03/23/2022
The REAL First Question
You have watched violent crime increase. At the to same time, you have watched as attitudes toward community policing continue to harden. Even in places where public support towards police remains strong, budgets are under constant attack. It is unquestionably true, violent attacks happen in seconds, while help is minutes away. As someone who has never owned a firearm before, the question forms in your mind, "What kind of gun should I get"?
Actually, that's the second question you should be asking. The first should be, "Is a firearm the right response for me"? This is a time for bluntly honest self appraisal. Would you be willing to protect yourself or your loved ones by inflicting significant injury or death on an attacker, or would your unwillingness to do that cause you to hesitate? If you hesitate in such a situation, the likely result would be the attacker will take your weapon from you. If this happens, you
are very likely to be your weapon's first casualty. If you think a moral dilemma would cause you to hesitate, but you are none the less concerned for your safety, you might want to consider less than lethal options such as pepper spray, tasers, and stun guns.
I don't mean to imply these are as effective as a firearm. Anyone who says they are is trying to sell you something. Not only is a firearm more effective, the non lethal options generally require your attacker to be within body odor range to be useful. Despite this however, the pepper spray you will use without hesitation is likely to serve you better than the firearm you will hesitate to use.
For most of us, it is really difficult to imagine our response to the unimaginable until it actually happens. Some points to consider.
1. The vast majority of people who own fi****ms will never need to use one in their defense, just like the vast majority of people who own smoke detectors and fire extinguishers will never use them.
2. There is more to buying a firearm than buying a firearm. Carry gear if you plan on carrying regularly (I strongly encourage this), ammunition, and training have to be allowed for.
3. A firearm isn't a magic wand which you wave and bad guys obey. Being armed and untrained is only very slightly better than being unarmed. Training and practice aren't just necessary, they are vital.