Seriously? You want to learn more about the mindset?
A little over 10 years ago, Hurricane Charley blew through town. The eye passed by just a couple of miles from my house. No power. No running water. Almost no stores were open, and the few that were would accept only cash and had bare shelves anyway. Without phone lines, they couldn't run credit or debit cards. Of course, ATMs didn't work either. Gas pumps didn't work. Power lines down all over the place. Trees down all over the place. Houses damaged all over the place. Traffic lights and signs were all out, of course -- driving was pretty hair-raising.
We decided to drive up the interstate to my in-laws' house to borrow their generator. Before leaving, we got in our utility buggy and drove around to see our various neighbors, to see if they needed us to pick up any fuel, ice, food, or other supplies. Every last one of them said, "No, we're fine. In fact, we've got some extra _____ if you need any." (Some offered ice, some offered gas, etc.) Between the fishing & hunting and the backyard fruit & vegetable gardens, none of us lacked food even while those in town were fighting over the last loaf of bread in the store.
That's gun owners in a nutshell. We do for ourselves. And by being prepared to take care of ourselves, we're also in a position to help others in need. There was a lot of neighbor-helping-neighbor after Charley. Trees that needed to be chain-sawed & removed, houses that needed repairs.
We're realists. We know that we are our own first responders. Well-stocked first aid kit -- check. Extra food in the larder, especially during hurricane season -- check. Fire extinguisher -- check. We don't live our lives in fear of disaster, but we know that when disaster strikes, those who are prepared for it are the most likely to come through it either unscathed or with a minimum of damage. I'm not talking prepper-style living here; just the garden-variety Boy Scout attitude of "be prepared."
We know that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. We know that if bad guys attack, the best way to stop them is with an application of equal or greater force. We know that thugs target the vulnerable and prey on the weak, and so we make sure that we are not vulnerable or weak.
We are not the people anyone needs to feel unsafe from. But we're also not the people who will be victims. We don't believe in being victims.
There, now. Do I really seem all that dangerous, just because I have guns? All of my neighbors have guns; all of them are great neighbors to have, especially in a disaster, not because of their guns but because of their mindset. Does my neighborhood really sound all that dangerous? It might be the safest neighborhood in Florida, and might well be one of the safest neighborhoods in the country.
