Common Sense Self Defense.

[MrTrolleyguy]

Wednesday evening I could hear the police helicopters repeatedly crisscrossing low over my street with their searchlights on.



It took less that two hours before I was reading on the internet what all the fuss was about. A teen aged woman had been shot just a few streets over. At first they said she was 14 and up to 19yo. NTIM

Now more details are coming out.

The one that touched a nerve with me is that she was in front of here home and got engaged in an argument with a passerby.

It just does not pay to engage in public arguments. There is a group of people who will draw down on you for perceived signs of disrespect.

It used to be I would only hear that attitude when I watched reality shows about life behind bars. Never in my peaceful working class neighborhood. Al Schmid the WWII hero for years lived three blocks away in the other direction. I am getting off topic.

I am not about to be pushed around or threatened. But this is teaching me the importance of watching how and what I say when these things happen. A gunfight can start with a few poorly chosen words or an argumentative tone of voice. It just does not pay to act or talk like a tough guy.

 

[deadear dan]

Especially if you are carrying. You will be held to a higher standard not to escalate an encounter since you knew that it may terminate in a shooting. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[PastureOfMuppets]

I have met a few people that have cited carrying a gun has changed how they react with people simply based on the fact that any encounter is now an armed encounter.

Who the hell wants to have to shoot someone over something that started as an argument of a parking space or something stupid?

By definition, gun owners really have it in their self interest not to get into those situations that can escalate fast.

 

[murphydog]

The details are not really clear to me...whether the shooter and victim knew each other or had a previous argument, who exactly was the target, if it was a gang-related incident, etc. Uncomfortable to have happen so close to home.

In any case, good words to heed about being careful while armed.

 

[shouldazagged]

"Disrespect" can have a number of meanings among street thugs, prison inmates and gang-bangers.

It can mean talking back, criticism of any kind whatever, looking at someone wrong, not being sufficiently impressed (read "afraid"), wearing the wrong color, being on the wrong street, et cetera, et *******' cetera.

I've come to loathe the word for the vast number of deaths and injuries the distorted concept has caused; but I'm careful not to engage in verbal altercations, or stay in the vicinity of one that looks as if it could go sideways.

It's a crying damn shame that the real meanings of "respect" and its opposite have been so corrupted. But then the old-time Mafia guys were called "men of respect" too.

Sometimes I think I've lived too long.

 

[g8rb8]

.....But this is teaching me the importance of watching how and what I say when these things happen. A gunfight can start with a few poorly chosen words or an argumentative tone of voice. It just does not pay to act or talk like a tough guy.

Not only watching how and what you say but watching your actions. A few years ago my best friend, as manager of a chemical plant, had to give warnings to new hires on what to watch for in the neighborhoods around the plant. As one example they were told not to flash their car lights at passing cars with their headlights off. For awhile it was a gang initiation rite to drive around with the headlights off and shoot at the first car that flash them.

Stay safe.

 

[Rastoff]

So, what do you do? Just let people walk all over you?

Your neighbor is blasting music at 1am. Confront him or not?

 

[alwslate]

So, what do you do? Just let people walk all over you?

Your neighbor is blasting music at 1am. Confront him or not?

Call the police.

 

[Smoke]

I posted these in another thread but they apply here as well

When I was 13 years old I watched a friend of mine get all his upper front teeth taken out by a guy with a crow bar who didn't like something my friend said to him as he drove by in his car.

When I was 25 years old I had some maniac chase me down I-5 in Tacoma in the middle of the night because he felt that I cut him off on an empty 6 lane interstate and took exception to it.

When I was 9 years old I took a beating in front of my house by a guy who didn't like me throwing rocks into the street while he was driving his car by.

I learned at an early age you never know when you're going to win the psycho lottery and trifle with the one person you never should have trifled with.

I think it's one of those things people don't get until they learn the hard way.

There was point in my life where I seemed to have a psycho magnet on my forehead so I have a bunch of stories to tell.

One day (had to have been 20 years ago) I had a run in at the gas station on Ft. Carson with a guy that cut me off at the pumps. I don't even remember what I said but whatever it was he came absolutely, foaming at the mouth unglued on me.

He was an inch away from my face screaming (not yelling SCREAMING ) that he was going to murder me right then and there and he was very specific about using that word.

I don't even remember what turned him off but he just stopped in the middle of his rant and walked over and finished pumping his gas and drove away.

Bottom line, I've run into enough people like this in my life that I am convinced that the world is full of very angry people who are one tick away from exploding.

As a result I do not leave my home unarmed and more importantly (And anyone who follows my posts will see this theme over and over and over again) I. DO. NOT. TRIFLE. WITH. PEOPLE. I. DON'T. KNOW. (and very damned few that I do know).

 

[Smoke]

For awhile it was a gang initiation rite to drive around with the headlights off and shoot at the first car that flash them.

Stay safe.

Urban legend

 

[PastureOfMuppets]

So, what do you do? Just let people walk all over you?

Your neighbor is blasting music at 1am. Confront him or not?

Confront him non aggressively.

I have a banger type neighbour, and my approach initially was made with a cup of tea in one hand and a cigarette in the other so I wasn't giving out anything that could be construed as aggression.

It's hard for someone to act the hard man against someone drinking tea and being polite... but you know, very hot tea just in case

I'm also a marksman with a lit cigarette... gun is backup number three.

Anyway, ended up being a police calling situation in the end... but you should try really, sometimes *******s aren't as *******y as they first seem.

 

[federali]

Being armed carries a special responsibility. You must always try to avoid potentially hostile situations and to de-escalate those that find you. I now close my mind and eyes to the careless, inconsiderate and aggressive drivers infesting our highways as if I don't, I may eventually be forced to shoot one of them.

Besides the circumstances of the incident leading you to discharge your firearm, you may also have the race card used against you.
I'll say no more on this as it may get too close to banned topics here at S&W, yet, it is a sad reality of the legal minefield in which we must live and work.

 

[petepeterson]

I have met a few people that have cited carrying a gun has changed how they react with people simply based on the fact that any encounter is now an armed encounter.

Who the hell wants to have to shoot someone over something that started as an argument of a parking space or something stupid?

By definition, gun owners really have it in their self interest not to get into those situations that can escalate fast.

My CCW was an instant remedy for the road-rage I experienced as a young man.

 

[vito]

I've been around long enough to have run into my share of mentally unbalanced or just plain evil, violent people to know that it almost always in my best interests to avoid any and all confrontations. However, sometimes I cannot resist a little gesture that I know will piss some people off, like waving in a friendly way and giving a big smile after someone had just given me the one finger salute on the road. I guess they cannot stand that their obscene gesture was misinterpreted as a friendly sign.

But in honesty, carrying has made me both more cautious, and more secure. Just as several of you have stated, being armed makes me even more careful to avoid getting into any confrontation with strangers. At the same time, it gives me a more confident feeling that should the situation escalate despite my best efforts to not have it do so, I am more capable of having a better end result if I am armed than if I am not.

 

[growr]

I was always taught that the best way to win a confrontation of any kind is to NOT be there!!

Randy

PS. I know that there are times however when trouble simply comes to you and then it is at that point where your common sense and training must take over. But, if I can avoid it if possible I will.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

You know that old saying, nothing good ever happens after 10 pm. Sometimes it's true. The behaviour of people who are drawn to trouble or like to start it is usually that they sleep all day and stay up drinking all night.

 

[CatSnipah]

There's nothing common about sense.

 

[gdnagle]

My CCW was an instant remedy for the road-rage I experienced as a young man.

Same with me. Now I will just ignore the aggressor and turn away whenever possible whether in a car or on foot. Don't stop except in a well populated area, and don't get me wrong I will protect myself if necessary.

Glad I don't have neighbors and only have worries with trouble is when I go to the store.

Some BG'S are looking for trouble and will pick on someone they think are weaker then them and only thing you can do is try to ignore them or protect yourself and hope for the best.

 

[Rpg]

So, what do you do? Just let people walk all over you?

Your neighbor is blasting music at 1am. Confront him or not?

Remember the guy in Florida who got into an argument with a car load of kids blaring loud rap music: convicted of first degree murder and 3 counts of attempted murder just this week.

I know: the guy claimed a kid had a shotgun and he was shooting in self defence. Surprise : no gun found. If the guy had tolerated the music for the few seconds it would have taken to drive away, he wouldn't be spending the rest of his life in prison.

Loud music seems like a real poor reason to put yourself in a situation that might go downhill.

Pulling a gun is a poor solution to life's annoyances.

Walking away is better than 'just letting someone walk all over you'. Not getting into the situation is better.

Loud music? Walk away, call the cops, use your ear protection, talk to the neighbor the next day when the music has stopped and your indignation has lowered to managable levels.

Unless you're a LEO, anything you do to initiate or escalate a situation when you are armed is likely to come back to bite you.

Don't let your handgun short circuit your brain!

Just my opinion, of course.

 

[Rastoff]

Call the police.

Loud music? Walk away, call the cops, use your ear protection, talk to the neighbor the next day when the music has stopped and your indignation has lowered to managable levels.

Gentlemen, this is quality advice. But consider what our society has come to. Now, instead of being able to have a calm discussion with the neighbor who simply may not realize the unrest he's creating, we just call the police.

This actually happened to me. Can't just walk away from my house now could I? It went on night after night.

Oh yeah, we called the police. Every night we called the police. They never came. What do we do then?