A good example of one of the many reasons why I carry a firearm.

Most of us have been asked things like "why would you want to carry a firearm?", and no matter what your answer is, your then told things like "if your attacked, having a GUN will only inject more violence in to the situation" or my personal favorite "if your attacked call the police, it's their job to deal with criminals not yours!!!"
Well I think what happened a few days ago (in my home town) is a very good example of why I carry a firearm.
A young couple (a 20 year old man and an 18 year old woman) stopped by Libbie Terrace Park on Church Hill in Richmond Virginia to take in the view that overlooks the city, when four black males (ages 16 to 19, one possibly in possession of a handgun) confronted the couple just before 11 PM and viciously attacked them.

The young man was horribly beaten and robbed while the young woman (or should I say girl, at only 18) was beaten, robbed, and repeatedly raped for about an hour, the four men took turns raping her while the others kept look out and continued beating her boy friend. No one has been arrested for this crime as of yet.

I know in this case the victims were too young to have had a concealed handgun permit, but it could have happened to anyone of any age.

After something like this, I will say to anyone that doesn't believe that law abiding citizens should be allowed to carry a firearm for their personal protection and the protection of their family because it would “only inject more violence to the situation†or “that is what the police are for, so you don’t need a gunâ€, I would have to ask, how could this situation possibly be anymore violent, what if this were your son or daughter, how much must a person endure before you feel the person has a right to protect them selves, what good did it do this young woman to have someone with her, and where were the police to stop this?

Gixerman, even if you have a CCW, I hope you will not hang around a park on Church Hill at 11:00 p.m. It's unfortunate that this is the case, but that's just not a wise thing to do.


I have lived around Richmond for most of my life and for the most part I know it like the back of my hand, I have been to that park before at night with a few past girlfriends years ago but I have carried a firearm from the time I was 18 so I was armed, now that I am older and married I feel no need to go there but if I did my wife and I would be well armed (a little more so than normal).

The area is known to have high crime but it has many invisible lines of danger, one block you safe for the most part and the next block your not, in this case the victims were from a few counties over so I am not sure they were aware of the areas danger zones.

I do feel that I have a right to go where ever I want, but at the same time I try not to place my self in an area that has excessive risk.

This stuff can happen anywhere at any time, I am a little fuzzy on the details but a few years ago there were two black men riding around mall parking lots looking for women to rape, they did this in areas where you would think would be the safest place in the world and even did this in day light hours, these were places my family and I went to shop. Over all before they were arrested they had abducted and raped around ten women, in some cases even abducting there husbands or boyfriends that were powerless to stop them, all but one I think were found dead, she was very lucky to escape but not before she was repeatedly raped over the course of a few days.

I am very glad this post has succeeded with it’s intended goal, That goal was to help people think about their own personal safety and the value of at least having a chance to fight back.

Also, a minor point: what does the race of the attackers have to do with anything?

The only reason I mentioned that they were black was because they were in this case. Why do you ask?

Unisaw

Yea I too have been places that I had know idea that were bad areas until someone told me, the worse time was my first time to DC (with no firearm, due to DC laws), I asked this guy for directions and the first thing he said was "you are in a very bad place to be lost" he then told me not to stop for anyone and how to get back to the beltway.


Wildalaska

Yes I mentioned it again, but they were not suspects they were assailants. If you are insinuating something please don’t be politically correct just say it, or if you have something you want to ask me just ask. That is what forums are for.

gunsmith

Thank you for welcoming me to the forum, My screen name does come from GSXR,

I ride a 2002 Suzuki GSXR1000 (Red,Black & Silver) and my wife rides a 1994 Suzuki RF600R (Red).

(Doh!!! I said black again, sorry not trying to offend anyone)

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In a case like that with the duck, sometimes you just have to do what it takes for the much needed end result.

A few weeks ago I passed a blue bird flopping around on the side of the road and I went back to se how bad it was hurt, it had been hit by a car, one of his legs were gone and one wing was about ripped off. So I stomped it one good time to put it out of it's misery. I hated to kill it in such a barbaric manor but it needed to be done and I was not going to draw my P7 and shoot a bird within city limits.

(My killing of the bird had nothing to do with the fact the bird was blue, just in case anyone found it interesting)