By Rob Morse
Louisiana- (Ammoland.com)- We make two large mistakes about self-defense. Some of us think guns are good, and some of us think guns are bad. Both viewpoints, as I’ll describe them here, are wrong.
There is no place for superstition in self-defense.
The people who think guns are bad don’t read Ammoland, so let’s talk about our superstitious friends who think guns are good. It sounds silly when I describe our actions in such unflattering terms, but we all know many of these voodoo gun owners.
These gun owners think guns will protect them. These guys go buy another gun if an anti-gun politician says guns are bad, yet they won’t join the NRA to support pro-gun politicians. They go buy another gun if there is a violent crime in their neighborhood, yet they never stop to take a training class.
These gun owners don’t know how much they don’t know.
You’ve seen your old neighbor, Mrs. Grundy, who goes to the store late and night and thinks she is safe because the dusty gun in her purse will protect her. She hasn’t fired her gun in years and never took a training class. Sigh. The gun stored up on your closet shelf won’t protect you either. It can’t.
I’m going to be blunt: a gun isn’t magic.
An inert lump of metal doesn’t project an invisible force field that repels criminals. Only your training and its application turns a firearm into a tool for self-defense. Only your ingrained habits can help you when you need to defend those you love. Have you built those habits through study and practice?
Marksmanship and gun handling teaches you what to do with your hands. Protecting your family means going to class. Practice means exercising the drills you were taught. It means carrying every day so you know how to live with your gun. You need to get some firearms training, but that isn’t all you need.
Self-defense training teaches you what to do with your mind. You won’t see potential risks unfold unless you know where to look. Developing a library of habits that help you see and avoid danger is the most important training you can get. If you’ve been attacked, then please tell me if I’m wrong.
Let’s go one step further. You won’t be able to defend your family if the police take away your firearms and arrest you. You have to learn about your local laws so you can obey them. You don’t want to give the government an excuse to disarm you.
Like playing an instrument, you can’t learn this in an hour. It takes time and consistent practice.
Let me set the level of expectations for you. Developing self-defense skills is a long-term process. First, you’re told what to do by an instructor. Next, you’re shown what to do. You watch other students trying to put their new skills into practice. A skilled instructor watches your performance and gives you feedback.
Now you know what it feels like to do the right thing. Now you can practice on your own and eventually make it a procedural skill you don’t have to think about. Fortunately for all of us, there are great teachers out there and learning new skills is fun.
Let’s get rid of the excuses. The hunter’s safety course you had when you were a teenager isn’t what you need for self-defense. The military training you had 10 years ago isn’t second nature any longer. The course you took three years ago — and haven’t touched your firearm since — well, that course isn’t doing you much good today.
We won’t know the time and place when danger decides to hunt us. Let’s prepare now so you we can surprise danger, rather than the other way around.
~_~_
Rob Morse: Rob writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob is an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.
How cool. I have a troll. Welcome, Gil.
It appears “Gil” accomplished what he/she/it set out to do, rile up a few folks. It is Gil does not read about self-defense nor taken any self-defense classes or courses. In all I have ever read about self-defense, I have never read any suggestions even remotely close as to what Gil proposes. It is always stated the best defense avoid the situation – remove oneself if possible. The best way to attain that is through situational awareness. There are numerous stories, usually just in local news, about successful self-defense, with or without the use of a weapon, including a firearm,… Read more »
Gil, The bottom line here, is that you have one consistent message. 1. Gun owners are individuals who look forward to the opportunity to take another’s life. 2. Gun owners are sadist in that we want the opportunity to watch someone beg for their life, before we (the gun owner) takes it. FIrst of all, maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t recall a lot of this in the news. Not on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, BBC, PBS. What I have heard is that large cities and even small are suffering from criminals with illegally obtained weapons, shooting each other and… Read more »
Please be aware, that from reading numerous idiotic spews by “GIL” I HAVE reached the conclusion that he/she/it is noting more than a left winger anti-gun Hillary supporting troll who does not even own a firearm and would wet its panties if it even had to touch a water squirt gun. I HIGHLY DOUBT that it ever served in the military (Me, US ARMY 1966-1969) and I would bet its mommy never let it play with a cap gun or even point its finger and say “bang”. Things of this stripe started showing up at the start of the Presidential… Read more »
The last person who mocked you is now using a catheter bag?
Nope. He is 6 feet under.
Mocking serves no discussion well, Gil. Deal with facts, not opinions only.
Gil=TROLL
I agree with Mr. Romeu above. As a vet I know full well what it means to always be on guard. We are taught to assess every situation so that everyone that came in with you goes home with you. We are taught to think in a logical progression of order and that never goes away. This is something a civilia can not and will not ever understand. The USMC has got it right.
SEMPER FI! DO OR DIE!
Gee what sort of lifestyle do you have where you have to be always “on guard” then? Who would want to be around someone like you and risk getting shot for looking at you the wrong way?
More pronouncement that imply nonexistent “facts” and absurd situations. It is so hard to refrain from insulting Shrill Gil
I would be happy to be around men like Salty Dog. I’d rather be around someone on guard than someone who sees the world full of rainbows and unicorns.
Rob, I am a United States Marine 0351 Anti-Tank Assault Grunt and I assure you that the traigning I recieved back in the mid to late 70’s is still brought out in each and every firearms class I am forced to take for whatever certificate, authorization or, “priviledge” that I am forced to apply for to PROOVE my proficiency to whatever agency selling paper certificates. Having SERVED from 75-79 has EVERYTHING to do with my profiency today. I have found that, “taking out a threat” or killing anyone trying to take my life or the lives of anyone around me… Read more »
I’m a ’50s vintage Marine pushing 80 and have lost most of my physical abilities and skills learned way back then. Some say I dodder a bit and sometimes I feel vulnerable, especially when driving and wondering about car trouble. Until this month, my newest piece was 40 years old and it jammed occasionally when I last renewed my concealed carry license. Even with such a handicap, I was second best out of 12 in my class (a New Jersey fish & game warden was first). Due to the Hillary-risk, I upgraded it for an FN9C because it has a… Read more »
Gee why would they return to the shooting range because of Hillary? itching for another revolution?
Because they want to. And fortunately, nobody needs your permission.
I’d say Gil is yet another foreign troll that is trying to impose a foreign model on us like Trevor Noah or Samantha Bee. We’re going back to “Love It Or Leave It”, Bubba. Get used to it. “Defence” gives you away.
Gil, I know it must be tough right now for you, with Castro dying and all. But what you wrote was totally false and you could look in your local newspaper to learn this. Now maybe you are not ignorant, but paid? Do you get your talking points from one of Mr. Soros or Mr. Bloomberg’s organizations? I know times look bleak for a liberal, low-information voter, with a degree in children’s rhymes of the northern Manitoba Indigenous Peoples of 1820-1840. But really, the truth will set you free.
Yeah right. It’s akin to someone asking what fighting style is best for self-defence – fighting and killing are very rarely for self-defence. Few people you will ever meet will create a scenario so dangerous that you’re only recourse from the start would be to severely injure them or kill them. If you’re looking for a fighting style or weapon with the intent that you have the power to severely injuring or killing someone then you’re simply interesting in being violent but hoping to have the law in on your side. You’re more interested at the least in property defence… Read more »
Gil You obviously are an anti gun person. Violent crimes are running rampant in this country. Just look at Chicago where innocent people are murdered on a daily basis there. Occupied home invasions, car jackings, armed robberies, and rape are just a few of the every day violent crimes we are seeing. Who are you to suggest that a woman should not be able to protect herself from a rapist, an elderly gentleman or lady from a violent home invasion or anyone from a car jacking. To protect yourself or one’s personal property is a given right. Please don’t try… Read more »
Yes I will call you and like-minded folks out as violent when you want to execute people for perceived infringements of your ego. As said, aspiring killers such as yourself have to imagine “what if” scenarios where your only recourse is to kill as though you are the hero in your own movie. Hell, even this site has made “what if” videos where a person with a gun couldn’t automatically and magically defend themselves against bad guys because real life bad guys don’t play fair. However you’re more likely you’ll be standing over a dead guy waiting for the police… Read more »
Gil,you are an uninformed ignoramus, and probably will remain so. Be careful not to let any facts slip into your closed mind, and surely don’t really read or listen to others’ posts-just keep spouting the tripe you’re projecting on others. Why change? If crime visits your home or life, I’m sure there’ll be SOMEONE to blame it on. Go on through life twisting what others say and ignoring their viewpoints. Why be honest and open-minded?
What he’s spouting makes tripe sound delicious.
What of the non-violent situations where it’s not going to be self defence in the eyes of the law? You don’t have to talk with the guy because you have a gun anyway? No one gives you disrespect and gets away with it? The 2A allows more than just self-defence but the right to ensure self-respect?
@Gil, “What of the non-violent situations where it’s not going to be self defence in the eyes of the law?” is that your issue? Gil, non-violent situations are never self defense because the law of self defense does not apply to non-violent situations.
Au contraire a society concerned with self-defence is one where you are only allowed to use defensive force when all other avenues failed or the person created a sufficiently threatening scene from the start. The times when someone you don’t know is inexplicably violent from the get-go is an exceedingly rare event for most people. The more common ones just plain fights – you could have walked away but your pride wouldn’t let you. You helped escalate the argument until it turned into a fight then claim self-defence because he threw the first punch.
@Gil, you seem to have a disconnect with logic and reason. The previous posters made it quite clear that if you are not in a situation where you are threatened with great bodily harm or death, you do not have a self-defense situation. All self-defense courses, instructions and articles, specifically explain one is to avoid confrontation, get away, and/or diffuse the situation if one can’t get away. You are spouting the typical “progressive” rant that all of these posters have refuted, yet you can’t grasp that we are on the whole non-violent and do not want harm others if there… Read more »
@Gil, The author, Rob Morse, is not saying that the hypothetical ” Old Mrs Grundy” does not have the Right to defend herself (as you so deceptively suggest), but rather the author is suggesting that “Old Mrs Grundy” should not believe her gun to be a magic object that will protect her, even though she does not practice. The author is also saying that a gun is not a magic object that will, upon purchase, protect all of us from the grasping machinations of anti-gun politicians. Nice try at twisting the meaning of the article, almost professional in your deviation.
You’re absolutely correct, Wild Bill. I think this is an instance in which over-thinking the article is not a good thing, we should just stick with the author’s narrative.
That’s only true in some areas. Violent crime has dropped by almost half in this country since the 80s. That doesn’t mean don’t be vigilant and prepared but please get the facts straight.
Nice slant with your comment. I am assuming you are anti gun. Yes sometimes very rarely do you have to resort to extremely hurting or killing someone in self defence as you point out. But to be prepared for that case senario you need a gun not because of all the reasons you point out, but because it’s the last course of action for you to protect yourself. Not all people who own guns are itching to kill someone or be dominating over someone. Good try but a little weak in your argument.
Heck your reply seems to the most reasonable. Hopefully, yes, you won’t want to be in a position where you may have to use your gun because chances are a scenario that dangerous won’t automatically work in your favor because you’re the “good” guy. The problem is however if you use what is supposed to be the last, extreme option and instead use it as your first option when things aren’t going your way. A civilised society would have such people arrested for killing others over trivial matters.
Okay Gil…. I have a spare tire in the trunk and insurance on my car, home and life and I pray that I’ll never need to use them. But, you know what?……. I’d rather have those things and never need them than to need them and not have them. Think about it Gil… Isn’t that the real point here? God bless…….
You forgot the fire extinguisher I have at home too. It makes great sense to be prepared like the Boy Scouts say rather than not have the items needed when the problem arises. Bravo
“A civilised society would have such people arrested for killing others over trivial matters.”
Which is exactly why that’s the law in all 50 states.
You seem to be under the impression this isn’t the case. Why is that?
@Gil, You state, “fighting and killing are very rarely for self-defense.” . Based upon your pronouncement, are we to believe that you have completed the definitive study of fighting and killing incidents. I would like to read your published work. Or is this just another baseless prevarication common among liberals?
Gil: I think you’re being uncharitable in your reading of the article. As I read it, the author is advising that the purpose of the firearm is entirely negated when we need it and don’t have it, or have it but don’t know how to use it. The author touches on a very important factor in gun ownership, one which I, and many other owners, I’m sure, notice in the gun community: too many owners get a gun but don’t practice with it. Some gun owners, as this author is trying to share, purchase a gun and consider themselves safe.… Read more »
Places without strong property rights also tend to limit personal rights as well. The right of self defense is sacrosanct. No one has the right to take that from you. Of course training and practice are required. Also remembering your rights end where the next person’s start.