Yep. I mean, really, the police are not allowed to take on the gangs in any meaningful way, and thugs are “processed” and put back out on the streets, so this is almost a natural development.
Yeah, I was having a conversation with a guy in the checkout line about crime and people owning handguns, and the poor female checker just thought it was awful that people should have guns.
I told her that the most terrifying thing to a perp is a private citizen with a gun. They have more right to use it than a police officer does. They don’t have to yell “halt or i’ll shoot”. They don’t have to wait until you shoot first. They can shoot you as you flee. Etc.
IOW, you don’t mess with a crazy citizen that carries a gun. They’re just crazy enough to defend themselves, with gusto.