Why do so many on DU seem to be against concealed carry?

[enlightenment]

60. Unfortunately,

It seems that the number of mass killings by licensed carriers - or by people who had easy access to weapons owned by licensed carriers is on the rise.

Statistics don't mean diddly to the person who dies or to their friends and family. They're a cop-out, meant to deflect from the reality of what CAN happen.

I would rather die being struck by lightning - an act of nature - than die because someone who is apparently afraid all the time is packing a weapon that they think they know how to deploy effectively.

You asked why some of us reject the idea of concealed carry (I reject the idea that anyone should carry, concealed or open). My reason was just stated:

People who feel the need to carry a weapon are afraid. Look at the thread above - there are at least two who clearly state that they (or someone they know) carry because they are fearful of what might happen. Fear is a horrible motivator - it is not a clear state of mind. People do foolish things when they are afraid, because they are not thinking clearly - they are thinking only about their survival. When fear becomes chronic, it is worse.

Now, those folks won't admit they are afraid - they will justify their decision six ways from Sunday and never come close to that word - but please explain to me what else it could be that motivates the desire to have a weapon on their person? What are the alternative reasons?

Because they what? Want to feel special? Want to feel powerful? Just because the "want" to carry? Those aren't very good reasons, either.

We all give a certain amount of trust to strangers, relative to our position in regard to them. As pedestrians, we trust that the people driving on the road won't deliberately run us over; as customers we trust that the people helping us will do so in good faith and not deliberately try to take advantage of us. This isn't absolute trust; we don't usually step out in front of moving vehicles, we might check our receipts or count our change . . . but it is a level of trust that allows civil society to function.

When I discover that someone carries, I wonder about their state of mind. I distance myself from them - because they are breaking that basic level of trust - they clearly don't trust anyone and that gives me no reason to trust them.