should gays arm them selves (US)

[East]

First of all, EVERY establishment that serves alcohol that I have EVER been in is posted- no weapons so, IF some jerk had a gun in there, he has it illegally - I would call the police and stay away from the gun carrying drunk until they arrived.

Second, the few that have gotten guns legally and later gone ballistic with them are few and, even those were not concealed carry permit holders who, fyi, must demonstrate to law enforcement officers that they are capable of using their sidearms accurately, safely and quickly in high stress situation while aiming and, firing at man size and shaped targets. We are asked for head shot's, vitals zone shots and disabling, non lethal shot to show we know the difference and can repeatedly make the shot the situation may require. We also pas both state and federal background checks, and in most states the city police chief and.or county sheriff must sign a document stating that he approves of us obtaining the permit, we have demonstrated knowledge of a competency with our guns and, we are not a risk to the general public while armed.

We have to know the laws as well as the wishes of business owners anywhere we carry, and we have to abide by those laws an wishes. I could be fined, arrested and/or do jail time if my shirt simply slipped up when I bent over to get a can of vegetables off the bottom shelf in the grocery store and someone saw my sidearm and called the police. Yes the store allows concealed carry, but if I reveal my sidearm in a non defense situation EVER, ANYWHERE, or even tell someone I have it and, they call in, I am the one that is going to be arrested, fined and possibly jailed for it and, my sidearm will definitely be confiscated and, I will loose my right concealed carry.

Someone that is likely to go postal is not going to go through what it takes to earn the privilege of concealed carry. Pleas don't lump me and other responsible concealed carriers with those that use rifles in post offices, where by the way I am NOT allowed to carry my sidearm.

No gun in bars, taverns. pubs, liquor stores, banks, courthouses, the county jail, churches, schools, or most major chain restaurants. And where have most of those mass shootings happened? In places it's illegal to carry a gun in the first place.

So since the gun got in there, two thing happened. 1- the armed person was not obeying the law. 2 - Those responsible for keeping guns out of that place failed to keep that gun out. Had the person with the gun been a responsible, law abiding gun owner, the gun would never have gone there. Had the security measure in place not failed at some point, the gun would have been safely removed from the individual before it was fired.

My point is, for things like Columbine to happen it takes more than one thing going wrong and, none of those have been perpetrated with a sidearm that could have been used for concealed carry, or even a gun logical to use for self defense.

It is not legal to carry in California as far as I am aware and my point is really simple. You can argue all the other points but please dont' pretend you have the definitive answer and know exactly what all gun owners will or won't do...you don't. I never said ALL gun owners behave this way because it would be just as ridiculous as claiming none of them do. You only know what you will or won't do. Plenty of gun owners are assholes and behave as such...I am talking garden variety asshole...not Columbine sensational variety asshole...just like the rest of the population.