"You wouldn't shoot someone, would you?"

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RioShooter

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Once a year I talk to a girlfriend I had in college (30 years ago). We always have a lot of catching-up to do. This time I explained to her how I took up firearms after watching the chaos of Katrina. I also told her that when you live on the border, home defense is a top priority. After explaining this, her first response was, "You wouldn't shoot someone, would you?" I said, "If someone kicks in my front door at 3 a.m., I certainly would open fire." She was surprised by my response. She said she couldn't imagine me killing anyone. I then explained to her the Texas statutes on using lethal force, and that it was my right and responsibility to protect my family. That didn't seem to change her negative opinion on using lethal force to protect oneself.

When we ended our conversation she sounded very concerned for me and said, "be safe." I replied that I'm safer now than I was a year ago.

I was surprised by my friend's reaction. My friends and neighbors in Brownsville think it's perfectly reasonable to be armed.

I was wondering how many of you have had a similar experience. Did you try to change the negative opinion of the other person, or did you just let it go?
 
I had a similar conversation, had a memorable line in it.

"But what about the value of a human life"

me "about 24cents with reloads"
 
Yes, I've had that same conversation (with minor variants) several times.

The first one was with my mother in law. Caught me off guard pretty bad, but I think the conversation turned out pretty well. I wrote about it on THR ... let's see if I can find the link ... http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=6687

That was three years ago.

Had the same basic conversation with my mom, both of my sisters, an aunt, my kids' babysitter ... hmmm. Never had that conversation with a guy. I think it's a chick question.

pax
 
Anyone who breaks into another's home has already placed a very low value on their life & yours. Criminals these days are not just stealing, they are killing the victims/witnesses with no concience at all over a few dollars.
I look at being armed the same way I make preparations for a Hurricane, I'd rather feel silly for wasting a little time & money than the guilt for what I should've/could've done to protect my family. There would be no hesitation or remorse to take a BG down in that type of situation.
 
I had a conversation yesterday WITH A GUN OWNER that took a similar turn. He said that he likes pump shotguns because the racking sound is intimidating to an intruder.

I replied that I wasn't interested in intimidating an intruder I was interested in neutralizing the intruder. He then asked me if I would yell "I have a gun" or fire a warning shot and I said “no, he may be armed himself and respond to my warning by firing on me”.

Then he then asked me what I would do and I calmly replied "I would shoot him in the face". (At this point I was a little frustrated at his insistence I should warn an intruder I was armed before shooting him)

This guy just kept calling me an "extremist" because I would shoot him without any warning. I told him that I may be an extremist but I would be an extremist that lives to tell about it.
 
"If that someone was trying to kill YOU, why yes I would!"

Make it personal for the one asking the question.
 
I say skip the whole 'home invasion' bit and go right for the heart with

'If you see a knife wielding maniac stabbing a little girl, how could you NOT?"

you go with home invasion and it is the whole 'shoot to wound' 'let him have the TV' 'maybe it is your son coming home late' and all that other stuff.
 
I usually not try to change a person's opinion of deadly force for numerous reasons. One point it that a person has made up their mind about the issue and I see no point to covert the individual. Another is that the person is more likely to know how they would react under such a stressful incident that I would not try to force feed my opinion on them. I respect many people's opinion on the subject and take it like that.

Unless a person has actually used deadly force, it is a very difficult decision that a person would ever face in their lifetime. It still is a difficult decision if a person has used deadly force in the past. The aftermath of a deadly force encounter may disgust the person from ever owning a firearm again (the violence of the scene, the cleanup afterwards, and the legal troubles afterwards). I personally encountered several situations where I was perfectly justified in using deadly force. The last time I had such an encounter, I found it difficult to shoot an individual though I was loosing control of the scenario (person was unarmed, yet refusing to obey my orders)
 
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The fact the a home intruder entered someone else's house, probably by breaking a door or window, should be all the warning to which they are entitled that they are somewhere they don't belong and should be prepared to accept the consequences of being there.
 
This guy just kept calling me an "extremist" because I would shoot him without any warning.
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Most of the people that take this position are people who have never been in an honest to God "harry" situation.

I have a trump card ... I've been robbed before and looked down the barrel of the criminal's gun (and the business end of a .25 Raven looks like a .44mag under those circumstances :uhoh: ).

Usually when I get this silly pacifistic response I ask "So, you ever been robbed before? No? Well when it happens to YOU you'll understand what I'm talking about."

That usually shuts 'em up good.
 
Unless a person has actually used deadly force, it is a very difficult decision that a person would ever face in their lifetime.
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I agree with you 100 %. I hope I NEVER am placed in a situation where the use of lethal force is required. But if I am, I hope my mindset is such that I won't hesitate to shoot if my life is at risk.

BTW, I don't even hunt because the thought of killing an animal is unappealing to me. No flames from hunters please, I have no objection to others hunting, it's just not something I want to do.
 
My mother [who lives in Apartheid Chicago] didn't want me to get my Ohio CCW... even though I've gotten a number of very public death threats from neo-Nazis. I replied, "So then you're going to follow me wherever I go and protect me, right?"

End of discussion.

In a similar vein, a friend's archly anti-gun mother who regularly abused him for owning guns, freaked out in anticipation of the "Millenium" and wanted him to give her a gun. His response, "No."
 
You know... I see conversations like this come up all the time on THR, and it always makes me wonder.

Maybe it's just because I've always owned a few guns. Maybe it's because most people know I'm a military veteran. Maybe it's because I live in the south. All I know is no one has ever asked me if I'd be willing to kill an intruder. It just sort of seems to be assumed, I guess.
 
for one thing, I don't discuss guns or shooting with anyone other than another shooting buddy, friends or family. Your experience is one reason why.
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Exactly. I don't talk to anyone about guns or shooting or hunting unless I know they are into those things. If not, I keep my mouth shut because I don't want to hear their strident idiocy.

It's just something you have to keep to yourself. Unfortunately, it's a closeted and fraternal hobby.
 
:D Great theory, about just not ever letting anyone know you shoot. Doesn't work for me in real life! Of course, I have a talkative family, and am not good at lying under pressure. When someone asks me what I did this weekend, I'm apt to tell them, because I'm not fast enough on my feet to think up some facile lie.

'Sides which, I'm not ashamed of my safe and legal hobby. I don't discuss my carry habits with anyone who doesn't need to know (a very short real life list), but am willing to discuss my weekend hobbies with anyone.

Diff'rent strokes.

pax
 
People who aren't into guns or who are anti don't read much "truth" - they''d have to dig for it on forums like this and that ain't gonna happen very often. So what are they left with? The much repeated "Every third innocent child killed in the USA is killed with a gun" BS and the ever popular "You're 22 times more likely to be shot with a gun in the home" or whatever that falsehood normally says. They are ignorant and believe the lies, so the best advice is to stay off the subject unless you are actively trying to "educate" them. :)
 
I know that to those of us who have actually considered the equation and have thought to arm ourselves, it seems more or less a forgone conclusion that of course we would shoot someone.

But I think women tend to be different. Not that they all are, or that none of them can ever grasp why a fight can be a good thing, and killing someone can be necessary, just that biologically, they're not usually wired like men.

When I explained why I have a handgun to my girlfriend, she got a little combative and we talked for a while. She wasn't happy with me. But she eventually understood that I have it so that I can keep her safe in situations where otherwise, me might be done.

I think women tend to have a "nurture" personality, and there's nothing wrong with that. It just make it harder for some of them to understand why you might need to take a life.
 
Very interesting. Living in Texas I think that the home without a gun is by far the minority. I have only had my CHL for less than a year, but have only been asked why I carry once. It was by a female co-worker who is well acquainted with me and the fact that I am a curmudgeon. I replied, "Why do you not carry? Have you watched the news lately? Are you crazy?". She walked away shaking her head, as did I.
 
I try to avoid these kinds of conversations also, but when someone makes some similar remark my stock answer is a question, "Yes I would. Do you think I should let them kill me?"
But previous posters are correct, they already have their mind made up. It's like try to talk politics with a liberal, they don't want to be confused with facts.:D
 
another message board I frequent has alot of anti gun people and some of the arguments they make are not even worthy of my 4 year old. The anti-gun pacifists are the worst though, like the one guy that practically pleaded with me about if I should ever have to confront someone breaking in to my home to please not shoot to kill, just hit them in the knee or something. :barf:
 
I had this same conversation with a girlriend, when I started carrying in 1979. In the end it caused us to part company on bad terms. She could see no possible justification to the use of deadly force. We had a lot of them in those days too.

Last July I attended my 30 year class reunion and who should I see. She walked over and gave me a friendly hug which I returned. Huggers find pistols,
No surprise she found mine. I found hers too. She even apologized for her previous position. Too bad it was so late, she was (and still is) a pretty hot property.

Time and victimization change people.

Sam
 
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