"With gun in my hand, I feel safe" I hear these words even after the weeks of conversation that I had with my colleague. Those words keep hammering my tympanum and conscience keeps questioning me.
At the beginning people living in particular places developed a particular culture according to their needs and availabilities. A habit in one culture might be an offense in another. An abuse in one civilisation might be a trait in another. The place where I work is full of people who started playing with guns and ammo at the age of five or six, where as me touched my own toy gun at the age of nine. My zero knowledge about guns keeps me totally out of the loop when it comes to the group conversations at work. I don't regret that though. I regret that they look at the gun as peacekeeper (at least mentally). I regret that they feel safer with the gun in hand.
As the recession looms bigger and deeper, the urge to own a gun grows bigger. There are few people who believe that melt down in economy would lead to a spike in the theft and lootings. One feels these hand guns ammo would be handy at the times of difficulty to keep oneself safe and secured.
Meanwhile, the quagmire of Indians living in US keeps bulging with the increase in mysterious homicides. This puzzle becomes obscure and murky with never heard feedback from investigators. Obviously, Indian media send chills to the parents making this whole quandary more complicated and more convoluted. I believe, these murders have nothing in common except that they all are Indians(thats why they talk about these back home). One big coincidence is that all are Andhraites. It would be preposterous to take this coincidence as preconceived notion by killers to gun down Andhraites. By going gaga over these murders and by covering up ourselves under the blanket of terror, we wouldn’t achieve any better solution. One way to minimize the threat, if not prevent, would be staying alert of environment and refrain ourselves from the designated dangerous neighborhoods. We all have to accept that, even in a free country, there are certain places where we are not allowed to roam around freely at certain times.
The plunge in economy and growth in unemployment certainly drove the US to doldrums. The turn around might take an year or two, which is very uncertain as we are not yet sure that meltdown had hit the bottom. But in the meantime, the desperation to stay aloof from penury will definitely lead some of us to inhuman. Those are the times one needs to more vigilant and more humane. I am not saying, being humane would solve all the problems, but holding a gun wouldn’t solve the problem at all.
If I look at the circumstances, I feel pity on myself that I don’t know which one I should consider more threatening, an unknown ruffian who is after Indians (supposedly, as per media) or familiar face at the work who holds a gun and is not hesitant to aim at me, if he feels a threat, to keep himself safe.
I asked one colleague, why do you carry a gun? He replied, “its my freedom, use it or else, will lose it.”
What a Bummer!!
At the beginning people living in particular places developed a particular culture according to their needs and availabilities. A habit in one culture might be an offense in another. An abuse in one civilisation might be a trait in another. The place where I work is full of people who started playing with guns and ammo at the age of five or six, where as me touched my own toy gun at the age of nine. My zero knowledge about guns keeps me totally out of the loop when it comes to the group conversations at work. I don't regret that though. I regret that they look at the gun as peacekeeper (at least mentally). I regret that they feel safer with the gun in hand.
As the recession looms bigger and deeper, the urge to own a gun grows bigger. There are few people who believe that melt down in economy would lead to a spike in the theft and lootings. One feels these hand guns ammo would be handy at the times of difficulty to keep oneself safe and secured.
Meanwhile, the quagmire of Indians living in US keeps bulging with the increase in mysterious homicides. This puzzle becomes obscure and murky with never heard feedback from investigators. Obviously, Indian media send chills to the parents making this whole quandary more complicated and more convoluted. I believe, these murders have nothing in common except that they all are Indians(thats why they talk about these back home). One big coincidence is that all are Andhraites. It would be preposterous to take this coincidence as preconceived notion by killers to gun down Andhraites. By going gaga over these murders and by covering up ourselves under the blanket of terror, we wouldn’t achieve any better solution. One way to minimize the threat, if not prevent, would be staying alert of environment and refrain ourselves from the designated dangerous neighborhoods. We all have to accept that, even in a free country, there are certain places where we are not allowed to roam around freely at certain times.
The plunge in economy and growth in unemployment certainly drove the US to doldrums. The turn around might take an year or two, which is very uncertain as we are not yet sure that meltdown had hit the bottom. But in the meantime, the desperation to stay aloof from penury will definitely lead some of us to inhuman. Those are the times one needs to more vigilant and more humane. I am not saying, being humane would solve all the problems, but holding a gun wouldn’t solve the problem at all.
If I look at the circumstances, I feel pity on myself that I don’t know which one I should consider more threatening, an unknown ruffian who is after Indians (supposedly, as per media) or familiar face at the work who holds a gun and is not hesitant to aim at me, if he feels a threat, to keep himself safe.
I asked one colleague, why do you carry a gun? He replied, “its my freedom, use it or else, will lose it.”
What a Bummer!!
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