The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - The best advice we can give to new gun owners

Southern Rebel · February 4, 2009, 11:56 AM

To follow the "kitty" lne, it is obvious that we are [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]-footing around with politically correct wording. The "correct" way to state our intentions is to say that we only shoot to stop the predator, not to kill him/her. To state our intent to kill brings us very close to an admission of a potential crime in the eyes of our justice system.

I believe that any reasonable person with a minimum of firearms training fully understands that shooting someone in the body regions required to stop an attack has a high probability of also killing the attacker. That reasonable person would have to step very carefully when dealing with an experienced prosecutor in court. Otherwise, he will be led to agreeing the two words, stop and kill, are interchangeable in terms of a defensive shooting.

In our modern world, there are certain buzz words that evoke immediate negative reactions. While the word sex is no longer a negative word - the word rape instantaneously evokes negative reaction. The same relationship is true for stopping versus killing when dealing with intent.

My advice for the new gunowner:

Once you learn the mechaniical, physical, and legal areas of how and when to use your gun in self-defense, learn the proper language required to defend your actions if you have to use that gun. "I am not a predator killer - I strive to be a predator stopper!"

February 4, 2009, 11:56 AM	#34
Southern Rebel Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2009 Posts: 165	Killing versus Stopping To follow the "kitty" lne, it is obvious that we are [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]-footing around with politically correct wording. The "correct" way to state our intentions is to say that we only shoot to stop the predator, not to kill him/her. To state our intent to kill brings us very close to an admission of a potential crime in the eyes of our justice system. I believe that any reasonable person with a minimum of firearms training fully understands that shooting someone in the body regions required to stop an attack has a high probability of also killing the attacker. That reasonable person would have to step very carefully when dealing with an experienced prosecutor in court. Otherwise, he will be led to agreeing the two words, stop and kill, are interchangeable in terms of a defensive shooting. In our modern world, there are certain buzz words that evoke immediate negative reactions. While the word sex is no longer a negative word - the word rape instantaneously evokes negative reaction. The same relationship is true for stopping versus killing when dealing with intent. My advice for the new gunowner: Once you learn the mechaniical, physical, and legal areas of how and when to use your gun in self-defense, learn the proper language required to defend your actions if you have to use that gun. "I am not a predator killer - I strive to be a predator stopper!"