I have been invited to a Ladies’ night out. We are not going bowling. We are not going to the movies, or even for a drink. Honing our shooting skills is on the menu tonight.
I’ve never even had a gun in my hand. I remember, years back, my parents being very disappointed when temporarily and quite by accident I became an owner of a gun. Of course it was a fake, but its purpose was not to serve in the game of Lego blocks, nor was it a part of the dollhouse decoration.
Of course, I’m curious how the evening will unfold, but at the same time I do not fully understand such a practical approach to the use of weapons of many Americans. I found the streets of Bellevue very safe, and so far I have not seen any situation requiring calling the police.
During a recent trip to Oregon, when sipping my iced coffee at Starbucks, a young stood in front of us calmly putting sugar in his drink.
This would not be surprising if not for the fact that he had a small gun strapped to his belt. Although I quickly took a photo,I have to admit that, for the first time since in the States, I felt quite uncomfortable.
Speaking of guns, maybe you have recently heard about the Starbucks boycott, which was imposed by the organization created
after this year’s tragedy in Newtown. The group “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America” demanded that this well-known national chain introduced a ban on carrying weapons into their premises.
Recently a Starbuck’s client was acidentally shot in the leg when a colleague accidentally discharged the gun, which was in her purse. They are especially concerned about restricting the so-called open carry states, where carrying weapons in the public places without the need of a special permit is allowed. It is disturbing to note that most states are open carry.
The US also has the opposite end of the spectrum – the “gun free zone”. Most of these are schools or cinemas. Recently
Seattle, close to where we live, introduced the weapon free zones for the businesses. On the action’s webpage, I found a list of several companies that bravely agreed to join the gun-free movement.
Although results of a survey conducted in the state of Washington demonstrate a high support for gun ownership restrictions, there is no shortage of critical opinions on the forums linked to the city’s initiative. To cite one of them: If I see a sticker even remotely ressembling this, I will take my business elsewhere. Why would I want my family to go anywhere completely unprotected?
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A Starbucks client in Oregon. Can you see something out of character?