[at-l] Gun story

[Phil.Heffington@oc.edu (Phil Heffington)]

First let me say that I own three guns, a .22 rifle and two shotguns.  I
grew up on the farm and, believe it or not, shot a pigeon out of the air
with my .22 rifle when I was twelve years old.  Luckily all my neighbors
were just out of my hunting range.

My favorite story about using firemarms for protection is from a
Reader's Digest, if I remember correctly, from about 20 years ago.
Seems some convict had escaped from a prison in Tennessee and was
reported to be in a certain area and was "armed and dangerous".  One of
the local rural folks heard this and decided to arm himself while
grilling outside during a family cookout.  Evidently the escaped con
comes up on him, notices the gun, and shoots him dead.  He then goes on
to another house and bursts in on an old woman who is taking care of her
sick husband.  The convict threatens the couple and the old woman tells
him that his behavior is not appropriate and that she just doesn't allow
any violence in her house.  She tells him to put the gun away and she
will cook him some supper before he has to leave.  The convict actually
went along with this and the old woman managed to talk him into
surrendering, "guranteeing" him that she wouldn't allow the police to be
violent in her house either.

Unfortunately there is no real unified theory of psychology for gun
owners.  They pretty much run the gamut of sane and crazy, responsible
and irresponsible, just like the general population.  I only know that
when I'm around people who start talking about protecting themselves, by
almost any means, I start to get nervous.  I know there are exceptions
but I figure I have at least as good a chance of talking myself out of a
situation than I do in getting out of it with a firearm.

It is sorta like something I believe someone on this list said one time,
"It's pretty hard to come out the winner in a knife fight without losing
a lot of blood."  Not having any experience in actually shooting another
person I figure I would hesitate just a fraction of a second longer than
the other guy with a gun and I would end up being the one dead.  There
are only two kinds of guy toters, the ones who know what they're doing,
and the one's who don't.  Both of them scare me.