LA Times
Jennifer Carlson says the increasing prevalence of men carrying guns in
public in some areas is the result of a "crisis of confidence in the
American dream." She writes that "men find in guns a sense of duty,
relevance and even dignity." ("Why men feel the need to carry guns," op-ed, May 26)
I am a man. I have been disappointed in my pursuit of the ever-more
elusive American dream. I feel at times irrelevant and lacking in
purpose. However, I do not carry a gun. Does that make me less of a man
or defeatist?
While teaching at a private school in Arizona, I
confronted an individual who was openly carrying. I asked him why, and
he answered, "Because I can." There was nothing about duty, only
disrespect for the decency of most Americans who feel unsafe in the
presence of an armed individual.
This isn't because of protection or duty, but unmitigated arrogance and a distorted interpretation of the 2nd Amendment.
Douglas Mitchell, Portland, Ore.
