Are You a Sheep, a Sheepdog, or a Wolf?
Originally published by AmmoLand.com.
Buckeye, AZ – Like many Americans, I frequently carry a gun. I’ve done so for over 30 years without ever laying hand to it in need.
Professor John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center reports that some 12.8 million people, over 5.2% of the adult U.S. population, are licensed to carry a concealed handgun.
In addition to concealed carry license holders in all 49 states, 7 states require no permit at all for concealed carry, and 39 states have few restrictions on carrying as long as the gun is visible, [ 1 state, New Jersey, has concealed carry on the books but does not grant their citizens the “right” / paperwork to carry.].
- Problem One is survival.
- Problem Two is dealing with the legal and emotional fallout from solving Problem One.
Ending a life can be emotionally devastating, and the legal consequences can destroy bank accounts and quality of life as surely as being gravely wounded. For most of us, there are no legal repercussions for running away. In the real world, this means flight is better than fight. Our training, and often the law, dictates that if we’re enjoying a movie when a homicidal lunatic starts shooting people on the other side of the theater, our first responsibility is to get out and away, especially if our family is with us. If we’re in a college class and we hear gunfire from the next building or a classroom down the hall, we, just like our unarmed classmates or students, should evacuate or “shelter in place,” not head toward the gunfire.
This approach is galling to many gun owners, especially those of us with a natural inclination toward being “sheepdogs.” We would rather fight than run. We would rather put ourselves at risk than allow evil to go unchecked. But regardless of the level of training and skill a person has, the multiple layers of risk that are inherent in any shooting situation stack the deck against playing the hero unless there is no other alternative.
Both sides of the debate over bearing arms have a tendency to relegate armed citizens to the role of “sheepdog,” but that is a role that the law and prudence won’t let us accept, though some of us will try despite the obstacles. For the most part, we are “porcupines.” We are armed for defense of ourselves and our families, not for you and yours.
In a worst-case scenario, one of us might be present and save your life in defending our own, but don’t count on it. We don’t carry for you.
Reprinted with permission from AmmoLand.com.
The post Are You a Sheep, a Sheepdog, or a Wolf? appeared first on LewRockwell.
Leave a Reply