"Why a Gun?" (pt 1)

So you found this blog, and obviously I'm going to have to give an explanation so you don't go cry bloody murderer and have me pointlessly dragged off to jail. Or, of course, you could just be wanting to know what the point of all this is in a more civilized manner. So let me explain.

As a start, I'd like to clarify one little itch that constantly bugs me; the difference between NEED and WANT. A very common form of question whenever I talk about firearms is "Why do you NEED a gun?" Let me say this: A gun is not a NEED, it is not needed to survive. However, it is a useful item that a person would WANT, that can solve or prevent a problem. It is a TOOL that has a useful purpose that I can have to improve my quality of life, and there is no point in not using them if they provide more benefit than loss/detriment (if at all).

A good comparison would be a vehicle, such as a car or a truck. It is a tool, it is not necessary; One can always take the bus or taxi to go to work. If time to get there is a constraint, then one would simply wake up earlier, or move house closer. A car is absolutely not needed, we can manage without it, but it is a convenience that alleviates us from such problems and makes life easier as well as giving the freedom to go where we choose.

Both tools carry their own risks that come with their benefits. A truck or a bus can cause a lot of injury and hurt to people and their property should an accident occur, whether by freak chance/circumstance or by negligence of the driver.
Even a small car can be used maliciously to harm others, even if the vehicle was never meant for such a purpose. Similarly, a gun is susceptible to accidents as well, and can be misused for evil purposes in the wrong hands.

And yet, all countries on this planet continue to use both. Why? Because the bad things that can happen, are simply 'CAN HAPPEN', meaning they don't have to occur. The risks involved in using such tools can be minimized or even eliminated, while leaving behind the benefits for all to enjoy.

A driver of a car is tested and trained before he is allowed to go on the road, and this helps prevent accidents while at the same time screen out the crazies who are not fit to be allowed to drive. Similarly again, a potential firearm owner with instruction can (very easily, by the way) avoid accidents that may occur, and with a licensing system can be made sure to be sane and responsible enough to be entrusted with such tools.

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Now I've been talking about the benefits for a while, but haven't said how gun ownership can benefit us yet. I'll explain in the next blog post. Split this thing up a bit so it isn't a huge wall of text.

And yes, before you ask, private gun ownership is very much legal in Malaysia. However, the method of getting them and who can get one, is highly restrictive to the point of uselessness (in protecting people) and much of the decisions on who is allowed to bear firearms is made by people who are politically and monetarily motivated. I'll elaborate shortly.

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