Got Ambushed Last Night and Shot!

[AndyinIowa]

Paranoia or paranoid behavior (not talking about a clinical diagnosis here, just when referring to people's behavior) is a very overused description of 'perceived excessive preparation'.

When it comes to guns, what one person calls 'being prepared' is another persons 'paranoid behavior'. People struggle to see eye to eye when it comes to 'how to prepare for an event that doesn't have 100% probability of happening.'

Take death as an example. Noone will call you paranoid for buying a cemetary plot. Its inevitable you'll be using it.

Guns, generators, and spare tires are all examples of items that may or may not be used in your lifetime. I know people gnash their teeth at the word 'fear' as a motivation to purchase said items, but being prepared is actually addressing adversion or fear of the event happening. If I had no adversions to the power going out, I would have no personal motivation for buying a generator.

Obviously many items have multiple uses (buying a generator for remote work is an example).

Some people have stronger aversions to events than other people. A lot of that is coming out in this post. I'm not sure that everyone is capable of finding a middle ground, but it IS great to live in a country where there are guns, generators, and spare tires for those who choose to take steps to prepare themselves for future possible events!

I get a kick out of people who state 'people who own guns are living in fear.' If people are compelled to purchase a weapon for protection, they have actively addressed their aversion. They have moved to the 'prepared' stage for a potential event. They sleep much better!

Disclaimer: Before people jump on stuff I said, I made the assumption that the guns in discussion were not purchased for the purpose of collecting, investing, hunting, or scientific purposes. =)

Iowa Andy



Iowa Andy

 

[unreconstructed]

AndyInIowa. Very well put.

Living in fear is not cowering in the corner. Not living in fear hoping someone else will take care of one's behind is something else entirely.

Hah. Do you think those who advocate the abolition of privately owned firearms think of us pro second amendment types as cowards?? Now that's a thought.

 

[Soundguy]

I forget the exact quote:

An armed man is a citizen.

An unarmed man is a subject.

You sure got that right!

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Here's another view on preperation/fear.. etc... my take anyway.

If I buy a spare tire.. it's not specifically because I may 'fear' having the flat. It's to mitigate the time lost walking tot he gas station and getting a flat fixed.. vs just changing and goin. IE.. a time saver.. or 'loss prevention'. I've partially controlle dthe outcome of the situation by limiting the range of results, by changing the variables...

Same with the gun in a percieved self defense situation. By having that tool, I am hopefully changing the odds more in my favor than they were before.. thus biasing the outcome more in my favor, than it otherwise would have been.

Many of us know our limitations.. I'm 5'6 and 150#.. some big brute.. or a couple guys break into my house at night and: 1, they are prepaired.. may have weapons.. or tools to help them.. like a flashlight.. etc or other tools to improvise as weapons... ( screwdriver.. hammer..e tc.. ) .. Me? I've just been woke up by glass breaking, and depending ont he location.. I may or may not have much time... meeting those two thugs while I'm not prepaired.. and it's gonna be bad for me.. on the flip side.. bring in the great equalizer.. and if I take a defensive stance, and respond to the threat ( for instance.. threat of serious bodily harm.. etc.. ).. then.. well.. the thugs with the hammer vs me and my firearm... well.. I like those odds alot better than me locking my bedroom door and calling the cops...

If you are talking about fear.. the 2nd scenerio is the one I would fear.. the one while I was hoping the cops got there to save me.. vs trying to save myself.

IE.. it's all about having some control over ones souroundings... that's not a fear issue.. it's all apart of being aware and prepaired.. ( then you don't have to 'fear' ).

soundguy

Paranoia or paranoid behavior (not talking about a clinical diagnosis here, just when referring to people's behavior) is a very overused description of 'perceived excessive preparation'.

When it comes to guns, what one person calls 'being prepared' is another persons 'paranoid behavior'. People struggle to see eye to eye when it comes to 'how to prepare for an event that doesn't have 100% probability of happening.'

Take death as an example. Noone will call you paranoid for buying a cemetary plot. Its inevitable you'll be using it.

Guns, generators, and spare tires are all examples of items that may or may not be used in your lifetime. I know people gnash their teeth at the word 'fear' as a motivation to purchase said items, but being prepared is actually addressing adversion or fear of the event happening. If I had no adversions to the power going out, I would have no personal motivation for buying a generator.

Obviously many items have multiple uses (buying a generator for remote work is an example).

Some people have stronger aversions to events than other people. A lot of that is coming out in this post. I'm not sure that everyone is capable of finding a middle ground, but it IS great to live in a country where there are guns, generators, and spare tires for those who choose to take steps to prepare themselves for future possible events!

I get a kick out of people who state 'people who own guns are living in fear.' If people are compelled to purchase a weapon for protection, they have actively addressed their aversion. They have moved to the 'prepared' stage for a potential event. They sleep much better!

Disclaimer: Before people jump on stuff I said, I made the assumption that the guns in discussion were not purchased for the purpose of collecting, investing, hunting, or scientific purposes. =)

Iowa Andy



Iowa Andy

 

[barneyrb]

As I've heard it said before...better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

 

[patrick_g]

Not to be harsh regarding the FEAR based explanation but...

Consider a car. I think it a little bit of a stretch to claim having brakes on the car to be fear motivated. There are reasonable and prudent measures to be taken that are in reasonable and prudent proportion to the environment which can be argued to be FEAR MOTIVATED but which I think to be better explained by other means. Do you cross the interstate on foot without looking either way or are you "careful" out of FEAR or is it just common sense? Do you avoid standing under a heavy load being hoisted by a block and tackle because you are fearful or is it just common sense given lines do break and the law of gravity has not been repealed?

Better perhaps is risk management and risk abatement/amelioration. There is a real and perceived risk of being inconvenienced by a flat tire so virtually all cars come with a spare tire. Brakes are not even optional. Air bags in many instances are not optional. They are common sense risk abatement strategies.

The degree to which one should prepare for a low probability event is an area that is not well understood by many. Do you continue to stay outdoors when you can see lightning in the distance or hear thunder? It is NOT recommended but lots of folks do it. Several are killed each year.

Self defense weapons in the hands of a trained user are a reasonable and prudent response to the reality of the present state of our civilization. Lots of folks do not use seat belts, demonstrating their lack of care for their own well being. Likewise, motorcycle helmets. Laws have been passed to enforce their use. So far there are no laws forcing private citizens to have or carry weapons for self defense. Some of us live in areas where we are ALLOWED to posses and carry weapons for self defense. The second amendment to the constitution of the U.S.A. guarantees the right to keep and BEAR ARMS. The Supreme Court of the U.S.A. has ruled that the second amendment is as the founding fathers intended, a PERSONAL INDIVIDUAL right.

A person choosing to respond to environmental risks and to have and or carry a weapon for self defense should be considered no differently than someone choosing to have a spare tire, or a socket set, or hail insurance on his roof.

Fear could be involved. Reduction of fear could be a result of having the ready means of defending yourself, and the security of your family against such dangers as DO EXIST and are documented daily in the press.

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

As I've heard it said before...better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

Heck.. if you are in a self defense friendly state.. and the facts show that you were in fact defending yourself from a percieved viable threat.. then you can even forget the 'judged by 12' issue...

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Not to be harsh regarding the FEAR based explanation but...


Pat

Great post by Pat.

soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

Heck.. if you are in a self defense friendly state.. and the facts show that you were in fact defending yourself from a percieved viable threat.. then you can even forget the 'judged by 12' issue...

soundguy

The use of potentially lethal force is still an issue even in self defense friendly states. If you are in fear of your life (a situation where a prudent individual would reasonably expect to be in danger of bodily harm) then it is prudent to use your weapon to defend yourself.

You DO NOT employ your weapon with the intent to kill the attacker. If you have no other reasonable alternative you use your weapon to stop the attack. All the concealed carry courses of which I am aware teach their students to fire two shots into the "center of mass" and then evaluate if the attack has been stopped or not. If the attacker continues to advance and continues to pose a threat then further shots are reasonable and prudent. The best advice I have been given is that if a double tap to the center of mass doesn't stop the attack then put one between the mustache and the eyebrows.

It is not unreasonable in these times to expect to encounter a person on drugs that although mortally wounded by your double tap may still continue the attack and still pose a lethal threat. The attacker may die (later) from your double tap but could injure or kill you or a family member before ceasing to be a real danger. Hence the need to evaluate the results of the double tap and be ready to follow up with a round between the mustache and eyebrows.

Pat

 

[LBrown59]

Great post by Pat.

soundguy

I rate it excellent.