Quote:
Originally posted by nostatic
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If you own a gun, how many times have you used it, and how many times has it saved your life, or the life of another? Of course I know the probable response to that question is, "well, you never know but I'm prepared."
There is no real way to argue this one, other to admit that I'm wrong and all the gun fans are totally correct. 
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On your first point, I think you should consider something like 95% or so, cops never even pull their guns out of the holster in their job. (per college crime major room-mate . . . I'm sure LA is different)
What ever the number, my point is, the presence of force deters countless illegal/bad actions.
When the citizens "carry concealed"; the big bad 275lb bully is then uncertain if the 120lb Texan woman is going to take him out in self defense.
The presence of deadly force gives everybody pause. Which is why many don’t like guns, and are against them. I think we can agree on that.
But, you can’t argue that it does not give pause to criminals. (mentally insane is anither topic)
Just because the news isn’t reporting all the instances of deterred criminals, doesn’t indicate its’ lack of existance. What fun is a news story that reads; Man was casing a shop for a robbery. He saw the box boy had a side-arm. He decided not to rob the store. Or, jogging woman was targeted for rape. Man gave up pursuit when woman started jogging with one hand in her fanny –pack.
Subtlety defused stories just don’t have the same pop. (pardon the pun)
On "gun fans" . ..THAT I am not. It's a pragmatic issue to me. Again, I believe the vast majority of people are good. This means I trust we are better off with the good people having deadly force, as it will keep at bay the idiots with bad intentions.
Cars, knives and fire, for examples, are all deadly weapons, and yet we trust even teens to use them properly.