Brandish a gun? Magic Wand?

[LASur5r]

To all TFL'ers,
I have been posting a lot of threads on this forum...I know...some of you guys are going,, "I know...I know." "Make it stop! Make it stop!"
I started posting because of a fellow TFLer that I really respect by reading his threads. He asked me to post some stories and I bet he is sorry that he encouraged me to write.
Thank you and sorry about that Doc Rocket.
Anyway, I would like all you readers to know that from my perspective and life's experiences, I do not believe that a gun is the answer to all situations, nor does it solve our problems...sometimes it compounds the problem, sometimes it makes a situation more complex...at times it escalates a situation into a potentially deadly situation.

I know that the gun is a tool that can save lives...unfortunately, in some cases by taking a life.. In some situations it can stop a crime from occuring. Each person that reads my posts can believe as he will, I am trying to relay the story as I recall...my only intent is for each reader to evaluate the story and ask yourself,, "What would I do in that situation?"
I hope that all of you see the errors that I made in each situation, and could offer constructive criticism so that I too can learn from your wisdom and experiences. As I stated, these are real life stories that happen in a blink of an eye...so I am not perfect, I react as best I can under some high pressure situations.
My main purpose in life is to try to see that my wife and daughter and those that I can help survive the time that we are on earth, especially with God's blessings and protection.
If I write a make believe story---I put scenario in the beginning.
If I write real story---they are real with no embellishment, no changes...I write that it is a real story.
I wish that I didn't have any real stories to write...only scenarios.

I am writing this long post only because I am sorry that I implied that anyone else should "brandish a gun" or draw down on someone else as an only solution. I will write of other situations in scenarios based on real situations that are more objective.
But meanwhile, my real stories are my "real" stories that I don't fantasize on or wish or picture myself as Johnny on the spot.
Real situations with real guns is nothing to play with...people get hurt! You can go to jail for your indiscretion.

Real story--

I was dating a girl when we went down to a local theatre. After the movie, I pulled out on a street that went pass the theatre. There was one car double parked about four stores down from the theatre. I pulled up behind the car which had three individuals in the car.
I waited a few minutes, lightly tapped on the horn and it looked like the driver waved me around. As I pulled around his car, he stepped on his gas.
I had a '58 Chevy V8 at the time and I punched it as we were almost in the intersection.
The driver flipped me off and honked his horn in the international "We love L.A. salute."
I kept on going...several lights later he caught up with my car. It was Friday night and Sunset Blvd. was packed. We were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. The driver and his two friends jumped out of the car and started pounding on my passenger window. They invited me to step out to fight and after they "killed" me they told me in no uncertain terms, that they would take my girl friend out to the desert to rape and kill her.
We were stopped in bumper to bumper traffic....so before they could break the window or surround the car, I drew my Beretta .22...I cocked the hammer and kept the handgun pointed at the ceiling of my car, but I did not have a round in the spout...I have since changed that habit.
The driver pulled his shirt open at that point and dared me to "shoot him!"
He spat at my window and again dared me.
He is standing at the side of my car now...for you readers that tell me that the
car can be used as a weapon...and there is a car directly in front and behind me.
The traffic is starting to move and I see his two pardners reach in their car for something.
I did the only thing I could...I gunned the car down the street and eventually escaped but not without further mishaps with those guys....it's in an old thread of mine.
What do you do?

The only reason I don't pontificate and "judge" other people as to what they "should have done" is because I am only relating a story that happened in fact.
In todays laws and with my training or lack of training, I probably would have reacted differently...but I am also thirty plus years older.
Some people want only PC? then we really are talking about fantasy. Some people want 100% correct actions? Then they have not been in many high stress self defense situations where their life or the life of someone else was truly in danger and the situation is fluid.
My apologies, TFL readers, I am ranting...should you folks want me off, let the moderator or me know and if enough of you with good reason do, I will be content to read your stories.
...just me... : :

[Viceroy808]

jeez ... i missed this story ... between your old dates, wife, daughter, salt-in-the-butt, psycho park kids, slangers in the laundry, pizza smoosh, flying wrenches, and God knows what else, you have maybe 20-30 good books. You should be syndicated, brah

btw everyone this is the old dragontooth73 ... decided to make all my screennames under my hotmail id.

[This message has been edited by Viceroy808 (edited November 16, 2000).]

[Art Eatman]

Seems to me that if folks don't like the program, they can just change channels. Here, they can figure out why God invented the "Back" button.

You're on topic, and offering food for thought--which ain't no shabby meal.

Regards, Art