JamesNoBrakes

Hence, why you don't wear one on every flight. That wasn't so hard, was it?

jungle

James dearest, I did wear one on every flight when the risk levels required it.

Probably best for you to figure your own risk and let others do the same, since I very much doubt you know what risks they encounter.

But that would spoil your fun wouldn't it?

HIFLYR

Well then by all means do not get one !

jungle

But he already has a few because he likes them and thinks they are cool.

I think we may safely say that projection is one of the uglier human traits.

AZFlyer

Man, if that ain't the truth. It is amazing to me how people who might otherwise be reasonable and rational (giving JnB the benefit of the doubt here) can't see how irrational it is to say that we carry guns because of how cool we must feel when we do it.

JamesNoBrakes

I like guns.

I do not have some sort of clint eastwood/die hard/cops and robbers fantasy that I'm going to stop some super-crime with them. I think this is the motive behind many gun owners, that they feel they'll be able to "take on crime" in some sort of romantic one-on-one situation or the "**** will hit the fan and I'll need it!" mentality...

JamesNoBrakes

Wouldn't it be better to have it on EVERY flight? Be better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it...right?

LNL76

I didn't realize someone exposed this in a book. I had the misfortune of speaking to him when he called my boss several times and he was the rudest, most ill-mannered individual I encountered in 14 years working in corporate America. To say EVERYONE, including me, had to jump through hoops when he called is an accurate depiction.

jungle

Translation: Only I have the proper motives and reason to own weapons, others are engaged in fantasy. I am special and they are foolish.

DeadHead

I have to say that is somewhat of a disingenuous statement to make. I take it that you are a gun owner, but you don't qualify yourself as a gun owner who is consumed by Clint Eastwood/Die Hard/Cops & Robbers fanaticism (as you put it).

So, perhaps, we should all assume you are one of these individuals by your self-interpretation definition that "many" gun owners are consumed by this motivation.

I'll give you that there is certainly a percentage of gun owners who are irresponsible, but I disagree with your quantification of many.

Point is, it is unfair to label an individual as irresponsible based on their personal beliefs regarding safety and security. People don't always wear their lifetime experiences on their faces, and most often those past lifetime experiences dictate how an individual chooses to live in the present/future.