A friend posted this on another forum:

I was coming out of an autoparts store tonight, and walked into a hyped up meth addict with a gun hyjacking a womans van in the parking lot. He had pushed her to the ground...and she kept trying to get back in her van.....I just told her to get out and let him take the damn van....all the while with the gun pointed at my head. I guess she was upset cause her dog was in the van

This brings me to the "I wish I lived in Texas" part......I wish it was legal to carry a sidearm here....I sure would have liked to have had an option other than stand there and feel helpless. Although I'm sure that the result was probably the best thing....we are both still alive.
MOST of the convo went well - but of COURSE there are a few ninnies:

adding a second weapon into a person's hands who is untrained to deal with these situations with unstable individuals makes it safer?
common people walking around common places with guns seems to me to be a way to increase the danger for everyone anywhere.
Hero's do what you did!

Had you had a gun, this wouldn't have been a hero story, it'd have been a tragic criminal murder, a crime gone wrong or an accidental shooting of innocent bystanders.

In most social situations, a gun is your least powerful tool
My reply to the ninny above:

...except when a criminal is pointing one at your head. (shrug).
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...stlake08m.html
I dunno, in this case the attacker was using his fists. Couldn't the victim have physically fought back without shooting him?
Can you BELIEVE people? I mean...there were other replies like "shoot to wound!" or whatever.

Holy HELL - I get depressed when I come in contact with MORE and MORE dee-dee-dee-liberals or otherwise unwise folk in this country. The Country is getting WORSE and WORSE in terms of 'right' and 'wrong'.

It gets better:

Sad story, no man who genuinely values human life would want the life of another man on their hands...epically if it's only loosely justified like the above article. Empathy for others, including the mentally ill is what makes us human, and helps separate us from being criminals ourselves.

This story highlights the problem of a firearm...it solved one problem, but replaced it with several others, including one that will last the rest of the shooters life.

I dunno, in this case the attacker was using his fists. Couldn't the victim have physically fought back without shooting him?

Let me ask you - if you were getting your ass-kicked by a guy threatening to kill you, would you try the LEAST amount of force required, or would you want to stop the guy.

(shrug).

Shooting to 'wound' is stuff of the movies
Get this:

If you're getting your ass kicked and you can handle a gun, at all, then you aren't in enough trouble to end someone's life.


The irony of firearms is that they make you into the people most people are trying to defend themselves from. This is a reality most people don't think through. Taking a life is no light matter.
So that guy is saying this:

"IF, while getting your ass-kicked, you have the ability to reach for a gun, you aren't getting your ass kicked BAD ENOUGH to warrant USING a gun."

Wha? In other words, "The ONLY time you should use a gun to stop yourself from an attack is if you are being attacked with SUCH violence that you are UNABLE to reach for, and use a Gun." And to the last part - the part he calls "Irony" I put this:

Not even close. Firearms help you STOP the people from hurting you or your property. The difference between ME and my pistol, and the guy Dan encountered is CLEAR. I am a responsible citizen. I am not a criminal. Fundamental and clear-cut difference. All live has at least some value.
The pecking order, IMO goes something like this. Bottom rung is "Plantlife"...then slightly above plantlife is "Islamic Terrorist". Above that is Saddam. Slightly above him is a Meth-addict pointing a gun at my friend Dan. Above the Meth heads are 'attacking animals.' More precious than them are 'general criminals.' Then "Non-attacking animals." Then "decent people."

Some lives are indeed worth more than others.

So I ask DP.com - Which very-well may be the LAST oasis of (mostly) common, rational, GOOD sense (never minding the few libs here )...

What do YOU think about Gun-Control? To me, it means not jerking the trigger and missing the target. It means 'hold your breath, and SQUEEZE - don't PULL - the trigger.