I have no doubt that we romanticize the gunfights of the Old West. Most in our society have no problem seeing the need for guns back then, or even back in the 20's when the gangsters were big. But, they say, there is no need for guns now. We are a better, more evolved society.
I will admit that those living in the Old West need firearms for hunting, protection from animals, or hostile tribes or other humans more than we do in our cities. But the reality is that most settlers back then didn't use their firearms very often in self-protection from others in their own society. In other words, there weren't near as many gunfights as most think there were. I used to live near Tombstone and visited the "OK Corral" several times. We've even romanticized that event -- the "Corral" is really just a quite small area between buildings where a gunfight happened one night.
The reality is that guns are needed now just as much, and perhaps more, than in the past. We aren't worried about hostile animals in the cities (other than a bad dog or two). We are worried about school shootings, mall shootings, and other urban areas. I hope at some point people wake up and realize guns are needed for protection just as much now as they were in the past.
I will admit that those living in the Old West need firearms for hunting, protection from animals, or hostile tribes or other humans more than we do in our cities. But the reality is that most settlers back then didn't use their firearms very often in self-protection from others in their own society. In other words, there weren't near as many gunfights as most think there were. I used to live near Tombstone and visited the "OK Corral" several times. We've even romanticized that event -- the "Corral" is really just a quite small area between buildings where a gunfight happened one night.
The reality is that guns are needed now just as much, and perhaps more, than in the past. We aren't worried about hostile animals in the cities (other than a bad dog or two). We are worried about school shootings, mall shootings, and other urban areas. I hope at some point people wake up and realize guns are needed for protection just as much now as they were in the past.
