Your story does not resonate with me but I can see why other give you praise. It is well written and from the heart.

Guns scare people, not without good reason but some people have an inordinate fear of guns and risk.

The mugger would not shoot you. Murders like that get caught and muggers know it. If you ran a way the mugger probably would not have shot and if he did he probably would have missed. I am not saying I would have run away I would have handed over my wallet too. I give more to bums in a period of months that I carry in my wallet. Replacing the credit cards and identification might be a pain but I can deal. I usually could use a new wallet as well. I use for so long they look shabby.

I took my girlfriend to the range once. Even with ear plugs and ear muffs the noise and violence was too much for her and we left without firing a shot.

I learned gun handling and shooting as a child I have only respect for guns, not fear. I have only once carried a gun for self protection and it was a special circumstance. I do keep a loaded gun in the house but only now that there are no children here.

My home has been burglarized twice, once while we were home. I would not shoot someone for stealing from me but they better take what they got and run away.

I go shooting about once a month. I got make holes in paper. I try to make the holes as close to the center of the target just like they do in the Olympics. At 17 years old I was the best shot on our school's rifle team.

I make my own ammunition because I can make better ammo than you can buy.

I have not hunted in decades. I can afford to buy my food and I have no interest in trophy hunting. We have invasive pigs and rodents that need to be controlled but I just don't feel like killing them but I hope someone else does.

I am a rocket scientist and have worked in our nations space programs for 40 years. I enjoy experimenting. I have done some innovative firearms development including a novel invention that I developed in the last month.

If I had magic I would take all the guns away from gang bangers, muggers, people with suicidal ideations and abusive spouses but I believe most gun laws only take guns away from law abiding citizens. I probably am not a law abiding citizen. If they outlawed all guns I would probably find a way to keep some of mine or replace them. Actually I own half a dozen things that can fire deadly projectiles that are not considered "guns" under current law. Some of them you would look at them and say they are a gun. One of them is a reproduction of a civil war Colt revolver. It was deadly in 1862 and is no worse now.

For about a decade I locked all my guns and reloading equipment away because I adopted a daughter who had mental health issues. I built and flew electric powered radio control model airplanes during that time. Then it was a serious technical challenge that has evolved today to be the dominate power source for that sport.

While you story is totally good and valid it is just a narrow slice of this issue.

TEK