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In response to this good comment on SaaM... I'll add to the "need for a gun" bit...
Note: This happened late last year in WV, before our move to FL.
I've never fired a gun at anyone, or even drawn it in self defense. The only time I've ever "used" my firearm was when my neighbor's abusive boyfriend started breaking her windows and screaming and being an all-around coked-head jerk. I simply walked outside with my pistol holstered on my belt, told him to calm down, shut up, and wait for the police who would be arriving shortly (with no immediate mortal danger to myself or someone else, I picked up the phone first.) He started getting aggressive (as he had during previous encounters, which is why I strapped it on this time) and started coming at me. As soon as he stepped onto my property I lifted up my arm, revealing my piece, and told him he had 2 seconds to get off my property, and chill the **** out. Upon seeing the gun, he complied, muttering only a few choice words, and waited until the police arrived.
He was just some pissant kid, but he was certainly on drugs, and extremely aggressive (he had run his over his gf's foot a few weeks prior, and had a history of drug-induced violence.) He could have run, and I would have let him. I was honestly more concerned about his regularly abused girlfriend's safety at that point. But I'm sure he was too far out of it to comprehend that I was merely being defensive.
Police arrived, questioned him and asked the gf if she wants to press charges, which she never did. Even after my wife and I spent hours offering her support and trying to convince her ditch him, she just didn't get it. He was on probation and she knew he'd go to jail for a long time. (But I love him! We've been together for 10 years! Blah blah blah!) Oh, when will they ever learn?
So while the other cops were dealing with the dumbass, one of the cops came over to me and said "I noticed you have a sidearm, so I'm just going to stand over here with you for now, if that is OK." I explained my need (bf's aggressive behavior) to which he nodded, and said "yeah, I understand." Extra guns always seem to make cops nervous, but at least the ones in my town were OK with someone other than a cop having one.
Anyway, eventually the cops offered bf a ride downtown, which he accepted. I would have preferred they arrested him, but they couldn't do that without charges being pressed, or a restraining order, or something. My wife and I spent some time comforting the gf (not that it really seemed to help at all.)
Long story short... I probably could have gone out there unarmed, and it would have ended with him taking a swing at me, followed by me kicking the crap out of him, and pinning his face to the mud until the cops arrived. My having a firearm prevented any escalation in violence. I never even touched the gun. I never used it as a threat. I didn't even mention it. I just had it.
So you see the moral of this story? Guns can be tools of peace, just as easily as they can be tools of violence. The difference is who has and uses the gun. Criminals will use their guns for violence, and ignore the laws. The rest of us will use our guns to prevent violence, in accordance with the laws.
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