>http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus0504.pdf
>shows protective measures reported by crime victims -
>both completed and not complteed crimes. The victim
>attacked the offender with a weapon (gun or other
>weapon) in 0.8% (eight tenths of a percent) cases, and
>threatened the offender with a weapon (again not
>necessarily a gun) in 0.9% of the reported cases.
>That gives us the total of 1.9% cases when weapons of
>any kind (guns or others) were used in self defense.
>
>For a comparison - persuasion was used in 10.4%
>cases, scaring off the offender - in 10.4% cases,
>running away - in 15.4% cases, giving alarm - 14.2%
>and resisting - in 25.6% of the cases. The victim
>attacked the offender without a weapon in 8.6% cases,
>and threatened the offender without a weapon in 1.4%
>cases.
>
>These data clearly show that weapons (guns or other
>weapons) are by far the least frequntly used
>self-defensive measure. Therefore, the claim that
>weapons are a good self-defense measure seems to be
>completely bogus.
Using a weapon, especially a firearm, in self-defense would seem to be a really risky thing to do. There's always the danger that your assailant might finish up with the weapon. Particularly if you hesitate to actually use it. Its all very well to pull out a firearm and threaten someone, but actually blowing someone's brains out is a different kettle of fish entirely. But unless you are sure you can do just that, then producing a firearm simply puts you in even greater danger. Even hesitation could be fatal and only a psychopath wouldn't hesitate to shoot another human being.
This is aside from the practical problem of locating and getting the firearm ready to use, in time for it to be any good to you. It might be quicker to ring the cops. Unless your assailant is Mel Gibson, he probably wouldn't think of turning the phone on you as a weapon, so that's much safer. ;-)
Jordan's anecdote is an interesting illustration:
>A guy I know had an abusive ex-boyfriend. Yadda yadda yadda, one day
>the guy shows up at the ex-girlfriend's house and is yelling outside.
>Making threats. No one inside stupid enough to open the door.
>Eventually the guy goes away. Comes back with an ax. Bangs on the
>door, wants in, wants to do harm, says so clearly. Starts chopping at
>the door, gets the blade through a bit, keeps chopping. Girlfriend
>freaking out, and the guy I know isn't sure what to do or how serious
>this is. Getting more serious all the time, tho. Has met the guy
>before, knows he's big and strong, but who expects the front door to get
>axed? So he gets his pistol and waits. Finally the door comes off the
>hinge and in comes the ex-boyfriend, spitting mad, full of adrenaline,
>and holding an ax.
>
>Stop. What's on your mind if you're in this situation?
Good question. What's on my mind is, how come they don't phone the cops when this joker starts chopping on their front door with an axe? I'm pretty sure I would include that in my own repertoire of responses to such a threat. Just taking out a firearm, while sitting there waiting for the nutter to chop through the door seems a bit weird. At the very least one would shout to the axe wielder that the cops were on their way. Maybe leg it out the back door wouldn't be a bad idea as well. But don't just sit there like a stuffed chook fondling your gun while someone chops through you front door. That's weird!
Anyhow, the story lacks credibility from that point.
But the first mistake was refusing to either open the door or call the cops (preferably both) when the fellow first came around, yelling threats. Axe or no axe, a door won't stop a "big and strong" fellow who is determined to get through it. (Actually, this is another implausible part of the story, that a big strong bloke would go away and get an axe, just to break down a door.)
Better to (a) call the cops and then (b) open the door and use persuasion to get him to go away. Persuasion backed up by the threat that cops are on their way in any case.
Only someone obsessed with finally getting a chance to put that gun they bought years ago for "self-defense" to some use would be dumb enough to abandon all the other more obvious strategies for defending themselves, in favour of sitting waiting patiently for someone to destroy their door.
But I suppose you feel a bit silly running away, or talking the nut down, or any of those more popular and practical ways of getting yourself out of trouble, if you have gone to all the trouble of buying a gun for self-defense? Yet another reason not to do it, if it is going to create a psychological barrier to doing the sensible thing.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas