No Gun Laws

Today in Psychology of Health, we were separated into groups to discuss the different forms of stimuli involved in particular scenarios. So, as people do when they are placed into groups, we began talking about something completely off topic. Today I was fortunate enough to be paired with my friend Kate, who I have known for a good five years at this point, and some random person guy who was once a member of the Army. He was a grunt, and like almost every service man who signs his soul away, he came back from war hating his country, his government, and everything he once believed he stood for.

I want to make a side note here: I have in recent months made friends with a great many former servicemen. There seems to be an epidemic in the making here on a psychological level for many of our soldiers. It seems that a Vietnam-like response is happening with the war on terror. Everyone knows that when soldiers came back from Vietnam, the public ridiculed them and made their lives hell. Now it seems that instead of the public beating up the soldiers, the soldiers do it to themselves. I don't know a single grunt,or officer come to think of it(of which I will admit that I only know two), who has come back from Iraq and not hated everything about himself.

Odd really.

Back to the point, though. This guy in front of me started talking about how much he hated America. I'm fine with that, because honestly, I hate this place too. Apparently, we hated it for different reasons. I'm a big fan of taking matters into my own hands. I don't trust anyone, nor do I enjoy putting faith in others. It makes me uncomfortable. This goes for everyone; friends, family, police, etc. Well, this guy started telling me how America was all screwed up because of the fact that anyone can carry a gun.

I'm sorry, but that is one of America's saving graces. The guy started telling me how much safer Europe was than the states. I couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune. He was arguing with me, an Englishman with a great deal of personal experience with English life, about how England is safer than America. Let me explain just how wrong he was:

America grants citizens the right to carry a weapon. Granted, it runs the risk of putting registered firearms into the hands of bad people. It also gives good people the chance to carry exactly the same firepower as their enemies. Let's face it, police officers aren't always there. In fact, issues involving civilians quarrels aren't even high on their list of priorities. If someone were to pull out a gun and threaten to kill me, I would like to have the same luxury of drawing a weapon on him. Fighting fire with fire can be extremely useful at times.

England, however, doesn't have that luxury. In the UK, if you want to get a gun, you can. It's illegal, and you have to go through some shady ass people, but it's possible to do. This limits the possession of firearms to bad people. Cops don't even carry guns in the UK. It's considered "unsafe". Think about that for a minute. If a guy draws a gun on you in England, your options are as follows: give him everything you own and beg for you life, or try to punch him- hard- hard enough that he'll go down in one hit, or you're dead.

I'm sorry, but gun control is a terrible idea. Bad people will always find a way to get weapons. I would like a fighting chance if I find myself being held at gunpoint. But hey, that's just me.