Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexB
As I tried to say, can totally understand the rationale for feeling the need to have a gun now, as things are around you, and my post wasn’t questioning that, or criticising you or any individual person for that - sorry if it came across that way.
It’s more at government level where changes need to be made that could maybe eventually mean things get to a position where that feeling of needing a firearm as protection goes away. Undoubtedly there will be people who don’t want to be helped, but some sections of that society will take up opportunities. Even if you lift up 5%, even a couple of %, it’ll have an impact, may set an example and make a few more people more receptive.
Agree it needs all sides to want to change things, not just gun-owners and non-owners, but also all levels of governance, all levels of society - it’s not a simple fix by any measure.
What is puzzling and frustrating to an outsider looking in is that there doesn’t seem to be any real desire from the people who could facilitate change to even try, leaving good folks (for want of a better description) with little choice. I can see that.
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It's all good. I didn't take it as you were questioning me or criticizing me. Even if you were, its an internet board and with some of the colorful characters we have around here, it just comes with the territory.
I was just trying to explain how I felt about it, and that there are differences in circumstances depending on where people are from. The % points that you talk about are there, but there is a difference of how people view and or see and feel about those % points based on if you are from Baltimore or Pittsburgh or Chicago.
An un popular opinion I have is that wanting to change and putting the work in to change is too hard. People are comfortable and have made whatever situation they are in work. So if you are making money off drugs in Baltimore, its to hard to change and the reward (money) isn't enough to make/ force them to change. The old life, even with the higher possibility of being killed, is easier and more rewarding in many different aspects. Money, power, respect, family etc.
It's not just that aspect either. Our current systems in place (like the police) are also in need of some serious adjusting. The entire police department isn't bad, but there is enough of them out there that would rather rip off the drug dealers/ work with them to get their cut of the pie, rather than foster the respect and environments that are needed to for the city to flourish/ to get it under control. They have lost the confidence of the people, so the people do not call or use them when they should.
Granted these are all oversimplifications of what is occurring, but they are pieces of the puzzle that continue to help us go nowhere.