Would Victims Be Better Off if They Were Armed?
People buy firearms for a number of reasons: to collect them, to use them for target practice and sport shooting, to hunt game, and for self- protection. Gun culture is deeply rooted in the American experience, beginning with the day the first settlers arrived to clear and colonize the land. But ever since the 1960s, when the waves of street crime and social unrest became divisive issues and public concerns, many people have told pollsters that their primary reason for owning a gun is for self-defense. They believe that they are improving their odds of surviving a felonious assault by posses- sing firearms and having them loaded and handy, just in case (see Baum, 2013).
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Almost one-third of respondents (30 percent) in a 2013 poll answered yes to the question, “Have you, or any close personal friends or relatives of yours, ever been a victim of a crime involving a gun or not?” (ABC News/Washington Post, 2013). Clearly, the issue of gun violence has touched many people’s lives and stimulated a lot of fear, thought, and debate about this issue.
Purchasing and Using Firearms for Self-Protection: The Maximalist Versus Minimalist Debate
There are a number of ways of framing the issues underlying the debate over whether or not poten- tial victims would be better off going around carry- ing loaded guns (whether concealed or openly visible) in their everyday lives. One way is to rec- ognize that the debate incorporates some elements of a maximalist versus minimalist disagreement over the facts and the risks.
Some of the people advocating armed self- defense take a maximalist point of view and make alarming assumptions. They contend that an indi- vidual must always be prepared, on guard, and vig- ilant. An attacker could strike anytime, anywhere, and without warning. Law-abiding people ought to be allowed to take a gun with them wherever they go. Robbers or rapists might appear out of nowhere. When commuting, an aggressive driver may instigate a road rage incident. While on the job or when shopping, an employee or customer might spark an outburst of workplace violence. When taking college classes, a deranged member of the campus community could open fire and a mass shooting could break out . While relaxing at a bar or club, a vicious brawl could erupt. When dining in a restaurant, the tranquility suddenly can be upset by an assailant. While a family is asleep, an armed intruder may invade the sanctity of their home. Even while attending a religious service, some outsider might barge in with a knife or gun.