Zimmerman claims he was on his way to Target when he spotted Trayvon. So why did he need a gun?

[chowder66]

79. My brother carries a gun to his work place at night when closing

and to the gun range in Texas. He has them at home and that's it. Avid gun collector but intensely careful and a very good shooting teacher. I asked him to teach me to shoot a gun because I was terrified of them and I thought it would help. It did, a little but I'm still nervous around them. Luckily I don't know anyone else that has them.

With that said, I have never owned a gun, never will. I have lived in Metropolitan cities my whole life. I walk everywhere and know where to avoid but sometimes I can't avoid everything. I use my instincts and that has worked for the most part. I have had a gun pointed at my head during the L.A. riots - a looter came into our neighborhood and started approaching a group of people standing outside - everyone scattered before I noticed he had a gun. No one said anything. I calmly turned around saw the gun pointed at my head and then calmly turned back around walking down the path between the apartments where I was in direct line with his gun. He didn't pull the trigger and I got inside safely. I was also caught in the middle of a street gun fight in Chicago but was obviously able to get away. I was not being shot at nor were my friends I was with. Two guys got out of a car on an L.A street one day and had guns and gave me a look I did not like. I didn't get shot.

Now having a gun with me in all of those instances would not have done anything different unless I decided to use it. I'm not one to kill people...... as you know you had better shoot with the intent to kill and not just harm. Most people cannot shoot effectively and you could set up a much, much worse situation for yourself.

I have my fears but I don't need a gun to pretend that those fears/dangers do not exist. People can kidnap you, lie in wait, attack at any moment, hit you with a car....the list goes on. If I get shot, I get shot. If it rains and I don't have an umbrella, I get wet.

I find that baseball bats, instinct and wits can be extremely effective and that means there is one less person with a gun who could make a mistake with it, have it stollen, be used for bad intent or be found and played with to an unfortunate end.

btw - I also don't own any other killing devices. Life is about living, it is not about everyone potentially being a killer.