Actual Armed Citizens

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by flacaltenn

Guys:

There was just this week one HORRENDOUS case of gun defense gone bad. A pharmacist witnessed 2 young men holding guns to the heads of his employees. Went to get his gun and took a couple shots at the robbers..

One hit the floor, the other fled. The pharmacist dragged him off security camera and pumped 5 more rounds into the guy off camera. Told police he was STILL threatened by the perp. Prosecution and jury didn't buy it. Pharmacist is now serving time.

JUSTLY serving time IMO.. HOWEVER--- I've got at least 5 stories I can remember where trained officers ended up unloading into disabled perps. (Bart Station cop, NYC "amadillo??", ect) So this ain't just a matter of training and discipline. It's primal instinct when you're defending stuff from criminals..

It's not pretty, but neither is a wheel-chair bound granny with a bashed in head...

Interesting stuff. I think some of this comes from gun owners who don't really know how lethal guns are and how big of a mess a gunshot wound makes. They watch TV and see good guys unloading magazine after magazine on the bad guys and think that sort of thing is necessary to incapacitate somebody.

Having killed more than my share of deer with all sorts of weapons (modern firearm, blackpowder and bow), the mess made by a high velocity jacketed hollow-point style bullet is devastating. It doesn't drill pretty little holes in things. All three of my kids have been shooting guns since before they were 10 years old and the two boys each got their first deer at 10 and 12, respectively. Field dressing a deer that has been shot in the chest by a modern firearm (even a bow or muzzleloader, but less so) gives one an appreciation of just how deadly these things are. Once you see it, you don't need many more gun safety lectures.

As noted earlier in this thread, I own a dozen or so guns of all varieties and have owned guns for over 40 years (since my adolescence ), and simply don't view them as tools for personal defense (and I've lived within the city limits of both New Orleans and DC, both cities with relatively high crime rates). I'm an NRA Distinguished Expert with smallbore, taught rifle and shotgun shooting merit badges to Boy Scouts, and NRA Hunter Safety to adults and just can't conceive of carrying a concealed handgun. What spooks me out even worse is that most people than do conceal carry have far, far less experience with firearms than I do.

Personally, I'd rather hand a crook my wallet all wrapped up with a pretty pink bow than shoot him for trying to take it.