But I do understand what I think you are saying. When I look at the people posting on the Internet, I realize there are just some things in society that not everyone should have. Giving this "equal voice" to every introvert, immature, socially stunted, low IQ loser really makes normal people realize how fucked up the average citizen really is.
I want a gun to protect me and those I care to protect. But I sure as hell don't want to turn our society into something where every 300 lb soccer mom shopping at Walmart in three day old spandex is openly carrying like Dirty Harry, has never been to a gun range, and is just itching to pull their gun and "stop a terrorist".
That is why I think the average citizen would shit their pants if they pulled out a gun and tried to defend themselves. Thus, I don't think if everyone was armed, it would lead to a decrease in violence, for the sole fact that I think the average citizen doesn't have the balls to kill another human being.
We can get into the whole debate about specific temperament/personality profiles of people who have dangerous jobs (cops, military, bomb disposal expert) vs. people who have non-dangerous jobs (teacher, banker, nurse, etc.) The research clearly shows that people who have dangerous jobs have a specific temperament (inborn)/personality profile (fearlessness, diminished sense of anxiety in the face of fear, lower heart rate, etc), thus making them more capable of doing what they do. All of these characteristics are probably necessary to be an effective bomb disposal expert. Mix this with a specific type of environment, you can probably have a person who is very effective at doing a dangerous job. Not everyone is born with that specific temperament/personality makeup, or grows up in that type of environment. As such, arming EVERYONE would not decrease violence, as most soccer moms would shit their pants once they pulled out their gun.
I am not against gun ownership. I often go shooting with my close friend and cousins husband, both own multiple guns. Target and skeet shooting. But I don't own any guns myself.
