Originally Posted by josephfgb

My wife and I had this same discussion last night. I carry a handgun every day. Sometimes I open carry and sometimes conceal carry, depending on what I'm doing that day. I am a firm believer that guns are not the problem. Criminals are going to get guns regardless if there's a ban on them or not. And I believe that if someone wants to kill people, they're going to kill people with or without guns, they will find a way.

It's a tragedy what happened in the movie theater, but I agree with raymor. I know a lot of licensed gun carriers aren't military trained (or any REAL formal training for that matter. However, some are required to per state law), but if there would have been even two armed citizens in that theater, the outcome could have been changed dramatically.

Luckily for me, the state in which I live allows me to exercise my rights freely in most places. I very rarely enter a place where I am forced to disarm by law (the "no guns allowed" signs on doors of businesses really have no merit with the law in my state. The owner can ask you to leave, and if you don't, then there's a trespassing issue). I wouldn't consider myself excessively paranoid, but I do have a strong urge to protect both my family and I.