You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With

[Ghost In The Fog]

I was taught that when I'm carrying a gun (always) I give up the right to be jerk to people because I can't afford to have a minor confrontation escalate to a gun fight .

So very true. Once you realize the gravity of what carrying a gun really means the whole dynamic changes. The potential shoving match with the crack head at the stop and rob can turn deadly in an instant. I don't understand the people who don't get it. Put yourself in an escalating situation- even if you are right and in control. Crackhead Bob pulls a knife and what is your option? Bob brings a knife to a gun fight. Too late. It's gone from common sense and walking away to potential murder. Cameras are everywhere and the jury is only going to see whatever edited version the public defender is going to show them. No matter what the truth is. Proving that you refused to walk away and you were looking for a fight and now poor Bob can't provide for his family because he dindu nuffin and your life is over. Possibly rightfully so.

What @edwardware says in post 24 is absolutely 100% true and I couldn't agree more with his statement below
When I put on a gun, every confrontation potentially becomes a gunfight. The only reasonable response is to avoid any confrontation that isn't worth taking a life to win.
In my opinion, an unwillingness or inability to adopt this non-confrontational attitude disqualifies you from carrying a gun. <----- THIS!!!!

Your whole life changes when you strap on your gun. You lose that option to say smart ass remarks at the risk of provoking another person. There are a lot of people walking around just looking for someone to fire up on. Don't give them that option, because yours is a no win. Even if you are right, do you really wan't to kill someone because you were not man enough to try to walk away first? I don't.
Over a parking spot? Dirty look? Line cutter? Wise ass remark or anything else a rational grown adult would let go. Go back to grade school and relearn the sticks and stones.
Every confrontation is a potential gun fight. Choose wisely Grasshopper

 

[Trunk Monkey]

So very true. Once you realize the gravity of what carrying a gun really means the whole dynamic changes. The potential shoving match with the crack head at the stop and rob can turn deadly in an instant. I don't understand the people who don't get it. Put yourself in an escalating situation- even if you are right and in control. Crackhead Bob pulls a knife and what is your option? Bob brings a knife to a gun fight.

I deal with homeless people for a living. I have never seen one that wasn't armed with something. I don't trifle with them unless my job requires it

 

[theotherwaldo]

I was raised by one of those improbable bad____s.
Slow talking Alabama boy, 6'-1", 117 pounds, multiple black belt, hair-trigger temper.
We had to move a lot.

I learned to speak softly very early,
It has stood me in good stead so far... .

 

[Averageman]

We used to have a Sergeant Major who was about the size of a average 14 year old kid, the Sergeant Major was at least 40 and maybe 135 lbs soaking wet. I believe he was from the Philippines.
This was a pretty High Speed unit, right on the German border at the peak of the Cold War, lots of "Been there done that guy's" So the Sergeant Major was almost a nonentity, he certainly didn't stand out.
One day I happened to be on Duty at Brigade and the Sergeant Major comes down to brief us before he leaves. He had five rows of ribbons to include multiple Silver and Bronze Stars. He was one of the most Decorated Soldiers of the Viet Nam war.
He used to recon the Ho Chi Min trail in black pajamas armed to the teeth. The idea was he would see a VC patrol come bye and he would fall in line and then drop out and call in Artillery or Air Support.
This Guy;
https://www.stripes.com/news/patric...ntinuously-serving-ranger-dies-at-77-1.632005

I think he must have carried them around in a wheelbarrow.

 

[Antihero]

I worked with a guy that was probably 5 foot 2 and maybe 110lbs. Looked like a redneck hillbilly, missing teeth and all but a good worker.

One of the guys we worked with decided to tease him a lot and in general make his life miserable. The guy pulls us aside and says he's not gonna put up with it so we kinda make sure he doesn't work with the guy.

Sideways into the story he starts telling us he was a Navy seal. Now.....this guy was tiny and mild mannered, I wouldn't say that I totally believed him but his stories sounded pretty believable......and one day he starts telling me a story.

The story is very improbable but as he's telling me the story I realize I'd heard it before.....from a guy that was a quasi neighbor years ago. So I ask him, hey....I've heard this story before do you know Ken? The guy says his last name and mentions he served with him, how the hell do I know him?

Turns out, dude was a real Seal and dude was scary. He finally worked on a job site alone with his tormentor way out in the woods. Our boss didn't believe that anything would happen to the tormentor because he didn't believe the toothless hillbilly was a seal and the tormentor was much much bigger than him.

Saw them in the yard at the end of the day, tormentor was scared as all hell and said he would never work with the seal guy ever again, told us he was crazy.

Asked the seal guy *** he said and told me that they had a calm talk......and that he had a hammer in his hand while doing it.

I still have no idea what they guy said but whatever it was......it worked

 

[lemaymiami]

deleted by author

 

[Kleanbore]

This has gone into story-telling without much in the way of value. Closed.