Try exercising with a gun in your bra

Wow...that's a bit much. I live in one of the most dangerous cities in the US and don't carry weapons. But then again, I've lived here my whole life, so I'm not paranoid like someone may be coming from a small town.

Agreed. I work in Wilmington, DE (Neighborhood Scout named it 17th most dangerous in the US, parenting.com/parenting magazine ranked it MOST dangerous city in the US). I don't think it is that dangerous, but per capita it is bad. Every day there is someone getting shot, stabbed, or robbed, etc. I walk all the time in Wilmington. I'm not a runner. But I also went to college here for a couple years. Walked all over. Never been scared for my safety. I keep my phone on me, just in case someone starts doing something stupid near me, then I'd call the cops and hide somewhere. I'm not interested in being a hero at all. I don't walk down alleys or creepy side streets either. There was this one time a *gasp* homeless-looking man almost touched my shoulder and asked for money or a bus pass or something and I kindly said "I am sorry, I do not", and kept it moving. LOL no offense though. Some folks have seen some crazy crap. I haven't experienced a crazy gun-point robbery or a rape or anything. I've seen plenty of folks with weapons they shouldn't have, drugs they shouldn't have, bullet wounds they got as an innocent bystander, and I've witnessed a couple shoot-outs, was almost raped but screamed, like I was taught, and he backed off quick. My choice is not to add to the gun shops & medical sectors profits and the empty shell-casings on the ground around here. There are better ways to solve the madness in my opinion. Not everyone shares that opinion though, and that is OK.

I guess it is really about people perspectives, experiences, and biases. I completely understand though if the OP's hubby is ex-military or police. Completely understand then. They see things that no one should see or experience.

Don't put yourself in a scary position and nothing scary will happen. It seems easy to me. If you don't like your neighborhood, drive a little ways to a park or a nicer neighborhood. I'm sure the West Coast has parks... Just a suggestions as opposed to packing a gun, taser, and a knife. You can't use all that in an instant if someone pops out on you... And if you did, they would be stunned on the ground, then..... stabbed by you, and then...shot? I don't get it. One weapon seems to be enough IMO.

Coming form Australia I love reading these posts! Sounds so funny that you would even be allowed to carry any type of weapon!

What I think is so funny is a 26 year old who has all the answers!

The basic role of police is not proactive, but reactionary. They generally show up after the crime has been committed and document the event.

Crime Stats: World Ranking - Australia VS United States

Assault Victims
Oz - 2.4% Ranked 4th - 100% more than the USA
USA -1.2% Ranked 11th

Rape Victims
Oz -1% - Ranked 5th - 150% more than USA
USA - 0.4% - Ranked 13


Total Crime Victims
Oz - 30.1% - Ranked #1 - 43% more than the USA
USA - 21.1% Ranked 15

Perception of Safety Walking in the dark
Oz - 64% Ranked 14th
USA - 82% Ranked 2nd - 28% more than Oz

http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/Australia/United-States/Crime

Murders committed with firearms:
OZ - 59
USA - 9,369

Murders committed by youths:
OZ - 88
USA - 8,226

Think you missed a couple of stats you didn't like out of that slapdown buddy!

2010 Population of Australia: ~22 Million
Murders in Australia in 2010: 260
http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/0/B/6/{0B619F44-B18B-47B4-9B59-F87BA643CBAA}facts11.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Australia#Population

2010 Population of the USA: 309 Million
2010 Murders in the USA: 16,259
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_Census

So, with 15 times the population, we have 62 times the homicide rate. Is the reason for this the easy acquisition of firearms? Possibly, but what seems more likely is the greater rate of poverty in the US oriented around large urban areas. Why? Because rich people don't usually commit murder. A good control for this is Switzerland.

2009 Population of Switzerland: 7.8 Million
2009 Murders in Switzerland: 84
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Switzerland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Switzerland#Population

So, Switzerland has 35% of the population of Australia, but only 32% of the homocide totals. This is especially perplexing considering that EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN SWITZERLAND HAS A FULLY-AUTOMATIC ASSAULT RIFLE.

The answer seems fairly obvious. Gun Control doesn't prevent murders (the US Murder rate has fallen year over year for the last ~30 years, regardless of the presence/absence of federal level gun control), and homocide rates are a reflection of urbanization and poverty moreso than the prevalence or absence of firearms.

Crime rate has dropped in states that have passed conceal carry. Also, somewhere around 60% of prison inmates have admitted to calling off a mugging because of fear that the "targeted victim" may be carrying.

Coming form Australia I love reading these posts! Sounds so funny that you would even be allowed to carry any type of weapon!

What I think is so funny is a 26 year old who has all the answers!

The basic role of police is not proactive, but reactionary. They generally show up after the crime has been committed and document the event.

Crime Stats: World Ranking - Australia VS United States

Assault Victims
Oz - 2.4% Ranked 4th - 100% more than the USA
USA -1.2% Ranked 11th

Rape Victims
Oz -1% - Ranked 5th - 150% more than USA
USA - 0.4% - Ranked 13


Total Crime Victims
Oz - 30.1% - Ranked #1 - 43% more than the USA
USA - 21.1% Ranked 15

Perception of Safety Walking in the dark
Oz - 64% Ranked 14th
USA - 82% Ranked 2nd - 28% more than Oz

http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/Australia/United-States/Crime

Murders committed with firearms:
OZ - 59
USA - 9,369

Murders committed by youths:
OZ - 88
USA - 8,226

Think you missed a couple of stats you didn't like out of that slapdown buddy!

2010 Population of Australia: ~22 Million
Murders in Australia in 2010: 260
http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/0/B/6/{0B619F44-B18B-47B4-9B59-F87BA643CBAA}facts11.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Australia#Population

2010 Population of the USA: 309 Million
2010 Murders in the USA: 16,259
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_Census

So, with 15 times the population, we have 62 times the homicide rate. Is the reason for this the easy acquisition of firearms? Possibly, but what seems more likely is the greater rate of poverty in the US oriented around large urban areas. Why? Because rich people don't usually commit murder. A good control for this is Switzerland.

2009 Population of Switzerland: 7.8 Million
2009 Murders in Switzerland: 84
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Switzerland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Switzerland#Population

So, Switzerland has 35% of the population of Australia, but only 32% of the homocide totals. This is especially perplexing considering that EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN SWITZERLAND HAS A FULLY-AUTOMATIC ASSAULT RIFLE.

The answer seems fairly obvious. Gun Control doesn't prevent murders (the US Murder rate has fallen year over year for the last ~30 years, regardless of the presence/absence of federal level gun control), and homocide rates are a reflection of urbanization and poverty moreso than the prevalence or absence of firearms.

canadian here, anti-gun, but this is a rational argument. it is true that not just poverty, but *relative poverty*, i.e., inequity, i.e., the unequal distribution of wealth, is the root cause of your problem.

but i think you'll have more luck banning guns than talking about that. (i.e., pigs will fly first)

OP: i think you guys should just move back to your old town, so your husband can relax and feel at home.

Coming form Australia I love reading these posts! Sounds so funny that you would even be allowed to carry any type of weapon!

What I think is so funny is a 26 year old who has all the answers!

The basic role of police is not proactive, but reactionary. They generally show up after the crime has been committed and document the event.

Crime Stats: World Ranking - Australia VS United States

Assault Victims
Oz - 2.4% Ranked 4th - 100% more than the USA
USA -1.2% Ranked 11th

Rape Victims
Oz -1% - Ranked 5th - 150% more than USA
USA - 0.4% - Ranked 13


Total Crime Victims
Oz - 30.1% - Ranked #1 - 43% more than the USA
USA - 21.1% Ranked 15

Perception of Safety Walking in the dark
Oz - 64% Ranked 14th
USA - 82% Ranked 2nd - 28% more than Oz

http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/Australia/United-States/Crime

Murders committed with firearms:
OZ - 59
USA - 9,369

Murders committed by youths:
OZ - 88
USA - 8,226

Think you missed a couple of stats you didn't like out of that slapdown buddy!

2010 Population of Australia: ~22 Million
Murders in Australia in 2010: 260
http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/0/B/6/{0B619F44-B18B-47B4-9B59-F87BA643CBAA}facts11.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Australia#Population

2010 Population of the USA: 309 Million
2010 Murders in the USA: 16,259
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_Census

So, with 15 times the population, we have 62 times the homicide rate. Is the reason for this the easy acquisition of firearms? Possibly, but what seems more likely is the greater rate of poverty in the US oriented around large urban areas. Why? Because rich people don't usually commit murder. A good control for this is Switzerland.

2009 Population of Switzerland: 7.8 Million
2009 Murders in Switzerland: 84
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Switzerland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Switzerland#Population

So, Switzerland has 35% of the population of Australia, but only 32% of the homocide totals. This is especially perplexing considering that EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN SWITZERLAND HAS A FULLY-AUTOMATIC ASSAULT RIFLE.

The answer seems fairly obvious. Gun Control doesn't prevent murders (the US Murder rate has fallen year over year for the last ~30 years, regardless of the presence/absence of federal level gun control), and homocide rates are a reflection of urbanization and poverty moreso than the prevalence or absence of firearms.

canadian here, anti-gun, but this is a rational argument. it is true that not just poverty, but *relative poverty*, i.e., inequity, i.e., the unequal distribution of wealth, is the root cause of your problem.

but i think you'll have more luck banning guns than talking about that. (i.e., pigs will fly first)

OP: i think you guys should just move back to your old town, so your husband can relax and feel at home.

I'm surprised anybody bothered to address the initial statistics anyway.

Assault victims - this is the easiest to attempt to draw some link with carrying firearms, but at best it is shaky. What about domestic assaults for example?

Rape victims: the majority of rapes are carried out by people that knew the attacker - this will mean that they are far less likely to draw a gun, therefore those stats are pretty pointless.

Total crime victims - how anybody can draw any kind of link with carrying firearms is baffling. Total crime includes things like, say internet fraud, driving infringements etc....

Fear of crime: Has more to do with the media than anything else. Fear of crime seems to be rising across the board in Europe/America/Aus/Canada etc, whilst in most of these places, crime is dropping.

To use the O'Brian analogy - fear of zombies is quite high, whilst actual attacks by zombies are at an all-time low.

Crime rate has dropped in states that have passed conceal carry. Also, somewhere around 60% of prison inmates have admitted to calling off a mugging because of fear that the "targeted victim" may be carrying.

oh great, an escalating arms race driven by fear, yes, that is a beautiful vision for society.

Beats the heck out of being a victim, wouldnt you agree?

Crime rate has dropped in states that have passed conceal carry. Also, somewhere around 60% of prison inmates have admitted to calling off a mugging because of fear that the "targeted victim" may be carrying.

oh great, an escalating arms race driven by fear, yes, that is a beautiful vision for society.

Beats the heck out of being a victim, wouldnt you agree?

I'll add that the arms race comment is not even close to the reality here. I live in Florida and grew up with firearms. They are just something I grew up knowing how to handle and use, and honestly not something I spend a lot of time focusing on. They are a tool used for specific purposes, and yes criminals will use them for violence but I'm not going to disarm myself in the hopes that criminals will follow suit and obey the law. Is there a big chance of ever using one? Not really. My wife used one to defend herself once, but I doubt it will ever happen again. Of course I've never used my fire insurance or life insurance, but I'm not canceling those either.

For those of you from Oz, the UK and Canada that don't understand, well you just don't understand, and values are not something that can be easily explained. Perhaps like the UK's focus on class. I just don't get why some people truly feel that they are entitled to be treated better than everyone else. And no, I will never understand that, and yet I've seen it first hand working with upper class solicitors from the UK. They are some of the most self entitled and, frankly, often racist people I've ever met. I don't bother to try and understand them because I have so little in common with them. It just is the way it is. Americans, for the most part, value our diverse and multi-racial society. It's been a long time coming in moving from our written ideals to seeing them slowly realized, and we certainly have room to improve, but I'm honestly amused by a person from a country that still respects a monarch giving us grief about our values. As much as I like to give the French good natured grief, at least they had the good sense to rid themselves of that garbage.

But I digress. Our values differ. Oh well.

there's a massive class system in the US too, it's just taboo to talk about it, and invisible to most, because everyone really wants to believe it's a meritocracy and that pulling yourself up by the bootstraps is the way to access social goods (it isn't, it's class, networks, etc). poor people in the US know this. they're angry and scared, too. hence guns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0ehzfQ4hAQ