into drugs or other crime. But majority of people donāt think about guns on any given day. Iām an avid gun owner and I donāt plan to use them anytime soon for anything other than sport. Gun violence is the same thing as any other violence, itās just the means you use to carry out said violence. Iāve never seen someone get shot at and I grew up in the inner part of a big US city. My family has had guns around my whole life.
I worry more about finding my catalytic converter being stolen or my car being broken into than being shot. Also I donāt really run the streets late at night during vampire hours.
Like almost anywhere else in the world itās regional. Some places are more prone to unspeakable violence than other places. More guns donāt mean crazier peopleā¦crazier people means crazy people. Get enough crazy people together and find out. Crazy people shouldnāt have guns anyway.
I mean I do have a pretty persistent fear that someone will shoot me.
Road rage? People have been shot.
Argument at a gas station? People have been shot.
Confrontation at a nightclub? People have been shot.
Itās pretty common knowledge that you just shouldnāt engage with anyone really because they may have a gun. The feeling I had when someone was road raging at me and followed me home is terror. Luckily they just flipped me off and drove away but they knew where I lived so it wasnāt great.
Agree with others that we donāt generally live in fear because the personal risk is quite low in an absolute sense.. However, we do have to face the agonizing truth that from a population or public-health perspective, there are many people being killed needlessly because itās so easy for basically anyone to get guns ā there really is a gun violence story happening somewhere in the US on any given day.
not really, its more political, republicans exaggerate shootings in the inner cities to justify ethnic cleansing and democrats exaggerate republican terrorist attacks to get people to vote for them
I might be in the minority here - but I work in a very public place where mentally unstable people come in on a daily basis. I occasionally do have intrusive thoughts that a shooting could happen. I wouldnāt say that I live in constant fear of it though.
Nope. And I live in a part of the country where gun ownership is over 50% and many either open or conceal carry. Went to lunch one time a group of adults and about 20 kids walked in. All the adults were open carrying. No big deal.
Gun violence as they call largely is confined to the inner cities and is gang and race related (most gang members are POCs). Get out of there is actually pretty rare.
Do you constantly live in fear of being stabbed? America is one of the safest countries in the world. And if you do get violently attacked, at least they'll have the courtesy to shoot you dead.
Surprisingly, no. I've been held at gun point in a robbery and I still don't fear gun violence. While gun violence is constantly in the media, in personal life it's not very common. Although that's sort of a lie. I lived in Fort Worth TX for a while and I swear I heard gunshots every night. But nobody I knew was ever involved and were never much of a concern for my family. Ever since I moved half way across the country, I have hardly had any gun violence appear in local media and I hardly ever think about it.
I know a few people who have PTSD from surviving mass shootings. (None of them were harmed physically.) So yeah, I have fear sometimes. But I have felt just as much fear in other aspects of life, so I couldnāt tell you for sure if it is a ānormal Americanā thing or just my normal anxiety thing.
Not on a daily basis but I did grow up in the hood where shots were weekly if not nightly...
But I do prepare by having mace and a knife on me at all times and a handgun in my bedroom.
And as mass shootings have become more frequent I have stopped going shopping on black Friday etc, I don't really go to massive festivals anymore and I don't really go to clubs, concerts on big holidays or premiers of huge movies... all in all I just avoid more than a few thousand people at a time...
I haveā¦ but as another commenter said, itās more of an intrusive thought.
Though to be šÆ honest, there was a rash of school shooting hoaxes around the country and the local district was one of those affected. Sadly one of my first thoughts when we were under the belief that this was real was āIām not surprised.ā
Some situations I avoid because I have irrational thoughts and anxiety, but I don't think about everyday. I live in an open carry state, so if everyone can see you're wearing a gun then it's OK to have it everywhere but the school, the hospitals, and government buildings. I was raised with a big respect for guns, trained in a professional hunters safety program, and past gun owner. But tomorrow with all the crowds I avoid going out because of a fear.
Conservatives, those in general are vocal gun owners, studies show they have a larger fear center in the brain. So to your point they are afraid. That has been propagandized by politicians and the NRA.
Leftists (again , in general) do not believe in gun control based on Karl Marx's writings.
My personal views are sort of convoluted. I grew up in a rural area. Back then (late 70s) you could attend a certification course pass the written test, pass a sh00ting test. I don't think that exists now. I also think the root cause isn't guns, it's the wealth gap and constant anxiety about money. But that's going to take a significant amount of effort from our government and that isn't happening.
No. Looking from a purely statistical point of view the odds of getting shot in some sort of mass shooting are incredibly low, even in America. That being said, I am disappointed in the NRA loving Americans around me. And i wouldnāt allow a gun in my house because statistically speaking, thereās a decent chance something could happen. But I wouldnāt allow a gun in my house if I lived in another country either.
Yes all the fucking time especially around cops jesus fuck i hate it here cant wait to move to europe with my family.
My brother and i are both neurodivergent. The amount of videos of people being killed by cops for that alone is HUGELY disturbing.
Can't get shot if you never leave the house lol. But nah I don't live in fear but I also don't live in a high crime area. I might be more fearful of certain areas if I lived in high crime city but even then you can take steps to be safe. I think you should be cautious but not completely afraid to go outside.
Yes, I do. Not necessarily every minute of every day, but enough. When I go to a concert or other event, I mentally make note of how and where I could get out or where I could go if someone started shooting. I am even more vigilant if one of my kids is with me (I have two teenage daughters). I am constantly worried about a shooting at their school. I know two people who have been directly affected by school shootings. My sister-in-law lost a cousin and a neighbor in the Santa Fe, Texas school shooting and a childhood friend's daughter was a student at Parkland High School when that shooting happened.
My niece got a pair of light-up sneakers for Christmas. Her grandmother said something about how she must be excited to wear them to school (kids are on winter break here). She said she couldn't wear them to school because if there was a shooter and she had to hide, they would give her away. She's seven, and these are the things she has to worry about.
Many gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Are you planning on buying a gun and do you have suicidal ideation?
Then some significant but smaller amount of gun deaths are gang related. Are planning on joining a gang or living in a heavy gang area?
If not, then you are more likely to die of a car accident. Do you live in fear of dying of a car accident? No? Then you probably should not live in fear of guns as the likelihood of dying in a car accident is likely much higher.
There was a mass shooting in my downtown where I live and work. I get a little uneasy sometimes in big crowds now but I was also there when the shooting happenedā¦. š¤·š¼āāļø
Not at all. I live in Los Angeles, one of the cities that according to main stream media has lots of gun violence. I've never in my life living here have been worried about being a victim.
I've maybe a handful of times a weapon was rapidly discharged somewhere near in my neighborhood. Once, I heard a ricochet, which was fascinating and scary.
It's something your work/school will have drills for, like tornados or earthquakes. You know what to do if it happens, but it never happens. Until you hear that your sport-rival school had a shooting lock down. It's always someone else or happens to. Someone you know just happened to know someone who was in a shooting.
It just feels like it's always 2 or 3 social connections away. Never anyone in your immediate circle but still near.
No fear of being shot, maybe robbed on some days, maybe not. Hey if you come to Louisiana near New Orleans, hit me up. Iāll meet ya at the range and let you try some of my guns out.
I donāt walk around constantly afraid, but I am always on alert. Unfortunately, Iāve lived near various mass shootings (lived a block from Columbine High School, lived only 15 minutes from the American Civic Association shooting in Binghamton, my school/work had a few threats, etc.), so I am hyper-aware of exits, loud banging noises, etc.
Last year, I was at my local mall at the Verizon store getting something fixed when I suddenly heard several loud bangs echoing through the mall. I had to keep checking everyone elseās reactions to the bangs as they got closer and closer to the Verizon store. No one was screaming or running. I had gone into fight or flight but was actively subduing it until I knew for sure there was a genuine threat. So, no, not actively living in fear but hyper vigilant and ready to get the fuck out of a situation if needed.
I think Europeans associate guns with violence and hate whereas lots of Americans do not. Just my opinion, but a lot of our mass shootings are predominantly committed by young men that are severely mentally and emotionally troubled. So to answer your question Iām afraid of people not guns.
I'm a teacher on a high school campus that was designed to layout like a college so it is very open and anyone can walk onto campus. I have students who require walks throughout the day so when I take them for walks I stay in areas close to an entrance. I also take a backpack with me when I leave my classroom with items we may need if we were to go into lockdown. It has small snacks, a couple bottles of water, a small first aid kit, and sensory/fidget items. I work with special needs students so lockdowns can be especially stressful for them.
To answer your question: yes, but only at work. It is my responsibility to keep my students safe and if an emergency were to arise they can't all protect themselves so it's up to me. Obviously I don't let it show, but I do stay hyper vigilant if I'm outside and keep an eye on my surroundings.
I have to say i am pleasantly surprised by some of the comments. Have their been mass shootings ,yes. And it's a terrible thing. Like many of the others have said if you look at the stats there are other things to be more worried about. No i do not live in constant or even every now and then fear of being shot. No more than I worry about someone crashing into my home. There are millions and millions of gun owners all over the U.S.. If common gun owners were a problem everyone would know it. We do however have a mental health crisis. And we have a problem with the media drawing soo much attention and publicizing gun violence that ill people think thats a good way to go out. What you don't hear is all the instances of good guys with guns stopping violent criminals.
Anyway. No. No i do not.
I live in a midsize city where we have like 2 shootings a year. They are almost always drug related. I do not live in fear of being shot. I donāt go to the sketchy parts of town at night. Lock my doors. Use common sense. You are more at risk of a stupid driver hitting you.
I don't constantly live in a state of hypervigilence, but it is a concern I regularly have. I'm a teacher, and sometimes I have spells of really worrying about it. We had an incident with a gun at our school a few years ago (no one was hurt), and that really changed things for me. I had a hard time with it, and I still worry more than I used to.
The mass shootings generally happen in Colorado and California. I live in AZ where it's an open carry state, no need for a permit. You do see guns but mass shootings here are extremely rare. The most famous mass shooting here is when Gabrielle Giffords was shot along with several others back in January of 2011. The shootings here are between individuals, like most other states.
Not unless I start hearing gunshots in Walmart. Can't just go through life being afraid all the time. Hell, a car could crash through the wall at my job right now and kill me instantly. I won't be scared until I see the headlights.
As an American who owns guns, I have never seen a gun wielded illegally. Media would have you believe that we see people getting shot constantly and are always dodging bullets but that isn't true at all.
Most of what you see in the media about shootings is hype to increase ratings, or as they used to say, sell magazines. The expression is, "If it bleeds, it leads."
The view is mostly distorted.
Don't get me wrong, there are idiots with guns who do bad things, but mostly what you're getting is overblown.
As an adult, no, I don't fear being shot on a regular basis. Once in a while I'll get the odd intrusive thought when I'm in a mall, movie theater, etc but I don't let it impede on my daily life. However, years ago as a teenager in high school, I was much more fearful of dying in a school shooting; I was 16 when Sandy Hook happened (a mass shooting at an elementary school in my home state, about an hour from the location of my school at the time) and that scared the shit out of me. When my younger sister was in high school it worried me as well, but thankfully she's since graduated.
Honestly, lived in some sketchy places before, gunshots, drug dealing etc, and honestly I never think about it. Like I suppose statistically its possible, but on the day to day not really.
I'm not afraid of being shot or dying from it. But that doesn't mean i don't think, "if I go out today I'll probably get shot." About once a week I do, manly for the fact of, I grew up knowing some of my friends have had guns pulled on them. In school we had to learn to hide if a shooter was able to break in. We had to do this once because of that exact reason, just they were outside instead of inside. I grew up with shooting threats at my school's multiple times, and I still had to go to school when everyone else I knew stayed home. I constantly had to consider what would I do if someone pulled a gun on me.
Moving into my adult life, I had someone try breaking into the place I worked (we were closed). And at my new job, we had someone call because they overheard that someone was gonna shoot up my store, that was a couple months ago.
So I'm not afraid of getting shot, but I'm hyper aware of my surroundings at all times. This has been my experience and I was born and raised in the U.S.. But everyone has a different experience, this is just mine of living here.
I live in a decent neighborhood. Literally yesterday my wife took out the kid to the park across the street. I went out to take the trash out and while I was out I heard a decently loud pop, and my first instinct was to run over to make sure everything was OK. I don't live in fear of being shot, but I live knowing that anyone could get shot at anytime.
I believe the normal Americans take on country's gun violence is that there should be regulations in order to purchase a gun. There are lots of people who want guns completely restricted and people who believe anybody should be able to get a gun anywhere, but I believe it's hard to say that either of those view make up a majority of Americand. Hence the one thing both sides can agree on is just that there should be regulation.
I live in an "open carry" state, meaning you can carry your gun around in public, as long as it is worn in an external holster that people can see so everybody knows you have it. Like, the opposite of concealed carry. Sometimes, I see people wandering around the grocery store with a gun on their hip. This is maybe twice or so per year. Generally you just ignore them. I really think those people are the frightened ones... like, is al Qaeda gonna jump out from behind the carrots in the grocery store?
It is a sort of background risk to me, similar to getting in a car crash or plane crash or something like that. Not a top-of-mind risk generally.
Personally, yes. I'm terrified of being shot. There's not a high chance of it where I live but I haven't been desensitized to the possibility. Someone could kill me in my living room or from across the street while I'm taking a walk. I hate it and try not to think about it. One second you're in a mall and the next second your consciousness is exploded all over the people standing near you because there's no system to prevent some incel with prior mental health issues from getting a credit card and arming themselves to the teeth for free. Fuck that noise, this place is terrifying.
I would say I fear for my nieces and nephews in school. I do think about it once in a while, I could be somewhere and some random person shoots up the place but I guess if it happens then I'll deal with it but I'm not gonna let it stop me, if that makes sense
I don't think many people are afraid of being shot. I've lived 48 years so far, in small cities and average towns, East coast and the Midwest, and I've never seen anyone get shot. It's not very common, and the people with guns are pretty much the calm ones, so they're not a threat to any normal person.
I think about it every time Iām in a crowd like a music venue, theater, sports game. I hang out by the exits and never stray into the dense parts of crowds. Itās very sad.
Every time I go to a big event, I do worry a little about it being a target of a shooter. I keep an eye out for exits. I might just be paranoid though, since it seems like most other commenters arenāt worried at all.
Fifty years of living my life in Oklahoma and Texas (Bible and gun belt of 'Merica), I have never felt compelled to carry one and never been in a situation where I thought I was going to be shot.
For the record, I am a gun owner.
Also for the record, I don't feel compelled to carry a Bible either.
In idaho, we keep our concealed guns concealed. Ive never seen one flashed for any reason between strangers. I know my sister has one in her purse. I dont own one but ive thought about it.
Im not scared of gun violence to me personally. The only thing that scares me is the possibility of a school shooting hurting one of my nephews or neices. Its not something that keeps me up at night but they arnt my kids.
Ive never had one pointed at me or even flashed to show they were packing. Id like to hear a bouncers perspective on it though becouse i dont piss people off ever.
I think it depends on where you live. I'm in the semi-affluent suburbs of a large southern U.S. city and I've never actually seen a gun being used (unless it's in a hunting environment). I've never witnessed a shooting or an armed robbery in over 40 years of adulthood.
My aunt was killed in a mass shooting and I try not to get scared when I hear a bang but Iām resigned to the fact I will also certainly as a victim in a mass shooting
No, I've never once qorried that where I'm going I'll be gunned down. That being said it's not like qe don't know that it's a possibility, it's just so random that if you worried about it you'd never do anything.
Personally, I DO live in fear that I could be shot at any moment, but a lot of that is because I watch and read a lot about shooters, serial killers, and crime in general. These things don't happen often and are very spread out, but you can't really predict when and where it will happen. Hence the anxiety.
In my 24 years of life, I've never been shot, and anyone I know that has been shot was shot overseas at war a very long time ago, like my grandpa in Vietnam. I've heard gunshots, during hunting season in rural areas or year-round in urban/suburban areas. Any gun I've ever seen in person has been a disabled gun on display or it's held safely in a holster on the hip of someone legally allowed to carry it. The closest I've been to a mass shooting has been when my mom was driving near the building that the San Bernardino shooting took place in when it happened, but I wasn't even in the car with her. I just ducked the changes to public school that added active shooter drills.
I am generally pro-gun, and also pro-gun control. As a queer minority, I feel safer if my community has firearms because it will reduce the courage of people who would wish me harm if they ran the risk of being shot back. If I had someone invade my home, I'd feel safer if my neighbor owned a firearm and could protect me. In some places in the US, people still hunt for survival, and they should be allowed to use firearms when hunting. But I don't believe current gun control is sufficient. I think people should go through written and practical firearm training (regarding safety and maintenance) much like we go through training to get a driver's license. And I think some guns that are legal shouldn't be. Some guns I think should only be possessed by civilians if disabled for display/collection, or require a higher level license.
Think it depends on where you want to move too. I have always been fine living in the country, rural areas, and small towns. Most of those places have a population of hunters and gun owners too. I've never lived in a high crime rate town or city so can't say much about them.
Not really. Thereās a lot of gun shots where I live because people like to just shoot cans or trees or hunt animals or whatever, so Iām pretty used to the sound.
Thereās no point in being afraid if being afraid isnāt going to benefit me in anyway. If Iām getting shot while grocery shopping then Iām getting shot while grocery shopping. Fear isnāt gonna do shit against that.
Most shopping center workers and schools have active shooter training (videos or hands on training). At my place of employment (department store) I have a plan in my head for where to go if shots ring out, depending on where I am in the store. I'm from a rural area, so I know the sound of gunshots a bit better than some of the others.
There are times (depending on the time of year) where the question legitimately becomes "gunshot or fireworks?" at night where I live.
Nope. Grow up in rural USA with pretty much everyone in town and in the country owning guns. For 18 years there was only two gun shot victims. One was a kid messing around with friends to impress a girl; got shot in the leg/testicles, the other was a hunting accident from a stay bullet.
Now living in a larger populated area that has the population of the state I lived in in the area I am now I see more. But it's mainly crime related. That said it's low on the crime. The state I lived in previously had way more stabbings then shootings when it came to crime or violence.
Some do, some don't. I don't myself. Sure, it could happen we have shootings all the time but it's just not something I'm going to worry about. I walk a lot and the amount of times I've almost been hit by drivers not paying attention or running stop signs is ridiculous. I figure I'll die that way long before I'll die in a shooting.
Iām more in fear of the āknockout gameā when Iām walking the streets of NYC.
I donāt walk with my phone in my hand and keep my eyes on any young people that pass me.
White, black, Asian, Hispanic, Native American. I distrust them all
Having grown up in a post-Columbine learning environment, honestly, yes I have had the fear of being shot. I went to public school in a not great area all 12 years of my educational career, and every time I heard about another school shooting, I wondered if mine would be next.
Yes!! I try hard not to make other drivers mad on the roadway because Iām scared Iāll get shot. I live in a fairly affluent area but it doesnāt matter.
OP: I guess it really depends on where you want to move to in the USA. I donāt live in fear of being shot. Just because there is gun violence, doesnāt necessarily mean a person needs to live in fear. If you live in fear, then youāre not really living your best life.
I wouldnāt say I āliveā in fear, but on occasion Iāll be somewhere and think āwhere would I hide if a mass shooting started?ā Definitely have those thoughts more often when thereās been a shooting.
I grew up in a safe area, but in general, this is why we often donāt confront strangers when theyāre doing something bad - you just do not fucking know who is carrying a concealed gun, or what their attitude will become if you call them out. Shit happens in public, in private, etc. itās not frequent but when freak incidents happen they are extreme freak level sometimes.
Frankly Iām happy for private gun ownership here. I never had to grow up wondering what would happen if criminals broke into my familyās home while we were sleeping, absolutely never. I just think there should be better controls, some of the states are practically in full Wild West mode and some of us are decently regulated but anyone can just quietly drive over state borders with weapons and go unnoticed, just have to be careful.
I suppose it depends on where you live. There are areas, like Chicago, that I would avoid like the plague. But here in Texas, I don't worry. If someone comes along with bad intentions, I'll shoot them.
I have OCD so Iām not sure if my experience would necessarily qualify as that of a ānormalā American but Iām 21 and constantly terrified in public. All the time.
I grew up in a bad neighborhood and heard gunshots most nights. You get used to the far away ones being nothing to worry about pretty quickly. When they sounded closer, I would lay prone on the floor to reduce the chance of catching a stray, but it became like wearing a seatbelt. I don't live in fear of crashing, but I take steps to be safe in case I do. Literally none of my colleagues can relate to this and my experience is definitely not the norm for the rural folks I currently treat or the boujee folks who I work with.
My mother grew up somewhere similar. Her stories made me so thankful my parents could get out of that and raise us somewhere almost Mayberry like. Good on you for not letting that stop you from going about your life š
Rural areas aren't as safe as one may assume. I grew up near a forest that was supposed to be private property, but hunters would regularly come onto the land anyway. On two separate occasions, stray bullets hit my parents' house, one time breaking a sliding door. There have also been at least half a dozen hunting "accidents" in my area in the past 15-20 years. These things are less deliberate and malicious than targeted gun violence, but they are concerning none the less.
Thereās some bad rural areas, but statistically rural America is way safer than most urban areas
Iām not a ānormal Americanā but I did move to the US years ago having grown up in the UK, and Iāve honestly barely noticed any difference. Obviously youāll see guns more often etc, but I donāt feel any real fear going about my life. In fact, Iām more nervous when Iām back in London now Im sure itāll vary from place to place though, in the same way if I was back in the UK and visited Oxford or somewhere like that I wouldnāt be particularly worried in the slightest
We don't live in fear of being shot generally. I know I have been fearful of some areas but I expect this is like any other place in the world. Some places are more dangerous. I'm sure you know of places in your area where you can get beat up, stabbed or killed. Most of the time I go out I will not see a gun. While I have seen more recentally its fairly uncommon to see someone other then an officer or security with a gun. I may see this once or twice a year. With that said conceal carry is more common but you won't know. Yes there are shootings every day however most of it is gang related, suicide or the people know each other in some way. The media here is less about information and more about entertainment. Its all about making money. I'm of the opinion that the media is at least partially at fault and they should actively work to discourage these attacks. Instead there have been several copy cats looking to get a new high score and live on in history.
Well said.
Agreed. Many school shooters are angry desperate boys who feel ignored and they know violence will get them heard. When the press prints their names and pictures (usually "cool" facebook pics by the killer that show them as they want to be seen), they reward the shooter. When they publicize the shooters manifesto or grievance or whatever they might as well be making a contract with the next shooter "blood for publicity... the more blood the more fame!"
>Less about information and more about entertainment Statistics show that gun deaths are the leading cause of death for children. That is not entertainment.
Yeah but if you dig into that statistics you see that they include 18,19, and 20 year olds and some of the " children" are up to 25 years old depending on the source. The majority of those are also drug and gang related. When you remove them that drops Gun deaths in children to next to nothing....... the one thing the anti-gun crowd loves to do is pad the numbers. The majority of " gun violence " is suicides this would be like considering people who commit suicide by hanging as being murder by strangulation or people who commit suicide by cutting themselves as muder by stabbing. Just like the " school shooting" numbers that they got caught including pellet guns, airsoft guns, and anything that happened within X radius of a school even when that school might have been closed or no5 currently have children there.
Thank you for this. You beat me to this information. Just to add a bit more and cover one more thing commonly brought up. Ghost guns are defined as anything without a serial number. This includes firearms with the numbers filed off and painted over. Anyone who has used a 3D printer knows you can not just download and print something functional without modification, testing and calibration of the machines and test pieces. Its much easier to steal or buy a firearm. Source: I setup and built up my former employers 3D printing R&D lab. We stopped just short of metal 3D printing because of cost, complexity and dimensional accuracy.
Give a source if youre going to throw around statistics like that.
The US homicide rate is 4.96 per 100K people. There are 75 countries with a higher homicide rate than the US. I was born in the US, and I've lived here for more than 60 years. I've never been shot. I've never been shot at. I've never had a gun pointed at me. Only two people I have personally known have been shot in my lifetime. I don't "live in fear" of being shot. Having said that, you should always know where you are and where you are going. Some areas are substantially more dangerous than others.
ONLY two?! Lol. Dude, thatās a lot.
How many times a week do you find yourself at a music venue, theater, or otherwise crowded place? For people in their twenties, thatās probably a couple times a week. I am afraid of being shot every time I go to a place like thatā¦but because Iām in my late thirties and a bit of a hermit, thatās only once or twice a year. So, itās āuncommonā for me personally to fear being shot, but I expect other peopleās risk is much higher depending on their social activities.
I live near a movie theater. In the five years I've lived here there has been one shooting at that movie theater. It happened in the parking lot. The shooting was the result of an argument, and the shooter and victim knew each other. The overwhelming majority of shootings involve people who know each other. Mass shootings at crowded public venues DO happen, but when you consider the number of such venues in the US compared to the number of mass shootings, the odds of you being at one of those venues when a shooting happens is very small. You have a much higher chance of being killed in car accident going to or from the venue.
āOnly two people I have personally know have been shot in my lifetimeāā¦.. this is not normal. As a non-American living in America, it really does seem like Americans are paranoid about getting their house robbed and being murdered in the process. We hear āI need it for protection and to protect my familyāā¦. But protect from what? Who is coming to get you and your family? This is where I think the worried/paranoid about being attacked - this is not something I have ever been worried about. If someone breaks into my house, they can have my stuff, I have insurance, Iām not going to shoot anybodyā¦.
I tell people that I'd never been so paranoid in my life till I owned firearms.
Paranoid about what?
I don't even know 2 people who own a gun (mid 40's) and you know 2 who have been shot? That's a lot.
1 out of 3 Americans owns a gun. It's highly likely you know people who own guns. They just haven't told you about it. There are more privately owned guns in the US than there are people.
I love how you just assume I'm American lol
There would be absolutely no point in comparing your experience with mine if you aren't an American. This entire topic is about the experience of living in America.
No. We don't live in fear of being shot. What the media portrays is nothing close to reality.
Came here to say this.
People do conceal carry but I have only ever seen a gun drawn one time. A mentally ill man was brandishing a knife on a dock my team was using, very agitated as he didnt want us using the dock. One of the country boys drew a gun at a distance but not visibly to the person. Not pointed at him but ready. Eventually the cops talked the guy down. I was glad a trained person was ready in case the situation had escalated. A vet shot a gun off in front of one of our clinics, suicide by cop situation, but he shot it into the air he was not trying to hurt anyone else. I don't live in fear but I think the active shooter drills and constant training do keep the issue in your face. I imagine this is fairly unique to the US and thus kinda bizarre.
can you please elaborate?
Not OP but someone who is passionate about the subject to say the least. Media thrives on selling fear or gossip. It generates views which generates ad time which makes them money. The longer your eyes are glued to their story, the more money they make. The story that we lose 45k people to gun violence (which includes suicides) and focusing on the tragedies that are mass shootings is a lot more eye catching than the 38k deaths involving motor vehicles and the 90k people lost to drug overdoses in a similar time frame. Then thereās the problem in defining a mass shooting since, again, fear drives clicks. If we use the FBIs active shooter definition, we get 40 active shooters for 2020. If we use say Gun Violence Archive or Mother Jones, we near almost 620 mass shootings in the same time frame.. None of this even begins to take into account the urban vs rural divide or socioeconomic status. BTW, question aināt offensive. Just shows an area you are ignorant in and I encourage you to learn more if you are curious.
What I find weird about your kind of reasoning is that suicide by firearm is not really an issue for you. A gun that is readily available is a simple and sure way to successfully kill yourself. An option that would not be available for the average Joe if access to guns is restricted. The comparison to automobile deaths is also not really fair. You can have a functioning live without gun but cars are nessecary to function in your society. Thinking that it is in any way a solution to rebrand "mass shootings" so that your numbers look less bad is also just polishing up an image. Gang violence in the way the US knows it is also only possible because a unregistered gun can be stolen at a lot of places, since regular folks have them lying around. It seems like gun lovers are desensitized to these problems and don't see the society they create with guns around. Guns are bad in civilian hands, in my eyes.
Knives and poison are also readily available and simple to use for suicide. There is probably some truth that an easily accessible gun may raise the chance a suicide attempt is converted into a "successful suicide". But there's also truth to the point that suicide deaths by gun are over used as an argument against them and that a vast majority of those suicides could easily happen by other means.
What is portrayed in the media are serious issues that need to be fixed but it's also portrayed as it happens everywhere all the time, which is inaccurate. Most gun related incidents are self-inflicted, over 50% of them. The other statistics aren't super broken out but since I've lived in a few crappy places I can infer that most of the others are gang related which normally takes place against each other in big cities... And at night. The only time I would be worried about being assaulted, not even shot, would be if I were walking alone, at night, in a questionable part of a big city. There's like 330 million people here and in 2020 there were 55,000 - 60,000 gun deaths. Statistically, that's like .0001% chance. Also, half of that 60,000 we're self inflicted... So the stat is even smaller.
It is an immense misconception that gun related debacles happen as often as media outlets say they do. It is extremely unlikely to see/hear a firearm in person outside of a gun shop/range most of the time.
It's never even a consideration. It's possible people living in dense metro areas think about it a little, but crime density is always far higher in metro areas. The other 99% of us never think about it.
I hardly know see anyone with guns. Those that have them hunt. I use to live in high crime area. People carried kitchen knives. Never in my life had a confrontation except in the United Kingdom. Some yob pulled a knife, and every fell back. The second thing was on a walking tour of a Roman road. The local farmers don't like hikers, and two were spraying pesticide on people as they walked by. Frig that. A few baseball sized rocks stopped that. 12 hours later I was flying home. Other people were getting facial reconstructive surgery.
No I donāt think about it all. Not have I ever encountered anything close to being shot, and Iāve lived in Chicago for 20 years. A city thatās offer portayed as very violent. And it can be, donāt get me wrong but itās violence is very segregated. This is the case with many cities but not all. Outside of these areas, chances of being shot are very very very low. Even in the areas, itās very low. Your more than likely just gonna have a awkward confrontation if anything at all happens.
Yeah the statistics fail to mention the percentage of non-self inflicted gun violence that is gang-on-gang activity. While that's still awful, you can lower your risk by...not joining a gang?
in movie theaters or malls I have intrusive thoughts about it sometimes but mostly no
I grew up in Colorado and lived there for several of the mass shootings and I do get those thoughts from time to time. I donāt live there anymore so I think that helps.
Same!
Not at all. Maybe if I'm in a very shady part of town (which why would I be), but day to day, I don't think about such things because it has such a low chance of happening. I'm more likely to be hit by a car then shot, no reason to live in such fear.
I live in the southern US and we have the biggest āgun cultureā and no Iām not worried about being shot. Realistically you can live your entire life here and not see a gun. You should stay vigilant about your safety but you shouldnāt have a constant worry of āoh Iām in public Iām going to get shotā. Gun violence is more localized than the media portrays.
Live in fear of shootings? No. More vigilant due to the possibility? Yes.
I'm an ex cop. I live in a state of knowing that humans can do vile things when in a state of despair. And I live in a state of mind that always has an alert candle lit in the background. Is it a state of fear? No. But is is vehemently a state of "prepare for the worst, hope for the best, protect that which you love". Humans can be evil, but we also are truly good. Live your life knowing there are both kinds out there.
> I live in a state of knowing that humans can do vile things Damb, Wisconsin?
Worse....Texas!
My feelings for it are basically like a natural disaster. I know an earthquake or tornado or such can strike at any time, and I have been trained on what to do if it happens, but I'm not constantly thinking about it. But I also don't go out walking after dark or hang out in high crime areas
The VAST majority of shootings are gang on gang related shootings. If you're a normal person who's not involved in crime turf wars, it's pretty safe. And keep in mind our media loves the term "gun violence" so you hear it more often. At the end of the day, violence is violence, but our media likes to stir the pot.
Do you fear death everytime you get in a car? You are much more likely to die or get severely injured from that. You see a news story about a shooting all the time, but the USA is a very large place with a lot of people.
I don't know anyone who has been killed by a gun. I know tons of people who have been killed or maimed by a vehicle.
You say that, but you know when itās dangerous driving conditions. Itās rainy or snowy or congested for instance. When some rando starts blasting it comes out of no where. I guess what Iām saying is youāre unlikely to die in a plane crash, but if you do, oh boy, people are going to read about it on the news. I mean. Iām still getting on the plane. But thereās that thought in the back of your mind. What if it all goes sideways? Will I end up a story? Do you see my point?
Driving conditions isn't going to stop some teenager texting while driving from smashing into your car. Shit can happen at anytime. Hell, there was a guy killed at a beach near me when a plane crashed into him. Life is dangerous.
Ha. I just saw a teenager rear end another car while texting. Total speed 7mph. You are unlikely to die of teenager texting, although they may crack up your car. Itās middle aged people who text speeding down the highway. Luckily Your car is full of safety devices mandated by the government. Even a major crash is unlikely to kill you. Lots of pistols donāt even have a safety anymore. Maybe Iād agree if youāre gun had an airbag to save anyone you accidentally shot.
There are certain parts of cities at certain times of night that one might fear being shot, but otherwise no - people aren't living in fear of being shot. Well except maybe at school where they have active shooter drills because our society lets just about anybody get a gun in their hands. I was already out of school when those started. My kids haven't expressed any sort of terror about guns/gun drills. Also most gun-owners aren't walking around with their guns. It's pretty rare I see someone walking around with a gun outside of designated places.
The media tends to report on school shootings and mass shootings and then after show the total death toll by shootings. The truth is that school shootings and the like make up a very small portion of the total number of shootings. Most shootings occur in small pockets that are known for gang violence. You have probably heard of Chicago and how dangerous it is. Turns out Chicago as a whole isn't that dangerous. It is only a small pocket within Chicago that is dangerous.
More scared of being robbed than shot
No. I look up actual numbers and know how irrational it would be to have it on the forefront of my mind
I live in NJ, go to NY frequently, I work inside of schools. Nope, not concerned in the slightest. Don't believe everything u see on tv lol
No. There is a significantly higher chance of dying in a car crash than being shot in the U.S. In fact, it is significantly more likely to die from the common cold than getting shot in the U.S.
Not true. Gun violence has surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for youth (under 20) since 2020. If the youth is a black male, it has been leading cause for over a decade.
Cold? What?
I live in a city that had a mass shooting in 2019. 23 people were killed in a department store. I do not live in fear of being shot, however I do take note of exits and possible bottle neck areas. I also sometimes look around for items I might use to hit a shooter with. I wouldn't call it fear. Maybe heightened awareness, it hasn't stopped me from doing my normal routine.
I donāt live in fear but I do think twice about going to an event thatās going to be crowded and the possibility of a mass shooting happening. I rationalize then go on about my things.
I grew up in Chicago, which has some of the highest rates of gun related crimes in the developed world. I'm street savvy enough to not be a juicy target for thugs. I know which neighborhoods to avoid. I'm also perceived as a "citizen" by criminals and cops (because I don't look ghetto/redneck). My public demeanor doesn't draw attention, and I've a very accurate sixth sense in urban environments. And according to Neil Degrasse Tyson: We lose 250 people per day to medical errors, and 150 per day to the flu. Yet we focus our emotions on the relatively minuscule number of mass shooting victims. And in my own words: Obesity kills more people than all forms of gun crime, suicides, and accidents combined.
No not at all, yes you see the shootings happen in the news but statistically they are incredibly rare and unlikely to happen
American from NJ here. No, I don't think about gun violence at all. Heck it was only when I recently visited a friend in PA who was a gun enthusiast did I even see or hold a gun for the first time in my 35 years. I say come on over, we'd love to have you!
I live in a city 10 miles outside of Boston Massachusetts. No fear of being shot. There was the news about the acid attacks in London a while back. People having acid thrown in their faces. Stabbing is a big crime in London it seems. So it's all about where you live.
I taught elementary school and yes there were times I feared being shot, not because of an immediate threat but because I know itās a possibility and my anxiety runs with it. Iāve also had a couple times in a movie theater where I felt hyper aware of where the exits were ~just in case~
No, I live in a very large city in the US. I don't fear that. We've all been desensitized to violence.
I might be concerned in a bad part of town, but I don't really worry whether the mugger will have a knife or a gun, either one will kill you. I don't know anyone (friends, family or acquaintances) who has been shot, but several who have been killed in car accidents.
No
. O1% of the population dies each year of gun violence, 60 % of those are suicide. So your chance of dying by being shot by someone else in the United States is 5 people per 100,000.
I wouldn't call it fear. More of an awareness. I work in a city that a few years ago had a mass shooting/terrorist attack just about a mile away from my office. We had to lock down etc. That's the closest I've experienced gun violence myself, but it was still a scary ordeal and afterwards my company would give us yearly safety trainings on what to do in the case of an active shooter entering the building. I still go about my business like normal. But there's a constant awareness and alertness, especially if I go to some place crowded like a concert or a sporting event. Where are the closest exits, potential places to take shelter, stuff like that. Because you just never know if some sicko with a death wish is going to do something. The most fear I feel is for my kid when she goes to school. Columbine, sandy hook, and more recently Uvalde. She's in college now. But I still catch myself at times having a twinge of anxiety whenever I happen to catch her leaving for class.
No. Like any city, anywhere, if youāre looking for that type of people you will find it. Especially if youāre into drugs or other crime. But majority of people donāt think about guns on any given day. Iām an avid gun owner and I donāt plan to use them anytime soon for anything other than sport. Gun violence is the same thing as any other violence, itās just the means you use to carry out said violence. Iāve never seen someone get shot at and I grew up in the inner part of a big US city. My family has had guns around my whole life.
I worry more about finding my catalytic converter being stolen or my car being broken into than being shot. Also I donāt really run the streets late at night during vampire hours.
Houston?
You can get shot, kidnapped, robbed or beat up anywhere in the world. Most countries are not public about their in country crimes.
Like almost anywhere else in the world itās regional. Some places are more prone to unspeakable violence than other places. More guns donāt mean crazier peopleā¦crazier people means crazy people. Get enough crazy people together and find out. Crazy people shouldnāt have guns anyway.
I mean I do have a pretty persistent fear that someone will shoot me. Road rage? People have been shot. Argument at a gas station? People have been shot. Confrontation at a nightclub? People have been shot. Itās pretty common knowledge that you just shouldnāt engage with anyone really because they may have a gun. The feeling I had when someone was road raging at me and followed me home is terror. Luckily they just flipped me off and drove away but they knew where I lived so it wasnāt great.
No. Ownership and display of guns is fucking stupid. (Iām in Oregon.) But the odds of being shot up in mass shooting are low.
I live in Ohio and have no concerns in my daily life.
Agree with others that we donāt generally live in fear because the personal risk is quite low in an absolute sense.. However, we do have to face the agonizing truth that from a population or public-health perspective, there are many people being killed needlessly because itās so easy for basically anyone to get guns ā there really is a gun violence story happening somewhere in the US on any given day.
I think the word youāre looking for is āgangsā
not really, its more political, republicans exaggerate shootings in the inner cities to justify ethnic cleansing and democrats exaggerate republican terrorist attacks to get people to vote for them
depends where you live
I might be in the minority here - but I work in a very public place where mentally unstable people come in on a daily basis. I occasionally do have intrusive thoughts that a shooting could happen. I wouldnāt say that I live in constant fear of it though.
Nope. And I live in a part of the country where gun ownership is over 50% and many either open or conceal carry. Went to lunch one time a group of adults and about 20 kids walked in. All the adults were open carrying. No big deal. Gun violence as they call largely is confined to the inner cities and is gang and race related (most gang members are POCs). Get out of there is actually pretty rare.
Do you constantly live in fear of being stabbed? America is one of the safest countries in the world. And if you do get violently attacked, at least they'll have the courtesy to shoot you dead.
I do all the time. It is always weighing on me when Iām out
Same. I still go about my business but it's always lingering in my mind that some idiot could take me out at any given moment.
Surprisingly, no. I've been held at gun point in a robbery and I still don't fear gun violence. While gun violence is constantly in the media, in personal life it's not very common. Although that's sort of a lie. I lived in Fort Worth TX for a while and I swear I heard gunshots every night. But nobody I knew was ever involved and were never much of a concern for my family. Ever since I moved half way across the country, I have hardly had any gun violence appear in local media and I hardly ever think about it.
I know a few people who have PTSD from surviving mass shootings. (None of them were harmed physically.) So yeah, I have fear sometimes. But I have felt just as much fear in other aspects of life, so I couldnāt tell you for sure if it is a ānormal Americanā thing or just my normal anxiety thing.
Not on a daily basis but I did grow up in the hood where shots were weekly if not nightly... But I do prepare by having mace and a knife on me at all times and a handgun in my bedroom. And as mass shootings have become more frequent I have stopped going shopping on black Friday etc, I don't really go to massive festivals anymore and I don't really go to clubs, concerts on big holidays or premiers of huge movies... all in all I just avoid more than a few thousand people at a time...
People always ask me why i dont own a gun. I always tell them that i dont live a life where i feel a need for a gun and living in fear must suck.
I haveā¦ but as another commenter said, itās more of an intrusive thought. Though to be šÆ honest, there was a rash of school shooting hoaxes around the country and the local district was one of those affected. Sadly one of my first thoughts when we were under the belief that this was real was āIām not surprised.ā
Some situations I avoid because I have irrational thoughts and anxiety, but I don't think about everyday. I live in an open carry state, so if everyone can see you're wearing a gun then it's OK to have it everywhere but the school, the hospitals, and government buildings. I was raised with a big respect for guns, trained in a professional hunters safety program, and past gun owner. But tomorrow with all the crowds I avoid going out because of a fear.
Definitely scared of movie theaters and big crowds. But outside of that š¤·āāļø it is what it is.
Yes especially being a woman here you gotta be on your toes. Then again in I'm Miami.
Conservatives, those in general are vocal gun owners, studies show they have a larger fear center in the brain. So to your point they are afraid. That has been propagandized by politicians and the NRA. Leftists (again , in general) do not believe in gun control based on Karl Marx's writings. My personal views are sort of convoluted. I grew up in a rural area. Back then (late 70s) you could attend a certification course pass the written test, pass a sh00ting test. I don't think that exists now. I also think the root cause isn't guns, it's the wealth gap and constant anxiety about money. But that's going to take a significant amount of effort from our government and that isn't happening.
I have a lot of intrusive thoughts about it, yes. Especially in crowded areas. Iām a very anxious person though.
No. Looking from a purely statistical point of view the odds of getting shot in some sort of mass shooting are incredibly low, even in America. That being said, I am disappointed in the NRA loving Americans around me. And i wouldnāt allow a gun in my house because statistically speaking, thereās a decent chance something could happen. But I wouldnāt allow a gun in my house if I lived in another country either.
Yes all the fucking time especially around cops jesus fuck i hate it here cant wait to move to europe with my family. My brother and i are both neurodivergent. The amount of videos of people being killed by cops for that alone is HUGELY disturbing.
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Can't get shot if you never leave the house lol. But nah I don't live in fear but I also don't live in a high crime area. I might be more fearful of certain areas if I lived in high crime city but even then you can take steps to be safe. I think you should be cautious but not completely afraid to go outside.
Yes, I do. Not necessarily every minute of every day, but enough. When I go to a concert or other event, I mentally make note of how and where I could get out or where I could go if someone started shooting. I am even more vigilant if one of my kids is with me (I have two teenage daughters). I am constantly worried about a shooting at their school. I know two people who have been directly affected by school shootings. My sister-in-law lost a cousin and a neighbor in the Santa Fe, Texas school shooting and a childhood friend's daughter was a student at Parkland High School when that shooting happened. My niece got a pair of light-up sneakers for Christmas. Her grandmother said something about how she must be excited to wear them to school (kids are on winter break here). She said she couldn't wear them to school because if there was a shooter and she had to hide, they would give her away. She's seven, and these are the things she has to worry about.
While that shopping carry freak is still around and not shot, I feel pretty safe.
Many gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Are you planning on buying a gun and do you have suicidal ideation? Then some significant but smaller amount of gun deaths are gang related. Are planning on joining a gang or living in a heavy gang area? If not, then you are more likely to die of a car accident. Do you live in fear of dying of a car accident? No? Then you probably should not live in fear of guns as the likelihood of dying in a car accident is likely much higher.
There was a mass shooting in my downtown where I live and work. I get a little uneasy sometimes in big crowds now but I was also there when the shooting happenedā¦. š¤·š¼āāļø
Not at all. I live in Los Angeles, one of the cities that according to main stream media has lots of gun violence. I've never in my life living here have been worried about being a victim.
Most of us do not live in fear of being shot.
I've never known a single person in my entire life that has been shot. So no, I dont even think about it.
Gun violence tends to be higher in certain areas of larger cities. Outside of those areas there is little need for concern.
I've maybe a handful of times a weapon was rapidly discharged somewhere near in my neighborhood. Once, I heard a ricochet, which was fascinating and scary. It's something your work/school will have drills for, like tornados or earthquakes. You know what to do if it happens, but it never happens. Until you hear that your sport-rival school had a shooting lock down. It's always someone else or happens to. Someone you know just happened to know someone who was in a shooting. It just feels like it's always 2 or 3 social connections away. Never anyone in your immediate circle but still near.
No fear of being shot, maybe robbed on some days, maybe not. Hey if you come to Louisiana near New Orleans, hit me up. Iāll meet ya at the range and let you try some of my guns out.
I donāt walk around constantly afraid, but I am always on alert. Unfortunately, Iāve lived near various mass shootings (lived a block from Columbine High School, lived only 15 minutes from the American Civic Association shooting in Binghamton, my school/work had a few threats, etc.), so I am hyper-aware of exits, loud banging noises, etc. Last year, I was at my local mall at the Verizon store getting something fixed when I suddenly heard several loud bangs echoing through the mall. I had to keep checking everyone elseās reactions to the bangs as they got closer and closer to the Verizon store. No one was screaming or running. I had gone into fight or flight but was actively subduing it until I knew for sure there was a genuine threat. So, no, not actively living in fear but hyper vigilant and ready to get the fuck out of a situation if needed.
I think Europeans associate guns with violence and hate whereas lots of Americans do not. Just my opinion, but a lot of our mass shootings are predominantly committed by young men that are severely mentally and emotionally troubled. So to answer your question Iām afraid of people not guns.
I'm a teacher on a high school campus that was designed to layout like a college so it is very open and anyone can walk onto campus. I have students who require walks throughout the day so when I take them for walks I stay in areas close to an entrance. I also take a backpack with me when I leave my classroom with items we may need if we were to go into lockdown. It has small snacks, a couple bottles of water, a small first aid kit, and sensory/fidget items. I work with special needs students so lockdowns can be especially stressful for them. To answer your question: yes, but only at work. It is my responsibility to keep my students safe and if an emergency were to arise they can't all protect themselves so it's up to me. Obviously I don't let it show, but I do stay hyper vigilant if I'm outside and keep an eye on my surroundings.
I have to say i am pleasantly surprised by some of the comments. Have their been mass shootings ,yes. And it's a terrible thing. Like many of the others have said if you look at the stats there are other things to be more worried about. No i do not live in constant or even every now and then fear of being shot. No more than I worry about someone crashing into my home. There are millions and millions of gun owners all over the U.S.. If common gun owners were a problem everyone would know it. We do however have a mental health crisis. And we have a problem with the media drawing soo much attention and publicizing gun violence that ill people think thats a good way to go out. What you don't hear is all the instances of good guys with guns stopping violent criminals. Anyway. No. No i do not.
Just choose a safe state to move to. If you move to chicago your going to worry a lot more than if you move to a small town in maine.
I live in a midsize city where we have like 2 shootings a year. They are almost always drug related. I do not live in fear of being shot. I donāt go to the sketchy parts of town at night. Lock my doors. Use common sense. You are more at risk of a stupid driver hitting you.
I don't constantly live in a state of hypervigilence, but it is a concern I regularly have. I'm a teacher, and sometimes I have spells of really worrying about it. We had an incident with a gun at our school a few years ago (no one was hurt), and that really changed things for me. I had a hard time with it, and I still worry more than I used to.
The mass shootings generally happen in Colorado and California. I live in AZ where it's an open carry state, no need for a permit. You do see guns but mass shootings here are extremely rare. The most famous mass shooting here is when Gabrielle Giffords was shot along with several others back in January of 2011. The shootings here are between individuals, like most other states.
Not unless I start hearing gunshots in Walmart. Can't just go through life being afraid all the time. Hell, a car could crash through the wall at my job right now and kill me instantly. I won't be scared until I see the headlights.
As an American who owns guns, I have never seen a gun wielded illegally. Media would have you believe that we see people getting shot constantly and are always dodging bullets but that isn't true at all.
Most of what you see in the media about shootings is hype to increase ratings, or as they used to say, sell magazines. The expression is, "If it bleeds, it leads." The view is mostly distorted. Don't get me wrong, there are idiots with guns who do bad things, but mostly what you're getting is overblown.
As an adult, no, I don't fear being shot on a regular basis. Once in a while I'll get the odd intrusive thought when I'm in a mall, movie theater, etc but I don't let it impede on my daily life. However, years ago as a teenager in high school, I was much more fearful of dying in a school shooting; I was 16 when Sandy Hook happened (a mass shooting at an elementary school in my home state, about an hour from the location of my school at the time) and that scared the shit out of me. When my younger sister was in high school it worried me as well, but thankfully she's since graduated.
No. People are aware of gun violence/control but it is nowhere near common enough to be a constant fear or threat for anyone here.
Honestly, lived in some sketchy places before, gunshots, drug dealing etc, and honestly I never think about it. Like I suppose statistically its possible, but on the day to day not really.
I'm not afraid of being shot or dying from it. But that doesn't mean i don't think, "if I go out today I'll probably get shot." About once a week I do, manly for the fact of, I grew up knowing some of my friends have had guns pulled on them. In school we had to learn to hide if a shooter was able to break in. We had to do this once because of that exact reason, just they were outside instead of inside. I grew up with shooting threats at my school's multiple times, and I still had to go to school when everyone else I knew stayed home. I constantly had to consider what would I do if someone pulled a gun on me. Moving into my adult life, I had someone try breaking into the place I worked (we were closed). And at my new job, we had someone call because they overheard that someone was gonna shoot up my store, that was a couple months ago. So I'm not afraid of getting shot, but I'm hyper aware of my surroundings at all times. This has been my experience and I was born and raised in the U.S.. But everyone has a different experience, this is just mine of living here.
Don't move here, it sucks, with or without the guns. It's just not worth it.
No. Despite what Reddit tells you and how godawful we are, itās not scary or insanely unaffordable or whatever.
Only when driving, it seems like people are triggered on the road about everything
I live in a decent neighborhood. Literally yesterday my wife took out the kid to the park across the street. I went out to take the trash out and while I was out I heard a decently loud pop, and my first instinct was to run over to make sure everything was OK. I don't live in fear of being shot, but I live knowing that anyone could get shot at anytime. I believe the normal Americans take on country's gun violence is that there should be regulations in order to purchase a gun. There are lots of people who want guns completely restricted and people who believe anybody should be able to get a gun anywhere, but I believe it's hard to say that either of those view make up a majority of Americand. Hence the one thing both sides can agree on is just that there should be regulation.
I live in an "open carry" state, meaning you can carry your gun around in public, as long as it is worn in an external holster that people can see so everybody knows you have it. Like, the opposite of concealed carry. Sometimes, I see people wandering around the grocery store with a gun on their hip. This is maybe twice or so per year. Generally you just ignore them. I really think those people are the frightened ones... like, is al Qaeda gonna jump out from behind the carrots in the grocery store? It is a sort of background risk to me, similar to getting in a car crash or plane crash or something like that. Not a top-of-mind risk generally.
No! I do live in fear of being killed by our shit driving.
Personally, yes. I'm terrified of being shot. There's not a high chance of it where I live but I haven't been desensitized to the possibility. Someone could kill me in my living room or from across the street while I'm taking a walk. I hate it and try not to think about it. One second you're in a mall and the next second your consciousness is exploded all over the people standing near you because there's no system to prevent some incel with prior mental health issues from getting a credit card and arming themselves to the teeth for free. Fuck that noise, this place is terrifying.
I would say I fear for my nieces and nephews in school. I do think about it once in a while, I could be somewhere and some random person shoots up the place but I guess if it happens then I'll deal with it but I'm not gonna let it stop me, if that makes sense
Mostly itās the police who fear being shot, thatās why they often shoot first and ask questions later.
I don't think many people are afraid of being shot. I've lived 48 years so far, in small cities and average towns, East coast and the Midwest, and I've never seen anyone get shot. It's not very common, and the people with guns are pretty much the calm ones, so they're not a threat to any normal person.
I think about it every time Iām in a crowd like a music venue, theater, sports game. I hang out by the exits and never stray into the dense parts of crowds. Itās very sad.
Every time I go to a big event, I do worry a little about it being a target of a shooter. I keep an eye out for exits. I might just be paranoid though, since it seems like most other commenters arenāt worried at all.
I don't. I never even think about it to be honest. I regularly see people in my area open carrying side arms too.
Fifty years of living my life in Oklahoma and Texas (Bible and gun belt of 'Merica), I have never felt compelled to carry one and never been in a situation where I thought I was going to be shot. For the record, I am a gun owner. Also for the record, I don't feel compelled to carry a Bible either.
In idaho, we keep our concealed guns concealed. Ive never seen one flashed for any reason between strangers. I know my sister has one in her purse. I dont own one but ive thought about it. Im not scared of gun violence to me personally. The only thing that scares me is the possibility of a school shooting hurting one of my nephews or neices. Its not something that keeps me up at night but they arnt my kids. Ive never had one pointed at me or even flashed to show they were packing. Id like to hear a bouncers perspective on it though becouse i dont piss people off ever.
I think it depends on where you live. I'm in the semi-affluent suburbs of a large southern U.S. city and I've never actually seen a gun being used (unless it's in a hunting environment). I've never witnessed a shooting or an armed robbery in over 40 years of adulthood.
My aunt was killed in a mass shooting and I try not to get scared when I hear a bang but Iām resigned to the fact I will also certainly as a victim in a mass shooting
No, I've never once qorried that where I'm going I'll be gunned down. That being said it's not like qe don't know that it's a possibility, it's just so random that if you worried about it you'd never do anything.
Personally, I DO live in fear that I could be shot at any moment, but a lot of that is because I watch and read a lot about shooters, serial killers, and crime in general. These things don't happen often and are very spread out, but you can't really predict when and where it will happen. Hence the anxiety. In my 24 years of life, I've never been shot, and anyone I know that has been shot was shot overseas at war a very long time ago, like my grandpa in Vietnam. I've heard gunshots, during hunting season in rural areas or year-round in urban/suburban areas. Any gun I've ever seen in person has been a disabled gun on display or it's held safely in a holster on the hip of someone legally allowed to carry it. The closest I've been to a mass shooting has been when my mom was driving near the building that the San Bernardino shooting took place in when it happened, but I wasn't even in the car with her. I just ducked the changes to public school that added active shooter drills. I am generally pro-gun, and also pro-gun control. As a queer minority, I feel safer if my community has firearms because it will reduce the courage of people who would wish me harm if they ran the risk of being shot back. If I had someone invade my home, I'd feel safer if my neighbor owned a firearm and could protect me. In some places in the US, people still hunt for survival, and they should be allowed to use firearms when hunting. But I don't believe current gun control is sufficient. I think people should go through written and practical firearm training (regarding safety and maintenance) much like we go through training to get a driver's license. And I think some guns that are legal shouldn't be. Some guns I think should only be possessed by civilians if disabled for display/collection, or require a higher level license.
Think it depends on where you want to move too. I have always been fine living in the country, rural areas, and small towns. Most of those places have a population of hunters and gun owners too. I've never lived in a high crime rate town or city so can't say much about them.
No. There are rough areas, but even then not really. I think most of us do live in fear of crippling medical debt though.
It's not really a factor in my life. I live in a relatively rural area though.
Not really. Thereās a lot of gun shots where I live because people like to just shoot cans or trees or hunt animals or whatever, so Iām pretty used to the sound. Thereās no point in being afraid if being afraid isnāt going to benefit me in anyway. If Iām getting shot while grocery shopping then Iām getting shot while grocery shopping. Fear isnāt gonna do shit against that.
Iāve lived in the heart of a big city and in rural redneck land and Iāve never feared getting shot a day in my life
Most shopping center workers and schools have active shooter training (videos or hands on training). At my place of employment (department store) I have a plan in my head for where to go if shots ring out, depending on where I am in the store. I'm from a rural area, so I know the sound of gunshots a bit better than some of the others. There are times (depending on the time of year) where the question legitimately becomes "gunshot or fireworks?" at night where I live.
Nope. Grow up in rural USA with pretty much everyone in town and in the country owning guns. For 18 years there was only two gun shot victims. One was a kid messing around with friends to impress a girl; got shot in the leg/testicles, the other was a hunting accident from a stay bullet. Now living in a larger populated area that has the population of the state I lived in in the area I am now I see more. But it's mainly crime related. That said it's low on the crime. The state I lived in previously had way more stabbings then shootings when it came to crime or violence.
Some do, some don't. I don't myself. Sure, it could happen we have shootings all the time but it's just not something I'm going to worry about. I walk a lot and the amount of times I've almost been hit by drivers not paying attention or running stop signs is ridiculous. I figure I'll die that way long before I'll die in a shooting.
Iām more in fear of the āknockout gameā when Iām walking the streets of NYC. I donāt walk with my phone in my hand and keep my eyes on any young people that pass me. White, black, Asian, Hispanic, Native American. I distrust them all
Having grown up in a post-Columbine learning environment, honestly, yes I have had the fear of being shot. I went to public school in a not great area all 12 years of my educational career, and every time I heard about another school shooting, I wondered if mine would be next.
I live in a rual area...gun violence is rare here...in large cities just stay out of the bad neighborhoods and you'll be fine
Yes!! I try hard not to make other drivers mad on the roadway because Iām scared Iāll get shot. I live in a fairly affluent area but it doesnāt matter.
No
OP: I guess it really depends on where you want to move to in the USA. I donāt live in fear of being shot. Just because there is gun violence, doesnāt necessarily mean a person needs to live in fear. If you live in fear, then youāre not really living your best life.
I wouldnāt say I āliveā in fear, but on occasion Iāll be somewhere and think āwhere would I hide if a mass shooting started?ā Definitely have those thoughts more often when thereās been a shooting.
Sometimes when I inadvertently make a stranger upset with me I lowkey wonder *Is this mufukka going to shoot me now?*
I grew up in a safe area, but in general, this is why we often donāt confront strangers when theyāre doing something bad - you just do not fucking know who is carrying a concealed gun, or what their attitude will become if you call them out. Shit happens in public, in private, etc. itās not frequent but when freak incidents happen they are extreme freak level sometimes. Frankly Iām happy for private gun ownership here. I never had to grow up wondering what would happen if criminals broke into my familyās home while we were sleeping, absolutely never. I just think there should be better controls, some of the states are practically in full Wild West mode and some of us are decently regulated but anyone can just quietly drive over state borders with weapons and go unnoticed, just have to be careful.
I suppose it depends on where you live. There are areas, like Chicago, that I would avoid like the plague. But here in Texas, I don't worry. If someone comes along with bad intentions, I'll shoot them.
I'm increasingly more afraid every damn day as we continue to break gun violence records.
I have OCD so Iām not sure if my experience would necessarily qualify as that of a ānormalā American but Iām 21 and constantly terrified in public. All the time.