I put this in Tactics and Training because sometimes (often) the assaults that come at us are of a verbal nature and learning how to counter that can be every bit as important in the long run as knowing how to respond to an actual physical attack.
Thus I present the verbal self defense primer #1
(Feel free to add but please keep it fairly high road).
Anti Gun statements and pithy comebacks…
"I hate guns."
"I despise ignorance. Your point is?"
"Guns are only made to Kill."
"Or to defend a person from a killer."
"All guns should be outlawed."
"Then only outlaws will have guns and they'll use them against unarmed citizens...like you."
"Only the military and police should have guns."
"See any policemen or soldiers nearby?"
OR
"That worked so well in Europe back in the 30's didn't it?"
"I'll never own or touch a gun they have no purpose."
"Why don't you post a sign that says just that outside your front door?"
"I depend on the Police to keep me safe."
"You probably don't remember the Rodney King riots in LA then, right?"
OR
"You've been lucky so far, eh?"
OR
"If you expect the police to always be able to protect you, why are the ones who show up at crimes called 'detectives' instead of 'defenders'? Detectives try to find a criminal after they've committed a crime."
"I don't believe in guns"
"Let me assure you, they do exist".
Or
“Well, they exist. So do rape, murder, beatings and burglary.”
“ Civilians don't need firearms”
“ I have 5 words for you "Katrina, Los Angeles and Auschwitz."
"that's an extreme and silly argument"
"two of the 3 happened in the last decade and the unarmed were victims of criminals who didn't care if their weapons were illegal. In 2 of the 3 cases the courts said the police don't have to give a damn about your safety, and in the 3rd the police helped commit the crime."
"why do you carry a gun?"
"Because I can't carry a cop!"
"why do you carry a gun are you planning on shooting someone?"
“Why do you wear a seatbelt, are you planning on a crash?”
“I don't know why you need a gun”
“I bet there are a lot of things you don't know”
“Guns cause crime”
“Spoons cause fat”
or
"Pencils cause misspelling" (and so forth)
Why do you carry a gun?
Do you believe people should be allowed to defend themselves? (usually answered yes)
Do you believe people should be allowd to learn martial arts to do it? (usually answered yes)
Well, shooting is a martial art. We just don't wear the funny outfits.
“You must be compensating for something”
“My inability to throw a rock at 1200 fps”
or
"If I was compensating I wouldn't have bought a 4" barrel"
“They should ban all guns to stop all this violence”
“Look how well banning things worked for prohibition and the war on drugs”
or
"because nobody was violent before guns were invented, just ask Gengis Kahn"
“Why do you carry a gun?”
"Madame, I believe in being prepared." -Gen. George Patton
Or
I carry a gun because, in this dangerous world, I may have to kill a criminal to save an innocent's life (probably my own).
"No one should own a gun."
“Interestingly, the cities with the strictest gun control have the greatest gun crime problems. Why? Because regular citizens are unarmed and the criminals know it.”
"Why are you into guns?"
“I like history. Guns are historic. But more than that, I can think of no other hobby that opens such a wide variety of scientific, historical and social topics. Do golfers discuss the metallurgy in their clubs? No. Do bowlers discuss the historical significance of the pins? No. Guns, reloading and shooting have introduced me to metallurgy, history, physics, chemistry, research, mathematics, social studies, law, politics, military history, wildlife biology, mechanics and a host of other sciences.”
"Guns should be banned."
“I have never been arrested, never committed a crime beyond a speeding citation, but with the flick of a pen you would brand me a criminal, and a dangerous and violent criminal at that? There are numerous words for that attitude: arrogant, dictatorial and naive.
"Even if one child is saved, banning guns would be worth it."
Okay, let's take that further. Far more children die on our nation's highways than from guns. So, let's reduce the nationwide highway and freeway speed limit to 35 mph. Boy, wouldn't that save lives?
And as for what constitutes a "child," consider this: Until a few years ago, Handgun Control Inc. skewed its figures by defining a child up to the age of 20! I'm sure that the 19-year-old Marine was astounded to learn he was still a child.
Many of those "child" shootings include shootings by and toward gang members. A 15-year-old gang member, shot by police in defense, finds his way into the HCI statistics. Or a 15-year-old gang member killed by rival members is listed by HCI. Kinda changes the whole outlook of those "statistics" doesn't it?
"Why do you have guns?"
"Protection."
"What about the police? Why not call them?"
"Poor resonse times."
"You know this from personal experiance?"
"Yes.”
“I don’t think just anybody should have a gun”
“I agree completely but the damned criminals just won’t listen”
"They can take it away and use it to kill you"
"If I draw a gun it is because they ALREADY have the means to kill me and I am in fear of my life”.
Or
“Ah so you are saying they already plan to kill me so I should be unarmed?”
Or
"If it’s that easy then i'll just take it right back"
"You’re carrying a gun? Why? How often do you think people get killed out here, anyway?"
"Once."
Person #1: "You gun-lovers and your weapons are a danger to society. I wish you would get the hell out and start a country of your own!"
Person #2: "We did! Where did YOU come from?"
Thus I present the verbal self defense primer #1
(Feel free to add but please keep it fairly high road).
Anti Gun statements and pithy comebacks…
"I hate guns."
"I despise ignorance. Your point is?"
"Guns are only made to Kill."
"Or to defend a person from a killer."
"All guns should be outlawed."
"Then only outlaws will have guns and they'll use them against unarmed citizens...like you."
"Only the military and police should have guns."
"See any policemen or soldiers nearby?"
OR
"That worked so well in Europe back in the 30's didn't it?"
"I'll never own or touch a gun they have no purpose."
"Why don't you post a sign that says just that outside your front door?"
"I depend on the Police to keep me safe."
"You probably don't remember the Rodney King riots in LA then, right?"
OR
"You've been lucky so far, eh?"
OR
"If you expect the police to always be able to protect you, why are the ones who show up at crimes called 'detectives' instead of 'defenders'? Detectives try to find a criminal after they've committed a crime."
"I don't believe in guns"
"Let me assure you, they do exist".
Or
“Well, they exist. So do rape, murder, beatings and burglary.”
“ Civilians don't need firearms”
“ I have 5 words for you "Katrina, Los Angeles and Auschwitz."
"that's an extreme and silly argument"
"two of the 3 happened in the last decade and the unarmed were victims of criminals who didn't care if their weapons were illegal. In 2 of the 3 cases the courts said the police don't have to give a damn about your safety, and in the 3rd the police helped commit the crime."
"why do you carry a gun?"
"Because I can't carry a cop!"
"why do you carry a gun are you planning on shooting someone?"
“Why do you wear a seatbelt, are you planning on a crash?”
“I don't know why you need a gun”
“I bet there are a lot of things you don't know”
“Guns cause crime”
“Spoons cause fat”
or
"Pencils cause misspelling" (and so forth)
Why do you carry a gun?
Do you believe people should be allowed to defend themselves? (usually answered yes)
Do you believe people should be allowd to learn martial arts to do it? (usually answered yes)
Well, shooting is a martial art. We just don't wear the funny outfits.
“You must be compensating for something”
“My inability to throw a rock at 1200 fps”
or
"If I was compensating I wouldn't have bought a 4" barrel"
“They should ban all guns to stop all this violence”
“Look how well banning things worked for prohibition and the war on drugs”
or
"because nobody was violent before guns were invented, just ask Gengis Kahn"
“Why do you carry a gun?”
"Madame, I believe in being prepared." -Gen. George Patton
Or
I carry a gun because, in this dangerous world, I may have to kill a criminal to save an innocent's life (probably my own).
"No one should own a gun."
“Interestingly, the cities with the strictest gun control have the greatest gun crime problems. Why? Because regular citizens are unarmed and the criminals know it.”
"Why are you into guns?"
“I like history. Guns are historic. But more than that, I can think of no other hobby that opens such a wide variety of scientific, historical and social topics. Do golfers discuss the metallurgy in their clubs? No. Do bowlers discuss the historical significance of the pins? No. Guns, reloading and shooting have introduced me to metallurgy, history, physics, chemistry, research, mathematics, social studies, law, politics, military history, wildlife biology, mechanics and a host of other sciences.”
"Guns should be banned."
“I have never been arrested, never committed a crime beyond a speeding citation, but with the flick of a pen you would brand me a criminal, and a dangerous and violent criminal at that? There are numerous words for that attitude: arrogant, dictatorial and naive.
"Even if one child is saved, banning guns would be worth it."
Okay, let's take that further. Far more children die on our nation's highways than from guns. So, let's reduce the nationwide highway and freeway speed limit to 35 mph. Boy, wouldn't that save lives?
And as for what constitutes a "child," consider this: Until a few years ago, Handgun Control Inc. skewed its figures by defining a child up to the age of 20! I'm sure that the 19-year-old Marine was astounded to learn he was still a child.
Many of those "child" shootings include shootings by and toward gang members. A 15-year-old gang member, shot by police in defense, finds his way into the HCI statistics. Or a 15-year-old gang member killed by rival members is listed by HCI. Kinda changes the whole outlook of those "statistics" doesn't it?
"Why do you have guns?"
"Protection."
"What about the police? Why not call them?"
"Poor resonse times."
"You know this from personal experiance?"
"Yes.”
“I don’t think just anybody should have a gun”
“I agree completely but the damned criminals just won’t listen”
"They can take it away and use it to kill you"
"If I draw a gun it is because they ALREADY have the means to kill me and I am in fear of my life”.
Or
“Ah so you are saying they already plan to kill me so I should be unarmed?”
Or
"If it’s that easy then i'll just take it right back"
"You’re carrying a gun? Why? How often do you think people get killed out here, anyway?"
"Once."
Person #1: "You gun-lovers and your weapons are a danger to society. I wish you would get the hell out and start a country of your own!"
Person #2: "We did! Where did YOU come from?"
or 
or 