Why the need for guns?

Automobiles, Motorcycles and Libertarian Politics

Hya Eric, I’m from Canada, eastern portion called the Maritimes, and when reading posts concerning guns, open carry, etc, I have to admit it’s almost foreign to me that it’s an issue. The general consensus I get is that a lot of Americans are pissed that they cannot carry a gun everywhere, and that defending yourself means you must have that right. In that sense, I should say I agree 100%…if it’s necessary.

Where I’m being lost is this: Is American life so violent and paranoid that one MUST carry a gun everywhere?

I don’t mean this as an insult, really, but I’m trying to picture the average day where one feels the NEED to carry a gun into a coffee shop or a car parts store or just on the street because they are expecting to be robbed or mugged or worse. I’m not necessarily saying give up the guns, but I’m wondering about the mindset that assumes before you leave the house that you will probably be fearing for your life, and that you feel the requirement to have deadly force available at all times just in case. This reminds me of the mentality in a war-torn civil war country…is it really that bad in America ? Are people really being robbed and beaten so often that DAILY ARMING OF SELF no matter where you go or what you do becomes as automatic as putting on your shoes? If the average CITIZEN feels this way, then I can kind of see why the average COP is such a violent thug, where they have the same mentality but now has the entire government backing up his paranoia.

To me, this is a scary mentality in general for a society to have if it’s true, as it makes trust and rational thinking impossible, but if it’s not REALLY that bad there, then why is it such a big deal when someone asks to leave a gun at the counter before going into a coffee shop for example? Judging by what I read, many people can’t stand the idea that they might be parted with their gun for even a few minutes…meaning they are either fully realistically expecting to shoot someone, or they are fully expecting to BE shot. Now take this person and tell them to relax in a social setting and it’s just simply not possible. They’d be like the bouncer at a bar…aloof and watching for trouble that they can react to rather than just enjoying themselves.

As you post a lot on “not giving up your guns even temporarily for any reason”, I’m curious to your opinion on this!