>Jeremy Janes writes:
>In an earlier exchange, however, you congratulated another correspondent
>for her willingness to acknowledge that fear of guns is "irrational."
>Well, guns scare me, too, and I don't find anything in the least irrational
>about that.
>same kind of irrationality people have about flying. you're far more
>likely to get in a fatal car accident than a plane crash. more likely to
>get raped by a family member, friend, acquaintance than some stranger
>springing from dark alley. guns are scary. they are dangerous. they do
>kill. but why don't you ask yourself who you think is holding that gun.
>btw, in NY you can't even carry a loaded handgun in your car if you have an
>FFL, federal firearms license. memory's a little hazy on that one, though.
> and i had a lot easier time getting a permit to carry than my ex husband
>did. but i don't ever remember carrying handguns except to do some target
>practice out on state land.
>the guys who scared me were the upper middle class white buoys with an
>arsenal, who'd watched Red Dawn too many times and were gearing up for the
>commies. i'm *NOT* kidding about that one.
>not saying that it doesn't happen, but i've only ever seen two people
>drinking while hunting. and i worked in diners for a long time and served
>a 100s of hunters their eggs and toast just before they headed off to try
>and get themselves a buck. i'm fairly certain every single one was sober.
>the biggest problem i've ever encountered was assholes from the city
>heading for the hills so they could go hunting. now they didn't know what
>they were doing. out of their element, you see. rural legends of the
>idiots who shoot at cows and lawn ornaments. well, anyone who has lawn
>ornaments ought to get shot at, if you ask me.
>jordy, i don't have the patience to look up these stats. but could you
>pass along the info. i recall that you had some good research links last
>year and a couple of decent articles. still have them?
>all of this reminds me of a book i leafed through a year ago or so,
>something about the culture of fear in the US. this incessant fear about
>all sorts of potential harms that one can encounter--some cultural
>obsessive compulsive disorder i swear--and the answer is more rules, more
>regulations, more laws.
>kelley