George Takei shares some ‘old-fashioned’ ideas about gun laws in America

While George Takei has starred in a sci-fi series known for its futuristic and technologically advanced themes, he also admitted that he’s also a bit old school. Recently, the actor shared some of his old-school takes on America’s gun laws. And interestingly, it has caused a divide amongst his followers.

Takei shared his old-school beliefs on Twitter, stating that no one should worry about getting shot if one were to ring someone’s doorbell, approach the wrong car in the parking lot, or drive down the wrong driveway. This comes after numerous reports of people getting shot after doing small everyday life mistakes in the past few weeks. One of them involved a young Black teenager who was shot after he rang a doorbell to the wrong house.

People who agreed with Takei’s statement shared funny anecdotes about a time when no one was hurt for doing something minor. At the same time, those who live outside of the U.S. reminded everyone that this is all possible if you live in a country with stricter gun control laws.

Some have also reminisced about the time when collecting one’s ball from another yard was a safe activity. This is no longer the case after it was reported by CNN that a six-year-old and her parent were shot after their basketball went into their neighbor’s yard in North Carolina.

Unfortunately, some people didn’t see the point of the tweet and claimed that guns are needed to “protect oneself” from “dangerous people.” One also pointed out that those accused of trespassing or car theft “should face the consequences.” Since when does collecting one’s ball or ringing a doorbell count as a threat?

It’s such a shame that things that used to be minor and trivial are now considered threats. Children and young people shouldn’t be wary of their neighbors, and neighbors shouldn’t view people who make minor mistakes with suspicion. But due to the current environment in the United States, it seems like people primarily care about themselves and their property rather than their neighbors’ rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.