FIONA CARROLL, San Clemente
The choice of whether or not to own firearms for protection is based on fear. I am afraid of killing someone and choose to use non-lethal forms of protection. I am not afraid of guns. I am afraid of dangerous people having easy access to guns.
I’m afraid of guns in homes left on the nightstand or unsecured anywhere a child can find them. I’m afraid of suicidal people, domestic abusers, and angry people using their guns to kill people, causing them distress before killing themselves.
I’m afraid of people having easy access to a suicide method with an 85% success rate vs. other methods with a 15% success rate. I’m afraid of weak gun laws that allow armed civilians in public places.
I’m afraid of the addiction to the “invigorating feeling” or the unfounded fear for their lives from homicidal criminals that gun owners experience, which fuels their passion to fight any laws restricting access to firearms.
I’m afraid of the gun lobby’s successful misinformation campaign, similar to the old tobacco company’s message that cigarettes were healthy. Let history repeat with a public service campaign to keep guns out of public places, similar to the efforts that removed cigarette smoke from the air we all breathe.
