Wednesday, February 20, 2013

People With Disabilities and Guns


As a person with physical disabilities, I am more physically vulnerable than most people, yet it's never seriously occurred to me to own a gun. Do people with disabilities own guns at a higher rate than the general population? If not, are we being foolish?

I think whether people with disabilities should be allowed to own a gun should be judged on a case-by-case basis, based on the same standards as anyone else, whether that "bar" is high or low. For myself, even if I was inclined to get a gun for protection, knowing my own physical boundaries, I don't think I could "safely" use a gun. I might be more likely to need one, but I'd also be more likely to miss my shot, or have it taken from me by an attacker.