Why Have Handguns?

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I’ve read several posts and comments on the site lately, questioning the need for Americans to own and carry handguns. While there are probably as many individual reasons as there are pistols, it’s not hard to understand one main reason. They are well suited for self defense in both the home and carried on one's person. In today’s society, when there is so much violent crime, it pays to be prepared for the worst, and have some means of self-defense. Like the saying goes, “when seconds count, police are only minutes away.” As a single woman, I know I would feel a lot safer if I could carry a weapon for self-defense, but unfortunately I live in a very gun un-friendly state, NY, with strict gun control that still does nothing to stop violent crimes. At least I live in a fairly safe (for now) rural area. We also have the threat of terrorism, especially with so many Muslim refugees (the majority of whom are fighting-age males, not helpless women and children) and so many converts to Islam. The recent racial unrest and violent rioting (stirred up of course by the media), also makes people afraid for their homes, property and lives. It’s not paranoia, but only common sense to want to be able to defends one’s life and family, and handguns provide a good way to do that. Certainly gun ownership entails a big responsibility, and the vast majority of handgun owners are very responsible and well trained. There is a far smaller percentage of gun accident fatalities than car accident fatalities, despite strict testing and licensing requirements for drivers. Having armed citizens in society makes it safer even for those who are unarmed. Studies have shown that in areas with high rape numbers, once women started carrying concealed weapons, the rape rate went down immensely, even though not all the women were armed. A bad guy is less likely to attack someone if there’s a good chance his potential victim is armed. The same goes for armed neighborhoods. Certainly not everyone should carry or even own a handgun, or any gun for that matter. Those who are afraid of them, or don’t feel they are responsible enough, or just don’t like guns, shouldn’t be forced to buy them. By the same token, they also shouldn’t try to forbid others from buying them.