Be honest?
Honestly, I don’t see myself as a hero at the mini mart. I don’t fantasize about killing people. I don’t fantasize about killing an intruder who breaks into our home, etc. Neither does my wife. These are not our fantasies nor are they the fantasies of people we know and shoot with. The folks we shoot with include young, middle aged, old, ranchers, truckers, prosecutor, current and former cops, teachers, sheet metal, construction, military, housewives, attorney, etc. Interests include lots of plinking, socializing, hunting, collecting, instructing, re-loading, etc. Several of us belong to GOA, VCDL and/or the NRA. Despite our varied backgrounds and interests, we all do believe in an individual’s right as a human being to self-defense and an individual’s right to keep and bear arms for defense.
More to the point. Among many topics, we have discussed face to face and continue to talk about are those individuals who do have killing fantasies, hero fantasies and/or think such fantasies are the norm among firearms owners. Those fantasizing can take something they see on social media, accept it as the truth and turn it into an epidemic. It is definitely not how we think regarding our personal/family safety when at home, in our community or in the wild. It is also not what we have attempted to instill in the hundreds of people who have chosen to shoot with us at one time or another over many years. We do get that life is full of choices and an individual’s choices help determine where that individual gets her/his information, who that individual associates with and that individual’s perception of other people.