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From: gmm@bunker.UUCP (Gregory M. Mandas)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
Message-ID: <684@bunker.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Jan-85 11:34:44 EST
Article-I.D.: bunker.684
Posted: Tue Jan 22 11:34:44 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 07:35:26 EST
References: <118@decwrl.UUCP> <210@talcott.UUCP> <479@ukma.UUCP> <360@spp2.UUCP> <818@reed.UUCP>
Organization: Bunker Ramo, Trumbull Ct
Lines: 42
Xref: watmath net.flame:8010 net.politics:7127

> In article <360@spp2.UUCP> jhull@spp2.UUCP (Jeff Hull) writes:
> 
> 
>>> In those circumstances (4 armed assailants and me armed with a
>>> revolver), I would have killed all 4 (or been killed myself).  
> 
> 
> If this were indeed the choice, then I would admire your
> decision. But do you believe that someone *has* to die?
> What would you have to lose by just revealing your weapon
> and warning your muggers that you can kill them?
>                                                   Surely    ]
> the point of a weapon is to deter someone from doing        ] NOTE
> something that you don't want.                              ]
>                               But if you place any value
> at all on human life, then you should seek to deter
> without seeking to kill. When you point a gun at my head,
> I will do what you tell me to do.  
> 

This is one of the biggest fallacies people hold when buying a gun for
protection. 

The biggest arguement against fire arms for protection is
that statistically the owner gets shot by his own weapon far to often.
Why? Because he thinks if he waves it around people will automatically
turn servile. WRONG! What you have done is escalated the situation to the
point of kill or be killed. A mini-arms race so to speak. Raised the aunty.
Called his mugging and raised it to a killing.

Surely the point of a weapon is to let someone know you will kill him 
if you feel it necessary. And you must be prepared to stand behind
your word.

If the stakes are too high for the mugger and he flees, you got off easy.
If not, you must be prepared to pull the trigger if any, even the 
slightest, agressive behavior continues, because YOU have introducted
the fact that someone may loose his life and your bluff has been called.


Greg Mandas
Bunker!gmm