I wanna shoot somebody - tell me this is OK!

[prime8]

The problem is, most of the angry itchy types already have guns, cuz theyre bangers or already cops. very thin line between good and bad, just a matter of oppinion! Nice vader gettup.. Raider fan or just nutz??

[PythonGuy]

Raider fan or just nutz??

Is there a difference??

[Jack O'Conner]

Glenn:

When you kill a man you take away everything he has and everything he will ever have. Sure you actually want this scene to occur?

There are better ways to release aggression that seeking to shoot bad guys. I suggest an enthusiastic woman (over 18) !

Jack

[joab]

I have noticed these responses
I have always believed that these guys along with the ones that try to think up reasons to inform the boss or landlord that they own or carry are simply still impressed with themselves for having guns.
When they have actually been around guns long enough for them to become just tools they calm down.

But those guy's are effectively counter balanced by the ones that believe you need to be cut twice and shot once before you even begin to draw.

[riverrat66]

Raider fan or just nutz??

Maybe he's from Florida!
You know they do have that new "Shoot first, Ask questions later law" (I'm only kidding!)

It's a waste having all these guns and never ever getting to shoot 1 bad guy. We have to spend the rest of our life shooting paper targets and that gets very old very fast.

So why don't you grow some balls do exactly what 22-Mag sez:

join the fighting forces of the U.S.A. and go to the middle east and shoot all you want. Get a life.

And that I'm not kidding about!

This thread is one of the most ridiculous threads I've ever seen posted on TFL.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Just to remind folks, my post was to put a damper on scenarios that folks posted in which the main goal was to pose a situation where they would feel happy to righteously shoot someone.

Go back and read my original, my dear students of the art.

[marano]

shooting paper is much more preferable to people. I have carried two guns daily for the last fifteen years and have come quite,quite close to having to use one of them a couple of times at work. I have always been thankful that it did not come to that as I NEVER want to kill another human being. I made it threw 20 years of military service without having to participate in a war and I got out recently so that I would not have to unnecessarily. Killing is wrong, survival is not, but I don't think that will make you feel any better about it, unless your some kind of sociopath.

[VUPDblue]

All I can say is that if, and I do mean IF I am suddenly attacked by a battalion of B-27 silhouettes, then I will be prepared and willing to defend myself with the biggest, baddest weapon available (as long as they come within 21 feet).

[Redworm]

Just to remind folks, my post was to put a damper on scenarios that folks posted in which the main goal was to pose a situation where they would feel happy to righteously shoot someone.

Go back and read my original, my dear students of the art.

All these "hypothetical situation" threads that keep popping up seem a bit disturbing. It does seem like there are a few here who are looking for any excuse to pull out their noisemaker and act like Bruce Willis. Kinda takes away from the responsible mentality of using a gun as the last line of defense.

It worries me that so many people want to use their guns for their intended purpose.

[invention_45]

I haven't noticed anybody (that doesn't mean nobody else is doing it) other than Doug .38 starting this sort of thread.

I read his scenarios as meaning only what the words on the screen are. I don't try to interpret what he's thinking. I haven't yet gotten the impression that he's out to shoot somebody, so I post responses when I think I have something to say.

I do notice that some posts that RESPOND to him seem like they're coming from people looking for an excuse.

When I respond, I say what I think I'd do. Who knows what I would ACTUALLY do. There are too many variables to predict that.

Since responding to the scenarios makes me think about them, I think they're useful. I try to respond using what I know about how various things work. It's a good mental exercise that's better done now than during an incident. Best of all, since I don't want to appear to be an idiot, I will often check the applicable statutes or other basis for my responses before I respond and learn something new in the process.

I tend to give responses that give attention to the law's requirements. I also tend to point out that sometimes the gun isn't the best solution to the scenario, and I've seen others do the same. Maybe Doug and others posing these scenarios just need to see what the range of possible responses is to help them do the right thing. I got no problem with that. Maybe they just want the entertainment of seeing the responses that come back. I got no problem with that, either.

Since we're on the general subject, there's a really good website (IMHO) that anybody who's truly interested in self-defense should look at.

www.nononseseselfdefense.com

The owner of that site does not discuss firearms at all. He talks at length about the guy who's going to be on the other end of your gun the day you have to use it, and how that guy thinks. A theme that permeates his site is that training in the martial arts can get you in more trouble than they get you out of. I have no opinion on that, but if you can mentally filter that out the site has really good information, and lots of it.

[Capt. Charlie]

All these "hypothetical situation" threads that keep popping up seem a bit disturbing. It does seem like there are a few here who are looking for any excuse to pull out their noisemaker and act like Bruce Willis. Kinda takes away from the responsible mentality of using a gun as the last line of defense.

It worries me that so many people want to use their guns for their intended purpose.

It worries me as well, Redworm. Folks, see my sig line .

[22-rimfire]

The decision to use force is personal. You have to live with the consequences. I have no idea how I will react in a given situation until it happens. I sometimes think these scenario threads are folks that are itching for a reason to use force or they are trying to talk themselves into the possibility of using force. My first reaction is to get the h*ll out of Dodge and avoid a fight and I am not "into" thinking up scenarios where I would be protecting anyone other than myself or my family.

[Redworm]

The decision to use force is personal. You have to live with the consequences.

I agree that it's a personal choice but it isn't a private choice. The decision to use force affects others far more than the shooter simply having to live with the consequences. The decision to use force can end the life of a guy having a heart attack trying to get help by stumbling toward the nearest person. The decision to use force can end the life of a lost foreigner who doesn't speak english and just wants to get back to his hotel. The decision to use force could end the life of a guy driving slowly through a parking lot simply because he's looking for the friend he was asked to pick up after the movie.

It's a personal choice but that choice can affect the lives of others far more than the shooter himself.

[threegun]

Invention45, I agree with you. Some people need help, ask for help, and we should give them help. Some do as Glenn suggests for sure but the ones who are asking for "what to do" in a spacific scenario, we should help if we can. The sickos shouldn't prevent us from giving advice to others. Just the same the grand fathers of gun knowledge (ie Glenn) should understand that at one time they had similar questions. Helping a fellow gun carrier could be self serving one day.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

That's why I give excellent advice to folks to get appropriate training in the use of lethal force and point out that ninja fantasy are quite transparent on forums like this.

[threegun]

Glenn, A+. In the case of Doug38 though he sounds like he is just unsure about how to handle a situation once he spots the danger. Those in between cases that happen....example A man is cutting across a parking lot on an intercept path with you. You change directions and so does he. You were the last to leave the building so retreat is not advantagous. What do you do? This guy has no visible weapon and has made no verbal threats. Pulling your weapon on a man who's only action was to walk towards you is illegal in most places not to mention the old gun school rule of not pulling your gun until you are justified in using it. This gray area is scary for some. Do you wait until the threat gets within striking distance?

I know what to do but some don't. I just hope you understand just how difficult this is for some. As for the normal I wanna be justified morons we agree totally. The law will get those guys.

posted by doug But what if I did spot something suspicious? It's too easy to say "Just pull your gun." But at what point? What exactly are you looking for?

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The classic responses:

1. Verbally challenge the person to stop approaching you. Techniques are taught as to appropriate verbiage that signals your awareness and gives off the view that you are not a victim.

2. Just run (if able).

3. Deploy a nonlethal in your hand like OC and be ready to use it - one might mention it. Quite a different threat than a gun. At the same time, verbalize your need for police. Or one might pull out the cell phone and announce that you are calling the police

4. Claim you are a zombie and will eat his brains

5. Pull out a mouse gun of known deterrent value and wave it wildy.

(Note - some of these choices are deliberately designed for arcane reasons - 0 The wise reader will know why.

Doug's original scenario was seeing something hinky when leaving the movie. I have a suggetion - you probably have a clear path to return to the theater. The staff is still there. That's a better idea than drawing a gun and continuing towards a threat.

Now isn't that easy.

[threegun]

Glenn, I must say you are much more civil here. Great answers 1-3.

Doug's original scenario was seeing something hinky when leaving the movie. I have a suggetion - you probably have a clear path to return to the theater. The staff is still there. That's a better idea than drawing a gun and continuing towards a threat.

Is it possible that we agree 100 percent? Anyway good to see your good side for a change.

[Bigbadaboom]

The desire to kill has a place on a battle field during war. It has no place while going about our daily, Civilian lives.

I hear the "I wish that S.O.B. would try car-jacking ME" or whatever other scenario is in the news at the time and I ask "You would really want to have someone attempt to commit a crime against you so you can show them how tough you are?" IMHO this puts these people right there with the scum doing the criminal acts.

Prepare for the worse and Pray for the best. Don't pray for the worse so you can prove something, because nobody really gives a crap how tough you are except "YOU".

I do say this; Be careful saving deadly force as a "last resort". If you use it as a last resort and the B.G. uses it as a first resort then you could end up in horizontal meditation on the subject.

[Trip20]

Glenn - for balance (and for a more *helpful read), you should start a thread with title and tone to match the philosophy:

"I don't want to shoot anyone!!! How to avoid deadly encounters."

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I prefer the dramatic. Also, that wasn't the thrust of my argument. It was about those who seem to want to shoot. It wasn't about the well known need to try to avoid shooting if possible.

But thanks for the critique. I suppose I won't post my:

I wanna shoot a zombie

thread