Be The Hammer

I guess I don’t do my best work in the morning, I apologize for the grammar errors in my previous post, it was confusing even for me to reread and I was the one who wrote it!

Rumbach, we are both concerned with innocent life, you are concerned with innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire, which I too am concerned with. One of the first rules of gun safety is to know your target and what is beyond it. However, I am also concerned with two other innocent lives, yours and mine, or any other victim of violent crime. And when I say violent, I am talking about life and death.

I don’t buy your direct comparison to the death penalty because while both involve the taking of a human life, the death penalty is not about saving the life of the victim. However, self-protection is about saving the life of the victim before the death of the victim occurs.

We can argue back and forth about hypothetical situations and their possible outcomes. We can also argue about whether or not concealed carry is a deterrent. I however, don’t think that is the main issue. The main issue is whether you and I are willing to put our lives in the hands of the attackers. I contend that putting your life in the hands of some wacko is not a sane option.

I understand your main concern that someone who is armed will use force in situations that don’t require force. You imply that an armed citizen does not fully understand the finality of such a decision. I disagree. Someone with a concealed carry permit undergoes psychological tests as well as firearm training. If you can run, drive, or flee the scene, that is likely the best survival option. But I stand by my assertion, putting your life in the benevolence of a rapist or a murderer is not a rationale choice of someone that values his or her mortality.

well Mr.Anderson ther is something u need to learn. First if u quote me use the whole thing not just bits and pieces. If some on pulls put a gun and robs a 7-11 with the intent only to rob the place. I pull out my gun the sitution has just been escalated. Now I have my gun out I am full of adreneline and so is the robber now it is a 50-50 chance that i will shoot him before he shoots me. Plus what if he goes crazy and shoots the clerk. Just because I pull out my gun does not mean I have the upper hand in the event that is happening. You have to use your head if u want to carry agun. It is people who have the itchy finger who shot people before knowing intent of the known criminal. Is why my gun toting rights are in the 9th circuit court. If someone enters my home I have no reason to kill him. Unless as I stated he tries to enter my safe room where I have my family thay way I can prove it was self defense What if I do shoot him. Then I find out I left the front door open and my neighbor comes home drunk and enters the wrong house. But I just shoot him the officer asks what happened. I saw him in the dark so I shot him. Yea cool I killed him no I go to jail. Please do some research on carring a gun.

Oh and Mr anderson go ahead and shoot the car jacker and he lives and had no weapon see what happens.

Now as like I stated before if my life is in danger then I will use it. Their is no Marshal law for concealed carriers. And it does not give me the right to enforce laws. Stop watching the movies and look at the real world were u are responsible for you own actions.

I als o agree with you r last post Mranderson. I went off earlier before reading all the way through. I am Just saying pulling my gun and the drop of the hat is bad. Their are other options. I know when there is something going on way before it happens because Iam aware of my surrondings. I will crush a guys larnyx or break their limbs before I will shoot them. If I can resolve the situation without my gun I will do so.
I allways look forward to givin someone a elbow to the temple or eyesocket.

I was in no way talking against the concealled carry. I love it and think it is great. Ijust think some people do not understand what it means to carry.

I don’t believe I have done a very good job of articulating myself because there has been a couple of responses that are misinterpreting what I am saying. Solojobber, by your last post I think you have a better idea what I am trying to say, so I’ll basically ignore the bulk of your first post. I can’t resist, however, pointing out the irony of someone advocating to think the situation through before using deadly force when you didn’t stop, collect your thoughts and fully read my post. Sorry, I couldn’t resist, I think we are trying to express similar ideas, though. Anyway, let me just clear up my interpretation of the Hammer article to offer some food for thought, I think each of you has made some very valid points and the there is much we agree on.

I’m going to skip the hypothetical situations, though; I think they are pointless to argue because no two situations are the same. Each situation requires commonsense and clear thinking. Often if those two things are done correctly a violent situation can often be avoided.

My interpretation of being the hammer does not solely mean having a conceal carry weapon. Being the hammer has everything to do with putting your fate in your own hands. I think we can all agree that the best way to stop a violent situation is to avoid it all together. Doing little things like leaving enough room for an escape route between you and the car in front of you in traffic is often all it would take to avoid a car jacking. The hammer is about not being a victim, having situation awareness and being responsible for your personal safety.

In my previous posts I did not intend to imply that force is the only answer each and every time. My intention was to say that if you rule out the use of force all together, than we are relying on the good will of the attacker. For every example that was cited of a time when force would not be necessary, I could counter with examples of when the use of deadly force would have saved lives. My point is that relying on sanity of the attacker puts our life in someone else’s hands. I don’t think anyone has offered up a counter argument against this point, as I believe it is absolutely true. I think it is worth repeating because the responses so far have not addressed this point, when someone has the intention to rob, murder, or rape, etc. our life or death is at their discretion.

How we get out of this situation is where each of you has offered alternatives to deadly force with a weapon. I think each of those is valid and each also involves being the hammer. As each situation is different, some only require physical restraint; some require escape by foot or by vehicle and others would require the use of a firearm.

Ultimately I interpret the hammer as taking personal responsibility for our own safety.

I believe it was Goethe who coined the phrase “be the anvil or the hammer” (der Amboss oder Hammer sein), but it was George Orwell who pointed out that in the contest between anvil and hammer, the anvil always destroys the hammer. Take that, Goethe!

Just had to get that off my chest, so to speak. I agree with the subject matter of the article.

No I completly agree Mr.Anderson ( I say Mr. because of the matrix). I don’t think I could possibly think every situation thru and if i can then I do not think there is a clear and present danger.

I would clearly jump on the situation to gain the upper hand if my well being is danger. I think we are on the same page about this it is more of a way of life to always be aware and have a plan on what to do in certain situation.

Tekton - Thanks for the info on Goethe. I wracked my brain trying to find the original source of that quote and all I could come up with was something similiar in the writings of Emily Dickinson: “It is better to be the hammer than the anvil.” I knew I’d heard it from someone else though.

The whole quote is, “You must either conquer and rule or serve and lose, suffer or triumph, be the anvil or the hammer.”

German playwrights have a scary way with words.

Solo, thanks for the info. I checked both of the sites, but didn’t find anything like what I was talking about. Anyone else have a link/book/etc.?

I’ve shot all my life, over 30 years, with pistol, shotgun, and rifle. I was trained very well in safety by my dad. When I was about 30, I took a combat oriented course where I learned advanced techniques along with the whens, why, etc. The laws were covered, the justifications.
I’ve been a strong opponent of gun control all my life. What I do know is I’m not a victim. What I was taught the most was an awareness of what going on. It’s very hard to “get” me. I see things better than the average person. Why? I’m paying attention. That is what gives you the time to react correctly in a sudden situation. at that pt. you can make a better decision on what the correct course of action is.
There’s an old sayin, don’t go where angels fear to tread. That will help in the long run, but you should be ready if devils choose to walk among angels. I am.

Char-dawg, check out this book: Kill or Be Killed by Lt. Col. Rex Applegate.