General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If you have a gun and the other guy doesn't . . . [View all]Kennah
(14,578 posts)That is the advice given to me more than once by any of several firearm instructors. Cathy Schlegel, Marty Hayes, Clyde Caceras, Dane Burns, Mas Ayoob, the late Jim Cirillo, half a dozen or so other instructors at the Firearms Academy of Seattle.
It starts to cross over into the "you of all people" standard. Because you had a gun, and obviously knew you had a gun, then you of all people knew that your actions could lead to something involving deadly force. As such, there is a greater responsibility--moral if not legal--to do that which mitigates the chances for a deadly encounter.
There are at least four things one can use BEFORE one gets to deadly force.
1) Avoidance - You just don't go certain places
2) Evasion - If you wander in somewhere you know you should not be, leave
3) Words - Depending on the situation anything from "Heh man, I don't want any trouble" to "Get the FUCK away from me!"
4) Objects - Whatever is close at hand, throw it.