Nice discussion!propellerhead wrote:You just triggered another reason I have been stalling on getting a CHL. Thank you. :)anygunanywhere wrote:After reading Chas' post, it triggered a point I should have made to propellerhead...
It may be a misconception but I've read several times about not drawing your gun unless you're ready to use it. I haven't dug into this but the laws against brandishing a weapon are really strict and if I was packing and got into a sticky situation and I drew my gun to avoid a situation from escalating, wouldn't that be considered brandishing a weapon? Wouldn't that get me into trouble with the law? It seems like there's a gray area between someone cussing at me and I draw my gun and someone coming up to me with a baseball bat and I draw my gun. The line between brandishing a weapon and drawing for self defense doesn't seem clear.
I would never draw a wepon unles I was prepared to use it. In the first instance, I was defending my family against an individual intent on trying to gain access to my vehicle - "carjacking" comes to mind.
The second time the two perps had driven up to the ATM (enclosed in the middle of a strip center parking lot). They exited the vehicle, a third stayed in the car with the engine running. They entered the enclosure as I pulled my card, money, and receipt out. They both reached under their jackets and into their pockets while asking me to hand over my money. I drew my 1911 before they managed to pull whatever they had intended to pull. I told them to leave or face the consequences. They left.
The third time the arabs had loaded up the items in a truck and failed to pay me $700. They were in my driveway, climbing in and trying to drive away. The driver, who "bought" the items politely remebered he had not paid me when faced with the trusty 1911.
Some may say I acted excessively, and some may say that $700 bucks worth of stuff or an ATM withdrawal are not scenarios that require the threat of deadly force. You will only know truly what you will do when the circumstances occur that cause you to take action.
I honestly believe that in the case of the ATM withdrawal, I could have well wound up dead.
Even after all I have learned an this board and subsequent to my obtaining my CHL, I am comfortable with my actions in the past, and am confident I will make the right decisions in the future.
I appreciate the discussion, propellerhead. Thanks again.
Anygun
