I saw a headline today that many on the far right, politically, are suddenly fearing gun violence. I won’t cite the article or discuss the recent events that led to all of this. All I can say is, welcome to America my fellow citizens!

It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say I left my home of several decades, where I raised my children, over fears of gun violence. I don’t live in the inner city and the people I feared weren’t people looking to rob me. They were my neighbors, many that I had known for decades. They were all fairly heavily armed and a few had grown increasingly belligerent, especially after COVID.

One night very late, just after the election, I heard a loud banging on the front door.  Bang! Bang! Bang! It occurred that my worst fears may be coming true.  You see, my family is Jewish.  I had imagined the possibility of Rwanda-style mob violence, where a few crazies on radio and TV declare Open Season on “the enemy within” and a slaughter ensues.  It seemed far-fetched, but maybe it was here.

I don’t own a gun so I figured the large kitchen knife was my best bet.  I looked out the window and didn’t see anyone.  I went down the stairs and saw no evidence of anyone outside.  Our front yard is large and exposed so I would be able to see anyone even if they were running away.  We also had a front door camera, so at least there would be some sort of evidence if the worst happened.

I went back upstairs and my wife was awake and had the bedroom light on. I said I didn’t see anything outside.  All of a sudden, the same Bang! Bang! Bang!  It sounded like banging on the front door but I knew that wasn’t possible.

It did sound like gunfire, but I’ve fired handguns and small rifles and I have never heard anything like this.  My wife texted the neighbors.  They also heard people banging on their windows.  It didn’t seem possible that people were running down the street in the middle of the night banging on doors and windows.  I still didn’t see anything outside.

One neighbor opined that maybe it was someone shooting feral pigs with an AK style rifle in the old quarry a block or two away. Seemed oddly specific. He was a hunter so I figured it was plausible. I had no idea those sorts of guns could be that loud.

As I said, I don’t own a gun.  Never have. Never intend to buy one. Mostly because they are just dangerous to have around.  But I also figured if I ever lived in a place where I thought I needed a gun, that it was time to move.

Clearly that time had come.  The house was already listed but we moved to sell it with a bit more urgency.  A few months later we live in a place one state over, in many ways quite similar to the place we left. Except without the crazy people and their guns.  I find I am much happier here.