I hate guns.

I sincerely wish that we lived in a society where violent crime was nonexistent and the issue of gun rights was irrelevant. I wish we could take away all the guns held by civilians today and that no one would ever experience a situation where they felt a gun was necessary, with the exception of hunting of course.

But it seems that law-abiding and peaceful citizens like me will forever be at risk of the occasional massacre by a mentally ill Jared Loughner, or a self-appointed vigilante such as George Zimmerman.

This is why I’ve always hated guns. Every gun that is purchased is a danger to everyone around, and though that danger can be mitigated through training, safety precautions and so on, it still allows someone else to choose to put my life in danger for the sake of their own perceived security without my consent.

I still feel this way, but a few years ago, I heard a story of a transgender girl who was ambushed by three men at night in a parking lot. They threatened to “make her take it like a woman,” among other things.

However, she was able to scare them away by brandishing her handgun. Thankfully, they left without her needing to shoot.

As someone who sympathizes with the plights of the LGBT community, I could not ignore the message of this story.

I still hate guns. I will still not buy one. I sincerely wish we lived in a society where men like those would-be rapists did not exist and that girl didn’t need a gun to defend herself.

Sadly, it seems that violent crime will always be a part of our reality. Sensible people continue to speak out for reasonable gun-control laws every time a shooting gains national attention, but sadly even such laws — though I think they would be a huge improvement — would not make violent crime disappear.

As much as it pains me to say it, it seems that I will always have to accept the fact that my neighbors might not share my pacifist values. I will have to accept that they may choose to hold a lethal weapon next door.

If you choose to own a gun for your protection, I can’t stop you. But gun owners be warned: If you choose to own a gun — knowing the risks — and if that gun happens to kill or injure my future children, I might find that my pacifist values are flexible.