Guns are kind of like motorcycles in a way, people who don't ride, many times, have this really illogical and false idea about the whole act of riding...because of things they've read, heard or seen, they go about their personal opinion of it with this generalized and uneducated basis...it usually leads to a very negative view/opinion. The EXACT same can be said about guns...
Having been a LEO for quite some time now...gun control, safety and security simply comes down to common sense. Many people argue that guns are a negative in a house because children can get ahold of them...it comes down to keeping them secured away from children (or really ANYONE) who should not have access to them (would you keep steak knives just laying about or in easy access areas for kids to get ahold of? They can be JUST as dangerous!)
Others argue that guns simply present negative situations that would not exist otherwise...but this approach could literally be applied to nearly ANYTHING. Cars for instance...if cars didn't exist, many DUI's, texting/driving deaths, etc etc etc...would not have happened. But is it a legitimate stance to take that cars should not exist to prevent these kind of things? In my view, its absurd.
I personally have 2 guns...a federally issued Glock 17 9mm (custom handle grip, flashlight attachment and laser site...not that i can use it on the job, lol) and a Mossberg 930 auto loader w/ tactical kit (flashlight and pistol grip). Obviously my Glock is my duty weapon, but i also use it for hobby purposes too (yearly entry into local Glock competition as well as target shooting). The Mossberg is strictly for home defense and has spent 99% of its life in a safe...i think i've fired it at a range about 10 times in the 3 years i've owned it.
My wife owns a Glock 23 40cal. It's a beast of a Glock, as it is one of their higher end models, but the power is controllable and the fitment of the size of the body in her hand is good for her (as its a smaller body handgun, my 9mm for size comparison is substantially longer and tends to lose balance in a smaller hand). We bought this handgun for her years ago for a great deal, and she has really honed her skill with it since then, she out shoots me sometimes at the range!
We both have civilian level concealed permits, i have a federal clearance concealed and exposed permit. My wife got her concealed permit because she wants protection convenient to her when she feels it necessary, she also carries police grade pepper spray and a small knife. We arn't paranoid, we're just taking advantage of the right to do so...she's never pulled her gun on a person in her life, but she knows how, and that's what matters to me...if she needed to, some thug with money and rape on his mind would get his head blown off and my wife would come home a little shaken up that night...instead of the alternative.
People who fear guns, i respect your opinion...my mother and one of my brother's completely stand against having them, and they do not allow them in their home (i even leave my duty weapon in my vehicle in both cases out of respect). But you have to have an educated approach to them before making that decision, don't just base it on the idea that someone shot a little kid accidentally one day in the world so all guns and gun owners are dangerous...those that own guns MUST practice with them, keep them clean and in good repair, and must use common sense...when those criteria are met, they are a very valuable piece of protection and even fun!
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