Another depressing example...
...of how relying on others for your security can be a very precarious proposition.
It has happened many times throughout recent history, and it will happen many times into the future. Right when the people need it the most, the government fails to provide them any protection at all, leaving them to fend for themselves. It has happened during the L.A. riots, where the police withdrew and let the violent rioters take over the city for days. People that thought that they didn't need a gun because they could call for the police were left defenseless, and those who never thought they would need a gun were shocked to find that they would have to wait more than two weeks to before they could get a gun-- by which time it would be too late.
It happened in Columbine High School, where the police hid behind cars outside the school while the murderous teens casually executed their classmates. They saw it as too risky to go in and try to confront the murderers. Their job was not to save any given person from violence, but to make sure that the bad guys were caught and brought to justice. Ultimately, the killers committed suicide, but if they hadn't, it was pretty certain that they were not going to get away with so many police surrounding the school.
It happens every day when people call 911 and find that the police arrive 40 minutes later, if they arrive at all. The police in areas with a lot of crime have to prioritize the calls to which they respond. I remember when I lived in the high-crime city of San Bernardino, California, where the police told me they do not even send officers out for reports of shots fired unless there is something else, like screaming, a body, et cetera.
Few people in San Bernardino, I would hope, really thought the police would be there in time to help them if something "went down." The sad thing is that people in other areas of the country harbor the Pollyanna belief that the cops will be able to get there in time to help them if they were to be attacked.
The truth of all of this has been underscored time and time again in the courts, where it has been stated repeatedly that the police have no obligation to help you-- even if you have a restraining order against the attacker. They will do the best they can, or at least the best they're willing, and you'll have to be happy with that. If you're not, you have no recourse-- you can't sue them for not helping you when you needed it most.
Now, the same thing is happening again in New Orleans, on a grand scale. In the wake of the killer hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has become a hellish free-for-all. Criminals rule the waterlogged New Orleans streets. Thugs have exploited the breakdown of society, and the good people again find themselves without police protection. Police in New Orleans are turning in their badges and acting in their self-interests... one cop told a tourist that asked for help "Go to hell-- it's every man for himself."
The criminal element is hard at work in New Orleans, and the police, once again, are deciding that it's too dangerous to try to fight the criminals for their police salaries. Their job is to fight the war on crime, and in battle, it is often necessary to make a tactical retreat when the enemy has the advantage. The police do this all the time; I have illustrated a few examples here. When they do that, who is going to be there to protect you from dangerous criminals if you're not willing to do it yourself?
If people can't be bothered to wield arms for their own defense, how can they expect a total stranger to step in and do it for them whenever they need? The police (and many lawful armed citizens) will do so when they can, but they're primarily interested in making it home at the end of the day.
And that should be your concern too. Hopefully, it is becoming evident that you can't rely on someone else to make sure that happens for you. Sure, eventually, the police do regain control of situations like the one we see in New Orleans. Until they do, the people there are on their own.
That is the purpose of defensive weapons. They are not to allow people to go out and act like police themselves. They are to provide immediate protection from threats until the police can take over the task of controlling the scene.
A defensive gun is like a first-aid kit. A first-aid kit is certainly no replacement for paramedics and hospitals. A first-aid kit is an immediate-use tool that allows lives to be saved while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. A defensive gun is an immediate-use tool that allows lives to be saved while waiting for the police to arrive. And when waiting for the police can be a process that takes days and days, having your security first-aid kit (a gun) is vital.
As the people of Los Angeles learned during the riots, you can't put off buying a gun until you really need one. If society falls apart as it has in Los Angeles during the riots or New Orleans now, it will be too late to get one. Waiting until society fails before you buy a gun would be like waiting to buy a first-aid kit until someone was hurt, or waiting until a fire starts before you buy a fire extinguisher. It would be like waiting until you get into a car accident before you put on your seat belt.
If you ever are in a situation where someone has decided to risk your life, and he's not willing to stand around and wait for you to dial 911 on your mobile phone and wait more for the cops to arrive, a gun may well be the only thing standing between you and severe injury, rape, or death.
If you don't have the means to forcibly repel criminals, then you are defenseless. Don't fool yourself into thinking the cops will be able to get there in time to help you. If you have no means to force criminals to stop harming you, then you rely on the goodwill of those criminals for your very life. And criminals are not renowned for their kind hearts.
It has happened many times throughout recent history, and it will happen many times into the future. Right when the people need it the most, the government fails to provide them any protection at all, leaving them to fend for themselves. It has happened during the L.A. riots, where the police withdrew and let the violent rioters take over the city for days. People that thought that they didn't need a gun because they could call for the police were left defenseless, and those who never thought they would need a gun were shocked to find that they would have to wait more than two weeks to before they could get a gun-- by which time it would be too late.
It happened in Columbine High School, where the police hid behind cars outside the school while the murderous teens casually executed their classmates. They saw it as too risky to go in and try to confront the murderers. Their job was not to save any given person from violence, but to make sure that the bad guys were caught and brought to justice. Ultimately, the killers committed suicide, but if they hadn't, it was pretty certain that they were not going to get away with so many police surrounding the school.
It happens every day when people call 911 and find that the police arrive 40 minutes later, if they arrive at all. The police in areas with a lot of crime have to prioritize the calls to which they respond. I remember when I lived in the high-crime city of San Bernardino, California, where the police told me they do not even send officers out for reports of shots fired unless there is something else, like screaming, a body, et cetera.
Few people in San Bernardino, I would hope, really thought the police would be there in time to help them if something "went down." The sad thing is that people in other areas of the country harbor the Pollyanna belief that the cops will be able to get there in time to help them if they were to be attacked.
The truth of all of this has been underscored time and time again in the courts, where it has been stated repeatedly that the police have no obligation to help you-- even if you have a restraining order against the attacker. They will do the best they can, or at least the best they're willing, and you'll have to be happy with that. If you're not, you have no recourse-- you can't sue them for not helping you when you needed it most.
Now, the same thing is happening again in New Orleans, on a grand scale. In the wake of the killer hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has become a hellish free-for-all. Criminals rule the waterlogged New Orleans streets. Thugs have exploited the breakdown of society, and the good people again find themselves without police protection. Police in New Orleans are turning in their badges and acting in their self-interests... one cop told a tourist that asked for help "Go to hell-- it's every man for himself."
The criminal element is hard at work in New Orleans, and the police, once again, are deciding that it's too dangerous to try to fight the criminals for their police salaries. Their job is to fight the war on crime, and in battle, it is often necessary to make a tactical retreat when the enemy has the advantage. The police do this all the time; I have illustrated a few examples here. When they do that, who is going to be there to protect you from dangerous criminals if you're not willing to do it yourself?
If people can't be bothered to wield arms for their own defense, how can they expect a total stranger to step in and do it for them whenever they need? The police (and many lawful armed citizens) will do so when they can, but they're primarily interested in making it home at the end of the day.
And that should be your concern too. Hopefully, it is becoming evident that you can't rely on someone else to make sure that happens for you. Sure, eventually, the police do regain control of situations like the one we see in New Orleans. Until they do, the people there are on their own.
That is the purpose of defensive weapons. They are not to allow people to go out and act like police themselves. They are to provide immediate protection from threats until the police can take over the task of controlling the scene.
A defensive gun is like a first-aid kit. A first-aid kit is certainly no replacement for paramedics and hospitals. A first-aid kit is an immediate-use tool that allows lives to be saved while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. A defensive gun is an immediate-use tool that allows lives to be saved while waiting for the police to arrive. And when waiting for the police can be a process that takes days and days, having your security first-aid kit (a gun) is vital.
As the people of Los Angeles learned during the riots, you can't put off buying a gun until you really need one. If society falls apart as it has in Los Angeles during the riots or New Orleans now, it will be too late to get one. Waiting until society fails before you buy a gun would be like waiting to buy a first-aid kit until someone was hurt, or waiting until a fire starts before you buy a fire extinguisher. It would be like waiting until you get into a car accident before you put on your seat belt.
If you ever are in a situation where someone has decided to risk your life, and he's not willing to stand around and wait for you to dial 911 on your mobile phone and wait more for the cops to arrive, a gun may well be the only thing standing between you and severe injury, rape, or death.
If you don't have the means to forcibly repel criminals, then you are defenseless. Don't fool yourself into thinking the cops will be able to get there in time to help you. If you have no means to force criminals to stop harming you, then you rely on the goodwill of those criminals for your very life. And criminals are not renowned for their kind hearts.
posted by Porcupine Nine at 3:32 PM
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