Why the Liberal/Conservative Split is also an urban/rural split

[JDPriestly]

52. K&R. I understand this very well.

My family is from rural America, but I live in a huge city.

I remember when I was very young - perhaps even two or three, sleeping upstairs at my grandmother's house on the farm. I heard a loud noise. I must have screamed or cried or something because suddenly my grandmother was there beside me. She said something like, "Oh, it's OK. Dont' cry. That's just your uncle . . . shooting a fox in the hen house."

Now I live in a city. My neighbors are wonderful. I am still a country girl at heart, so I know them all. We take care of each other. But -- some of the kids in my neighborhood are in gangs. And a few of them are violent. When we first moved into this house years ago, the woman who lived next door was a troubled, disturbed type. We got along with her, but she was constantly at odds with her tenants. She finally moved out. Only then did we learn that she was in fact not just annoying but potentially dangerous.

So, I really understand both sides of this.

We need strict gun regulations in the city. The police aren't that far away and we are best off relying on them for our security here because they are more likely to be objective in judging what is going on in a situation than are we as individuals.

In the country, you know pretty much all your neighbors. But in the city, we are lucky to know the neighbors who live within a block of us.

Having had these very different experiences, I would not want to take guns from my relatives who live in small towns and the country. Not so long ago, one of my relatives living in a small town had three deer who frequently marauded the garden in her back yard. The deer overran everything. In rural areas, herds have to be thinned.

And, quite frankly, venison, if properly cooked, is delicious. (In my opinion.)

I see both sides. There are no simple answers.

That is why I am calling on the community that uses guns to find responsible ways to reduce the excessive gun violence and the many gun accidents. This is a problem that they need to solve.

More guns is not a solution for those of us who live in cities.

I am convinced that we don't have to completely restrict guns to protect ourselves from these violent acts, but I don't know what the answer is. This is a problem that has to be resolved with input from all sides. People living in rural areas can no more impose their lifestyle on city folk than the other way around. But, if it comes down to an either or choice, I suspect that city folk will win out. So the rural folk who love guns need to deal with the reality of city folk, because guns in the city are really frightening even to those of us who understand why people in small towns and rural areas want them.