hotdogs said:
Night Watch, I respect your views. But to some of us the presence of a bad person "IN MY SPACE" trying to intimidate me and mine into giving up our belongings with the possibility of violence even if we comply is more than I will accept. If a bum on the street politely asked for my cash I would turn him down as I have no extra to spare so why comply with someone trying to force me into it?
Well, then, you’re just quicker to resort to violence or to kill than I am. When it comes to taking human life, ‘in my space’ is a meaningless expression to me. Will I voluntarily give up my personal belongings? If it means placing the lives of innocents at risk then, yes, I’m willing to let property go.
As another indication of the differences between our respective viewpoints: Around holiday time I have given money to homeless people. Sometimes it’s been money I needed for myself; I just thought that they might need it more.
Like I said If an armed person approaches my table I am going ape crap on him with whatever (Ed.) I have. If someone (Ed.) so much as tries (Ed.) to snatch a piece of my pancakes off my plate they will be met with the sharp end of my fork! Ask my kids ... I don't give up what is mine easily... And honor is as much a reason to fight as anything.
Well, first of all, there ain't a lot of, 'honor' associated with anything as proletarian as THE INTERNET! Sooner or later, someone is going to disagree, start playing dirty with you, and try to, 'steal your pancakes'! (Like so many other things in life, it takes a thick skin to come on here everyday, and being proud will often just get you into a larger argument!)
In this instance, though, I believe I said pretty much the same thing as you have just stated. In a robbery of this sort, if the perpetrator doesn’t start shooting or doesn't personally confront me, then, I will NOT take action.
The problem I have with personal confrontation is that it’s difficult for me to reach for my wallet without revealing some sort of, ‘tell’ that I’m heavily armed. I might be able to do it; or, I might not. This forces me to make a decision about whomever might be confronting me. You ALWAYS have to remember Rule #4, ‘Mark your target AND what is beyond.’
My suggestion would be for you to, at least, be aware of whichever circumstance might be the lesser of two evils - to draw and fire, or not to draw and fire?
I am not a gun totter (Ed.) currently and would never shoot someone for wanting my goods but if they try to use force I have all legal rights to assume severe bodily harm is intended and thus will retaliate ... I have not won every scrap I have been in but have in the vast majority and some were against well armed individuals ...
I am a, ‘gun totter’. Still, because I’ve seen more ugly realities in this life than I would have otherwise cared to, I remain a very reluctant, ‘fast gun’. The extraordinary skill level is certainly there; however, someone would have to really push me before I’d make a conscious decision to use it!
There’s one other thing you should be aware of before you become too proud, or get too bloodthirsty in a situation like this: Even if you take your armed assailant out clean, what happens when the other members of his street gang are confronted with a severe loss of face, and have to publicly bury a fallen associate because of what you did? Think you might lose a few nights’ sleep over something like that?
