Yes I've heard of the knockout game, I took a report involving a victim. Based on what you're saying, because there's a possibility that someone might assault you, you deserve the right to carry around a lethal weapon? Even though the possibility is less than 1%, it makes sense that you should have the ability to take a life based on your state of mind at the time of the incident without proper training or knowledge of how to handle that situation? I'll tell you this, someone takes a swing at you, you draw down and kill him, you're going to prison. Would that be in the best interest of your family? You going to prison because you were given a gun, killed someone when you thought you were in the right, and depriving your wife and kids of a father for many years?
I used the knockout game as an example of a random act of violence happening to people that aren't prepared for it. I did say "defend against people with weapons". I'm not an idiot and I understand the law very well. I wouldn't pull a gun on some guy that swung at me. As I mentioned, I carry pepper spray and I'd resort to this before I'd strike someone back for the simple possibility of civil liability. I pepper spray some dbag that swings at me for no reason, he'll be fine in 2 hours guaranteed. I hit him and there's an unknown factor. What if he falls and cracks his skull? Even if I wasn't charged criminally, he could easily go find a scumbag personal injury attorney to work on contingency and end up forcing me to pay him to go away because it'd be cheaper than funding the defense of the lawsuit.
For me, drawing a gun would be a last resort because of all the things you just mentioned. If I draw, I WILL use it if necessary and then I risk prison, etc, like you said. I'd only do that if I genuinely felt I or my family might lose my life if I don't. And honestly, and this is just me, I'd wouldn't pull it out and fire. If it was possible I'd pull it out and issue a warning before firing a round to give the guy time to back away. I wouldn't take pleasure in killing someone, even if it was self-defense.
Originally Posted By: [LoD
Anti][quote] There's a reason why a small percentage of the population is capable of becoming law enforcement. This job is not for everyone.
The difference between LE and a civilian with a CCW, before someone else brings it up, is we're trained to address all kinds of situations and adapt to new ones. I carry everywhere I go because I know that if something goes down I will react. I won't freeze, I won't make an irrational decision. I cannot say the same for a person that has NEVER been a situation like that before but someone has the right to carry around a lethal weapon.
Okay, fine. But you kind of skirted around my issue a bit. My point was, cops with the training you're talking about make mistakes frequently. Another example is the kid who was shot on BART here in the Bay Area. We all saw the video of that one. Both that one and the kid in Florida results in criminal charges being pressed against the officer. However, there is no law on the table suggesting cops should start using rubber bullets because they cannot be trusted with using deadly force because a few asshole made mistakes.
I don't think it should be any different with civilians. I'm not trying to say a civilian is equivalent to a cop, so please don't misunderstand me there. It's an officer's job to willingly go into potentially life threatening situations. Obviously, a cop will be exposed to life threatening situations more frequently than the average citizen. But when it does happen, why should a cop have the ability to take human life to save his own or another person, but a civilian should not? It seems like a double standard to me.
Originally Posted By: [LoD
Anti][quote] You go in front of the sheriff and say that you're a public figure or have a different legitimate reason to fear for your safety and you get it.
I think this is exactly what was wrong with the system as it was Anti. It was up to the arbitrary and inconsistent judgement of a law enforcement official to determine whether or not someone had a good enough reason to carry. The entire purpose of the 2nd amendment really wasn't to protect against other people so much as it was to protect against the government becoming too powerful. If law enforcement (the government) decides who can carry a weapon with no set standard that's upheld in every jurisdiction as to what a legitimate reason is, I see that as a problem and directly contrary to the purpose of 2nd amendment.
This is why I think open carry is a better solution anyway. It seems a lot safer for officers to me than everyone being able to conceal carry.
Originally Posted By: [LoD
Anti][quote] So when 3 of us have one dude, holding a knife, at gun point and we see a plain clothes civilian draw a gun, what then? Should we stop to ask him if he has his CCW?
Does this actually happen? I'm at a bit of a loss on this one. Any civilian who sees 3 cops drawing down on a perp with a knife should back the fuck away and let the cops do their job. If you draw a weapon as a civilian when a cop is present, for any reason, you're an idiot. If I was ever stopped by a cop when I was carrying with a CCW, the first thing I'd do is inform him that I have a CCW and am carrying.
