Let's not forget that it's not just "going postal" gun crime that the public is being sensitized to. I believe in Pearland TX just this year, there has already been four armed home invasions. A woman was kidnapped in a car jacking and is still missing. Just today, there was an armed car jacking in an affluent gated community just blocks from an elementary school. All students from the elementary were relocated to another school. All parents in the school district have been personally contacted about the event by the school district. Parents with children in three elementary schools must make arrangements to personally pick up their kids from school. A junior high and high school were put in lock down for the day. In this community of 100,000+, I would bet that families are discussing guns as a solution more often than as the problem.Abraham wrote: I also appreciate strict constitutionalist concerns, but public anxiety regarding folks with visible shooting irons on their hips can't be ignored.
Weekly and sometimes more often, we read of someone blowing a gasket and blasting the general populace. I can't recall reading any of the pro-O.C. folks mentioning this rather common gun related contemporary aberration. Those that carry out this awful have to be considered in the O. C. equation, like it or not.
In the somewhat distant past, when folks most commonly O.C., I don't recall reading any history of bizarre mass murdering being done as an almost daily occurrence throughout the country. Did it? I don't think so. People weren't continuously flipping out and gunning others down because they lost their job, or didn't get served chicken McNuggets or listened to the voices in their heads.
Now, the public has become sensitized to this madness and want reassurance where it's somewhat possible...
With time, O.C. rights will be ironed out. Not withstanding the "I'll hold my breath until I get what I want" types.
For example, I live just a few blocks from this car jacking. The news of these home invasions is well known within the community. My wife is a school teacher, and there is a group of teachers who are all talking frankly about arming themselves. One of the teachers is the wife of a police officer. Through his wife, he is having an influence. My wife is already agreed that carrying a gun is something she's now ready to consider. When I get home today, I suspect we're going to be having that conversation again. I suspect this is a conversation running rampant throughout the community.