Gun violence fear factor

The fear of gun violence is a personal matter, which conditions many people to think only of their own survival.

Gun violence has become so common and casual these days that shooting incidents only make the paper on a slow news day.

The fear factor is my gun issue. Ever had a gun pointed at you in anger? And know instantly that "Bang, bang, you're dead!" could be a finger twitch away? Fear you taste, a taste that stays with you for years.

Still, I lean to the view that the guns aren't the problem, it's the fingers on the triggers. The more fingers on triggers, the more danger.

I have to think that far more people have been threatened with a gun than have been shot. That fear is a conditioner. You change, you become less civilized. Quality of life? Forget it. Think survival.

On the Street:

Freeze when you hear a sudden loud car exhaust or screeching tires.

Avoid eye contact with passersby in case they're off their lithium and happen to be packing.

Scope out the ATM in case you get a gun in your ribs as soon as you punch in your PIN numbers.

At Home:

Stay away from windows.

Don't sit on the front porch after dark.

Shop by mail order or online.

If you can't avoid your neighbors, be friendly but impersonal because "you never know."

Is this siege mentality? Pretty much, but it may help you live to a ripe old age - that's when second-hand smoke or a drunk driver will get you. But even in old age, you'll still feel that fear of the gun in your face.