Poll: Let's settle something right now, can you defend yourself with a gun?
- Thread starter Xan Krieger
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You can in a few very unlikely scenarios, most of those scenarios where shooting someone would be overkill and should get you arrested.
The only time a gun would be useful is if someone is trying to kill you and is bad enough at it to give you time to shoot them. If you are getting mugged and shoot someone, you deserve jail time. Whats more important? Your wallet or someones life?
The only time a gun would be useful is if someone is trying to kill you and is bad enough at it to give you time to shoot them. If you are getting mugged and shoot someone, you deserve jail time. Whats more important? Your wallet or someones life?
Can I defend myself with a gun?
Well there's nothing physically stopping me from doing so apart from the fact I don't own a gun.
Even if I did somehow come into possession of one, I don't think I could ever go through with shooting someone, not unless I truly believed I or someone else was in mortal danger and even then I'd have to have a good think about the consequences of pulling the trigger.
Well there's nothing physically stopping me from doing so apart from the fact I don't own a gun.
Even if I did somehow come into possession of one, I don't think I could ever go through with shooting someone, not unless I truly believed I or someone else was in mortal danger and even then I'd have to have a good think about the consequences of pulling the trigger.
well i CAN "defend" myself with a FIREARM is it legal? no not unless this guy (or girl for that matter lets not be sexist here) is actually threatening to or actively trying to kill me i cant legally use the firearm even though i have enough skill and no compunction against taking the life of criminal scum and i would likely be charged with improper use or storage of a firearm or something along those lines
i can on the other hand utilise other methods to defend myself if somehow confronted by afore mentioned criminal scum bag and so long as i do not go too over the top i am likely to be justified in using those methods
and given the massive lack of firearms in this country i will almost never be in the situation where there is a firearm within 100km of me
i can on the other hand utilise other methods to defend myself if somehow confronted by afore mentioned criminal scum bag and so long as i do not go too over the top i am likely to be justified in using those methods
and given the massive lack of firearms in this country i will almost never be in the situation where there is a firearm within 100km of me
I've never used a firearm, but I imagine if you handed me a loaded pistol with the safety off, I could probably improvise the "point and shoot" stage of gun ownership.
Anything else I got no idea - don't know where the safety catch is, don't know how to reload it, don't really know how to hold it, don't even know how to draw one very quickly. So if I went and bought a gun today, I'd be more of a danger to myself than any hypothetical intruder.
I have a black belt, though, so...I'd just karate-chop that guy in half then do a cool pose. /flex
Anything else I got no idea - don't know where the safety catch is, don't know how to reload it, don't really know how to hold it, don't even know how to draw one very quickly. So if I went and bought a gun today, I'd be more of a danger to myself than any hypothetical intruder.
I have a black belt, though, so...I'd just karate-chop that guy in half then do a cool pose. /flex
It's not a silly question at all. In fact I'm not sure I have an answer.Beffudled Sheep said:
I'm no criminology expert so I don't have much authority on this subject. I also am very lucky to live and have grown up in the middle of nowhere where very little happens.
However, I have seen plenty of stories on the news where farmers have defended their land (sometimes with a shotgun) or home owners have bashed intruders over the head with a household object. It's a pretty standard reaction to home invasion so I can't say I blame them. The problem is however, that they are usually arrested for GBH/ABH despite the fact that the burglar was clearly in the wrong. A case of two wrongs don't make a right maybe?
Point in case: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/05/couple-shooting-burglary-home-released
As for what you should legally do in that situation, goodness only knows. But you would hope that your own justice system would back you up. Slowly I think we're making steps in this country to stand up for ourselves, to protect our own, law abiding citizens rather than shrinking back and hoping no one sees the shame of our inaction. /rant
That is a very badly written question...
Can I use a gun? Well... blatantly as a deployable member of the UK armed forces, yes, I can use a gun thank you.
On the other hand, should a gun be used for self defence? Well then that should be when there is an imminent threat to human life, either your own or someone else's. And only if you honestly believe that you, or the other person is ABOUT TO DIE! (Not get injured, or wounded.) Now, for this to be the case, the only time I would shoot someone in self defence is if they also have a gun. And as, in the UK, every Tom, Dick and Harry isn't carrying a gun, then there is no reason for me to have one.
Anyone arguing that you should be allowed a gun to defend against people with knives should also get their head checked... if you legalise guns to defend against people illegally carrying knives then you also legalise the nutters with the knives to carry guns too... well done... escalation of violence right there...
Guns should not be allowed to the general public... Why? As a whole, the general public are too erratic and lack the conviction and common sense to use them responsibly!
Can I use a gun? Well... blatantly as a deployable member of the UK armed forces, yes, I can use a gun thank you.
On the other hand, should a gun be used for self defence? Well then that should be when there is an imminent threat to human life, either your own or someone else's. And only if you honestly believe that you, or the other person is ABOUT TO DIE! (Not get injured, or wounded.) Now, for this to be the case, the only time I would shoot someone in self defence is if they also have a gun. And as, in the UK, every Tom, Dick and Harry isn't carrying a gun, then there is no reason for me to have one.
Anyone arguing that you should be allowed a gun to defend against people with knives should also get their head checked... if you legalise guns to defend against people illegally carrying knives then you also legalise the nutters with the knives to carry guns too... well done... escalation of violence right there...
Guns should not be allowed to the general public... Why? As a whole, the general public are too erratic and lack the conviction and common sense to use them responsibly!
Yes, a knife can kill someone... but it's a lot harder to kill someone with a knife than a gun. There is a higher probability of killing someone with a gun than a knife, witch puts them on different levels of lethality and danger.FelixG said:You dont think a knife can kill someone?Elementary - Dear Watson said:
Well, I guess the UKs military needs a bit of work in its training
Also, we use bayonets not knives when up close and personal... or failing that, as an officer I am more likely just to have a pistol on me in combat, with an effective range of 7-15m... :/
No experience with them but I'm fairly certain that a gun can be used for self-defense. I'd say it's a pretty crappy method though considering it's pretty likely to end in serious injuries.
Again, no experience with this stuff, but wouldn't things like pepper-spray, stun guns or tasers be equally effective and a lot less likely to cause serious injury?
Again, no experience with this stuff, but wouldn't things like pepper-spray, stun guns or tasers be equally effective and a lot less likely to cause serious injury?
My personal opinion is that a gun would make for lousy defence. Let's get this straight, a shield defends you, as does a bulletproof vest. A gun can only defend you in the sense that it might block an attack. Same goes for a sword or knife.
Even for protecting yourself pro-actively (Taking out the attacker) I think there's better alternatives that a gun. I have a walking stick I take with me when I go out. Mostly because it's damn stylish, but also because I could defend myself (Block a knife) and protect myself (Whack the guy over the head). I'm all for guns with non-lethal rounds, that can work perfectly well to stop an attacker. Oh, and also, if you don't feel safe in your own damn home without a gun, your police force need to step it up.
That became a far larger rant than I intended.
Even for protecting yourself pro-actively (Taking out the attacker) I think there's better alternatives that a gun. I have a walking stick I take with me when I go out. Mostly because it's damn stylish, but also because I could defend myself (Block a knife) and protect myself (Whack the guy over the head). I'm all for guns with non-lethal rounds, that can work perfectly well to stop an attacker. Oh, and also, if you don't feel safe in your own damn home without a gun, your police force need to step it up.
That became a far larger rant than I intended.
There we go. Ambiguity dealt with. now to answer the question. Hell no to both.Xan Krieger said:
I've had training with bolt action .22s and that's it and that was over 12 years ago. If I had the training to use a firearm then I might say yes, but truthfully at this moment in time a firearm of any kind in my hands would be more of a danger to myself than any would be attacker. It is also my personal belief that I would not have the capacity to pull the trigger and intsantly end another person's life. In any event I have a dagger a diamond steel, a well balanced sword and lots and lots and lots of sharp knives. These I trust to do with any situation over guns of any kind any day of the week.
To answer the next part of the question, Australian gun laws as well as laws on what is considered appropriate self defence, would dictate that unless you could, without any shred of doubt, justify the use of a firearm in any situation, your arse will belong to Fat Freddy in cell block 5 at your local jail precinct.
if you're in mortal danger then i personally think its quite acceptable to use a gun as a last resort. i mean, you've got to play your cards right - if they have a gun you dont want to pull one out and make them shoot first. And if i did feel forced to shoot them (say they were coming at me with a cricket bat and a red mist over their eyes) i wouldnt shoot to kill. But everyone should have the right to defend themselves, their property and their families by whatever means necessary, so long as they're responsible about it
of course you can, that is what they are MADE for. it's one of the reason police and soldiers carry side arms. out of all the people i know, four had to defend themselves with guns, all fourt times successfully. only in two of those four cases was the weapon actually discharged.
of course, that is working under the assumption that you are properly trained to operate a firearm to defend yourself. remember kids, any weapon you aren't properly trained with is a weapon for your attacker. however, proper training should go hand in hand and be a requirement for people chosing that responsibility of carrying a firearm for their defense and that of the people arround them.
of course, that is working under the assumption that you are properly trained to operate a firearm to defend yourself. remember kids, any weapon you aren't properly trained with is a weapon for your attacker. however, proper training should go hand in hand and be a requirement for people chosing that responsibility of carrying a firearm for their defense and that of the people arround them.
Yes, in my state we are allowed to use a gun to protect yourself or your property as long as it is registered and it and the intruder is within your home. Granted, after that you have to prove intent to harm you but that just seems like basic sense or I wouldn't be going in many homes. I do not own a gun but that's most likely because I live in a nice neighborhood and would rather spend my money on something else. Well and I'd hate for a niece or nephew to get ahold of it.
As far as would I use one to protect myself, yes, or a rock, or a knife or anything else to keep myself or the people I care for from being harmed. Maybe that is an American thing.
My girlfriend recently shot a gun for the first time with her sister who has a conceal/carry license for work. She told me afterward that she could barely hold it straight and was very nervous. I grew up around the military so guns were not prevalent but gun safety was. I never hunted and the only time I ever shot a gun before I was an adult was on a range for Boy (actually Cub) Scouts. I won a turkey for Thanksgiving. But since I grew up as I did I have always seen guns as what they are, in my opinion, a tool. Yes, they are a tool for killing people or animals but that is still what they are and any tool's use is, to put it in basic terms, good or evil because of the user not the tool. Again, in my humble opinion. there are people that should not be allowed to own guns but also in my opinion there are people who should not be allowed to breed, and if I could stop them from owning a gun or stop them from breeding I'd pick the later.
As far as would I use one to protect myself, yes, or a rock, or a knife or anything else to keep myself or the people I care for from being harmed. Maybe that is an American thing.
My girlfriend recently shot a gun for the first time with her sister who has a conceal/carry license for work. She told me afterward that she could barely hold it straight and was very nervous. I grew up around the military so guns were not prevalent but gun safety was. I never hunted and the only time I ever shot a gun before I was an adult was on a range for Boy (actually Cub) Scouts. I won a turkey for Thanksgiving
. But since I grew up as I did I have always seen guns as what they are, in my opinion, a tool. Yes, they are a tool for killing people or animals but that is still what they are and any tool's use is, to put it in basic terms, good or evil because of the user not the tool. Again, in my humble opinion. there are people that should not be allowed to own guns but also in my opinion there are people who should not be allowed to breed, and if I could stop them from owning a gun or stop them from breeding I'd pick the later.
I probably can't, but that's more to do with lack of ability. If I had a gun then I sure as hell would use it if someone broke into my house, it's the smartest move to go with. Any reasonable court will go in my favour of "shut the fuck up, you just admitted to breaking and entering with the intent to commit burglary, you're going to jail" if the person on the other end tried the whole lawsuit bullshit.Xan Krieger said:
None of that justifies having guns legalised. Though I'm certain you wouldn't be trying to say that having a few hundred kids shot to death every year is okay, so long as you can defend your castle.