Host, a very good overall post with great thoughts. This one hit home with me and I wanted to put it out there what I think about the reasons why I carry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by host
My impression is that you cannot conceive of an outcome where you decided it was appropriate to insert yourself and your firearm into an altercation in progress, where the result was that you did more harm than good, as far as the wellbeing of whoever you perceived was being victimized.
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In the past, when I lived in Illinois where carrying is not allowed, I've had the unfortunate experience of domestic violence in many shapes and forms. Husband/Wife, Boyfriend/Girlfriend, and even Brother/Brothers wife. I've often had to step in to schoolyard/back alley fights between kids, and sometimes even adults, to try to stop someone from getting seriously hurt. It doesn't always work out. I ended up in the hospital once because some jackass who weighed 50 lbs more than I did, felt that it wasn't my place to stop him and his buddies from beating a friend of mine, so he tried to gouge my eyes out with his fingers. I was blind for a week. I'm lucky to see out of both eyes and could have lost the left one that nite. It took only 2 minutes for the local cops to show up and cause them to run off, what would have happened to me if it would have been a minute longer? I don't like to think about it much, but it did prove to me that nite, that any tool I can use to defend myself, or others, should not only be allowed, but encouraged.
Now, when I look at the part of your post that I quoted, I actually do acknowledge that there is always the possibility of making a mistake and causing more harm than good, but I also have to balance that with the thought of someone being victimized/killed and knowing that I did nothing to stop it. I've accepted that I may have to live with the spectre of a mistake the rest of my life, but it pales in comparison to the nitemares I would have if someone died that didn't have to, because I did nothing.