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Old 09-17-2003, 12:46 PM   #36 (permalink)
JimmyTheHutt
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Location: Hell (Phoenix AZ)
Quote:
Originally posted by Kyo
Perhaps I am phrasing incorrectly. Let me try again.

A mugger with no skill can rob unarmed people with impunity. Even knowing martial arts, without a gun I would probably go along with whatever a gunman wanted. Someone with a gun can kill people just by pulling a trigger - it's too easy. I'm not talking about an 'effective tool,' I'm talking about walking up to a nice couple on the street and covering the walls in their brains from point-blank.

A child could never beat a man to death, but a child can easily shoot a man to death.

Regardless, I can see your point, and it makes sense. But there is something that bothers me about how a gun can make murder so casual and easy. It takes real effort to beat or stab a man to death, and it's never a sure thing. I could kill someone with hands or swords, but I've had years of training - years that have taught me discipline and respect for what I am now able to do. The punk on the street corner with his dad's pistol can kill someone much more easily than I could, and he hasn't had a minute of training, nor any respect for others or even a real idea of the consequences of pulling the trigger in someone's face.
That's more of an issue with the person holding the weapon then with the weapon itself. The weapon itself is not the problem, it's the fact that many people treat violence far to casually. Firearms are unfortunately a natural extension of this attitude. They are not the only one, however.

A child is just as capable of beating someone to death as an adult. They give away natural advantages in size, strength and speed, but to say that its not possible is a fallicy. When I was 14, another person at my high school was killed by another, in a simple fistfight gone horribly awry, and with a minimum of effort. The human body is both more fragile and tougher than we think.

Regardless, the real issue is a debate on whether it is better to have a firearm for self defense or rely on HTH for the same purpose. Both have their values, depending on the situation. Neither is applicable in all situations. The people that are likely to use a firearm in self defense have been trained to a certain degree of proficiency with the firearm. They also have a better than average understanding of the effects of pulling that trigger. Any CCW holder is QUITE clear on the ramifications of a bullet entering a human body, and the fact that they, as a shooter, are responisible for wherever that bullet ends up. Therefore, a fair amount training is required, even for the civilian user, to be proficient and responsible. My point is not that one or the other is superior, but that both require discipline and training to be used for self defense. The casual punk on the street corner is just as likely to stab me to death with the same lack of concern or responsibility as he is to shoot me.

Veritas en Lux!
Jimmy The Hutt
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