So happy but a lil bit scared

[mallafri76 1,012]

10 hours ago, piste said:

Not much help if you do not know how to use it, have shot at something ( exit mess not like hunting a rabbit with a BB gun) ..... and do not have one pointing at you. Never mind the fact if locked to keep away from children you have no time to get to it.

 

Just taser the ,,,,, out of them.

 

 

Well obviously part of being a responsible gun owner is learning how to use one. When I moved to Texas, one of the first things I did was take a beginner's class in how to shoot and safely handle a gun and THEN a bought a gun. Shortly after that I took my license to carry.

 

 

OP said she doesn't feel safe. One way to feel safer would be to learn how to use a gun and buy one for personal protection. It sure helped me sleep better at night and driving home by myself late at night. 

 

Some people are against guns, some are gun crazies and then there's a whole range of responsible gun owners in between. OP asked for suggestions how to feel safer and having a gun may be one way, but that's up to each and everyone to decide for themselves. 

[piste 24]

On 14/02/2017 at 6:28 AM, simaysimon said:

Hi everybody, i really feel like everyone on VJ is so understanding due to the fact that we have  been through the same stuff once and all. I would like to share something that keeps bothering me time to time. I love my life here, my husband is a military member so everybody around us is so friendly and Florida is amazing. Unfortunately i cant help but to have scary thoughts time to time. 

 

26 minutes ago, mallafri76 said:

Well obviously part of being a responsible gun owner is learning how to use one. When I moved to Texas, one of the first things I did was take a beginner's class in how to shoot and safely handle a gun and THEN a bought a gun. Shortly after that I took my license to carry.

 

OP said she doesn't feel safe. One way to feel safer would be to learn how to use a gun and buy one for personal protection. It sure helped me sleep better at night and driving home by myself late at night. 

 

Agree which is why I use these websites https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/austin/crime/ and ignored Reilly comments that murders were up 80%. I plan on putting a call to local police, do not want to be the "Newbie" arriving from out of town either and living in a Detroit situation.

 

All have their own journey, I like the way Trump is copying the Swiss model of immigration and adding his own layer. Europe still leads  

 

[bcking 3,157]

My wife has been dealing with similar issues from time to time. She hasn't moved here yet (Case completed at NVC yesterday!) but it has come up in discussions. She has concerns about American in general, and then specifically Texas since that is where I live/she is moving. For her it is a combination of her own safety, but also the future safety of any children we have. 

 

For a UK citizen, the idea of such easy access to firearms for everyone makes her feel far less safe. She knows she could never actually follow through with firing a gun at a person, or would hesitate long enough to make it pointless, so she would never consider owning one. It is easy to compare news reports in the US with the UK, see all the reports of shootings and to worry. Then she thinks about having children and sending them to school, with the number of school shootings we have had in this country (The UK had 1 or 2 prior to changing their laws and hasn't had one since). 

 

To me America is just "normal", but I understand where she is coming from especially after spending more and more time in the UK. I would much rather raise our children somewhere like the UK where access to firearms is far more restricted. That being said, I think it's also important to remember that the media (and facebook, and every other source of sharing news) prioritizes "flashy" topics. Violence is flashy. If you watch TV you will see a lot of it, because they want to report a lot of it. The rates in the US, while higher than some countries, are far better than a lot of other countries. It also definitely varies by state/city/county etc... There are definitely things you can do to feel safer (pick your neighborhood, organize neighborhood watch, get security/large dog etc...), and beyond that just accept that some things you can't change.

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

3 minutes ago, bcking said:

My wife has been dealing with similar issues from time to time. She hasn't moved here yet (Case completed at NVC yesterday!) but it has come up in discussions. She has concerns about American in general, and then specifically Texas since that is where I live/she is moving. For her it is a combination of her own safety, but also the future safety of any children we have. 

 

For a UK citizen, the idea of such easy access to firearms for everyone makes her feel far less safe. She knows she could never actually follow through with firing a gun at a person, or would hesitate long enough to make it pointless, so she would never consider owning one. It is easy to compare news reports in the US with the UK, see all the reports of shootings and to worry. Then she thinks about having children and sending them to school, with the number of school shootings we have had in this country (The UK had 1 or 2 prior to changing their laws and hasn't had one since). 

 

To me America is just "normal", but I understand where she is coming from especially after spending more and more time in the UK. I would much rather raise our children somewhere like the UK where access to firearms is far more restricted. That being said, I think it's also important to remember that the media (and facebook, and every other source of sharing news) prioritizes "flashy" topics. Violence is flashy. If you watch TV you will see a lot of it, because they want to report a lot of it. The rates in the US, while higher than some countries, are far better than a lot of other countries. It also definitely varies by state/city/county etc... There are definitely things you can do to feel safer (pick your neighborhood, organize neighborhood watch, get security/large dog etc...), and beyond that just accept that some things you can't change.

Yes... I'm like your wife... The thought of a firearm being in my home would make me feel LESS safe, and I had the same concerns about Texas and kids/schools etc. You are also right that the way it is it's not likely to change anytime soon and a lot is irrational fears 

We are currently in a gated community and the apartment has an alarm system and all, idk if it is a "false" sense of safety or not, but I do feel safe in my home and I have two police officers as neighbors, which also helps

[bcking 3,157]

Just now, Suss&Camm said:

Yes... I'm like your wife... The thought of a firearm being in my home would make me feel LESS safe, and I had the same concerns about Texas and kids/schools etc. You are also right that the way it is it's not likely to change anytime soon and a lot is irrational fears 

We are currently in a gated community and the apartment has an alarm system and all, idk if it is a "false" sense of safety or not, but I do feel safe in my home and I have two police officers as neighbors, which also helps

We definitely looked at safety when we were buying our house. I'm not a huge fan of the street we are on (we are near a bus stop) but we wanted to be in the specific neighborhood and being just 1 street over increased the housing prices by around 100,000 dollars (quite crazy).

 

In exchange we had a security system installed on all doors, on all windows, plus motion sensors in the house and "glass break" detectors. The guy installing the system told us "no wall you need is your gun" after he was done. My response was to quickly push him out the door (he wanted to show my pictures of his gun, as if it was his child. It was quite strange).

 

We aren't going to have kids for at least a couple years so once they are old enough to be playing outside in the yard etc... we will likely move. Also, if we are ever able to career wise we will leave Texas. Most likely that will involve leaving the country since working in Oil and Gas doesn't give you many options in the USA.

[David&Femke 91]

On 14-2-2017 at 6:28 AM, simaysimon said:

Hi everybody, i really feel like everyone on VJ is so understanding due to the fact that we have  been through the same stuff once and all. I would like to share something that keeps bothering me time to time. I love my life here, my husband is a military member so everybody around us is so friendly and Florida is amazing. Unfortunately i cant help but to have scary thoughts time to time. Which i believe it comes from being foreign and watching America on tv with violence. I know it is everywhere all around the world but i just cant help myself putting scenarios together like what if someone breaks into the house, what if someone pulls a gun since it is so easy for everyone to have it etc.. I dont wanna sound crazy but i just want to get rid of that 'America is a dangerous place' nonsense that haunts me 

If your Husband is in the millitary, think about moving to onpost living, its really safe and commmunal. we life in fort Benning, and they will put you in a street with simmilar familys. It is easy to make friends and find suport there because milletary familys move around a lot every one is eager to meet some new nagbours.  and i always feel really safe. i know almost my whole nagborhoud even though i still live in the Neterlands and am only in amerika about 5-6 months of the year.