Exactly socko. Guns do their most good without even being fired. Home invasions don't happen in my neck of he woods, bc it would be suicide for a criminal to try in most households in Tennessee.
Didn't you say you were from oklalittledixie socko? That is as red as this country gets lol must be quite a departure, living in France. What do you miss most about America?
I agree they are most effective as a deterrent. Law enforcement in some areas recommends them for home protection. Some people even have a backup gun.
I had recently seen the movie Easy Rider, and I was researching a cross country bike ride, and I was wondering how to ride across rural areas of the South without dying. Danger of attack by wild dogs was the least of my worries. A kick in the head usually works if it's a lone dog. I had been run off the road, had bottles thrown, had friends run over, had friends shot while riding, etc to be cautious. This was in the 2000s. The Texas State Highway commissioner advised cyclists riding alone, long distance through Texas to carry a pistol and put it in your jersey so it (or its outline) would be visible to passing motorists.
I did spend part of my childhood in the South. It was very red. I like to think that one thing I learned was, left or right, that most people want the same basic things, so even if I disagree with them politically, we still have a lot in common. Also, I met some of the most colorful people there. You can meet some of the nicest people and some of the worst people there.
The thing I miss most was the vast areas of wilderness and the isolation. I spent a lot of time backpacking and riding in the national parks system.
consumer: Austrians are extremely lawful people who are always on time, never cross against the light, and don't flush their toilets after 10pm for fear of the sound disturbing anybody living in neighboring flats. Such people have no need for firearms. Even if all Americans suddenly became law-abiding, America has an extensive hunting culture. Wild game animals are hunted for food by a large portion of the population. Most people use firearms. While they have a dedicated following, bows, spears, slings, etc, are not something that old people or people in frail health can wield easily and effectively.
Owning a gun is a responsibility as well as a right. You are responsible for keeping it out of the wrong hands and for using it safely. Before I ever owned one, I took firearm safety classes, marksmanship classes, and learned how to field-strip several types.