There was another post here on TFL about how there's really no obligation by LE to protect individual citizens that reminded me of something I've reflected on sporadically over the years. Namely, Deliberatley Unarmed People (DUPs).
I'm just at a loss on this issue. What are these people thinking? I'm not talking about the extreme antis, or pinkos, or pacifists, I'm referring to those average Joes and Janes that are law abiding, tax-paying citizens who are more or less nuetral on RKBA issues; able to own a weapon that just choose not to.
It seems that I keep hearing the same stories over and over. Do these sound familiar to you?:
DUP situation #1
Unarmed female stalked for months/years by ex-husband/boyfriend/scumbag off the street who becomes more and more violent and intense in his desires. The restraining order ends up being just some meaningless piece of paper (BIG surprise). She ends up dead and the news media calls it a "tragedy." You see the story on Dateline or Hard Copy and you keep asking yourself "why didn't she just get a f*&%$#@ GUN!" Of course, Jane Pauley doesn't bother to ask this question. In my book, a tragedy is somehow unavoidable. Not to belittle the loss of human life, but if there's an immenent threat to your well-being, sometimes existing for a period of months or years, and you fail to take necessary and prudent measures, who's fault is it if you end up dead? I mean, really, the first time OJ Simpson beat up on Nicole, didn't it occur to her he might one day become more violent, perhaps even murderous? I'm baffled.
DUP situation #2
Hurricane/Tornado/Earthquake/Riot breaks out and looters show up soon after. Neighbors with guns protect those without. DUP then says something like "thank God DC was armed, otherwise the looters would have taken everything." You never see this on the evening news, but from Hurricane Andrew to the LA riots, there are lots of folks who are very glad they have even lightly armed neighbors. Well, how about ARMING YOURSELF! Are these people under some hopeless delusion that bad things only happen somewhere else, to other people? Reminds me of a punk rock song sometime back. The only lyric was "nothing bad ever happens to me" sung over and over. I can't fathom the amount of self-deluded thinking behind the "I will never need a firearm" mentality.
I'm sure you can think of other situations where DUPs, time and time again, would have been very well served even by a cheap revolver or lever action 30-30. Just to have a gun that sits in the closet 364 days a year is better insurance than you'll ever get anywhere else. CAN'T THESE PEOPLE SEE THE OBVIOUS!?!?!
These things make the news again and again and these people stay unarmed, ON PURPOSE! I'm baffled, to say the least. I put this type of mentality on par with people who have unprotected sex with prostitutes, or drive without insurance, or try to cross a swollen stream in early Spring. Just no common sense.
Rant over.
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"Put a rifle in the hands of a Subject, and he immediately becomes a Citizen." -- Jeff Cooper
I'm just at a loss on this issue. What are these people thinking? I'm not talking about the extreme antis, or pinkos, or pacifists, I'm referring to those average Joes and Janes that are law abiding, tax-paying citizens who are more or less nuetral on RKBA issues; able to own a weapon that just choose not to.
It seems that I keep hearing the same stories over and over. Do these sound familiar to you?:
DUP situation #1
Unarmed female stalked for months/years by ex-husband/boyfriend/scumbag off the street who becomes more and more violent and intense in his desires. The restraining order ends up being just some meaningless piece of paper (BIG surprise). She ends up dead and the news media calls it a "tragedy." You see the story on Dateline or Hard Copy and you keep asking yourself "why didn't she just get a f*&%$#@ GUN!" Of course, Jane Pauley doesn't bother to ask this question. In my book, a tragedy is somehow unavoidable. Not to belittle the loss of human life, but if there's an immenent threat to your well-being, sometimes existing for a period of months or years, and you fail to take necessary and prudent measures, who's fault is it if you end up dead? I mean, really, the first time OJ Simpson beat up on Nicole, didn't it occur to her he might one day become more violent, perhaps even murderous? I'm baffled.
DUP situation #2
Hurricane/Tornado/Earthquake/Riot breaks out and looters show up soon after. Neighbors with guns protect those without. DUP then says something like "thank God DC was armed, otherwise the looters would have taken everything." You never see this on the evening news, but from Hurricane Andrew to the LA riots, there are lots of folks who are very glad they have even lightly armed neighbors. Well, how about ARMING YOURSELF! Are these people under some hopeless delusion that bad things only happen somewhere else, to other people? Reminds me of a punk rock song sometime back. The only lyric was "nothing bad ever happens to me" sung over and over. I can't fathom the amount of self-deluded thinking behind the "I will never need a firearm" mentality.
I'm sure you can think of other situations where DUPs, time and time again, would have been very well served even by a cheap revolver or lever action 30-30. Just to have a gun that sits in the closet 364 days a year is better insurance than you'll ever get anywhere else. CAN'T THESE PEOPLE SEE THE OBVIOUS!?!?!
These things make the news again and again and these people stay unarmed, ON PURPOSE! I'm baffled, to say the least. I put this type of mentality on par with people who have unprotected sex with prostitutes, or drive without insurance, or try to cross a swollen stream in early Spring. Just no common sense.
Rant over.
------------------
"Put a rifle in the hands of a Subject, and he immediately becomes a Citizen." -- Jeff Cooper