Quote:
FJ_MD said:
I don't understand why a common citizen have to carry a gun, a knife, a bat.....
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It is better if the need is not present.
However, if the need is present (or has a "reasonable" chance of becoming present), it is better for the common citizen to have such than not.
Consider an area where the police response time is three minutes, and valiant bystanders are scarce. If someone pulls a knife and tells you to go away while he forcefully has his way with your wife, which would you prefer? The ability to shoot and kill him yourself immediately, or the ability to call for aid which will arrive in three minutes time who are willing to shoot and kill him - if not for the fact that he knows the local response time and finishes up and leaves and one minute prior to their arrival ... perhaps with your wife dead, perhaps not.
This of course assumes that everything runs smoothly for the comparison - that there are no areas where the police will not answer calls, that he would let you out of his sight to make the call, and that all police potentially involved are honest. If you carry and know appropriet use of a firearm, at worst you need a 10 second distraction to terminate the situation (and that individual, and any further situations he may have caused in like manner), areas where police will not answer calls (or that have longer response times) become mostly immaterial, and the police force can have a few compromised individuals without adding further risk to the life of your wife.
Here is a link to a (slanted) list of questions on the subject that can sometimes help people clarify their own positions on the subject (and also occasionally change a person's position).