- Joined
- Jul 27, 2010
- Messages
- 30,543
I am a concealed Carry Holder and have been grappling not with the legal requirements of using deadly force, which in my state means feeling physically threatened or someone else being threatened with violence/death, but with the inner justification of my humanity in taking the life of another. Truth is, even if you are totally justified in the use of a firearm to defend yourself or another, you are going to jail immediately until it's sorted out legally.
I am not talking about that.
I am not a big imposing person. When I was young, I was physically fit and was a trained martial artist. I was even a veteran of the US Navy, but I always knew that no matter how skilled I became, I was vulnerable to the bullrush of a bigger man. When I was really young, I learned that if I wanted to win a fight, I had to be vicious early on and then immobilize them with a headlock to get them to submit. It was weird...I really did not want to hurt them,l but I also didn't want to be dominated. We'd get up from the ground and things would be ok.
It's not that way anymore.
If you watch tv, you see tape of kids walking down a city sidewalk and viciously slug an old woman/man in some sort of knock-out "game," and the victim goes down like a sack of potatoes. Some die or are at the very least, seriously injured. This shocks me. In my youth, I could not have conceived of doing such a thing to an elder. Some are then robbed or worse. It reveals the absolute lack of respect/empathy predators have in society. Like when I was young, I don't want to be dominated by anyone. If you are down and helpless, the predator decides your fate...not just in this situation, but in other ones as well.
When not prepared, the human mind takes about two seconds to respond to an unexpected event. This is why following distance when driving a vehicle is so important, because your mind needs time to process the information and then have time to react. The same is true when you are unaware, but see a danger...two seconds...Think how much time that is relative to an attacker with intent...In two seconds, some have been able to close the distance of ten feet before the victim can react. Some have been able to unexpectedly take a pointed gun from a police officer that wasn't sufficiently aware of the danger and disarm him...and kill him. Think about that. Next time you see a TV show or movie when a gun is held on someone else within five feet, know how stupid that is...(which is most of them).
Now consider yourself walking down a city sidewalk, especially at night on a slightly deserted street. Now you see 3-5 big kids (bigger than you) laughing and grab-assing 50 feet away. Then as you get closer, they quit doing that and whisper among themselves as they come closer, regarding you. At this point, I am turning and walking across the street to see how they react. Do they track my movement and try to cut me off? Or do they continue walking and things are ok? Let's assume they cross the street too, so what do I do then? If I allow them to get too close, my decision (or lack of one) is to trust them whether I meant to or not. Non-action means allowing control to these teenagers. Let's say I have a bad feeling that they have mirrored my movements and are now within 15 feet on a dimly lit mostly deserted street. So I draw my weapon with every intent of protecting myself and scream "Get the Fukk Outta my WAY!" Am I wrong to do so?
I have been told so by those on other forums. Most of the ones saying this are bigger physically than me. They normally say, "They are just kids and you should know how to deal with them without a gun...it's chicken shyte!" It is this response that gives me pause...Am I overreacting to what I perceive to be a physical danger? Although I live in a small town now, I am from big metro areas..I was born in Whittier, but have lived and worked in places like Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Portland, etc...I used to be able to sense when things were ok on a city street and also when it was a little dangerous. But training and a sense of unreality at how unpredictable and heartless some can be, has shaken that sense of knowing.
I am older and in not very great shape now, so I am much more vulnerable to an attack than I'd like to admit, which I hope never makes me over-react in a situation. For these reasons, I will hopefully never be in the above situation again, because I don't really know the answer. The worst of all situations is to realize too late that a person should have pulled the gun and then try to too late..only to have it taken away and then get executed with it....
Besides being TLDR, what do you think?
I am not talking about that.
I am not a big imposing person. When I was young, I was physically fit and was a trained martial artist. I was even a veteran of the US Navy, but I always knew that no matter how skilled I became, I was vulnerable to the bullrush of a bigger man. When I was really young, I learned that if I wanted to win a fight, I had to be vicious early on and then immobilize them with a headlock to get them to submit. It was weird...I really did not want to hurt them,l but I also didn't want to be dominated. We'd get up from the ground and things would be ok.
It's not that way anymore.
If you watch tv, you see tape of kids walking down a city sidewalk and viciously slug an old woman/man in some sort of knock-out "game," and the victim goes down like a sack of potatoes. Some die or are at the very least, seriously injured. This shocks me. In my youth, I could not have conceived of doing such a thing to an elder. Some are then robbed or worse. It reveals the absolute lack of respect/empathy predators have in society. Like when I was young, I don't want to be dominated by anyone. If you are down and helpless, the predator decides your fate...not just in this situation, but in other ones as well.
When not prepared, the human mind takes about two seconds to respond to an unexpected event. This is why following distance when driving a vehicle is so important, because your mind needs time to process the information and then have time to react. The same is true when you are unaware, but see a danger...two seconds...Think how much time that is relative to an attacker with intent...In two seconds, some have been able to close the distance of ten feet before the victim can react. Some have been able to unexpectedly take a pointed gun from a police officer that wasn't sufficiently aware of the danger and disarm him...and kill him. Think about that. Next time you see a TV show or movie when a gun is held on someone else within five feet, know how stupid that is...(which is most of them).
Now consider yourself walking down a city sidewalk, especially at night on a slightly deserted street. Now you see 3-5 big kids (bigger than you) laughing and grab-assing 50 feet away. Then as you get closer, they quit doing that and whisper among themselves as they come closer, regarding you. At this point, I am turning and walking across the street to see how they react. Do they track my movement and try to cut me off? Or do they continue walking and things are ok? Let's assume they cross the street too, so what do I do then? If I allow them to get too close, my decision (or lack of one) is to trust them whether I meant to or not. Non-action means allowing control to these teenagers. Let's say I have a bad feeling that they have mirrored my movements and are now within 15 feet on a dimly lit mostly deserted street. So I draw my weapon with every intent of protecting myself and scream "Get the Fukk Outta my WAY!" Am I wrong to do so?
I have been told so by those on other forums. Most of the ones saying this are bigger physically than me. They normally say, "They are just kids and you should know how to deal with them without a gun...it's chicken shyte!" It is this response that gives me pause...Am I overreacting to what I perceive to be a physical danger? Although I live in a small town now, I am from big metro areas..I was born in Whittier, but have lived and worked in places like Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Portland, etc...I used to be able to sense when things were ok on a city street and also when it was a little dangerous. But training and a sense of unreality at how unpredictable and heartless some can be, has shaken that sense of knowing.
I am older and in not very great shape now, so I am much more vulnerable to an attack than I'd like to admit, which I hope never makes me over-react in a situation. For these reasons, I will hopefully never be in the above situation again, because I don't really know the answer. The worst of all situations is to realize too late that a person should have pulled the gun and then try to too late..only to have it taken away and then get executed with it....
Besides being TLDR, what do you think?
Last edited:
