Ok, to respond to a few of the posts:
I can. You draw your gun, the BG sees what you're doing and takes off running. Since he then ceases to be a threat, you no longer have the right to use deadly force. I imagine this happens a lot (we see it mentioned in every issue of American Riflemen's Armed Citizen section).
Exactly, and it's precisely why the deterrent effect of a drawn firearm should never be discounted. A while back, I came up with a similar Threat Decision Matrix (apologies if the image is too large):
The #2 criteria above is the most difficult to teach and to adopt. I am frequently amazed by people who make outlandish statements such as, "If someone broke into my home, I'd blow them away".
Conversations with friends of mine who are/have been police officers and sheriff's deputies have gone something like this:
- If you cannot see whether or not they're armed, you must assume they are. They've already proven criminal intent by breaking into your home.
- If someone is armed, no one will fault you for blowing them away, as they can turn and get a mortal (deadly) shot off at you before you have time to react.
Most members of law enforcement are under general orders to provide a reasonable challenge to an armed individual who has demonstrated criminal intent (brandishing, breaking and entering). Homeowners are under no such restrictions, particularly as police are better equipped (flashlights) and trained (decision matrix, weeks of hands-on scenarios, etc.).
Thus, while I don't advocate "If they're in my home, I'll blow them away," I'm only a single pull of the trigger away from doing so.
Hold the BGs at bay???
No. If I ever draw, I am going to dispense with the threat. AFTER I am certain that the BGs have been stopped, I will call the police.
One should never draw without the intent to fire. It could happen that I wouldn't fire. (I couldn't imagine the circumstances.) But not firing will never be my intent. Not firing is, at most, a fall-back position, when (miraculously) I have had sufficient time to change my mind and follow another course of action.
As per all of the above, I respectfully disagree. If you can't imagine the circumstances, here's one: Back in college, a drunk neighbor (one floor above us) entered our apartment and promptly crashed on the floor. Amazingly, his key fit our lock. That does happen. I once hopped into "my" car, pulled it out of the parking spot, then stopped, as something was wrong. It wasn't my car! I pulled it back into the parking spot and found my own car one row over. Here's another scenario: The police execute a no-knock warrant at the wrong address -- yours. There are 14 of them and one of you. How you respond will determine whether you live or die. Here's a third scenario: You think you wife, son, or daughter is away, as in visiting her mother, or at college. They come home at some odd hour of the night and...
We could probably play "what-if" all night long, but the point is, there are occasions when uninvited intruders or unexpected visitors may find themselves inside your home. They're not criminals. They don't want to steal anything from you, and they intend you no harm. They're probably friends, family, or a neighbor. Are you just going to "blow them away" because they crossed some line you drew in the sand?
You don't believe in guns? Well clearly this thing on my hip is an apparition, so I'm not sure what we're talking about at this point. Take it easy!
Good one! I thought of saying something like, "What gun?" to which she'd point and say, "That gun!" at which point I'd say, "I thought you said you don't believe in guns?" I may be a smart-ass, but I try not to be, and I'm not as fast thinking on my feet as it appears. I've had a long time to think about the various responses, and a TON of practice (as in 25+ years) here and on similar forums.
When people ask me why I carry, I often say, "Because a firearm is like a fire extinguisher -- by the time you know you need one, it's too late to go get it." Only once has someone asked me, "Then why don't you carry a fire extinguisher?" My reply? "I would if it were as compact and easy to carry as a pistol."
While the analogy is good, there are some key differences. First, fires do not usually progress from detectable to deadly in less than a second. There's usually sufficient time to retrieve and use a fire extinguisher. Also, the mere presence of a fire extinguisher has zero deterrent value against a fire! You can't exactly point a fire extinguisher at a fire and tell it to "FREEZE!"
To the ones who ask, "What are you afraid of?" I respond, "I'm afraid I won't be able to protect my family or myself from evil people who are younger, stronger, faster, or more numerous than I am."
Good point. When I was younger, I was indestructible and able to defend myself against a college football player who outweighed me by 100 lbs. These days, not so much.
I deal with people almost every day who believe the only people who should have guns are the police and the military. Why do they believe this, you ask? Simply because they were, for the most part, raised in a country where only the police and military have firearms.
As retired military, I do have some bias along those lines, but I've known many non-military, non-LEO folks who're just as capable, if not more capable, of properly handling firearms as members of the military or LEOs.
Being married to a very delightful Chinese lady for almost five years now, I have gained some insight into what the anti crowd is trying to do in this country. With a disarmed citizenry, you no longer have a need for free elections, you no longer need to answer to the people, and there is not one single thing they can do about it.
So, does she carry? Or is she more traditional?
If you think about it, we already have informants, LEAs that operate without adequate oversight or accountability, and politicians who would, given the chance, seize power on a permanent basis.
That's always been the case throughout history, except when politicians are fully aware they serve, not rule, and do so only at the mercy of the people whom they serve. When politicians forget this, it's time to give them the boot.
The only piece of the puzzle that does not yet fit is the fact that the American citizenry is still fairly well-armed.
Agreed. Sooner or later, it'll come to one of three things:
- Americans will replace the current jerks in government with those who respect the Constitution. If they refuse and try to remain in power by force, then...
- Americans will lay down their arms
- Americans will be up in arms
This is hypothetical, but...
Lady: Why do you carry a gun?
OC'er: It's OK, I'm a bodyguard.
Lady: Oh, ok.
Lady, looking around.: Whose bodyguard?
OC'er: Mine. But it's still OK. I mow my own lawn, too.
Awesome! I'll bet the pay rate is good, too.
