Quote:
Originally Posted by oneounceload
It has only really been in those last few decades that the NEED to carry just about everywhere by the average Joe has become a necessity. I'm not THAT old, but I remember gun racks in pick-up truck windows with guns in them, keys in the ignition, doors and windows unlocked; being able to walk most anywhere at any time of night (certain neighborhoods excepted) without fear of being robbed, raped or murdered.
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I'm not so sure that there is a present NEED, whatever exactly that means. I, too, remember the times (and places) you describe, but I'm not so sure that that doesn't exist today, with the possible exception of locked doors, and even that may not make much difference in some areas. I have walked home alone at midnight weekly for the last two years, without any hint of danger. When walking, I carry primarily because of dogs and coyotes, but I have never been threatened by a coyote, and it has been a few years since I had to face down and outshout a dog. I have never been threatened by a human.
I consider it prudent to take control of one's environment, and I am aware that there is experience different from my own. Probably those who are out and about in drinking environments after dark have a different experience, but I don't think that the world is all that different from before. Maybe we're just a little more careful, having heard on the news what happens to those who aren't.