Weapons and Security

Discussion has always been a central activity in our home. In these election times, it has become even more so, as I'm sure it is for many of you. We usually end up discussing the nature of people, and core beliefs. I was asked a while back to answer a few questions for another blog, and much of the discussion was centered around the concept of fear. It didn't take long before I began to contemplate this in relationship to the election, the positions of the candidates, and what people seem to want.

People wish to retain their rights, and rightly so. Yet, I often wonder if rights are taken to such lengths that the consequences prove an inconsistency between what people say they truly desire, and what they end up with as longterm results.

If how I got from point to point here seems confusing, let me exemplify. Consider for a moment the staggering number of handguns stashed in the many homes around the country as a result of the common law right. It is not a light matter as people feel very strongly about their weapons, and the situations in which they feel they should be allowed to use them.

There is a law here in Texas that gives people permission to use force if someone should place their foot in your driveway. Not long ago, a man caught two thieves breaking into his neighbor's home. This was a huge headliner, so I'm confident that many know of the case. This man called the police, whereby the dispatcher pleaded with the man to remain in his home until the police arrived. The man disregarded this, and eventually went out, and shot the two unarmed men in the backs while they were running away. Let it be stated that I do not condone the crime of the thieves.

Yet, if I place myself in the shoes of the officers that were dispatched, I would believe that one of the worst scenarios for them to engage in, would be a hot-headed crossfire situation. I may be wrong, but it must be a situation that is extremely difficult in which to take command. Crossfire was not the situation in the exemplified case, however, I do believe that it is an everyday reality for police officers around the country.

People have the need for security, and everyone will of course, describe this differently. Some need more security than others. Some people are more fearful than others, and some are downright more territorial than others. Yet, the need for security is a universal human need, and it needs to be satisfied. We all attempt to satisfy it in various ways.

What keeps churning in my mind is the fact that society wishes for the police to protect its citizens. Yet, we tend to approve of measures that co-create dangerous environments in which the police are expected to work. In other words, people feel that they are creating security, yet do they choose the best solutions in the desire for a safer society? Will we as individuals and society as a whole, be safer when everyone has a handgun under their bed?

As is so often the case, I usually end up with more questions than answers.