Thread: New Rite of Passage...

If we don't do stupid things, avoid stupid people, and use some common sense about where we go and when, the chances of needing a pistol are very slim. Which is not to say it never happens, like the recent mall murders or the doctor's family in Connecticut, but staying reasonably alert and avoiding places where crime is likely to occur goes much further toward keeping us safe than any weapon we can carry.

By the way, walking around the house with a loaded pistol in hand is probably not the best idea in the world, especially if you're going outside with it. Consider a holster if you want to keep the pistol ready all the time. A holstered weapon is a safe weapon, and also a far less threatening one.

Originally Posted by fivehourfrenzy

I learned one of life's most valuable lessons to learn tonight. ... It's made me realize that I've taken life in and of itself for granted for my entire life. I'm alive, and I finally understand what that means.

The violence in today's movies on TV, in the news, and in video games seems to have contributed a lot to our failure to value life. We see people get slaughtered brutally, with all the blood and gore.

But it is somehow "cleansed" by the glass on the TV screen or monitor. The more we see the more we accept and the more it takes to shock us.

We use visual desensitization to help people get past their phobias, and our society seems hellbent on using the same technique to desensitize us against the brutality of violence.

I fear that as the public demands more and more violence in their entertainment the value of life will slide further down.

I'm glad to read of your revelation. Please continue to value your life, and the lives of all who are around you. Your Walther is not a toy, and the targets you shoot at are not part of a video game. Real destruction occurs when you pull the trigger.

Never forget that those soldiers, police, and civilians we see being blown up in the middle east are real people with real lives, real families.

WM

I've ordered a holster, but it hasn't gotten here yet. I'm taking my CCDW course this Sunday, so hopefully it'll be here soon. Staying away from crime is like abstinence...the only absolute true prevention. However, I attend the University of Kentucky, which is in Lexington, and although it's not the crime capital of the world, it isn't the safest place in the world. I believe (not certain) that UK administrative officials have recently permitted concealed carry on campus, assuming the person carrying a deadly weapon has aquired the permit to do so. There have been a rising number of sexual assaults on female students, and although assaults on males are very rare, they do happen. I now live off campus in a nice apartment complex, but we are unfortunately surrounded by not-so-nice neighborhoods that have completely fenced in yards, are swarming with cop cars 24/7, and typically have some sort of guard dog in the yard. My apartments in particular have been having weekly break-ins to the vehicles in the parking lots. Just the other night nearly every single extended cab truck had the back side windows knocked out. Generally speaking, the nicer cars have not been hit, probably due to the higher chance of having a functioning alarm system. Mine and my roommate's car haven't been broken into at this time, but we've both experienced break-ins in the past. I'm not sure if any of our apartments have been recently broken into, but we do have some pretty skeezy people roaming in and out of the area, almost on a daily basis.

On another note, I couldn't count on my hands how many times I've been out at night, whether it be running errands, doing laundry at the club house, or working on my car when someone has approached me wanting to "talk about God," asking me for money or a ride, or if they could even crash at my place. Although I do MMA training, especially Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, which enables me to severely injure or kill a person in a split second, it still makes me very uncomfortable when a complete (and often ratty looking) person invades my personal space. In my opinion, when you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose, and a lot of criminals don't have anything to lose if they get busted or killed.

The car break-ins and late-night approaches are mostly what have prompted me to arm myself in the event I ever do need to defend myself or my living quarters. Another thought that has crossed my mind is defending another person that is in serious danger. One of the girls at my apartments is a total sweetheart, but you can instantly tell she's got a few screws loose (forgive me if that sounds judgemental or harsh). Our new manager informed me that a year and a half ago, while living near my apartments, her apartment was broken into by an older man, and before she knew what was happening, he had duct taped her hands and feet to the bed, wrapped her entire head with tape nearly suffocating her, and beat her within an inch of her life. I don't know if he sexually assaulted her, but my guess would be that he did. She was hospitalized and physically made a full recovery, but consequently, she will mentally and psychologically never be the same. It really makes me sad that someone who ruined another person's life (and possibly others) made a clean getaway, and is not being punished by time or death.

In the event of a public shooting, next-door neighbor break-in, coming across a girl being sexually assaulted, or any other type of situation where I could personally come to the aid of others who were in serious danger, I would feel pretty helpless not having my firearm on hand while carrying the license to do so in my back pocket. Whether it's me that is threatened, or someone else, I would like to always be ready to save lives as well as bring a criminal to justice, or simply rid the world of his existence. The Virginia Tech shooting was extremely disconcerting to me, and as it was happening, I told the girl I was dating at the time, "this could happen anytime, anywhere. It could even happen here." She said, "baby please don't say that." I told her, "it's the truth, and you need to realize that."

In the event of a public shooting, next-door neighbor break-in, coming across a girl being sexually assaulted, or any other type of situation where I could personally come to the aid of others who were in serious danger, I would feel pretty helpless not having my firearm on hand while carrying the license to do so in my back pocket. Whether it's me that is threatened, or someone else, I would like to always be ready to save lives as well as bring a criminal to justice, or simply rid the world of his existence.

You realize that a CCW isn't the same thing as a badge, right? If you want to bring criminals to justice, become a cop. If you want to save lives, become an EMT or a firefighter. As for "ridding the world of his existence," holding a CCW doesn't make you Dirty Harry or The Punisher. You're just a plain old private citizen with a pistol and government permission slip to carry it. You can still be shot, stabbed, beaten, jailed and/or sued.

It's just a gun. It doesn't make you a hero, knight in shining armor, a samurai or a sheepdog. It just makes you a guy with a gun. Situations that look like someone needs your help can often be quite different than they appear. Just ask any cop who has responded to a domestic disturbance.

Originally Posted by Mike Barham

You realize that a CCW isn't the same thing as a badge, right? If you want bring criminals to justice, become a cop. If you want to save lives, become an EMT or a firefighter. As for "ridding the world of his existence," holding a CCW doesn't make you Dirty Harry or The Punisher. You're just a plain old private citizen with a pistol and government permission slip to carry it. You can still be shot, stabbed, beaten, jailed and/or sued.

It's just a gun. It doesn't make you a hero, knight in shining armor, a samurai or a sheepdog. It just makes you a guy with a gun. Situations that look like someone needs your help can often be quite different than they appear. Just ask any cop who has responded to a domestic disturbance.

Not into the whole cop thing. I am heavily considering becoming a Navy SEAL officer after college, assuming I can get successful lasic eye surgery. I'd like to get it anyway since I have a bad habit of sleeping in my contacts...they're kind of a PITA to take in and out all the time.

I've honestly never encountered anyone who was in need of help. The closet I got was the apartments near us. Some guy picked this girl up and she started screaming like she was being molested with a pick axe. It turned out to be her and her b/f playing a prank on all the neighbors; however, I didn't find it in the least bit humorous. It really did sound like she was in trouble. Would I go after the guy with a gun? No...I go by the rule that says something like, "never put yourself in a situation with your gun that you wouldn't put yourself into without your gun." I have made a personal commitment both to myself and society that I will never use my gun unless it is the last resort. The only exception to that is if someone breaks into my apartment and I feel in any way threatened by their presence, I will shoot 'til he or she drops or retreats out the door. If I were to come across a guy beating or assaulting a helpless woman, his attention is focused on her, and I could easily silence him with a well-placed elbow or a rear-naked choke, assuming he is unarmed. No, a concealed carry permit is not a badge, yet it permits me to carry my weapon and use it if in fact I have a reasonable belief that I am about to sustain severe injury and/or death. That being said, if the time ever does come that I make a moral decision to help someone who will not live long enough for the cops to arrive, if the aggressive behavior is directed toward me, then my constitutional rights permit me to use my firearm if I feel its use is necessary. In the event of a public shooting, anyone within range of the firearm has reasonable cause to defend himself/herself, and assuming I am present in that body of people, I have a legal right to return fire. I would not go sprinting into another apartment with my gun drawn just because I heard someone screaming. However, as someone who does not sit around and wait for someone else to act, I would call the police, and probably go next door and knock. Sometimes knocking is enough if something bad is happening. BUT, on the other hand, unless I had indisputable evidence that immediate help was needed, I would not enter another person's living quarters because that in and of itself is breaking and entering, and I could legally be shot by anyone who lives there.

Trust me, I think things through before I act. But I won't sit around and do nothing if something needs to be done.

I'm obviously not arguing your right to defend yourself. I carry a gun, too.

Whether it's me that is threatened, or someone else,

I would like to always be ready to save lives

as well as bring a criminal to justice,

or simply rid the world of his existence.

But your posts make it seem like you are just waiting to charge into a fight and play the savior. This is really not the image we need to portray as responsible gun owners, and it is one that is constantly caricatured by our political opponents.

Originally Posted by Mike Barham

I'm obviously not arguing your right to defend yourself. I carry a gun, too.

But your posts make it seem like you are just waiting to charge into a fight and play the savior. This is really not the image we need to portray as responsible gun owners, and it is one that is constantly caricatured by our political opponents.

I understand what you're saying. My point in those posts, simply put, imply my attitude and what action I would take, on a last resort basis. My firearm should and will only be drawn from its holster if there is no other option. And generally speaking, if it's the last resort, me (or someone else) is in immediate danger of being seriously injured or killed. I won't use my gun to keep someone from hitting me, but I will use it to keep someone from killing me. And if I were to come across another person who needed help, my gun would only be used if it was the only way to prevent that person from being killed. I think that's a little clearer on my thoughts toward self defense. 99.9% of the time, I could use basic martial arts to knock someone unconcious and end the threat while assuming no serious or permanent damage to the attacker. 99.9% of the time, I could use basic martial arts to severely injure or kill an attacker. But there's that 0.1% chance that I'll need a gun. And until the probability of needing a gun is absolute zero, then there's always a chance. And I don't wanna be caught empty handed.

edit: Just read JimmySays' post in the CCW license thread. I think this really sums it up for me: "I feel every law abiding citizen who is mentally, physically and legally able to carry firearm should. It is your God given right to protect yourself and those close to you, and maybe those who are unable to help themselves.

Law enforcement officers are 1st responders, not the 1st people on the scene of a crime. They cannot be everywhere all of the time.
You owe it to yourself to carry. Period."