Last night, after my class, I was talking with another student about my trip to New Hampshire in a couple of weeks.
He wondered why I was going, where, etc so I told him I had a house and land up there. His eyes practically popped out when I described the land, btw. But he's a poor, starving kid who probably can't imagine actually having some savings and being able to own something himself. He wanted to know more, so I eventually told him that I'm a huge 'Doom & Gloomer" and went on to explain why and how farmable, rural land is an essential component in almost every scenario.
He jokingly asked if I have a bunker (why do so many people think Doom & Gloomers are necessarily preparing for nuclear war or gunfights with the government??) Another guy form my class then asked me if I'd stockpiled any guns. When I said "Of course," but didn't elaborate, he was suddenly the one whose eyes popped.
Since we all live in Virginia, you'd think we'd have a comparable understanding of what it means to be in a gun friendly (and, hence, a low violence) state, and similar levels of comfort with the idea. But they aren't on board with that and are generally horrified that another citizen might (Yikes!) actually own something with which he could defend himself from bad guys.
The D.C. influence on those who've grown up in Fairfax county typically warps people's perspective.
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