The problem is the police are screwed reguardless what they say, so they choose the path that they feel is most logical and by they I mean the Admin not street officers.
For the media its it's a win - win, if the citizens wins, great, a cool story of bravery. If the citizen loses and dies..even better for them.. breaking news stayed tuned.
Sitting behind a computer and saying defend yourself and others with deadly force is easy when it's not your daughter standing in a store and the robber is demanding money from the clerk. If she would have been killed attempting to save 7-11's money, would it be worth it to you?
You have many levels of threat and you can't treat them all the same.
More often than not (statically speaking) the robber just wants some quick cash and does not want to hurt anyone. If its not your money (or if its only money) why risk escalating the violence and get hurt/dead or get someone else hurt or dead. In fact most stores fire the clerk for fighting back if the robber is demanding money.
Can you look at someone and tell if they can pull the trigger? Do you have a way of telling the scared robber who just wants money and who you could probably defeat, from the hard core criminal who is trained with his weapon and will kill on the drop of a hat?
That being said..I teach that if you feel you are in a fight for your life, fight, fight and never, never, never give up..You are it, save yourself or die.
And you are assuming that all citizens can defend themselves. Its sad, but there are those out there that have no idea how or when to defend themselves.
And the reference to the sheep was interesting. I think Col Grossman is right on point, however even if you give sheep a gun it's still sheep.. If you have the mindset of the sheepdog then good for you. Welcome to the real world, but you can't train real sheep to be a sheepdog.. you can only train sheepdogs to be better sheepdogs..The police do not decide who is sheep and who is not..its decided already.
And on the other end of the spectrum some will take it to the extreme just because they have no real idea what they are doing.
I know each and everyone of you has seen someone who you think " this guy has no business with a firearm"
What do you say to someone who has now been told by the police to defend themselves at all cost and who happens to notice your concealed firearm and they think (not everyone can think and react in real time) that you are there to hurt them so they strike first killing you (and others behind you)...think it can't happen??
I can tell from 30 years of experience that police officers absolutely love it when citizens defend themselves and win. However they cannot in good conscience tell some one to do that and risk the citizen getting hurt because he/she was doing what the police officer told them to do. If you tell someone that, are to talking to sheep or a sheepdog?
Police know that they are behind the time curve when someone is getting hurt...Believe me the police know full well that they are not the anwser to someone being hurt in real time, all they can do is try to get there and hope the citizen is still alive when they do. Shall we post a policeman in everyone's home?? I don't want one in my house, I have been a cop for a long time and I don't trust them with my TV remote.
Here is a true story that I tell all my students. There was a shooting in the steps of a court house in Texas. The ex-husband started shooting a SKS at his ex wife and their son as they exited the court house. He struck the wife and a sheriff's deputy (deputy died)
A citized who happened to be a CCW instructor was across the parking lot with a 1911 and he engaged the bad guy with his 1911. Deputies rushed outside and also engaged the bad guy but not before the bad guy engaged the instructor and killed him too.
The guy saw the police coming out in mass and he jumped into his car and fled. Police spiked his car engaged him with AR-15's and killed him.
Now that instuctor is a hero and I think he did what he felt was right. but he didn't survive the encounter..While I'm sure his family is very proud of him, it does not bring him back.
The point is that you may have the will, and you may have the means to fight back, but do you have the correct tactics installed to survive the encounter. I'm not sure I would encourage my students to take on a SKS with just a handgun..Yes, I know it might be all you have..and you have to do something..but you have to have more than just guts and a gun to survive..I know your going to scream at me for saying the instructor did something wrong. (If so your missing the point) I would like to be the first to say he was a hero and he saved lifes, God Bless him.I can only hope I would have the courage to do the same, however if someone is going to give their life for another we should honor that sacrifice by learning something from it.
Everyone has the right to defend themselves. If they choose that path they should train to that end.
Those that had it in themselve to defend themselves will, Those that do not will not, telling them to fight is a disservice to them, your going to get them hurt or dead. It's everyone choice and some have chosen to be sheep...sorry its the way it is..don't blame the cops for that.
Most feel that it won't happen to them, and they don't train..you can't change that simply by bashing the cops (like most do on these boards).
Sorry for the long post..let the cops bashing now resume.
