As a retired, veteran police officer, people ask me all the time if they should get a gun. We live in an increasingly violent society and many people are concerned for their safety and that of their family. The police are often reactive rather than proactive and usually show up after the robbery, assault, or rape has occurred. Buying a gun is a big decision and should not be approached lightly. There are many questions that should be answered before going out and purchasing a firearm. Today’s question is one of the most important!
3. Do I have the right personality to be a gun owner? This is one of the questions that most people do not consider. In the first post, I mentioned the person who would be unable to use a firearm to shoot and possibly kill an assailant. This might stem from an indecisive personality or a deep seated moral belief that using violence to stop violence is wrong. In either case, it is probably not a good idea for that person to have a gun.
Another person that I would counsel against having a gun is someone with an explosive temper. Here is an easy test. If you let your anger get the best of you while you are driving in heavy traffic, don’t get a firearm. I am not talking about the person who feels the normal tension or aggravation that any of us might feel. I am talking about the person who drives aggresively, cuts other drivers off, yells out their window, and uses their middle finger to salute those who anger them. “Hotheads” and guns do not mix. Angry people and guns really don’t belong together.
Gun owners should be the most self-controlled people in our society. Many people are in prison today because their temper got the best of them. Guns are never used to resolve conflict. They are used to save your life or the life of a loved one. Shots fired in anger will send you to prison. The Law (at least in Georgia) states that you may only use Deadly Force when you are “in fear for your life.” Fear and anger are two very different emotions. Ask yourself some hard questions before you rush out and purchase a firearm. Remember, “An armed society is a polite society.”
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