Guns in America 2023: Making a common mistake will get you shot

In the early 2000s, I owned a blue-green Honda Civic. It was a popular family car. You could find many of them in my suburban neighborhood. A couple of times, I tried to open a look-a-like car. No one shot a gun at me.

Have you ever driven down a street and you need to turn around? You pull into a driveway, back out, and go on your way. I can't count the number of times I've done that. No one has ever tried to shoot me for doing it.

I remember taking my young children to birthday parties. I always assumed that none of the attendees would have a gun. I always assumed that no one would be shot.

Did you ever have to pick up a younger sibling at one of their friend’s houses? Did you ever go to the wrong house because you forgot the address or couldn't find the number in the dark? When it did happen, were you ever shot by the homeowner?

Did you lose a ball on a neighbor’s lawn while playing sports? Of course, you did. Me, too. Many times! The worst that happened to me was that someone called me an antisemitic slur and said to get my ass off his grass. He didn’t pull out a gun. He didn’t shoot me.

All five of the above situations are common everyday occurrences. When it happens to you, chances are you don't even think about it. You move on with your life. And yet, in the last week, all five of them led to someone being shot. Hard to believe. Shocking? Sadly, in 2023, it's neither hard to believe nor shocking.

But, that's what gun culture has become in America. Don't accidentally be in the wrong place. Don't accidentally make a common mistake. Your life may depend on it.