How scared are you personally of gun violence?

[SnowLabrador]

Personally, I was probably a 7 out of 10 before. After today's SCOTUS decision legalizing bump stocks again, I'm probably more like a 9. How about you all?

[dead0man]

0.2 out of 10


why would your level of fear go up 20% because bump stocks* were unbanned?


*as far as anyone knows, a bump stock has been used all of once to commit a crime in the US, yes it was pretty bad, but it was one.  UHauls have been used to commit way more crimes, at least one of them every bit as bad.  Also, a "bump stock" is a small, hard object.  It doesn't have to be a specific shape, it doesn't have to be made out of a specific material.  You can't ban small hard things.  "bump stocks" didn't magically stop existing once Trump did the illegal thing

[Frodo]

1, if that.  I just assume a number of my fellow employees are probably carrying concealed weapons, and just go about my day like I always do.     

[politicallefty]

I'm not afraid for myself. I'm afraid for those I know and care about. There is a part of me that is terrified for those I know.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Weirdly, only when I'm in a movie theater.

[Alben Barkley]

It’s amazing how I’m still not entirely sure if SnowLabrador is just a troll or has a severe anxiety disorder.

[President Johnson]

Not much, being from Germany.

[Obama24]

I live in a big city.

Is there a possibility gun violence could erupt? Yeah. Would I really prefer not to be a victim of it? Of course. But you can't be afraid of something that is literally unpredictable to that degree or else you'd be just better off never leaving your house. I have anxiety but I also have to be realistic. A friend told me there was a crazy man with a shotgun on the subway the other day. Could've turned violent but the cops were vigilant. This could always happen and I'm whatever to it.

[SnowLabrador]

It’s amazing how I’m still not entirely sure if SnowLabrador is just a troll or has a severe anxiety disorder.

I would think that gun violence is a very legitimate thing for an American citizen to be afraid of, unless they're living abroad.

[wnwnwn]

Common crime?, the normal in South America.
A crazy man´s shooting?, nearly nothing.
Did you watch Taxi Driver? He bought his guns the way people down here buy theirs.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I'm from Sandy Hook. On the day of the elementary school shooting, I was a high school senior under lockdown. I vividly remember all the attention we received - Obama speaking at my high school, seeing Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper at the vigil, all the letters sent to us from around the country and some internationally. The mood of the town changed dramatically after that happened. When the Senate rejected a bipartisan background checks bill, it became clear as day that the NRA owns much of our government.

At the same time, I have to say it's foolhardy to oppose the Second Amendment when we literally have a (currently favored!) presidential candidate who said he would be a dictator on day one. That kind of thing is exactly why we have a Second Amendment, and the left needs to grow a pair for once.

No, I don't want lunatics, terrorists, or domestic abusers having access to guns. But I also don't want the police or the government to have a monopoly on the use of force, especially with authoritarianism being on the rise in many regards. If you support strict gun control, you essentially believe that the government should have unlimited power. There was even one poster who nonchalantly said "it is what it is" if an innocent person is killed because they weren't allowed to defend themself against criminals who do not follow the law.

Gun control works great in Australia, England, Japan... most developed countries, really. But gun culture is so ingrained in American society that I'm skeptical of certain gun control proposals being implemented here. I'm definitely a moderate hero on this issue, and gun control is one thing that I disagree with the modern left on. Karl Marx had it right on this - and I'm not a Marxist.

[Ancestral Republican]

I'm from Sandy Hook. On the day of the elementary school shooting, I was a high school senior under lockdown. I vividly remember all the attention we received - Obama speaking at my high school, seeing Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper at the vigil, all the letters sent to us from around the country and some internationally. The mood of the town changed dramatically after that happened. When the Senate rejected a bipartisan background checks bill, it became clear as day that the NRA owns much of our government.

At the same time, I have to say it's foolhardy to oppose the Second Amendment when we literally have a (currently favored!) presidential candidate who said he would be a dictator on day one. That kind of thing is exactly why we have a Second Amendment, and the left needs to grow a pair for once.

No, I don't want lunatics, terrorists, or domestic abusers having access to guns. But I also don't want the police or the government to have a monopoly on the use of force, especially with authoritarianism being on the rise in many regards. If you support strict gun control, you essentially believe that the government should have unlimited power. There was even one poster who nonchalantly said "it is what it is" if an innocent person is killed because they weren't allowed to defend themself against criminals who do not follow the law.

Gun control works great in Australia, England, Japan... most developed countries, really. But gun culture is so ingrained in American society that I'm skeptical of certain gun control proposals being implemented here. I'm definitely a moderate hero on this issue, and gun control is one thing that I disagree with the modern left on. Karl Marx had it right on this - and I'm not a Marxist.

Supporting the "guns for everyone" status quo as some kind of check on state power is pretty ridiculous, imo. How many times has someone actually used their personal firearm to defeat a cop or military personnel who was in the wrong? Never afaik. Breonna Taylor's boyfriend had a legal gun. Didn't save his girlfriend and if he had gunned down the cops who were wrongfully in his home he would have gotten the electric chair.
What it does is create an environment where cops who aren't trained to know how to act in warzones assume everyone has a gun and act accordingly.

You do get a lot of this, though: https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/06/10/off-duty-security-guard-fatally-shoots-teen-returning-bb-gun-store-prosecutors-say/
That's that beautiful Second Amendment at work.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I'm from Sandy Hook. On the day of the elementary school shooting, I was a high school senior under lockdown. I vividly remember all the attention we received - Obama speaking at my high school, seeing Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper at the vigil, all the letters sent to us from around the country and some internationally. The mood of the town changed dramatically after that happened. When the Senate rejected a bipartisan background checks bill, it became clear as day that the NRA owns much of our government.

At the same time, I have to say it's foolhardy to oppose the Second Amendment when we literally have a (currently favored!) presidential candidate who said he would be a dictator on day one. That kind of thing is exactly why we have a Second Amendment, and the left needs to grow a pair for once.

No, I don't want lunatics, terrorists, or domestic abusers having access to guns. But I also don't want the police or the government to have a monopoly on the use of force, especially with authoritarianism being on the rise in many regards. If you support strict gun control, you essentially believe that the government should have unlimited power. There was even one poster who nonchalantly said "it is what it is" if an innocent person is killed because they weren't allowed to defend themself against criminals who do not follow the law.

Gun control works great in Australia, England, Japan... most developed countries, really. But gun culture is so ingrained in American society that I'm skeptical of certain gun control proposals being implemented here. I'm definitely a moderate hero on this issue, and gun control is one thing that I disagree with the modern left on. Karl Marx had it right on this - and I'm not a Marxist.

Supporting the "guns for everyone" status quo as some kind of check on state power is pretty ridiculous, imo. How many times has someone actually used their personal firearm to defeat a cop or military personnel who was in the wrong? Never afaik. Breonna Taylor's boyfriend had a legal gun. Didn't save his girlfriend and if he had gunned down the cops who were wrongfully in his home he would have gotten the electric chair.
What it does is create an environment where cops who aren't trained to know how to act in warzones assume everyone has a gun and act accordingly.

You do get a lot of this, though: https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/06/10/off-duty-security-guard-fatally-shoots-teen-returning-bb-gun-store-prosecutors-say/
That's that beautiful Second Amendment at work.

Those are situations where shooting a rogue cop in self-defense is justified, and the law should reflect that as well.

Strict gun control will not make people more averse to guns in the same way abortion bans will not make people more averse to abortion. You need to compromise and come to peace with the problems that exist in society and then work to fix those underlying problems. Violent criminals, by definition, do not follow the law and gun bans are no exception.

[dead0man]

It’s amazing how I’m still not entirely sure if SnowLabrador is just a troll or has a severe anxiety disorder.

I would think that gun violence is a very legitimate thing for an American citizen to be afraid of, unless they're living abroad.

there were 18,874 Americans killed by guns against their wishes last year, there were 341,735,083 Americans, a ratio of 1:18,106.  Not a big enough number, sure, but also plenty big enough for you to not worry about.  (and actually the number is far lower for you due to your race and zip code, your age and gender don't help, but I would imagine there are other factors that make you safer than average too)

[West_Midlander]

I work in a school but not really. Maybe 1. I think about possible gun violence at work maybe 2-3 times a year, briefly, and I am not filled with fear about the prospect.

[Obama24]

I'm from Sandy Hook. On the day of the elementary school shooting, I was a high school senior under lockdown. I vividly remember all the attention we received - Obama speaking at my high school, seeing Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper at the vigil, all the letters sent to us from around the country and some internationally. The mood of the town changed dramatically after that happened. When the Senate rejected a bipartisan background checks bill, it became clear as day that the NRA owns much of our government.

At the same time, I have to say it's foolhardy to oppose the Second Amendment when we literally have a (currently favored!) presidential candidate who said he would be a dictator on day one. That kind of thing is exactly why we have a Second Amendment, and the left needs to grow a pair for once.

No, I don't want lunatics, terrorists, or domestic abusers having access to guns. But I also don't want the police or the government to have a monopoly on the use of force, especially with authoritarianism being on the rise in many regards. If you support strict gun control, you essentially believe that the government should have unlimited power. There was even one poster who nonchalantly said "it is what it is" if an innocent person is killed because they weren't allowed to defend themself against criminals who do not follow the law.

Gun control works great in Australia, England, Japan... most developed countries, really. But gun culture is so ingrained in American society that I'm skeptical of certain gun control proposals being implemented here. I'm definitely a moderate hero on this issue, and gun control is one thing that I disagree with the modern left on. Karl Marx had it right on this - and I'm not a Marxist.

Supporting the "guns for everyone" status quo as some kind of check on state power is pretty ridiculous, imo. How many times has someone actually used their personal firearm to defeat a cop or military personnel who was in the wrong? Never afaik. Breonna Taylor's boyfriend had a legal gun. Didn't save his girlfriend and if he had gunned down the cops who were wrongfully in his home he would have gotten the electric chair.
What it does is create an environment where cops who aren't trained to know how to act in warzones assume everyone has a gun and act accordingly.

You do get a lot of this, though: https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/06/10/off-duty-security-guard-fatally-shoots-teen-returning-bb-gun-store-prosecutors-say/
That's that beautiful Second Amendment at work.

I understand you want to strip guns from everyone, so that the government can do whatever it may uncontested. I know you're with Biden in mocking the "Tree of liberty" quote. But...Thank god for the second amendment.

[MarkD]

None, because it hasn't affected me personally (yet). Plus I'm very conflicted about the gun control issue; it's extremely hard for me to make up my mind.

[Mr. Smith]

Probably a 3.

In the day to day and most situations, it'd be a 1, but given my occupation and the chance of somebody doing something real messed up is a 5. Yeah, most of the clientele just prefer to use illicit substances or get into fights, but there's always someone.

Also I do still live in Texas, and not any of the big 3 metros either.

[Ancestral Republican]

I'm from Sandy Hook. On the day of the elementary school shooting, I was a high school senior under lockdown. I vividly remember all the attention we received - Obama speaking at my high school, seeing Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper at the vigil, all the letters sent to us from around the country and some internationally. The mood of the town changed dramatically after that happened. When the Senate rejected a bipartisan background checks bill, it became clear as day that the NRA owns much of our government.

At the same time, I have to say it's foolhardy to oppose the Second Amendment when we literally have a (currently favored!) presidential candidate who said he would be a dictator on day one. That kind of thing is exactly why we have a Second Amendment, and the left needs to grow a pair for once.

No, I don't want lunatics, terrorists, or domestic abusers having access to guns. But I also don't want the police or the government to have a monopoly on the use of force, especially with authoritarianism being on the rise in many regards. If you support strict gun control, you essentially believe that the government should have unlimited power. There was even one poster who nonchalantly said "it is what it is" if an innocent person is killed because they weren't allowed to defend themself against criminals who do not follow the law.

Gun control works great in Australia, England, Japan... most developed countries, really. But gun culture is so ingrained in American society that I'm skeptical of certain gun control proposals being implemented here. I'm definitely a moderate hero on this issue, and gun control is one thing that I disagree with the modern left on. Karl Marx had it right on this - and I'm not a Marxist.

Supporting the "guns for everyone" status quo as some kind of check on state power is pretty ridiculous, imo. How many times has someone actually used their personal firearm to defeat a cop or military personnel who was in the wrong? Never afaik. Breonna Taylor's boyfriend had a legal gun. Didn't save his girlfriend and if he had gunned down the cops who were wrongfully in his home he would have gotten the electric chair.
What it does is create an environment where cops who aren't trained to know how to act in warzones assume everyone has a gun and act accordingly.

You do get a lot of this, though: https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/06/10/off-duty-security-guard-fatally-shoots-teen-returning-bb-gun-store-prosecutors-say/
That's that beautiful Second Amendment at work.

Those are situations where shooting a rogue cop in self-defense is justified, and the law should reflect that as well.

It never will, sorry to tell you. And most gun fetishists are fine with that, they hate the government until it's time to gargle cops and troops.

Strict gun control will not make people more averse to guns in the same way abortion bans will not make people more averse to abortion. You need to compromise and come to peace with the problems that exist in society and then work to fix those underlying problems. Violent criminals, by definition, do not follow the law and gun bans are no exception.

"Ban guns and only criminals will have them" is a common trope ignoring the fact that the SUPPLY of guns is dependent on them being freely and frequently available - where do "illegal guns" come from? Do you think major gun manufacturers will ignore the law and continue selling guns to basically everyone if laws are passed to rein them in?

Again, your arguments don't work here because the status quo proves you wrong. "Gun rights" advocates have everything they could ever want in the United States (or at least what they've been sold by the gun industry) and it has markedly, demonstrably, obviously failed, maybe more than any other (currently active) policy in American history.

[Ancestral Republican]

I understand you want to strip guns from everyone, so that the government can do whatever it may uncontested. I know you're with Biden in mocking the "Tree of liberty" quote. But...Thank god for the second amendment.

Discontinue the lithium.

[°Leprechaun]

Personally, I was probably a 7 out of 10 before. After today's SCOTUS decision legalizing bump stocks again, I'm probably more like a 9. How about you all?

There are a lot of people who are scared, that's one reason many people buy guns, unfortunately.

The best way to stop gun violence would be to repeal the second amendment.
This would be very difficult to do since it would require super majorities.
Therefore, it is unlikely that most except a small number of politicians would favor this solution.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

About a 0. If we consider "dangerous" areas, usually I'm more concerned with being hassled or experiencing property theft.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Very low, almost zero.  Statistically, there are other ways that I'm far more likely to die.  Apart from using basic common sense, it's not worth preoccupying yourself over something that is highly unlikely to happen- and that you have virtually no ability to personally prevent from happening in your life.

[Del Tachi]

Practically zero.  "Gun violence" refers to such random events that there's nothing you can do other than become a hermit, which is a fate worse than death.

[SWE]

I'm from Sandy Hook. On the day of the elementary school shooting, I was a high school senior under lockdown. I vividly remember all the attention we received - Obama speaking at my high school, seeing Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper at the vigil, all the letters sent to us from around the country and some internationally. The mood of the town changed dramatically after that happened. When the Senate rejected a bipartisan background checks bill, it became clear as day that the NRA owns much of our government.

At the same time, I have to say it's foolhardy to oppose the Second Amendment when we literally have a (currently favored!) presidential candidate who said he would be a dictator on day one. That kind of thing is exactly why we have a Second Amendment, and the left needs to grow a pair for once.

No, I don't want lunatics, terrorists, or domestic abusers having access to guns. But I also don't want the police or the government to have a monopoly on the use of force, especially with authoritarianism being on the rise in many regards. If you support strict gun control, you essentially believe that the government should have unlimited power. There was even one poster who nonchalantly said "it is what it is" if an innocent person is killed because they weren't allowed to defend themself against criminals who do not follow the law.

Gun control works great in Australia, England, Japan... most developed countries, really. But gun culture is so ingrained in American society that I'm skeptical of certain gun control proposals being implemented here. I'm definitely a moderate hero on this issue, and gun control is one thing that I disagree with the modern left on. Karl Marx had it right on this - and I'm not a Marxist.

Supporting the "guns for everyone" status quo as some kind of check on state power is pretty ridiculous, imo. How many times has someone actually used their personal firearm to defeat a cop or military personnel who was in the wrong? Never afaik.

It's very rare and difficult to convince a jury that you were justified in shooting a cop but it's not unheard of. There was a case in Buffalo in the 90s, Tony Guilford, who got acquitted of attempted murder of an officer who was executing a search warrant in his house by arguing self-defense