Fear

Since my last post, there have been multiple shooting incidents where people rang the wrong doorbell, entered the wrong driveway, went to the wrong yard to retrieve a basketball, entered the wrong car, and more.

Most of the shooters have claimed in court appearances and otherwise that they feared for their personal safety, were worried they were about to be robbed, and other possible reasons.

At this point I'm becoming worried about armed vigilantes patrolling their neighborhoods without accountability (not unlike what happened in Brunswick, Georgia a few years ago).  I get irritated at other drivers who cut me off in traffic, change lanes without signaling and such.  But I no longer look in their direction, for fear that they may be armed and are prepared to respond to my irritation with deadly force.

What's more, in many of the states where these most recently publicized incidents have occurred, abortion has been either severely restricted or outlawed entirely.  

I have difficulty grasping this dichotomy.  Being in favor of preserving life should be universal, yet many states now allow the unrestricted carrying of firearms without so much as a permit.

The United States is the only major country where gun violence inflicted by one citizen upon another is so common.  What's wrong with us?