The quote of the day is presented by Guns.com.
Of course, I had my eyes peeled in Manhattan for any concerns of violence while pushing the double stroller to and from an outing, but while riding the subway or taking my kids to a street festival there was a sense of relief in knowing it was unlikely that an individual was carrying a gun. In Texas, the odds are a lot higher that someone in a crowded setting could be carrying a gun, and that one disgruntled shopper could cause hysteria. Considering that risk, I was starting to wonder for the first time if I should be one of them.
When it comes to the prevalence of guns and the potential for gun violence, I question if where I live even matters. When my husband travels for work and I’m alone with the kids, would I be calmer with a firearm stored in a biometric fingerprint safe? In a concealed-carry state, would I feel safer having a gun while walking at dusk with my kids after we go to the park? Would having a gun ease my mind at a crowded movie theater, a busy crawfish festival or at a shopping center?
I glance around restaurants more carefully than I did in New York; I take in who’s shopping in the aisle with me at the grocery store. I always consider who might be carrying a gun wherever we go—the thought is always there while we order our dinner or go to the movie theater. I look for the exits and I’ve become a lot more alert to my surroundings, especially when I’m with my kids.
These conflicting thoughts swarm my heart, as does the unsettled feeling inside my chest that comes from knowing an outing with my family could turn unpredictable at the most mundane moment. But no matter what we decide as our Texas lives continue, our children understanding the safety precautions that need to be taken around guns will always be our top priority.
– Isobella Jade in How My Parenting Changed When I Moved My Family to a Place Where Most People Carry Guns
