The other day, Farago and I had a chat about carry guns. I was sitting in the I-35 parking lot on my way home talking about my First Time CHL project. (Update soon.) “Don’t get fixated on firearms,” RF counseled. “As the rabbi says, ‘a gunfight is a fight with a gun.'” Judging from the boss’s prior posts, I took that to mean that the grey squishy stuff between your ears is your primary weapon system. Your first line of defense: using your brain to avoid confrontations. It should be cocked, locked, and ready to rock at all times; although sometimes more than others. Nowhere was this more evident than the other night when I was leaving the office . . .
I was shooting the breeze with a couple coworkers while we packed our gear to head home. We were interrupted by a young lady. She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall and 100 pounds soaking wet. She calmly asked if one of us could walk her to her car. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. She’s can’t be carrying (gun-free workplace) and I doubt she’s a secret judo expert. But she just deployed her brain to keep herself safe.
And then I wondered: what if we weren’t there? What else could she (I) carry to keep herself safe? Pepper spray? Knife? Tactical pen? Her keys in her hand? What non-firearm fighting weapons do you carry when you’re not carrying a firearm, or even when you are?
As of right now, I am a college student at relatively liberal, Catholic school. As a result, we are not permitted to carry any sort of “weapon” at any time. We are only allowed to have pocket knives with blades less than 3 inches.
However, the public safety officers there are usually a little bit more lenient, so we can get away with some stuff. Generally, I carry my Benchmade 530s (it’s a little bit more than 3 inches, but nobody seems to mind), a Surefire flashlight (when walking at night), and a large textbook. Seriously, a hardcover book would work as a respectable weapon in a pinch.
When away from school, I have a plethora of bladed weapons, but usually, I always have my Benchmade and a Buck fixed blade.
Because I’m 19, I’m apparently not responsible enough to exercise my constitutional right to effectively defend myself.