Hmmm
Obviously we cannot be sure how we would act in a situation like this, but when we think about such things ahead of time, I do believe that it puts us in a better position to act the way we'd like to than if we simply never thought about it. Basically, talks like these, and maybe drills like the one mentioned in the ccw course, are the best we can do.
Also, four feet is really close, as alluded to numerous times. You're already in a bad situation if you've allowed yourself to get four feet from an armed robbery without noticing. The only way for a half-way aware person would be if the clerk's counter was four feet from the entrance to the building. If that is the case, then you should be able to see what's going on right when you walk in, stop, and be in a position to dodge right back out the door if the perp turns on you. A wall or door is pretty good cover from a knife.
With this in mind, I would like to take the liberty of having the confidence in myself that I would be able to see what was going on before I came within four feet, or that I am in the significantly safer position of being in the doorway of the store. Thus, In my statements, I am assuming that I can produce my sidearm before the perp can stab me. I don't think that I'm really infringing on the orignal purpose of this discussion by making these assumptions. (If I am, I apologize)
So, the question is what should the course of action be if you are in this position. On one end of the spectrum seems to be the group that sees the imminent danger to another, and is therefore justified in shooting. The other end argues that they are only responsible for protecting themselves, and:
Any harm that befalls the clerk is on the perp..........not me.
Of course, there are others who are in the middle. I think I would tend to be in the middle, as well, as I usually don't see things in black and white. (I'm not saying others do, I'm just saying I don't. I don't want to step on anybody's toes here.) Of course our personal beliefs will come in to play here, and for me, I have a hard time leaving the clerk to the hands of the perp, whether or not he had a responsibility to defend himself.
Also, despite the possibility of the perp having tunnel vision, I think that chances are rather large that he would be aware of my presence, and that makes me a threat to him, even if it's just because I'd be another witness. I think odds would be very high that the perp would turn his attention to me. I know that's just speculation, but that's really all I can do at this point.
I see nothing wrong with drawing to a low ready, and trying to issue a verbal warning. Perhaps I wouldn't be able to do so if it really happened, but I also think that contemplating situations like this before-hand (like what we're doing now) increases my chances of keeping my cool in real life. The crook is left with only two choices, then, as I see it. You're not covering him, and he most certainly initiated all of this, so I don't really think that I could be charged with assault; the crook can either back down, or make good on his threats. It puts the ball in his court, he decides his fate from there.
Finally, it is my personal belief that America has become too selfish lately. Yes, we absolutely have responsibility for ourselves, but I have messed up enough times and been in enough bad situations to feel that I should try to help others when I can. I also truly feel that we could decrease crime (it will never go away) if we didn't tolerate it so much. I don't ever want to be a victim so someone doing evil, and I don't consider myself better than anybody else, so why should they be a victim if I don't want to be? I think that the beauty of ccw is that it allows the everyday citizen, not only to protect their loved ones from harm, but to also make it clear that such violent crime will not be tolerated.
I think that taking the time to consider issues such as this helps train our minds to react appopriately in the event that it really happens. If I do react appropriately, I think that the risk of jail-time and crippling legal fees is low enough that I would try to act to protect the clerk. Once again, it comes down to personal conviction on this, and in my view, the imminent danger of death that the clerk is in outways the possible danger of financial hardship to my family down the road. I don't feel that I love my family any less than anyone else, that's just how I view the situation.
This has been an interesting discussion, so I thought I'd share my thoughts...
