My advice: Move
Via James, comes this story of Michael Williams being denied a carry permit in California. Sorry, that state is beyond help. Move.
It is a pity that Mr. Williams can’t get a permit, but a person known to be prone to violence, like Sean Penn, can get a carry permit in California. May issue is far more contemptible than no issue.
Something else interesting was Barry’s comment:
If I were to take a live, armed weapon and carry it on my person, in public, it would eat away at my sanity just as if it were emitting lethal radiation. To know that I carried an instrument of sure and certain death on my person, available and ready to be pulled out and used at a moment’s notice to possibly kill…a child. A homeless person. An innocent.
Fortunately, some of us are capable of overcoming our own shortcomings. Barry doesn’t trust himself and that is a pity. It’s one thing to not carry because you don’t want to but it’s another to think that carrying a gun makes you insane. All us crazy people might take offense to it.
December 14th, 2003 at 12:46 pm
Don’t know Barry, but I’m guessing he’s probably one of the fanatic liberals who are discombobulated today due to Sadam’s capture. They’re already whining and squirming all over blog world. Strange perceptions.
December 14th, 2003 at 5:47 pm
As a fifth-generation Californian, I can only say:
Here I stand. I can do no other.
December 14th, 2003 at 8:15 pm
Indigo, he’s not like that. Barry’s a real nice guy. His blog is linked in the post; try reading it. I think, whatever his feelings, he’s smart enough to *know* he shouldn’t have a gun. That’s a lot more than most. Give him some credit.
December 14th, 2003 at 11:30 pm
Actually, everyone and their brother misinterpreted my post – which I guess is my fault.
I don’t trust anyone to have the perfect judgement necessary to recognize the exact perfect situation in which to use deadly force in defense. I explain myself more fully in Michael’s replies, and also on this site:
http://www.hellinahandbasket.net/archives/000599.html
I don’t think I could ever pull the trigger on anyone unless my family’s life was immediately and directly threatened. I can’t see myself ending another person’s life.
I guess the “radiation” metaphor was too heavy-handed.
I do much appreciate the kind words, though, SU 🙂
December 15th, 2003 at 9:07 am
I don’t think I could ever pull the trigger on anyone unless my family’s life was immediately and directly threatened.
This is pretty much the feeling of most gun owners, that i know any way.
December 15th, 2003 at 10:09 am
I hope so.
December 15th, 2003 at 11:30 am
Better to be tried by twelve than carried out by six.
December 15th, 2003 at 8:15 pm
In any kind of altercation there is give and take of a sort. Verbal altercations and arguments ebb back and forth. So do physical. There comes a time in each altercation when a point of no return is reached. Some times that point is one person saying “Screw it, I don’t need this”. Sometimes that point is “This guy’s going down”. In any case, if it ever reaches the point where I feel that my life, or the life of my family is in danger, I’m pulling out my gun.
That’s my ebb, so to speak. The next decision is my assailant’s. He can chose to recognise that I’m willing to protect myself and my family with deadly force, or he can ignore it. If he recognises that fact, we both back down, and nobody is hurt. If he choses to ignore that fact, and continues his assault, I will protect myself and my family.
I don’t carry a gun because I want a old style Wild West Shootout. I carry a gun because I refuse to allow anyone else to hurt my family or myself.
A gun is like a fire extinguisher. You hope and pray that you don’t have to use it. If you DO have to use it, that means something has gone terribly wrong. But if you need it, and don’t have it, your life could be over before you blink.