RT Blog

[DaveH]

There is a rather interesting discussion been going on at Dan Casey's blog: Roanoke Times metro columnist writes what\'s on his mind – Roanoke.com Let yourself roar on the Saturday OPEN thread
which you might want to join.

My last post was:

18 “You’re too scared to go out in public without a weapon at hand….”

19.”…afraid to step out our door to pick up a sandwich at Subway or an omelet at FA’s without packing heat. I must get tiresome looking over your shoulder all the time.”

There you go again projecting “fear” again.

Do you have an unreasonable “fear” a fire because you own or are prepared with a fire-extinguisher?

Do you carry a spare tire out of unreasonable “fear” of a flat?

Do you need to be “too scared” or “looking over your shoulder all the time” in order to buy health insurance?

Since when does protecting oneself against rare but potentially dangerous occurrences indicate “fear”?

As quoted above, “Projection is a particularly insidious defense mechanism, because it … prevents a person from dealing with his own feelings.” I’m in touch with my feelings and there is no fear driving my accepting a level of responsibility for myself and love ones. Being prepared has nothing to do with fear. Others who project such “fear” as the driver could well be in fear of acknowledging their mistake of trusting a cell phone or 911, w/ too long a response time.

Or it could be the fear of acknowledging their mistake of their trust that criminals will obey the “Un-armed Victims Rich Zone” or a ” Safety Zone for Criminal” or a “Free-fire Zone for Deranged Killers” a.k.a “Gun Free Zone” which aren’t because criminals, by definition, don’t obey the law much less signs.

Or it could be the fear of acknowledging wishful thinking is not enough.

Denial can kill you twice. It kills once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: You didn’t bring your gun; you didn’t train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by fear, helplessness, horror and shame at your moment of truth.

As Gavin de Becker puts it in _Fear Less_, his superb post-9/11 book:

“..denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn’t so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling. Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.”

Comment by DaveH — July 5, 2010 @ 2:29 pm

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OldVet]

Good response! I'll buy that one in a heartbeat.

[BugDude]

I argued with the idiots on Dan Casey's blog for months and I finally quit reading it. There's no reasoning with the kool-aid gang over there. They won't get it until it hits too close to home for comfort. As far as I'm concerned, the Caseytown Project can all sit in their little commune isolated from reality until the chickens come home to roost.

[DaveH]

I argued with the idiots on Dan Casey's blog for months and I finally quit reading it. There's no reasoning with the kool-aid gang over there. They won't get it until it hits too close to home for comfort. As far as I'm concerned, the Caseytown Project can all sit in their little commune isolated from reality until the chickens come home to roost.

I'm tempted.

But they drive off too many folk.

If we all leave, they will sit around and congratulate themselves on being smarter.

So, I tend to take breaks, then give them an "Oh " moment by returning,

[BugDude]

OK, I went out there and posted this....just to irritate them.

22.dave and AF are afraid of law abiding citizens legally carrying guns. They’re making lists of places to avoid in fear of their presence. They sit at home behind the anonymity of the internet and talk all high and mighty…seems we have found where the real fear resides.

When one is properly prepared, they have nothing to fear. Accepting the reality of the low our society has sunk to and taking prudent precautions is not being afraid, it is being wise. Ignoring them and doing nothing to be prepared is being foolish. Personal safety (whether it be from fire, car crash, drowning, social deviants, etc.) is the responsibility of each person. Even taking no steps is making a choice. You are free to make your own choices, just like everyone else. One of my choices happens to include firearms. I guess next you’ll be on the boater’s blog calling all of the people who wear personal floatation devices nuts too. And let’s not forget the fire extinguisher nuts, seat belt nuts, sun screen nuts, security system nuts, safe sex nuts, flu shot nuts, vaccination nuts, and anti-virus on their computer nuts. I guess all of those people live in fear too.

[BugDude]

Just to get under their skin a little more, I posted this in the 4th of July thread:

17.Happy July 4th, Our Independence Day. Our founding fathers did not win our independence from the British using their skills of the English language, courts of law, or debating matters of principle….they used firearms.

They obviously thought enough of firearms that the second amendment (out of twenty-five) spoke directly to one’s right to bear a personal means of protection.

Pretty cool, huh?

[DaveH]

I'll watch for them to show up.

One of the things that bug me about the blog is how lon it takes your post to appear to others.

[BugDude]

I've stirred up the bees nest...and I'm still stirring.


26.Sandi: “You folks do not respect those that disagree with you and that does not bode well for respecting those in some confrontational situation either.”

Actually Sandi, I have no respect for people that refer to gun owners generally as “nuts”, “afraid”, “paranoid”, and any other number of other things that I have continually read on this blog. Used indiscriminately to describe anyone who chooses to carry a firearm. That’s a fine example of not respecting those who disagree with you.

I, on the other hand, don’t really care if anyone agrees with me or not. I will make my decisions within the limits of the law and whether anyone else agrees with it or not will not impact my decisions. If a firearm is not right for you, then I’m not trying to convince you that it is. That is respecting your difference of opinion. You, on the other hand, believe that it isn’t right for you, but that it shouldn’t be right for me either. Now given I’m not trying to push my belief on you but you are trying to push yours on me (and the band of merry men in the background name calling like it was Junior High School), I believe we can clearly see where the lack of respect resides.

Your argument about personal responsibility above can be applied to many aspects of our daily lives:

“YOU can only be responsible for YOUR use, competence with and decision making while (“carrying a gun”, “driving a car”, “drinking alcohol”, “taking prescription medicine”) and that is all well and good. It has NOTHING AT ALL to do with giving assurance of the same or anything close to it for others and the “controls”, “regulations” and “laws” that we have, clearly do not offer any of those assurances either.

Too bad criminals ignore the laws or we wouldn’t need firearms anyway. Some people will not understand until something hits way too close to home for comfort. What was the first thing my liberal anti-gun friend at work did when the crap hit the fan in her life? She came to me and quietly asked me to teach her how to use a gun and help her choose the right one for her. Why? Because when the crackhead neighbor threatened to kill her and showed up trying to break in her door armed she called the police. 20 minutes later when they arrived, they told her and a witness that since they didn’t see it there was nothing they could do. She looked me right in the eye and said, “You know, we’re on our own!” Ding, ding, ding…the bell went off and she realized the police were not responsible for protecting her, she was. They can only collect evidence after a crime has been committed.

You are right on one account: I do only speak to MY reasons for carrying a firearm. I don’t care what anyone else chooses or their reasons. Everyone else is on their own…just like me.

[DaveH]

but another good post:

Dan Casey's blog: Roanoke Times metro columnist writes what\'s on his mind – Roanoke.com Let yourself roar on the Saturday OPEN thread

29.Until you have a scenario that threatens your life, you have no use for a firearm. I was very anti gun until I was assaulted and almost shot. The next day I purchased and handgun, the month after that I obtained permit to carry. My weapon is put on when I get up, and taken off when I go to bed.

Seriously, I was anti as anti could be. Formerly as a waiter (in Maine), I took it upon myself to confront customers (with the exception of the PD) that openly carried handguns. I demanded them to conceal or remove the weapon. I lost tips and customers. But I didn’t care, because “guns are bad”.

But, all it takes it one encounter, one person, that violently threatens your life, your family, and/or your home. You will change you sentiments on guns in a single heartbeat.

To quote James Craig, Chief of Police, Portland, Maine…
Welcome to The Portland Daily Sun
“A native of Detroit, where he began his law enforcement career, Craig spent 28 years with the Los Angeles Police Department before moving to Maine last spring to take the job of police chief for Portland.

Craig said, “I’ve worked and lived in two places that had lots of violent crime and very restrictive gun laws, and they did nothing to abate the level of violence.”

I understand your arrogance, but hopefully you’ll never be assulted, put at gunpoint, robbed or broken into…you ceratinly think that. You won’t have a gun, but you can be sure the person(s) who mean you harm has one and doesn’t care anything about legal firearms. And, remind yourself that most(and probably your own) Police Departments have had laid offs.

If you do come around after something really bad happens to you (again, I hope not), I’ll understand your comments of “I just can’t believe that happened” or “He had a gun on me!” or “I always thought my home was safe place”. I’ll understand when you call worried because your safety has been threatened. I’ll understand when you say “I just don’t feel safe in my neighborhood/home anymore”. I’ll understand when you tell me everything has changed and you never thought you would (ever) carry a weapon. And I’ll also understand when you say you were wrong on your anti gun views and find the concealed pistol in your belt gives you a small kernel of safety that lets you protect yourself.

Comment by MC — July 6, 2010 @ 12:23 pm

[ctsketch]

I turned it around on them a bit...

As a victim of a gun crime by a criminal who does not care about laws… I am disgusted by you anti-gun nuts.

Comment by Craig — July 6, 2010 @ 5:38 pm

[DaveH]

from me

30. “I want some assurance that the armed folks in the Kroger with me are simply big Boy Scouts not a Rambo wanna be and the posts often lean more that way from some.”

Sandi

Nobody said freedom was safe, just free.

If you want to make your own decision, and live in a free country, you have to let other do it too.

What you can do is make better choices about assuming responsibility for your safety.

Now we can agree there are some stupid folk in the world, but until stupid is illegal folk are free to be idiots.

Rights cut two ways.

There are no “assurances” — a drunk driver or a wacko with a chip on his/her shoulder happen. After the fact adjudication and post-violation penalties/punishments are in order — in both cases. However, prior-restraints on basic freedoms and rights, in the name of “assurances”, are not.

Assuming that society can provide “assurances” is just wishful thinking.

Stuff happens. Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, spare tires, seat belts, sun screen, security system, flu shot, anti-virus on the computer, and legal carry of a firearm may help with stuff that happens in ones life.

But there are no “assurances.”

Comment by DaveH — July 6, 2010 @ 8:44 pm

[BugDude]

My latest shot across the bow at one of the resident smarty breeches:

--quote of previous poster, my response below--

41. "35. ….I take pride in having the intelligence to assess and defuse potentially explosive situations without resorting to violence….if you think Roanoke and surrounding areas are bad enough that you need to pack heat, then it must suck to be you. I’m not opposed to concealed carry, but these cowboys that want to flaunt it will most likely find themselves regretting their decision. …but thinking a gun makes you safe is foolish and will in all likelihood result in your death. …When you hesitate, you die. Keep it concealed and only pull it out in a kill or be killed situation. By the way, you better spend some time at the range and learn to handle your “iron”. How embarrassing would it be if you wet your pants and shot your finger off, when faced with a true emergency?"

Comment by Blue John — July 6, 2010 @ 5:06 pm

Well BJ, I also pride myself on being able to difuse situations without having to resort to violence. I’ve been doing it for over 4 decades. My mind is my primary and best weapon, avoidance and situational awareness are primary tactics. I agree, concealed means concealed. It doesn’t leave the holster unless it is a life or death last resort, and if it is presented in such a situation it will deployed legally, swiftly, efficiently, and effectively without hesitation. I’m fairly confident in my abilities as I practice with approximately 3600 rounds per year (300 per month). I have one firearm that I have put 1100 rounds through since last November alone. I know, because I keep round count logs for maintenance purposes and range notes. I also keep meticulous maintenance records on all of my cars and my lawnmower as well, so it isn’t “all about guns”, it’s just how I take care of my tools and equipment. Having a gun no more makes a person safe than having a piano makes someone a musician. It isn’t a magic talisman, it is a tool that may tilt the odds slightly to my favor since I am well trained and prepared. Sometimes, a slight tilt of the odds is all you need. Oh, and thanks to the newspapers and TV news, I do feel that Roanoke and the surrounding areas are bad enough to carry a firearm. Too many things have happened in places that my family frequents to ignore.