Hahaha, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me.

Today was the first time I saw literally everyone wearing them in Walmart. I expected a couple dissenters. This is Kansas after all.

My neighborhood is nickname all white tukee. Yet just around the corner a guy got killed the other day by a cop while he was submitting. Granted, they were there for a domestic dispute and the guy answered the door with a gun. But shot as he started to kneel and submit.

If a lot of people say that to you you may want to consider that they may have a good point.

Sure, but exactly how does that affect me going to Safeway? The small amount of gun violence we have here is virtually all involving drugs or domestic violence. There is very little against innocent people just going about their business. Could it happen? Of course. I could also get hit by a bus. But I'm not living my life worrying about things that are that unlikely.

But COVID-19 is a much more real threat to me, since I take immunosuppressive drugs. I wear my mask.

It doesn't man. I'm just trying to participate. You be you because you is you. I dig you. Don't die, you.

Cool.

But they don't. They were wearing blinders, and then something ripped them off for them.

Most of those people say that to me during a defensive handgun class. Something like "I live in a nice quiet neighborhood, I never even thought about carrying a gun until the other day/last month/whatever when this terrible thing happened right down the street/at my local grocery store/Wal-Mart/in the parking structure at work/etc."

And I almost have to laugh because I used to say the same things. Currently I live in the safest town in the Phoenix area (probably), but I've lived in some ghetto places in STL, KS, Chicago, etc. And nearly everything in between.

And I've seen what high unemployment/social unrest will do to crime rates firsthand. I was living in a pretty safe area in north Glendale AZ back in 2009 and watched my area become more and more dangerous as unemployment rates worsened. But it wasn't until a woman was stabbed in broad day light at the grocery store in the parking lot I had just left not an hour earlier, that I realized that the idea "I'm immune to crime because I live in a good area" was an illusion.

Of course, now things are much different than they were in 2009. Violent crime has spiked over 44% since the advent of the virus nationwide. Classes are booked until after the New Year. Just a year ago I was practically begging people to try a class just to fill enough slots to make it worth renting the range, now they're upset because they're on a waiting list until Mar. 2021.

I can't spend my life worrying over every unlikely event. Life is too short for that. I find it odd that you are more worried about gun violence than COVID, since you are far more likely to get COVID - especially since you take no precautions.

For me it is just the opposite. I'm high risk so you bet your ass I wear a mask when in public. But I've made it 58 years without being a victim of gun violence, so I'm not going to worry about it too much.

Oh, one more thing, concealed firearms are against the law here, except in very rare cases.

[QUOTE=splatbass;15073701]I can't spend my life worrying over every unlikely event. Life is too short for that. I find it odd that you are more worried about gun violence than COVID, since you are far more likely to get COVID - especially since you take no precautions.

For me it is just the opposite. I'm high risk so you bet your ass I wear a mask when in public. But I've made it 58 years without being a victim of gun violence, so I'm not going to worry about it too much.

Oh, one more thing, concealed firearms are against the law here, except in very rare cases.

I understand the math. Violent crime, while rare, is spiking almost 50% higher than before the virus. And a BG with a gun/knife is far more deadly than the virus. Also the virus has a consistent infection/death rate, both of which are pretty low for someone of my age and health. Add in the fact that I live a pretty low-risk type of lifestyle (don't have much interaction with people in general and certainly not for any extended period of time) makes it highly unlikely that wearing a mask for the few seconds I actually interact with humans would be meaningful.

The second or third most common excuse I hear at class. Usually followed by "and then this happened . . . which is why I decided to sign up for this class."

That's too bad. Maybe you should look into what you can do about that. But I'd rather be alive and judged by 12, than dead and carried out in a box by 6.

[QUOTE=Megatron96;15073725]Nice saying, but ridiculous. I follow the law. If you don't, then you are also a criminal and your opinion means no more to me than any other criminal.

Just don't come to my state and break our laws.

[QUOTE=splatbass;15073774]Can't even freaking go to your state. Sucks cause I'd like to get away. Far away.

[QUOTE=eDave;15073777]Yeah, right now we have a 14 day quarantine for anyone coming from outside the state (interisland travel is now allowed). Unfortunately some are breaking quarantine and putting our lives at risk. We have had a low number of cases because of our isolation, so letting in outsiders is risky. They were going to end the quarantine on Aug 1 for anyone that tests negative, but due to the increased number of cases on the mainland (in states where people don't wear masks or social distance as much) that has been put off until Sept.

It sucks economically since 50% of our economy is tourism, but I feel much safer knowing we are isolated from the mainland dumb****s that think it is a hoax.

Well, I'm at worlds of fun right now and the masks are making it way hotter.

Augh. I pull mine away from my face from the bottom to get some fresh air in there. I'm comfortable with that level of non compliance and I do it away from people. Hate the mask. But I'm also having a great deal of fun with it.