There are quite a few places where it is and has been legal for a long time to take your gun to church, the mall, etc. I don't recall there ever being trouble because of it.
Fact is tho that according to the only people who have ever really studied it scientifically, there are more than two million crimes prevented in the US annually by citizens with guns. The overwhelming majority of which are not fired.
I have two assault rifles. I shoot them all the time. I have never taken one to the mall or to church.
But, you know what ... if things got really bad and there were common terrorist attacks everywhere ... I would.
In the excerpt I posted from those books, residents in a nearby neighborhood hear the terrorist attack at a mall and respond.
Give it a read ... it might dispell some of your mis-conceptions or pre-conceived notions.
I have a so called "assault rifle" (semi-automatic) and several 30 round clips for it. I wouldn't call it a gun fit for sharpshooting though. My bolt action 30.06 shoots a lot farther, is far more accurate and many times more powerful. Just a basic deer rifle.
Another interesting thing about guns I bet you didn't know, over 80 million Americans own more than 260 million firearms. Think of that! Private citizens of America, with guns, make up the biggest standing army in the world. In fact I'd be willing to bet that there aren't 80 million uniformed soldiers in all the armies in the world including the U.S. armed forces. Cool, huh?
Another interesting fact, since you bring up the idea of taking guns to public places. In the early 70's there were several incidents of horrendous shootings in schools in Isreal. They instituted a program of allowing parents, teachers and other adult volunteers to come to school armed. Weapons concealed. They advertised this program so that it was well known to the people who were killing school kids. A recent shooting there broke a 20+ year record of zero shootings in Isreali schools. Nothing's perfect I guess.
You've told us that you would scoop up your kid and run if you saw an ordinary citizen with a rifle on his shoulder at the mall. What would you do if someone like John Malvo started taking shots at customers at the mall? Let's say he jumps up on the service counter at the front of the Wal-Mart and lets loose. I know what would happen if it was the Wal-Mart in Silver City, NM. I walked in right behind a man with a .45 on his hip there one day, I sure didn't see anyone running for cover though. But you can bet your Volvo that no one with half a brain will try to rob that store either.
I guess you should thank your lucky stars you don't live in Vermont with me, Knither. I can carry any gun I want, on my hip, under my jacket, over my shoulder, in an ankle holster under my pantleg, and I don't have to ask anyone permission. I don't have to pay any fees, take any training or register myself or my guns at all. It really makes up for having to live around so many braindead 60's hippy throwback liberals with their "NO WAR FOR OIL" bumper stickers. Especially since the gangbangers from Mass. are making inroads and turning their kids into junkies who hang out for the easy welfare check.
The really funny thing is I have longer hair than any of them so they don't quite know whether I'm one of them or not. Sure hope nobody thinks they can rob a store in my presence.
Did you get lost? DU is that way
All your brains are belong to NO ONE.