Originally Posted by sfa437
Lets say someone like me, with my degree of training was determined to kill you- even without a firearm. Let's say a knife, or even less offensive- a baseball bat. What is the best response?
Call the police- I've turned your head into a canoe before you hit the last "1" in 911
Run- I routinely do 5:30 miles and can sprint quite well. You [might] get away if you're lucky and I'm tired
Back up 4 quick steps and draw a firearm- The sight of the firearm backs me off, and if it doesn't two center of mass and one cranio-ocular tops me. In addition reaction gaps favor the intial move, so you drawing the weapon is completed before I can backswing.
The FBI UCR (Uniform Crime Report) for 2006 shows the defensive usage of firearms 1,188,607 times (reported to local PD). According to you- over 1.2 million people died in the US last year from shooting family members. Laughable. Do some research prior to spouting off statistics and BTW Dr. Trent Lott has completely discredited the study from which that piece of rhetoric came from and the authors themselves have apologized and said their research was designed to produce a certain result.
Ah- so the 1st Amendment should only apply to a moveable typeface printing press and quill pens. Plus the 4th and 6th should only apply to your actual person and home, allowing warrantless searches of you e-mail and interception of telephone conversations. None of those were around when the Constitution was framed (please note capitalization of Constitution). In addition a chemical weapon is regulated by international treaties and is an indiscrimate weapon similar to explosive devices. "Arms" in the frame of the Constitution were weapons commonly employed by civilian infantry raised in time of war. Rifles and handguns predominantly but a shotgun showed up on occasion.
As a side note the word "regulated" does NOT mean Federally controlled. The word in the 1700's meant drilled or trained.
So we do not have thieves, kidnappers, rapists and murderers in the United States? Thank GOD! All the cops can go home and we'll all sit around sipping decaf vente vanilla chais at Starbucks and share a group hug! Hallelujah- Paradise on Earth- right in downtown Washington DC (oh wait can't go there after dark- wonder why since we have no murderers, kidnappers or rapists).
I was a cop for 13 years and the best thing going is an armed populace. Even Colin Ferguson stated he chose NY to go on a rampage because he KNEW nobody would have a firearm and be able to stop him. My wife carries a .38 Airweight and I feel better knowing she does. I will never subscribe to a theory that says it is perfectly OK for a 110 pound woman to fistfight a 280 pound rapist.
Well since more people are killed yearly with blunt instruments than with firearms- nobody should have one. Sorry Home Depot and Louisville Slugger. More people are manually killed each year than with erroneously named "assault weapons" so nobody should have hands and feet. Well just the police and the Army- they're the only ones who really need them.
In a perfect world, there would be no use for a firearm for defensive purposes. We do not however live in a perfect world. I've seen depravity in the States that outshines what I see here in Iraq. Most of that is fueled by drugs with the occasional true sicko tossed in the mix. Making a firearm illegal does absolutely nothing. Dope is illegal yet I can get whatever I want less than 30 min from my front door. I'd rather not fistfight the crackhead with the knife, or even the crackhead with a gun. I can out-think, out-move and out-shoot 90% of the population. I simply refuse to throw myself on the mercy of those who have none.
While I love Posh to death- I am glad, TRULY glad, she has not had to face the harsh realities of what people do to each other and I pray she never does.
Some of us (Anubis, Guacano and Novesh for example) have seen it up close and personal. I've seen mass graves and smelled that smell that lives inside you forever. I've seen entire families killed by a single intruder and dealt with the aftermath of a home invasion gang rape; but I have also seen a dead skell in a hallway with a scared citizen holding a firearm. I know which way I'd rather have an incident work out.
As for my child, I would rather him be EDUCATED about firearms, to know their inherent destructive power and that people don't respawn after a .45 to the dome like in Call of Duty. I want him to look at a firearm as a tool and not something "cool" to be f**ked with when a parent or adult is not around. I want him to know that if someone is playing with a gun or finds one, he should leave the area, find an adult and tell them what is going on. Education trumps ignorance every.... single.... last.... time.... period.
I want my wife to know she won't have to wait 3-5 minutes for the cops to show up if someone kicks in the front door, she can deal with the situation immediately.
Again I prefer not to have my family dependant on mercy from those who have none.
I do however respect her point of view and her decision to not own a firearm is hers and hers alone. I just do not wish for others to force a false worldview of this supposed peace, love and farfegnugen that we supposedly have in the US. Reality intrudes on my life quite a bit and I will choose to carry or not to carry a weapon myself- it is not anyone's place to choose FOR me.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum" Those who wish peace prepare for war. Just as valid now as it was 2000 years ago. I've seen organized war and random civilian violence up close and personal. I have taken life in defense of myself and others not just here but in the States.
It is in NO way pretty, or full of glory or to be crowed about over drinks. It is a deeply moving event. It wasn't fun, or a "rush".
All in all, I am glad I was armed at the time because if I was not, I would not be here typing and my wife would be a widow and my son without a father.
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