4 ms·

>Law enforcement isn't available at the speed you need it in an emergency, anywhere. This is often recognized in the statement "when seconds count, the police a

>Law enforcement isn't available at the speed you need it in an emergency, anywhere. This is often recognized in the statement "when seconds count, the police are only minutes away". Law enforcement's job is to enforce the laws after the fact. While this is certainly true, we're talking about the difference between minutes and hours out in the country. I am reasonably comfortable walking around town unarmed because, whether it's accurate or not, I feel like there are enough police and people around that i'm not on my own. I do not have the same level of comfort 10 miles into the mountains. >If you have a mountain lion hanging around outside your door, you can just not go outside until it's gone. This might not be obvious to someone who hasn't dealt with this problem before but the issue is not just seeing one outside your house, it's coming across a moose with cubs or a bear on a hike 10 miles from home. That is a situation where being able to make a lot of noise best case or using deadly force worst case are the different between you living or not.

Tool_of_Society 4y ago
Indeed where I currently live there's been several black bears spotted recently. Black bears generally are fearful of humans except for certain situations. Accidentally stumbling on to some cubs is a quick way to a mauling and a slow death. Then there's the mountain lions, coyotes, feral dogs, etcetc..
thaumasiotes 4y ago
> the issue is not just seeing one outside your house, it's coming across a moose with cubs or a bear on a hike 10 miles from home. But that first issue is something that is plausibly different between urban and rural residents. Once you start talking about purposefully traveling far from your home, why would urban residents be any different from rural residents? > I am reasonably comfortable walking around town unarmed because, whether it's accurate or not, I feel like there are enough police and people around that i'm not on my own. This is a strange argument to make; surely the law should be concerned with whether your perception that you're safe in town really is accurate. "I should not be allowed to defend myself because I feel safe, even though in reality I am unsafe" is unlikely to convince anyone.
- taeric 4y ago
  "far from home" in this case, could just be a couple of blocks. I'm not really in what I would call a rural area, but a coyote den is never too far away. Can hear them most nights. Granted... I don't feel I need a gun. But I am sympathetic to the idea for the folks that live nearer to animals larger than coyotes.

Tool_of_Society 4y ago

Indeed where I currently live there's been several black bears spotted recently. Black bears generally are fearful of humans except for certain situations. Accidentally stumbling on to some cubs is a quick way to a mauling and a slow death. Then there's the mountain lions, coyotes, feral dogs, etcetc..

thaumasiotes 4y ago

> the issue is not just seeing one outside your house, it's coming across a moose with cubs or a bear on a hike 10 miles from home. But that first issue is something that is plausibly different between urban and rural residents. Once you start talking about purposefully traveling far from your home, why would urban residents be any different from rural residents? > I am reasonably comfortable walking around town unarmed because, whether it's accurate or not, I feel like there are enough police and people around that i'm not on my own. This is a strange argument to make; surely the law should be concerned with whether your perception that you're safe in town really is accurate. "I should not be allowed to defend myself because I feel safe, even though in reality I am unsafe" is unlikely to convince anyone.

taeric 4y ago
"far from home" in this case, could just be a couple of blocks. I'm not really in what I would call a rural area, but a coyote den is never too far away. Can hear them most nights. Granted... I don't feel I need a gun. But I am sympathetic to the idea for the folks that live nearer to animals larger than coyotes.