When shit hits the fan the statistics are out the window. Ask the rooftop koreans if they felt statistically more in danger during the Rodney King riots than those who couldn't defend themselves. That's not an emotional answer, its a logical one. If we look to build an AI model for self-driving cars on how to react in life and death driving scenarios, you quickly realize they are extraordinarily rare and varied unique instances. They can only be approached by guiding logic, by algorithmic choices, not by trying to navigate the 'most likely case'. And when the low flying aircraft is making an emergency landing on the freeway in front of my vehicle I want my hands on the wheel and feet on the pedals, not some bean counter at Tesla telling me I'm statistically more likely to die if I have control of the 2 ton metal death-cage.
The country was founded by men who lived through exceptional circumstances and they enshrined the right of men to have those life and death powers when it matters. It wasn't even a debate back when, not because they lacked superweapons, but because there was no sheltered mundane peacetime existence, only deadly frontiers and european wars.
This does not address the point that you're more likely to get killed or get your own family killed. We can create silly fringe scenarios to make many things the public shouldn't have warranted. And to reference old times like times have not changed significantly is also pretty silly to be honest.
Fact is there's just no real logic to it. You have to simply jump through some wild hoops to just to justify it and anyone who's ever moderate can understand it truly just makes no sense to have certain firearms legal or have ultra lax carry laws.
And I do feel bad for people that they have been managed to be convinced their own country is such a third world dump that they need to strap up on a daily basis. I couldn't personally imagine living with that level of paranoia.
This post was edited by SBD on Sep 1 2025 05:23pm