Idaho Versus Washington: One State Wants Gun Control for Both

A state trooper once told me that he assumes everyone is carrying a firearm in Idaho. That was his rule of thumb when making traffic stops. It’s an accepted part of the culture, whereas an old friend in the Seattle area wouldn’t even allow her son to play with toy guns. She lost custody of him for 18 months because she was using illegal drugs at home. Which do you believe is worse for a kid?

Idahoans, armed to the teeth, are the second least worried people in the nation when it comes to gun violence. You can see the full report by clicking here. We have the fewest shootings (adjusted for population) in the country. Just one in 10 say they’ve lost any sleep over gun violence. About the same number who said they knew someone involved in gun violence.

Why the a difference between here and Seattle?

I’ll wager coastal Washington has a higher rate of gun violence. Fewer people (as a percentage) probably own firearms, and I don’t imagine many had any serious safety training.

An eight-year-old in Idaho has grown up with gun culture and learned to respect firearms. Crooks in this state likely make the same deduction as my trooper friend. A bad guy weighs his risks.

What liberals can’t fathom is that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to their wants and demands. They’ll claim that some of our guns end up on their streets. It doesn’t bother them that some of their dope ends up here.