You choose to lay there and let fate dictate the course of events. Others here are not the same. I know what I would do because I have done it, you doubt yourself because you have not. It's that simple.
Again, another Rambo puttin' words in my mouth. I never said I would choose to lie there and let fate dictate the course of events. I said in a similar scenario, I would put the safety of my loved ones and those closest to me the priority as opposed to jumping up and shooting blindly into a crowded, dark, smoke filled room while my eyes were burning from tear gas. I don't doubt myself, I just know the difference between fantasy and reality. The reality is that no, I have not been attacked in a crowded dark theater filled with smoke by a heavily armed gunman, while crowds of panicked folk run around wildly. The reality is, neither have you. Thinking you have and thinking you would know exactly what you would do is the fantasy. You are correct tho, plenty of us in the real world have been in similar situations. Does not make any of us an expert on this one.
Buck460XVR, I could live with the fact that I did everything I could to stop the act from taking place. I've had to make those kinds of choices before. Sometimes there is not a right or wrong action. Sometimes it is just a matter of taking some form of action.
Again, in this scenario, unless you are a psychic, there was no way of knowing what was going down until it happened. So much for stopping the act from taking place.
From there on it is just a matter of keeping causalities to a minimum. As I said before, it's not that I would do nothing, I would make sure those close and dear to me would have the best possible chance to survive. A pretty clear choice for me. Once that was for certain, then would be the time for my concern of others. Again, my family and loved ones come first. This is regardless of scenario. If you would rather protect strangers than those closest to you, I feel sorry for your family.
I don't see my decision to concealed carry as just a form of SELF-defense. It is a matter of defense as a whole. I choose to live by a code. It's a code that puts others before self. I fully realize that not everyone lives by the same code. I never projected my actions onto you. I never said that you should act in any way that goes against your beliefs. I just don't appreciate being painted in a negative light because of my beliefs.
Concealed carry, unless you are a LEO, is for SD. Those who get a CWC so they can go on the offensive are just as dangerous as the bad guy. I believe some call them Mall Ninjas. I believe they have codes too. Carrying Concealed with the idea that you are out to protect society as a whole is the main argument anti's have against CWC. Like it or not it is putting legal CWCers in a negative light. I don't solely carry for my own protection either. I carry primarily to protect those close to me that may be threatened. I also carry within the legal parameters of my license, which means I don't get to play cop or swat team. It also means if I carry into a posted place of business that I too may be considered a criminal. Instead of breaking the law, I'll go somewhere else or do something different.
The sheep will never protect the sheep dogs from the wolves. When the sheep dogs blend in with the flock, the wolves will always have their way.
The sheep are pretty damn vulnerable when the sheep dog chases after a wolf that is not threatening the flock and lets another wolf in the back door. Good sheep dogs are trained to stay with the flock and to protect them. Sheep dogs that leave them to fend for themselves generally don't have much of a flock left or a long career. Sheep dogs that blend in with the wolves generally don't live long either. Just sayin'.
We are not all victims. Some of us refuse to be.
I don't remember anyone here preaching to be a victim. All I have read here is that some feel that letting every CCW open fire in a crowded smoke filled theater is not always the best answer. Sometimes Shakespeare is right.......sometimes, "The better part of valor is discretion".