Safety

DiskDoctr wrote:

RPreeb wrote:
I wouldn't trust myself to make a good split second decision in the heat of the moment, and If I can't trust myself, I'm certainly not going to have much faith in the ability of a random stranger to know how to act responsibly in an emergency just because he sat through a CC class.

That is a very personal decision. Just understand that your lack of personal judgement also applies to a stick, baseball bat, a cell phone, or even a motor vehicle. What would you do in an accident? (Not a slam against you, I know folks who surrendered their drivers' license and agree with their reasons. Not to worry, we drive them around)

Secondly, YOUR lack of decision making ability in no way impacts anyone else's ability or trustworthiness. The two simply do not correlate.

Now if you were just exaggerating to make a point... ;)

Otherwise, you are one of the people in society who needs to be protected. If you can't do it for yourself (and there are valid reasons for some folks to be in this situation), just be thankful there are police officers, firemen, military, and Good Samaritans ;)

Appreciate those who stand up when others cannot. I sure salute them.

My decision making processes are just fine, thank you.

My point was that I, and most people with basic CC licenses, simply don't have the level of training and experience to make life and death decisions in the short time that will usually be available. Even well trained police officers make tragic mistakes, and as has been seen too often lately, not necessarily when actually under fire.

I can whack someone with a baseball bat, and except in rare circumstances, he will live to go to jail, and no bystanders are at risk from anything I do with the bat. Is a bat a total replacement for a real weapon.... not at all. But I'm not prepared to take the chance that I'd be the one to miss my target and hit someone minding his own business a block away.

I don't think I'd have any psychological problems with taking down a bad guy in a him or me situation - regrets yes, but better than the alternative. But if I injured an innocent person because of my rash act, that is an issue that I'm not prepared to risk.

The chance that I might ever need a gun anywhere is minuscule, and the chances of hurting someone other than the bad guy is smaller yet, but I'll take the safer road. Even trained LEO's miss more than they hit in a gunfight. Any Joe Citizen who thinks he's going to do better is not facing the realities of the situation.