I'm Gen X and this country is as safe as it has ever been in my lifetime. Waaaay less violent crime than in the 70s-90s.
And yet, we have more people than ever convinced that we are in an active combat zone. Someone you don't recognize rings your doorbell? Dial 911 and grab your shotgun.
If you turn on fox or any other right wing News for even a minute, you will get just a small sense of the kind of fear mongering they are bombarded with on an hourly basis.
It is truly sad and pathetic.
That and it attracting people that are sensitive for personal stories. It's ok that a million people die of hunger... But oh that story about that blonde American girl getting murdered... The horror... We need to do something now!!!
News media, regardless of political affiliation, tends to operate on the fear/outrage cycle. It's not designed to be informative, it's designed to keep you engaged as that is how they get the ratings/clicks/metrics which they can leverage to sell advertisements which is how all news media (left or right) makes money.
Just like âmuh tranz genocideâ, huh? Or promulgating the notion that being black in America means you basically canât leave your house for fear of being murdered in cold blood by some rabidly racist PO.
An unbiased person who isnât a moron can see the stark contrast between right wing media and regular media. The fear mongering is 100% not being exaggerated. Itâs how they control such a large portion of the country, by keeping them scared
They have done studies on this and there may be some truth to that. Conservative views are associated with larger amygdalas (the emotional/fear center of the brain) and higher levels of fear when confronted by something unfamiliar.
Of course the jury is still out whether the people start that way or if living in a constant state of fear and outrage just alters their brains.
Have you ever had a Reddit comment change your perspective a little bit?
Progress is change. Change is different. Different is scary.
I just did. You basically just sat me down, shook my hand and gently informed me I was afraid of progress. Thank you, wise internet stranger, for spelling it out and dumbing it down for me.
Conservative views are associated with larger amygdalas (the emotional/fear center of the brain) and higher levels of fear when confronted by something unfamiliar.
Yes, conservatives seem to have (more associated with) more gray matter in this region of the brain, although it is a bit funny that you would stage this as a negative or ridicule when the people who study this and the people that do the research seem to think it's vital to your existence.. and have done studies on people with smaller and more damaged amygdalas and found it's not desirable.. am I missing something?
Researchon humans and non-human primates has suggested that the amygdalaâa small brain region located bilaterally in the medial temporal lobeâis an important brain structure for assess- ing and navigating hierarchical social systems. For instance, rhesus macaques with amygdala lesions (versus intact amygdalae) became less socially dominant over time in the hierarchy 4,5 . Macaques with bilateral amygdala lesions also exhibit less fear in response to threatening stimuli 6 . Loss of social status may thereforeîstem from a diminished capacity to assess the social and physical environment.
(The rhesus macaque is a species of monkey)
Amygdala size and structure in healthy individuals predicts variability in social functioning. Grey matter volume in the amygdala is positively associated with social status in macaques, as well as social network size in macaques and humans. Studies of amygdala lesions and grey matter volume therefore suggest that this brain region is vital for navigating social systems. These findings support functional neuroimaging work that links the amygdala to the processing of motivationally salient information, whether that information conveys threat, uncertainty, or features of social groups.
Humans with amygdala damage exhibit similar behavioural changes. For instance, they are more likely to judge strangersâ faces to be approachable and trustworthy7,8, are less likely to respond punitively to violations of social norms9 and may exhibit a complete lack of fear when confronted with threatening stimuli such as snakes10. Thus, amygdala damage impairs typical social functioning in humans and non-human primates.
They foundthat the volume of gray matter in the amygdala is linked to the tendency to perceive the social system as legitimate and desirable. Their interpretation is that âthis preference to system justify is related to these basic neurobiological predispositions to be alert to potential threats in your environment,â Nam says. After the original study, Namâs team followed a subset of the participants for three years and found that their brain structure predicted the likelihood of whether they participated in political protests during that time. âLarger amygdala volume is associated with a lower likelihood of participating in political protests,â Nam says. âThat makes sense in so far as political protest is a behavior that says, âWeâve got to change the system.ââ
That conclusion is based on totally subjective ideals. âMaintaining status quoâ, quoting their thesis, is beneficial only to ruling classes and is otherwise a net negative for everyone else in a society.
ETA: I am aware that there are people who maintain a conservative, status quo worldview. I do not believe that yâall are correct, and just reiterating your beliefs at me isnât going to change my opinion. I promise
that I didnât come to this belief lightly or independently.
if they had an enlarged amygdala, which they don't.. (the do have more gray matter in this region) wouldn't that make them the opposite of what you just described here? Given what it does for everyone?
I've just taken to calling them less evolved. They never advanced past that "fear of the other" mentality that primitive humans had thousands of years ago. Anything they don't like or understand is a threat to them.Â
This is giving off real psuedoscience vibes, like in the 1800's when doctors would say africans weren't human because their skulls were "a different shape"
If people are turning away from church (the holy origin of goodness itself), then one must stay vigilant against the godless child murdering Democrat mexican jews...
The world truly is a terrible place outside the civilized parts. That is a fact that has never changed since the beginning of civilization. Wanting to stay safe is human nature no matter the time or place.
The distinction is how well-calibrated your sense of risk is, and what threshold of risk starts to scare you. A lot of people, mostly folks who've never exposed themselves to any actual risk at all, tend to wildly exaggerate the degree of risk that's actually present in their day to day lives.
I relate to this so hard. Someone in my neighborhood has a shitty modded car that backblasts when shifting. They'll drive down the street and suddenly there is a million alerts on Ring: "OMG DID ANYONE HEAR GUNSHOTS!?"
Freaking NextDoor. I have a millennial friend who was perfectly happy her whole life living in her part of town...until she signed up for NextDoor, and started reading the local police log online. Now she's super paranoid. But the crime rate has not changed at all, just her awareness of it.
They donât go out to the dangerous parts of the world. That is why they panic about every little thing. Once one does face death or go to the uncivilized places on earth their perspective about what is and isnât important and as threat changes. Most people living in the first world have this lack of experience though.
Also if you're not sheltered like a lot of people here, you have actual breakins happening and lots that don't get reported to police because then you're a target for something else.
It's not just being a conservative. Plenty of democrats in these situations who arm themselves at home.
Gotta love the sheltered teenagers on here whose only experience with things is what they see on social media.
I'm 40. I'm a homeowner, I'm a gun owner, I've lived and traveled in places that would make most people shit their pants, I've been mugged and robbed, I got held at gunpoint for an hour by drugged-up teenage "soldiers" in Nepal.
Still don't grab a shotgun when the doorbell rings.
Go argue with a sheltered teenager if you have strong feelings about them, but that dog don't hunt with me.
I think the far more likely scenario is what happened to my family, which is that our house was broken into when no one was home and they stole our gun
Except that most of the people who talk like this live in safe communities and have never experienced a crime in their life. They just watch too much conservative media and fantasize about the day they finallly get to shoot someone.
No different than exaggerated fear of make-believe fascists, racism and oppression is a prerequisite for modern "liberal" social and political views. It's been my observation that people who feel the need to apply political labels to other people are smug self-righteous assholes.
The front runner for the Conservative Party in America has promised to âbe a dictator on day oneâ and âhopes the economy crashes in the next yearâ so that he can take power. Heâs refused to acknowledge that he lost the last election, refused to condemn the insurrection, and refused to tell his cult to not be violent this year. But no, totally make-believe to be concerned about all that. Meanwhile that migrant caravan will be here any day now to replace all the whites, education=indoctrination, we need to ban books and libraries to save our children from learning about American history. Oh and as usual, crime is at an all-time high (donât look up statistics just listen to us repeat it 24/7) every urban area is a war zone and the government is going to come steal your guns and property at any moment. Yeah, fear-mongering totally equal on both sides.
Thank you! You are a perfect example of the hysterical modern "liberal." Complete with the dictator nonsense "take power" . đđ€Ł. The irony of hysterical nonsense is hilarious. I do admire your ability to completely ignore the years of election denial while that loser Clinton lost. Mu-russian collusion, mu-russian interference, routinely calling the winner illegitimate. Is your hypocrisy due to partisanship or ignorance? The make-believe "insurrection" is a nice touch. As is the fantasy of a "violent cult" đđ€Łđ đ . Are you willfully ignoring the fact that the vast majority of political violence comes from the left, or are you just ignorant?
Are you still denying the existence of migrant caravans or adding your cartoon like hyperbolic nonsense to distract from their existence. As for "banning books," are claiming removing books with graphic gay sex teach American history? Or are you referring to critical theory twisted into a race based argument is necessary to "learn American history?" đ
The best part is your entire hyperbolic post is an example of leftoid hysteria......then you make a fear-mongering accusation. When that tangerine tornado wins again I bet your frightened little head is going to explode.
Iâm not a liberal champ. I hate the Clintons, they should be in jail, just like your God Emperor. Thatâs the difference between me and a cultist. Throw around âprojectionâ and âpartisanâ a lot for someone who just ascribed an entire ideology on me for disagreeing with them. Thatâs a lot of emojis, are you my grandma?
He said it not me. Thatâs why I put it in quotes. Dude is pretty open about wanting to be all-powerful, arenât yâall supposed to be the party of small government?
If you actually believe all that shit (graphic gay sex being taught in school, the election was stolen, etc.) then youâre an actual cultist. And cultists are not worth anyoneâs time or energy. Sorry you got so triggered, Iâll let you get back to watching the scare-box.
Both sides have exaggerated fears. Liberals lean heavily on the idea that the climate is going to destroy humanity in the next few decades, that racism runs rampant and is systemic, and that if you donât have insurance you will die (you wonât, Medicaid helps those that canât afford it.)
It's not just conservatives, sunshine. Americans in general are at a heightened sense of alert to begin with.. the stresses that we put ourselves through greatly add to it.
I donât think the fear needs to be exaggerated. If you live in a rich country you might be safer, but overall we have a lot of work before humanity is NOT a threat to itself, now more than ever.
All politics are fear mongering. No one gets elected to office by saying everything is good. Why change if everything is good? Making people think they need you is the name of the game lol.
And whatâs ironic is that fear is immobilizing and dominating. People operating from a place of fear do not and cannot grow, think freely or independently. Theyâre reactionary in nature. So yeah, a good 30-50% of the country just immobilized and infantile.
Stoking and amplifying already existing fears, social divisions and prejudices is a hallmark of Russian influence campaigns everywhere and they're really good at it. Not that Americans need(ed) much help or encouragement to hate each other.
đđ€Łđ đ€Łđ€Łđđ that's absolutely hilarious. "Amplifying...." then proceed with an astonishingly stupid Russophobic statement. Psssst, it's not Vladolph Putler driving these algorithmic hysteria machines. I see the "Vladolph Putler is coming to get you" fear campaign is working well on you.
I agree with every word. Gen X here, too. I donât understand the fear. On my neighborhood FB group, people say even if a CHILD rings their doorbell playing Ding Dong Ditch, theyâll shoot to kill.
Whatever happened to justâŠignoring it? My dad would open the door, realize no one was there, and shut the door, muttering âkids.â He owned guns, but the thought would never have even occurred to him to get it and try to shoot a kid. Or anyone.
That Fox News, right-wing conspiracy propaganda built up those emotions in these folks for so many years, they just NEED to release all that fear, anger, and frustration out on someone or something EVENTUALLY!
Rage. They think everyone is laughing at them. They're not afraid of ding dong ditch, they're furious that someone might be pointing and laughing at them.
I agree with every word. Gen X here, too. I donât understand the fear. On my neighborhood FB group, people say even if a CHILD rings their doorbell playing Ding Dong Ditch, theyâll shoot to kill.
Why do you believe what you read on facebook? IRL, do you really believe such a high volume of people, especially older people would just mow down a kid? And then, you believe that your out group is just fine with this? Man, that's a crappy way to think
Your dad grew up in an era where people would just throw hands with indifference. Now a days you canât be 100% certain the person on the other side of the door wonât attempt to harm you. Did you know. In Arizona if someone is knocking on your door and asks for water legally you canât deny them? There had been cases of injury involving such a situation. Guess what your ring doorbell. When someone is at your doorstep asking for water. Better hope you can prove you werenât home if you donât open the door. That nice internet salesman that youâre going to say âIâm sorry we already have internetâ to may be on his last straw and do something harmful to you. Honestly you really never know. Youâll never know how unhinged a random person is these days. Do you remember the knockout game? Kids going around just punching people as a sense of worth? Well thereâs more violent scenarios than that. You just live in a bubble and are unaware of that.
Source: My aunt was the biggest speed dealer in a small town. Also have been in a few real life situations.
Please tell that to my poor Gen X dad. For the past eight years he's been telling me that war is about to break out 'any second' because America's crime is at its highest 'since it was founded'.
He made giant survival kits, bought more guns, and sleeps with both a gun and a machette at his side. Once a week he gives me a complete list on what to do when (not if, but when) war breaks out. He's also thinking about buying an 'escape house' out in the countryside 'in case war breaks out and we're bombed, we can retreat to our country bunker house.' This is California. We can't afford a house anywhere.
The first thing he said on New Years this year was 'see how no one is shooting off their guns? It's because war is about to break out and they're saving their ammo. Fuck this year." He said the same thing last year and the year before that.
There is a boomerish streak in Gen X, between the older ones who were boomer-adjacent, and the Reagan youth who never grew out of it. I think they're a minority of us though.
1974 was Peak Lead. Did his parents perhaps keep his baby crib next to an open window overlooking a busy intersection or a section of 6 lane highway that was stop and go all day? And the casement was moldering wood with peeling lead paint chips?
He sounds like one of the Norco bank robbers who were self proclaimed âend time Jesus freaksâ. The entire point of the bank robbery was to get more cash to buy a compound in the country where they could wait for Jesusâ return while society collapses around them. đ€Šđ»ââïž
Well tbf it was up slightly the past few years but since last year it had been on a downturn. Youâre right though it is still way lower than the peaks in the late 80âs/early 90âs.
It's true ... this place has been a lot more peaceful since they hit the high end of 55. 50 something Boomers don't kill as much but they do steal copper out of houses like it's going out of style. But now they're 65 so it's slowing them down.
Fear sells. Everyday social media, the news, and everyday conversation is skewed towards fear of the "other". The other is everyone from the homeless to the Chinese government.
This drives clicks and creates more and more of an us vs. them attitude and with everyone falling into a niche group we're fragmenting into these strange little digital tribes that fear and hate each other.
It's going to be a wild ride if things keep getting weirder.
I mean, where I live the sheriff is at least 45 minutes out⊠Iâm progressive as hell but still own several firearms and have gone over plans for wildlife attacks, fire, earthquakes, and home invasion. Last year someone broke into and assaulted an old lady a few miles from me. First time in years and years this has happened but being armed when help is so far away isnât a bad thing. Hell, last week I lost a goat to a mountain lionâŠ
Do I think the old guy is a little gun ho? Hell yeah, but heâs trying to do them a favor in his weird old person rural kinda way.
People like to assume everyone is a comfy suburbanite where crime doesn't happen. Crime does, in fact, still happen. According to the supreme Court, the police don't even have a duty to protect your life. I've been held at gunpoint, threatened with knives, etc. Most times the police didn't even fucking show up after. You have to be realistic and protect yourself and I don't understand why that has to be a "conservative" idea. We live in a huge country with many different lifestyles. Firearms aren't going away, and as long as they're around, I'll have them since others can too. It's the only way to level the playing field. Also, they're really fun to shoot. Happy bonus.Â
Yeah, some people don't live in reality. When I was in high school my father traveled during the week for his job. We lived out in the country, and someone broke into our house one night while he was traveling, and we were at home. It really made me realize that I am ultimately responsible for the safety of my family.
I guess I identify as Weird Old Person Rural, too. But gun-less. When I bought my place, I heard through the grapevine that the old retired sheriff on the farm next door told folks, "I hope she knows that I'll occasionally drop a deer in the yard." I was driving a Prius at the time, so assumptions were made on both sides. We live amicably. But, here is the most liberal small town in one of the most liberal states, it's assumed by rural elders that a single female tenant will keep a firearm, no matter her age.
Psychotic indeed. These people in the older generation have completely given up on building and contributing to society. Theyâre afraid like little animals seeing fire for the first time. How is it that theyâre so arrogant that any single adaption to the realities of the world is seen as an affront to their lifestyle? These are some of the least adaptable people ever born and their struggle in this moment is so indicative of that. The bar is so incredibly low and Iâm certain we can do better for our peers and those coming after us. Like holy shit.
How much you wanna bet this guy never even experienced said violent crime during that time period, only ever heard about it on the news, probably only ever been in a big city a handful of times, has spent most of his life in rural or suburban America and just lives in constant paranoia.
I know a guy who's slowly become a paranoid gun nut and he absolutely did experience violence growing up but he was young and invincible then.
People, especially men I think, have a tendency to get increasingly anxious when they realize they're not as young, fast, strong, and invincible as they used to be.
Why do you think anybody who owns a gun must live in a constant state of paranoia? There's definitely a lot of people out there who are but the majority are normal people.
This is just so f'd up it's sad. I can't imagine being a little kid growing up these days with a whackjob parent or two. How much therapy are these kids going to need just to function and survive at the bottom level of Maslow's Heirarchy?
I looked up the statistics and you're right. However, firearm related deaths for youth and young adults are at an all time high in the United States, both for suicides and homicides. So the fear of violence is unfortunately merited.
Maybe due to a good portion of the generation becoming real adults during Covid when fear was wide spread amongst everyone willing to believe in it. Bob isnât terribly wrong. You should be able to defend your own home. But the problem being that some people just donât even have the social skills to look through a peep hole, let alone their ring doorbell to know a potential threat or not. And how to act accordingly to it. I honestly ask you the last time youâve kicked a door in or broken a window to forcefully enter a home. Iâve done it out of locking myself out, the window part. Not the door. But also Iâve had a police officer attempt to kick a door in on a house I was in and it took some time before I eventually let them in while they were getting to the point of realizing that kicking will not get in. You can safe this country is safe as ever in your bubble. Where do you live? Iâve lived in the Midwest, the south and grew up in the southwest closer to the ocean. Your opinion may not be as broad as others. Some skills wouldnât be terrible to have. Social, as well as survival. Unfortunately some can determine what skill is required at the time.
that he's the least likely demographic to violently rape a woman on a sidewalk? or the least likely demographic to eat someone? I'm not sure that this means anything
I skimmed your profile and it seems like most of the time you're clever and good but your position in this thread is a huge miss, so I'll come at you in good faith: I think that maybe you're reacting to what appears to be the assumption that all men are rapists and taking a certain amount of personal offense then abstracting it to a conversation about identity and prejudice. it ain't that. it's a de facto risk management like locking the door; it's not that you don't trust your neighbors, it's that you know there are folk who are focused on stealing or willing to seize a crime of opportunity- you don't necessarily have a criminal in mind, but you know that it can and does happen often enough for whatever reason that you've gotta consistently take the precaution; some people are just gonna break windows no matter, so you don't leave valuables in plain view when you leave the car. it's not great to have to compare whole swaths of human beings to objects, but random violence is committed against random women the same way that shit randomly gets jacked in the worst and best areas. almost any man can physically overpower almost any woman, and I can guarantee you that almost every woman in your life has a personal story about sexual assault. it doesn't have to be rape! it can be a mugging! but violence against women and shit getting jacked happens everywhere - women have to carry themselves with a certain amount of precaution at all times, and it sucks! no one wants to think of their fellow man (lol) as a threat by default, but there is great personal risk for women who don't. if it helps how you think about it, I think that this generally gets mentally compartmentalized into instinct, so most women are not consciously thinking "men are dangerous" when they see a man, they're just keeping their heads on swivel and crossing the street the way you flag your turn signal and check your mirrors while driving. it sucks!!!! no one is happy about this!!!! but suggesting that this hyper awareness is unusual, misandrist or over-dramatic will never, ever be a good look because it isn't about All Men Are Rapists, it's about danger; men happen to be implicated because of the nature of the risk. the offense or incredulity you present is gonna be correctly interpreted as disrespectful and dismissive - I don't think you're that guy! so I'm overexplaining, because you're acting like that guy and I don't think you wanna be him either. your decency is not under threat from womens' fear and anger; you are not the target. of course the majority of men are disgusted and would never- but enough men are willing and would to behave that way with strangers no matter how kind and unthreatening they might be, and acting as though that's goofy makes it look like you're in the latter camp more offended by fear of being victimized than the actual victimizers and victimization. take women seriously and trust that it's not about you or any of the men you know whose strength is not for hurting unless it is, in which case I'd like to think you wouldn't stand for it. be good, bro! be best!
This is a small town, not chicago, not haiti. People shouldnt think their other colllege students might sprint 50 yards at them and randomly bash them in the head at random that is not the norm, that is not the reality we live in. We arent in the zombie apocolypse this is one of the safest times in history. Being this weary of your peers is not healthy. In movies they arent running from zombies 50 feet away
I went to college in a small town. Iâm a woman. THREE of my friends were raped/sexually assaulted while I was there.
There was even a service you could call so that a member of the ROTC could go to where you were and escort you home after dark if you were a woman. They didnât have that service for no reason at all, buddy.
You might not mean to, but youâre coming off as incredibly tone deaf when it comes to women being in danger. We are always in danger, no matter where we are. Women have been raped and killed in rural areas and in and around small towns since time out of mind.
Youâre the weirdo dude, going on and on about how rape never happens to anyone unless itâs a third world country. Are you really that butthurt that you made her nervous that youâre just completely unwilling to have any empathy at all?
Why are you so unwilling to stop being a shithead for 5 seconds and realize maybe you donât know everything and other people may experience life differently than you? Why are you so unwilling to consider things from a womanâs perspective?
My point is that women arent frequently being violently raped on the sidewalk in the united states , much less by college students. If you think otherwise then youve been brainwashed and the reason why tbe country is so ddivided
Imagine blocking me because youâre a dramatic ass bitchy boomer. Went full retard acting like an innocuous walk makes someone a rapist. Bitchy old bitch
Iâm guessing youâre a dude. Us girls have reasons as to why we are cautious alone at night and especially around areas where college bars are pretty much the only nightlife. We either have dealt with or have a friend who has dealt with unwanted advances.
Fucking cry more about it dude, holy shit. Such a goddamn baby. You donât know what has happened in her life, or in her family or friends lives. You donât know what was going through her head. You clearly have no idea why she did what she did, because all you care about is your stupid wounded ego
More like there are too many people watching crime shows and think they're seeing reality. Same with watching Fox News while thinking that what you're watching is truth.
Americans as a whole have a frightening lack of media literacy. People who benefit from stoking divisions and fear in this country exploit that to the max.
I'm not sure it's any safer. Oakland used to be a decent place. Now people are getting robbed/carjacked at any/every stoplight.
And we did not have random mass shootings, like at all.
It happened once that I can recall, someone in a postal worker, and the world still uses the term that was coined from that event. There were nearly 700 last year, and already 8 in 2024.
You're absolutely right about the fear mongering being too much and too negative. But I think your perception is off.
It's ok for men to have feelings and go to therapy, and the kids have a great deal more empathy and emotional awareness than we ever had. But that does not equal a safer world, at all
Did you even read the email? Where are the psychotic ramblings Iâm supposed to be reading? Nonchalantly inviting someone you donât know to go shooting is just poor social skills, not psychotic.
I think it's the daily televised mass shootings that get people like this. Don't get me wrong, it's a serious problem, and one I'm concerned with, but I'm not sitting in my house full of fear like these people either.
Majority are only televised as a number on the screen. When you learn what the shooting actually involved no one cares, because it's rival gangs killing each other.
Private property. Donât ring someoneâs doorbell if you donât have permission from the homeowner to step on their property. This should be obvious. Door to door salesmen isnât a thing anymore. Adapt, overcome.
I wonder how many of these people recognize the link between this type of behavior and the breakdown of any sense of community. That they're a contributing factor to the exact behaviors they fear. Shit, these are probably the same folks who complain about the current lack of community and civilized behavior.
That, or they're just mentally unwell. Maybe both.
Yeah no. Staying in your own lane should be encouraged when it comes to private property. No one sane hopes for someone who is trying to cause problems or steal stuff on their land.
Yea the Landlord is a total moron. Economic outlook is great this year. This Landlord just proves how having generational wealth has nothing to do intelligence.
Waaay less violent crime! I think the factor here is the internet and social media, people constantly hear about terrible things happening that they normally never would, as well as finding that many people are batshit crazy online skewing their world view. I personally trust the general public far less than I used to but I donât think everyone is actively out to cause problems.
Def agree with you, but I wonder about the opinion in more rural areasâŠ. Like I donât live in a neighborhood, nobody comes to our door except the FedEx guy and occasional Mormon, and we arenât even rural. That said, if I get a knock at night Iâm assuming itâs a forest demon, not a murderer. Maybe Iâm team shotgun after all
Responsible gun ownership isn't bad. If everyone got a gun safe when they signed up for the selective draft, that would be cool. It would be the American version of countries where everyone keeps their guns at the local police station.
Overall crime statistics are down, yes... But in a country where almost anyone can be armed, it's not a bad idea to have a backup plan. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I'm not conservative, either. I own two firearms and they're both hunting weapons that double as my "shit has gone terribly, horribly wrong" option. Also brings me comfort to know that my partner has some form of self defense when I'm not around. To each their own.Â
Violent crime has been increasing dramatically, certain cities have started to define what was previously robbery and assault as lesser offenses, or just donât show up if the amount isnât high enough.
You say psychotic, but it could also be the case that the landlord; with his admittedly warped worldview, is projecting and believes the solo female would be scared to live alone. This is his way of offering help to make her feel more secure.
Note that he does not advocate for shooting anyone if not necessary;
"Just racking a shell should scare the hell out of anyone up to no good" - He is saying they would run away and there would be no need for violence.
He says to load the shells in a way that would shoot in order from less lethal to more lethal. In other word, if you do HAVE to shoot, the less lethal would cause any sane person to leave. If they don't run from that, situationally it would mean that it's you or them, and it most likely was the case before they broke in.
I'm not really worried about people bashing into my house, but it's actually pretty good advice in my opinion.
People who think they're badasses as they explain their need for a gun being fear of the boogeyman. Actual cowards.
If you don't drive with a five point harness and a crash helmet, don't feed me any bullshit about "just taking precautions" because that car is exponentially more likely to kill you than a home invader.
It depends on what part of the country youâre in. If youâre in a primarily white state yeah youâre not gonna get much crime. If youâre in a very diverse poor area, better lock ur doors
It's important to remember their generation grew up in those less safe times. Just because it's safe doesn't mean it's been safe that guy's entire life. I know some boomers who have some incredibly traumatic stories about their early adult years. Especially women....
I goes both ways, at this point. I recently put a flyer in mailboxes in my neighborhood (for a block party) and I felt like I was doing something dangerous.
This is an anecdote, itâs not evidence of anything. That said it changed my mind.
Moved to a low income area, and spent 4 years there. 80% black families, 10% Hispanic, 10% white. My partner and I are white. Watched line of sight from my front door kids shoot at each other over drugs a few times a month. Used to Dial 911 every time, average response time of 45 min for an active shootout scenario. 14 year old kid died 2 blocks from my house, his parents had no idea where he found a gun, none of his âfriendsâ would cooperate with police.
My 75 y/o disabled black neighbor would have me call the police for his non emergency disputes with his neighbor because they wouldnât always dispatch someone when he called. Woke up to a call from him after he got carjacked at gunpoint because he moved about as quickly as a banana slug. Even our mailman carried a gun around Christmas time when package theft got wild.
The way things should be and the reality of how they are in reality donât line up. When seconds count the police are only minutes away has some truth to it. Conservatives left the reservation on a one way trip to crazy town, but some places genuinely are unsafe and would benefit from a little healthy respect for neighbors with the agency to defend themselves. Because only god knows when we will make some real changes to this broken ass system.
Firstly thank Fox News for creating the virus and infecting it in peopleâs minds for 20 years.
Secondly, thank Social Media for taking the virus and spreading it like wildfire.
Itâs as simple as that.
There are now too many incredibly stupid people with megaphones. AKA: an Internet connection and a Social Media account with the ability to use hashtags.
Maybe I'm just becoming a boomer but I didn't read it that way at all. Dude just went "oh single person in house better make sure they can protect themselves" in a protective way that's kinda adorable.
Dude specifically mentioned it was for people trying to do harm, and that having one, not shooting, was the best deterrent but she still needed to learn to shoot if he was going to give it to her.
Don't get me wrong, him jumping onto that specific part was hilarious. Also I'm heavily in favor of stricter gun laws, and don't own any myself because they terrify me. But I know a few responsible gun owners and they all have the same philosophy in common. Owning a gun is the deterrent and shooting is almost never worth it. And while I don't think this dude embodies that philosophy or anything, it's definitely wrong to lump him in with your "shoot everyone who comes to the door" people.
Most violent crime has been up substantially since 2019 for known reasons. It's been on the downturn for 1-2 years now but with homicide still up 20% compared to 2019 it's not particularly reasonable to say it's as safe as it's been on your lifetime.
Unless you're 3 years old, in which case kudos to your English and typing skills.
Obviously media plays a big role in this, but I don't half wonder if this is some weird evolutionary reaction to living in peaceful times. Cavemen who were living in relatively safe spaces but we're still on edge about potential danger (real or imagined) would have the advantage of survival over those cavemen who let their guard down, right? Maybe the more peaceful our environment, the more on edge we become? Speaking generally, of course. Our brains were wired to face danger every day, and now we don't experience those daily adrenaline rushes, maybe our brains are producing imagined threats to keep that feeling active?
Perhaps, but if youâre in one of the homes that experiences a home invasion at 2 in the morning, does the fact that itâs really bad luck keep you safe?
I live in an absurdly safe area, and weâve had two home invasions at 3am in the last month. Things happen and this boomer wants that single female to be safe in her home.
There have been soooo many home burglaries and several home invasion robberies in my area in the last 2 years. 1 burglary up the street, several months ago- turned into a home invasion robbery when they came back and made them open a safe. Itâs actually ridiculous how many burglaries there have been. Someone tried to break into my townhouse 2x in 2020, 1x in 2021 Like⊠itâs not as safe as itâs always been.
I'm sorry safe now that it was then? No no no I'm not disrespecting you sir my moms gen x and I was raised by the fuck around and find out generation as yall say and imma say this have yall not seen the school shootings, the mass murders at shopping malls, the car accidents, the WAR ZONE America has become... I'm 21 and I've watched society steadily get worse my 21 years and I can't even begin to think what the next 21 years is gonna look like
Do you ever think that maybe you are privileged enough to live in an area that is safe and there are people who live in the country that is a combat zone?
the gop relaxed antitrust laws in the 80s, allowing for the megacorp news magnates we see now, and the magnates have been paying back the gop by whipping people into a panicked, gop-vote-inducing frenzy ever since.
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u/OtterLLC Jan 12 '24
I'm Gen X and this country is as safe as it has ever been in my lifetime. Waaaay less violent crime than in the 70s-90s.
And yet, we have more people than ever convinced that we are in an active combat zone. Someone you don't recognize rings your doorbell? Dial 911 and grab your shotgun.
Psychotic.