An Interesting Conversation With A Scared Friend
I had an enlightening conversation with one of my "older" friends. She is 50ish, well to do as her late husband had some great patents, and her daughter reciently moved out.
So she now lives alone and was apparently threatened reciently. She knows that I'm the gun nut so she came and talked to me. I'm only 24 so it feels odd having to talk about the very basics of the concept of owning a firearm for defence with someone twice my age. We talked a little about what it takes to purchase a firearm in california, The handgun safety certificate, The waiting period, background checks, the usual beginner stuff.
What really caught my attention though, is how little of the "common sense" stuff she knew that we all take for granted.
I tried to talk with her about differant calibers, trying out differant types of pistols and revolvers. But she was addimant that she wanted a .38 snubby, because she shot one of those when she was younger and was ok with the recoil. Me being me, I asked her about larger calibers and if she had tried them. Her response was she wanted just enough stopping power to stop in 1 or 2 shots and that (she hasn't fired a gun in over 15 years)
I asked her if she just wanted a home defence gun or if she was going to carry it on her all the time. She indicated home defence. I attempted to suggest a shotgun, or a longer barrelled revolver as the shotgun takes less skill in a stressful situation to opperate and the longer barreled revolver would be a little more accurate and the weight would reduce felt recoil a little.
Nope. No go. It's ok really though, her preferance is up to her. As long as she practices thats fine with me.
I then talked with her a little about combat mindset and situational awareness. Her response to the combat mindset was, "Well I'm just going to shoot to kill", :blink::aargh4: I tried to let her know that while I understood the way she felt, and that her acknowladgement that she might have to kill, that the law says shoot to stop the threat. She actually argued with me over that one.
I am completely at peace with the fact that self defence may end in the death of another person. But the death of another person should not be the goal of self defence (in my opinion).
I guess over all I was just supprised at the level of ignorance (not the bad kind, just the uneducated kind, she is willing to learn) that she had. It was an Eye opener to what the general public might think. And then to take her level of knowladge and think about applying an antigun bias to it, I almost understand why they want to ban guns. They just don't know anything about them.
anyway enough rambling, time to get back to work.
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As with all statements I've made and All that I will make, please check your local laws to verify accuracy. (and if i'm wrong let me know as I like to be right in the future) After all I'm just some goofball posting on an internet forum.
