Marco
Actually, I find this quite interesting...
Thursday, August 22, 2019, 19:19

I've heard it said many times ; don't produce a firearm in an attempt to diffuse a situation if you don't intend to use it, that will only make things worse. On the surface, that sounds like good advice. If you introduce the gun, the only next step is to pull the trigger. That's not entirely true. You still have multiple options: pull the trigger, or the threat submits and you can hold you're position and asses , or if the problem is resolved, re- holster and re-asses the situation. You have to understand the concept of the force continuum. It's NOT an upward, linear progression. It goes up and down according to the perceived threat. It is dynamically fluid and changes very quickly. There in lies the rub; most, not all, most people are not conditioned enough to violence to be able to asses what is going on in the heat of the moment. They are scared, they have a wet spot in their pelvic region and are about to pass a peach pit. If a person not inoculated to stress pulls a gun, they are most likely to take the next step: pull the trigger. That's what they've done over and over on the range (or in their mind) and that is what they will do when threatened, whether justified or not. How may average people go to the range, point a firearm, and then do not make a shot? Next time you're at the range draw you gun 25 or 50 times , get a sight picture and don't fire a shot, or go to low ready and/or then reholster. The the guy next to you will think you're nuts. If the range officer is paying attention he'll ask what's wrong. How many people train in shoot / don't shoot scenarios? I'd venture not many. 24 years as a peace officer, I couldn't tell you how many times I've drawn a handgun and that was enough to stop the undesired activity. Was I prepared to shoot? Darn tootin', but training, repeated exposure to stress and ability to think under extreme pressure allowed a more favorable outcome. Why shouldn't citizens have that option? I think the gun carrying public has been overly conditioned to the mind set that: if it's serious enough to draw the gun, it's serious enough to use it. That's neither justifiable or logical. Now I'm not in favor of governmentally mandated training, some people can't afford it or won't do it and that should not impact their ability to protect them selves from harm. I think they are fools for not gaining adequate training, but that's on them. Most people do not want a violent encounter, but simply pointing a gun at some one in a purely defensive move should not be a prosecutable offense. As alway, my opinion, look both ways before crossing the street, brush between meals, don't take any wooden nickles, avoid sweets, be nice to animals and the elderly; and by all means: try to be the best Misfit you can be. Defender Out.