In Calgary, an American tourist was distressed over an encounter in a park. He was so distressed, in fact, that he wrote a letter to the Calgary Herald decrying gun control laws, which prohibited him from carrying a gun on him. He didn't feel safe and thought he needed a gun to protect himself in this situation.
What was the situation? Well, some men in Calgary asked him if he had attended the Stampede. Then, when he didn't answer, they asked him a second time, louder. A sane person might conclude that they were trying to start a conversation - this was in Calgary, during the Stampede, making the question completely reasonable - and asking him again was to make sure they had been heard. Perhaps they were associated with the Stampede, perhaps they wanted advice on attractions and events, their side of the story isn't out there. But the man was convinced that their intentions were "aggressive," and he wanted to have a gun in case the situation "escalated."
The letter has sparked a flurry of internet backlash, reacting to the sheer absurdity of it. The situation described sounds remarkably benign, even as it is presented by the supposed victim. I'm not exactly sure how a question about a popular event in a city is going to lead to violence, though I suppose I am distressingly sane and don't immediately assume strange people want to harm me. In spite of his best efforts, the man has instead made it seem like he is unable to function in normal society due to an extreme case of paranoia.
His main point was that he wanted to have a handgun on him to make him feel safe and protect him from these nefarious curious people in the park. My reaction is that I seriously don't want that man to have a handgun, because I feel significantly less safe if someone like that, who automatically assumes all interactions are going to lead to violence, has a weapon. It makes for a society where you are in fear of everyone, rather than just legitimate threats.
Just yesterday, I asked a man if I could get a closer look at his car, because it was an extremely rare model that was not actually sold in Canada. It was a weird question, and while he would possibly expect it, I'm still some guy he's never met. In this case, we were able to have a friendly conversation and I took a couple pictures. But what if he was a paranoid guy with a gun? Would my life be in danger because someone assumes my interest is automatically aggressive, whatever my actual intent might be?
I know people who believe they would be safer if they had a handgun on them, and I can even understand that perspective to an extent. However, this case in Calgary shows that there are people who simply could not handle the responsibility inherent in carrying a handgun, and would in fact make the world at large much less safe due to their inherent paranoia. While they might be able to avoid injuries, there are numerous people who would be put at danger due to their inability to distinguish between a genuine threat or an overly forward passer by. The argument about gun control must always have that small reminder that there are people in the world who simply should not be allowed to carry a gun, for the safety of everyone else.
