We, as citizens of this great country, need to realize that we are responsible for our own safety and well-being. When one is being victimized by a thug, the first five seconds of that encounter are absolutely the most important. I found that out eight and a half years ago when I was the victim of a home invasion. Because I was caught off-guard, I became a victim. I was forced into being reactive during the whole 25-minute episode . . .
Had I had a firearm by my side that day, I would have been proactive in being able to defend myself. Because my attacker decided not to pull a trigger, I am here today as a survivor.
Let me be quite frank when I say that the whole time I was tied up on my living-room floor and this thug repeatedly threatened me by sticking the barrel of his handgun into the back of my head, all I could think about was having access to one of my weapons so I could end this person’s abuse of me.
I learned a lesson that day, and I would like to share it with Rafferty and all other anti-gun folks: This is a violent world we live in. I don’t care how nice a neighborhood you live in; you never know when someone has you in his sights and means to attack you.
You have no idea where this person latched on to you, but all of a sudden he is in your face and threatening you with death. Anyone who has a firearm handy in such a situation should not be afraid to use it if he is in his own home. Such a person should shoot as if his life depends on it, because it may very well be so . . .
I do not love guns, but I have my share and some of them are kept loaded. I keep guns for defense of myself and my family. I won’t be a victim ever again. Be prepared for the worst, hope for the best.
CRAIG A. GALLOP
Reynoldsburg
If you take all the guns away, he threatens you with a knife. If all the knives are gone, then a bat. And after removing all sticks, it will be down to whoever is bigger. This in effect means a portion of the population is denied the right to self defense.
Take all the sticks away and that bat becomes a fist. Or a hammer. Or a rock.
Or a molotov cocktail thrown into an open window.
It is absolutely, 100% impossible to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. The misguided control freaks who call themselves ‘government’ can’t even keep drugs out of their own prisons.
If you take all guns away, criminals will still have guns because only the good citizen will be subject to this heinous confiscation and violation of natural rights.
If they were to take all the guns away, there would be more attacks on police and locations were guns are stored. A black market would be available to obtain those guns. (kind of like the total failure of the current war on drugs for the past 40 years). The only one that would not have a gun are those who do not wish to be arrested for possession. If a person is in your house robbing you or performing “other” activities, then they are not going to care much about “possession” charges. At that time, you will wish you were a criminal too and owned a gun – because the state can’t protect you or guarantee your safety.
This post reminds me of my favorite verse in Genesis when Abel asks his brother, Cain, “Crikey, mate, where did you get that Glock?”
I don’t care who you are, that there’s funny!
Hah! OMG, that is hilarious. I am so stealing this.
I use the same argument a lot as well. If you take a gun away from a violent criminal, you don’t get a model citizen, you get a violent criminal who’ll just use something else to inflict harm.
When asked why he carried a pistol Col. Cooper replied ” Evil exists out there, be grateful there is a means to stop it.”
Because a cop is too heavy to carry.
I shall not doubt my ability to survive.
Me
Positive people consider the worst outcomes. They imagine what would happen if their car began to slide on that curve and what they would do. Negative folk tend to refuse to imagine what could happen because it scares them. Thus they don’t prepare.
Modern folk live in a false belief that they are safe. They actually aren’t. While many Americans are afraid of poisonous insects those very insects are rarely seen and their habitats away from human travels. The things that kill most Americans are French fries.
It wasn’t that long ago that I believed the police existed to protect me. How naive I was. How naive 99% of the U.S. population is who still believe this.
When I was young, I thought that, too. Most cops would try to protect you if opportunity arose, but mostly they work to clean up the mess afterwards.
I have yet to have a problem that a cop solved for me, but I have had cops create problems for me. Like phony tickets for driving slightly above the speed limit on the same road that cops routinely haul ass on without their lights on. Hypocrisy at its worst.
I generally like cops, but since cops have enormous power, bad ones can cause enormous harm.
As many irrational people are unable to differentiate criticism from hate, demanding that the armed agents of the state to be held to a higher standard and accountable for all actions is often met with scorn. Surprisingly, mainly from the right.
Of course, in my experience, these are often the same people that proclaim their desire for a smaller government, yet wish that “small” government to enforce their religion’s morality upon the rest of the people. The cognitive dissonance is amazing.
“The cognitive dissonance is amazing.”
While I agree with 90+% of your comment, the over-generalizing, broad-stroking folks often do is amazing as well.
I’m doing my part to eliminate the dangerous scourge of french fries from the face of the earth. I’m eating them as fast as I can. Because I care about my fellow man.
I care too. That is why I eat the crispy hot greasy ones first. The common man/woman isn’t interested in cold soggy fries. My eating lots of fries saves lives – particularly the elderly.
“I won’t be a victim ever again.”
Antis don’t understand this concept… They’ll make claims like, you’ll get in a gun fight, you’ll end up shot, you’ll accidentally hurt yourself, etc. And this is what they will never understand, it doesn’t matter.
Live or die, win or lose, you are capable of maintaining your self respect and the dignity of your family, and to some, that’s worth more.
No, anti’s don’t get it. You’re right. The reason they don’t is their entire ideology is based on victimhood. They exist by making and exploiting people as victims. Anyone who is not a victim is the oppressor that needs to be destroyed.
Great article.
What if the person invading and taking your sense of protection were the very people who are paid with public funds?
Do any of you who subscribe to TTAG’s not understand that to debate Gun Control, yes just to debate, goes against the principals that this Nation was established upon? To say that any person in the United States is not entitled to “keep and bear arms” is a violation of the oath of office that all Public Officials take upon entry to office.
The attack against any person can come at any time and any place. But we the people as a whole tolerate our Legislators and Law Enforcement Officials from repeatedly violating their oaths.
Not to mention the fact that every accused person is innocent until proven guilty. When actually if you are arrested you bear the burden of proving yourself innocent and are considered guilty until you prove yourself innocent.
Our Courts legislate from the bench. The three legged stool can not stand without the proper checks and balances. Our elections are ran using software that is not publicly owned, third party owned and copyrighted. That being the case, and I challenge any person to prove that wrong, our elections are far from transparent. Our Nation has been overthrown from within by those in power who hire family members over the best qualified applicant. Yet we sit by and do nothing.
If you vote for a person and don’t expect them to keep their oath, you are part of the problem. You are the same as a home intruder who chooses to take something more valuable than any material object and one much closer to life than any material object, my freedom, liberty, and a fair playing field upon which I may pursue happiness.
Very well stated. I need to see thoughtful comments like yours – it gives me hope. Often, I fear it is already too late…optimistically, America teeters on the edge of being post-constitutional. The “state” has grown so large, it lives only to protect and serve itself. What can “law abiding” citizens do..? If you even speak out at a school board meeting you get tasered, hauled off in cuffs and charged with disorderly conduct. Send letters/emails/petitions and you can look forward to an IRS audit. We can vote for the best of the worst candidates (i use a paper ballot at every opportunity)… Game over man. Game over.
The reality is our Republic has always teetered on the edge. It is up to us, this generation to stand and bear the cross of making it more just for the generation to follow.
+1
Regardless of what any gun grabber may tell you, police departments reported that more than 1 million victims of violent crimes came forward to police last year. And we know there are countless more violent crimes that people never report for various reasons such as not trusting the police, being afraid of retribution, or hoping to “forget” the event.
If gun grabbers want to be unarmed and defenseless, that is their choice. I choose to be armed. That is my choice and my choice alone to make.
Good letter. That shit won’t happen in my house.
“Fairy tales don’t teach children monsters exist. Children know monsters exist. Fairytales teach children monsters can be killed.” Author unknown.
What an awesome quote! Thank you!
Ooo, yes. That is an awesome quote. Thanks!
My son was walking from his car to his hotel when a man stopped him and asked for directions. My son told the man he too was from out of town and couldn’t help. As he tried to leave the man asked him how much money he had and would he help? My son said he would be glad to help, stepping back, while reaching for his wallet he found his .45 holstered on his hip. Presenting his firearm he instructed the man “tell your friend to stand still or I will shoot you first. Now, that I have your attention we can wait for the police or you both can run”! They ran. The police were called, they came and made a report.
He never had to remove the safety, his firearm saved him from being robbed or worse.
I call BS. Shannon said that there has never been a dgu.
I agree. They aren’t documented therefore they don’t exist. Also Shannon is never wrong and Shannon’s opinion is always right. Opinions are very important in this country and Shannon’s doubly so. I don’t understand why the nation hasn’t accepted her opinion and embraced peace and “freedom from” the “freedom to” own a gun. The 51% need to get to enforcing and forcing the correct and righteous opinion of Shannon Watts on the whole of the United States immediately. The majority demands it – and so it must be done. All that matters is that the majority reaches that conclusion, enacts law, and “progress” is made. This is a great step forward for the good of the whole and the human condition. Individual rights don’t matter – only rule of law by statistics and the good of the whole.
Good letter. Nothing more to say, Mr. Gallop pretty much said it all.
It’s better to have and to not need, than to need and to not have. That’s all I really need to say.
Well done. Not all of us prone playing the odds.
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