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Originally Posted by abaya
Well, someone's brought THIS one back from the dead! Diggin' deep, are ya?
Skimming the thread, this comment stood out to me. I live in Iceland, and the cops do not carry guns here. In fact, pretty much no one carries or even owns guns here, other than goose hunters. There has been one murder in the last two years, and that's pretty much normal. Total lack of gun culture, and I love it. I feel so much safer here than in any city in the US.
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In my city, the tasers the cops carry in addition to their guns are much more noticeable than their firearms. I find this sight comforting--the police here are trained to reach for their Taser first. The only police shooting in the several years I've been here only occurred because the mentally ill man they were trying to subdue attempted to attack an officer even after being Tasered several times. Though the incident was saddening, the community/police response after the event was amazing: the police held several town meetings to figure out how they could better respond to calls involving mentally ill residents.
Though I could carry a concealed handgun in my state/county, I have no desire to. I know people who do, and largely the reason is self-protection. But given the relative safety of where I live, that reason doesn't really hold water, at least not in my book.
I'd much rather own a Taser.