flintknapper wrote:I thought first, of posting this in the Ladies Forum, but...the question really needs to be asked of everyone.
Have you given serious thought to whether or not you could employ deadly force against another person? Its not a "legal" question I'm asking, but one that involves the physical act of defending yourself against a deadly threat.
Have you reconciled with yourself any moral issues you may have, and determined that you WILL act..(under certain circumstances). Most men I talk to, are quick to say that they would, but.. I wonder.
Some... women (not all) have expressed concerns about it.
Your thoughts?
in a life or death instance, human instinct pretty much takes over. there are situations though, where you have time to second guess whether or not deadly force is the most appropriate action; not whether you would or not.
i have had my pistol pointed at a lot of people, and it is a sickening feeling. many times, there was no question. other times, i felt like i just flashed my hand and it was all a bluff.
i remember once, i pulled my gun on an advancing person somewhat larger than i. he was already bloody from a previous fight. i felt like the presence of my gun and my orders would be enough, but when he kept coming at me saying "go ahead and shoot me," a million thoughts went through my head. at that point, i felt like i had just been called on a bluff. i ended the situation with a blast of pepper spray from my other hand, and a jab to the chest with my pistol barrel. that gave me the time i needed to holster my gun and get my hands dirty.
as i said, it's not whether you would or wouldn't, it's the questions that start coming up as the situation is going down. how many people practice dropping to a knee and shooting? say you're in a crowded area with people just behind your target. you will definitely take notice of them and that will cause you to start contemplating the best course of action. dropping to a knee lets you direct your fire upward avoiding people behind the target. it also makes you a smaller target. and would you just shoot, or would you shoot as you seek cover? wyatt earp may have had the nads to stand there and shoot it out, but my butt is dashing for something to hide behind. say you shoot at someone advancing and they actually make it to you. now what? in a heart shot, it still takes about 90 seconds to bleed out.
whether you would or wouldn't is almost an irrelevant question considering the totality of the situation.
