|
I think Lawdog is exactly right: people don't "drop the hammer" because they've been civilized. Or, more accurately, domesticated. (Someday I have to do a little research on domesticating animals and write a screed comparing that to civilizing people....)
People who have a) been taught all their lives that life is sacred, and that violence of _any_ kind (much less lethal violence) is always bad, and b) have never thought through their beliefs are going to have real trouble pulling the trigger. People who _have_ really thought about the issue, and have seriously contemplated what they'd be willing to do in a crisis, are probably a lot less likely to freeze up. A life-threatening act of violence, like any emergency, is best handled long before it occurs.
When someone is having a heart attack, it's too late to learn CPR. If someone is bleeding out, it's too late to learn how to deal with serious injuries. When someone is trying to beat, stab or shoot you, it is too late to decide whether you're willing to kill to defend yourself. You need to know/decide these things well in advance.
|