My New Hobby
As the latest mass casualty shooting proves once again, if you expect the police to save you from an armed attacker, you are living in a fantasy world. Police officers are useful for investigating the crime after someone is already dead or injured, but they cannot follow you around to protect you from an attack. Your personal protection is your own responsibility.
Even when law enforcement officers are on the scene of a violent crime in progress, their tactical protocols often delay them from moving in to assist the victim(s). Violent crime is on the rise, and it is not just crazed lone gunmen causing the trouble. It's a disturbing trend, particularly for those of us who often commute at night.
These are my latest two toys: on top, a Smith and Wesson Model 642 (.38 special +P) and on the bottom, a Kimber Stainless TLE II (.45 ACP). The little snubby (which is easily concealed in a pocket) has a Crimson Trace Laser grip which puts a red dot on the target, while the Kimber features glow in the dark night sights.
For storing the weapons (or other valuables) in the car, I recommend the affordable Center of Mass safes.
My favorite concealed handgun forum is the Combat Carry CCW Forum.
Applications for concealed handgun licenses in Texas can be submitted online at the Texas Department of Public Safety site. Texas laws regarding concealed handgun issues may be found there as well.
A variety of interesting targets and equipment may be found here. Not all gun ranges allow targets with faces on them, however.
My favorite (I shot this target with my .38 snubby at 10 yards):
The assault on the Virginia Tech campus is going to stir debate on both sides of the gun control issue. Obviously, my perspective is that if the campus had not prohibited their students from carrying legally registered concealed handguns, this attack could have potentially been stopped much sooner, and many lives might have been saved. But further restrictions on the sale or possession of weapons would not likely have been effective at preventing the tragedy.
picture credit: Oleg Volk
Even when law enforcement officers are on the scene of a violent crime in progress, their tactical protocols often delay them from moving in to assist the victim(s). Violent crime is on the rise, and it is not just crazed lone gunmen causing the trouble. It's a disturbing trend, particularly for those of us who often commute at night.
These are my latest two toys: on top, a Smith and Wesson Model 642 (.38 special +P) and on the bottom, a Kimber Stainless TLE II (.45 ACP). The little snubby (which is easily concealed in a pocket) has a Crimson Trace Laser grip which puts a red dot on the target, while the Kimber features glow in the dark night sights.For storing the weapons (or other valuables) in the car, I recommend the affordable Center of Mass safes.
My favorite concealed handgun forum is the Combat Carry CCW Forum.
Applications for concealed handgun licenses in Texas can be submitted online at the Texas Department of Public Safety site. Texas laws regarding concealed handgun issues may be found there as well.
A variety of interesting targets and equipment may be found here. Not all gun ranges allow targets with faces on them, however.
My favorite (I shot this target with my .38 snubby at 10 yards):
The assault on the Virginia Tech campus is going to stir debate on both sides of the gun control issue. Obviously, my perspective is that if the campus had not prohibited their students from carrying legally registered concealed handguns, this attack could have potentially been stopped much sooner, and many lives might have been saved. But further restrictions on the sale or possession of weapons would not likely have been effective at preventing the tragedy.
picture credit: Oleg Volk
Labels: general interest, guns, self defense
posted by scalpel at 12:49 PM
37 Comments:
I disagree.
In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, we see it again: the divide between the gun lobby who feels the kids should have had their own guns and been able to shoot back, and everyone else, who thinks that guns have no place in a school (or a home or a car). How many do you really want to see dead, with four or five kids shooting in a panic? You can't really believe MORE guns would have helped the situation? You're an ED doc, for heaven's sake!
I routinely link to bloggers whose views on lots of things I do not share. But for me today, this is too much.
(sorry for double-posting, but I changed my mind about saying more)
Violent crime rates are down relative to population size since the 1990s.
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
You are allowed to disagree.
You really think guns have no place in a home or a car? If you can convince all of the bad guys to agree with you, then you might have a point.
Until then, good luck with the "hope it never happens to me" defense.
"Violent crime rates are down relative to population size since the 1990s."
Yeah, those Clinton years were rough.
Red Rabbit:
So you actually delinked me from your blogroll because of this post? Hilarious!
Nice toys, Scalpel. I completely agree with you. I have the same exact guns (except my Kimber is just a regular Custom II), and I'd recommend them to anyone. They're quite effective. I only take them out maybe 3-4 times a year and my groups always look about like yours. I'd like to take credit, but I think a lot of it is the guns.
I'm also amused that your blog about guns(which is one of the mildest ones I've read in 2 days) offended Red Rabbit so badly that he deleted you. Apparently the voice of reason shall remain unheard in his world.......
I am giving you a link today because yours is the first post that I have seen that states exactly how I feel. I don't own a gun yet but I have made plans to go to the targt range this weekend with my PO friend. She will also take me to a gun show so I can get a gun. If more sane people carried guns we'd have much less crime.
I saw a lady on TV this morning who reminded everybody of the Luby's massacre. She said that many of the Luby's customers who had been killed had their guns---but not on their persons. They'd had to leave their guns in their vehicles because of gun laws.
So think about it---if just ONE of those Luby's customers had his/her gun on them, the outcome would have been different.
And I make the above statement PAINFULLY because I am a peace-loving, anti-violence person. But goddang, it's getting to the point where you just NEVER KNOW where some nut is going to start blasting at innocent people...
I'm quite amazed to see people still believe that more guns will equal less violence. A UN study of 30 nations, comparing intentional gun deaths, gun use in suicide, homicide, percentage of households with guns, and the type of restrictions that are placed on gun ownership, clearly shows the relationship between increased ownership and limited restrictions on weapon ownership and a high rate of gun related deaths.
Yet you still want to believe that guns will make you safer?
http://www.guncontrol.ca/Content/international.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
first of all, the shooter in virginia bought both of his weapons legally and passed a background check just like you did, so i'm sure he shares your and every other gun supporter's opinion that the more people who can get guns legally and carry them, the better. or he would have.
second of all, where do conservatives draw the line on owning and carrying around firearms? would you sit in a sporting even, concert, movie theater, even class if you knew most of the people in it had on them loaded handguns? i know i wouldn't, and i suspect most people that are reasonable and honest with themselves wouldn't either.
i wouldn't go to a sporting even if i knew there were 50,000 loaded guns in the stadium, i wouldn't go to a movie if i knew there were 200 people in it with handguns, and in terms of sitting in a classroom, i would have an aversion to sitting through one if i knew one person in it had one. let alone every single person (that could, legally).
so, if you're in a lecture class with, say, 100 people, you'd be fine, perfectly safe and at ease, sitting in it trying to pay attention knowing there are 90 handguns loaded in the room with you?
or a restaurant. you'd be able to enjoy your meal knowing every single person in there, the cooks, the waiters, the dishwashers, people eating, EVERYBODY, had a firearm loaded and ready to use. really?! is that REALLY what you think is the solution to this problem, gun lovers?
is that what you guys are saying? that EVERYBODY should carry firearms?
get real.
oh, and as far as your own personal guns go, that you posted pictures of. how does it make you feel knowing statistics PROVE that they are about 10 times more likely to be taken away from you and used against you or stolen and used in a homicide by someone else or used in a suicide, than they are likely to be used by you in a self-defense situation?
the truth hurts, doesn't it?
finally, a doc who understands/supports/enjoys the Second Amendment! I think if the founding fathers knew this right would face such persecution, they would've made it #1.
Doc, have you heard of the Florida Non-Resident C&C permit? Its one $120 license that is accepted in 39 states and counting. Oh and it's always been legal in all 50 states to carry non-concealed weapons!
Oh, you big cowboy. Did you know that I have a soft spot in my heart for Texans even if I don't always agree with them?
I'm not a big fan of the idea of everyone carrying guns, but I can understand why some people want to carry a concealed weapon. They give people a sense of safety, however I'm afraid that they would cause more problems than they would prevent.
MJ
Stadiums have metal detectors. Many of the people in movie theaters and restaurants DO carry, only you'd never know it. Statistics are useless in predicting the outcome of an individual occurrence, and lyle you wouldn't know the truth if it went off in your face.
Lyle, both Scalpel & I live in Texas. All jokes aside, I fully expect that half the population is armed wherever I go. I like that. Locals don't look the other way; they don't turn tail and run.
We had our own university shooting forty years ago, and that shooter was brought down by armed men who had the bravery to go towards the stuff that was going down. Heck, five years ago at George Mason University another deranged shooter was brought down by two law students who went and got their guns. In Pearl, Mississippi in 1997, a school shooting was stopped by the vice principal, who went and got his gun. No one in Columbine could arm themselves, and we saw what happened there.
When people have guns and can fight back, these things end sooner and with less carnage. The shooting spree in the Waco Luby's that was mentioned earlier in the comments featured strongly in our State's debate over allowing concealed carry. One of the women who was there testified that, if she'd had her gun, she had a clear window when she could have taken out the shooter as he was reloading, and her parents and others would be alive.
Too, I am forced to point out that strict gun control didn't exactly do the mayor of Nagasaki any favors.
Good for you, scalpel. I'm with you all the way.
signed,
a premedical student who ALWAYS has his trusty Glock 23 on his hip when not in the classroom (and would have it there, too, if Texas would allow it).
I have a stalker ex-husband who has been breaking into my house...it's a long story, big mess, etc. He's threatened to kill me and all that, and still breaks in despite a restraining order. I'm the white woman who you hear about getting killed.
I looked up some classes on the NRA website today, and will take my first gun class in order to get a concealed carry permit (after a basic training class, etc etc) whenever the guy emails me back. I think many people will want to do the same after this VT incident.
I'M THE PERSON WHO THE CONCEALED CARRY LAW WAS MEANT TO PROTECT.
Until then, I hope Dr. Scalpel's ilk is around when I start screaming for help.
If the libs think banning guns is the answer they need to also ban fertilizer (Tim Mcveigh) and all Muslims from the country.
The Second Amendment is fine with me. I'm a huge fan of the entire Bill of Rights, as a matter of fact.
I just think it's tacky as hell for someone to have put together that sensationalistic, blood-splattered flyer/ poster/ whatever-it-is thingy so soon after the tragedy happened.
How about we allow a little time for the families to deal with the event before we turn it into political fodder, eh?
And if we just have to jump in and make a point right this minute, can't we be a little respectful? How come this had to look like a poster for Grindhouse?
I'm thinking if there's a valid pro-gun argument to be made, they just lost this moderate with such aggressively gleeful use of the yuck factor.
Nobody's gleeful about this. Bad choice of words.
I'm not much of a handgun guy, although I do own a glock and do have a concealed weapons permit. However, I've never carried the piece with me anywhere and it's locked up in a safe at home. I only take it out when I go hunting or to the range. I've never felt the need to pack heat, really, despite living in a very violent city and dealing with GSW's every shift in the ED. I'm not sure why, guess I'm either naive, stupid, or just don't believe in shooting my fellow man/scumbag.
Having said that, here's my next
hog hunting rifle
let me try that link again
Bushmaster 450
Charity Doc,
Your permit and your Glock won't be much comfort to your family if you ever need it and it is locked up in the safe. I once got mugged by three men on the way home from an inner city hospital, and could have been killed. I owned thirty or more guns, and they were all locked up in the safe at home. I swore that would never happen again.
Nice shooting, Scalpel, but one of the head shots might be a miss, lol.
I shot a .223 Bushmaster one of my friends brought to the range a couple of weeks ago. Good times.
Weapons aren't for everyone, obviously, and it's a big step and a major responsibility even for those who are interested and adept with them to make the decision to carry a handgun.
The vast majority of those who qualify to obtain a CCW license, take the required training/proficiency course, make the time to train regularly, and make the decision to carry responsibly are people who do not make me uncomfortable having deadly weapons at hand.
These are not the "gun nuts" people should be worrying about.
Although I don't own a gun, my Texan father taught me to shoot when I was young. I can't resist telling this story.
Once, while married to the biker man (who was a reformed, ex-criminal), we went to a shooting range where he thought he'd impress me with his "skill".
When it came my turn, I calmly picked up his gun with one hand and shot the hell out of the target in the "good spot", blam blam blam.
He held a new respect for me after that -- (and chose not to go to "arcades" with me because I'd always win the shooting games....)
scalpel, i know you will take a lot of heat for this post but i agree with you. i don't care if others don't want the ability to kill an attacker, i do. i am exactly the kind of person that you want to have a gun on them and it sounds like you are too. i'm sure someone has mentioned this but just in case.
there were bomb threats called in to Va Tech twice in the past few weeks. the authorities believe it was cho testing security. if he had not had guns available i think it is a reasonable conclusion that he might have resorted to locking the buildings and bombing them or setting them on fire.
which would have been worse? i have no idea, but clearly this man was going to kill as many as he could.
with hesitancy i posted on this topic too. if you like, tell me what you think.
cheers.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hi Scalpel - Admittedly, I don't know very much about guns. My husband hunted when he was younger and he was a sharpshooter in the service, but we don't have any guns in our house. Never did.
I do believe in the right to bear arms.
I am not a parent or anyone who has lost a loved one to gunfire and so I say this with the utmost compassion, really I do.
I believe that when someone is hellbent on killing, they WILL find a way to do it. It is not the weapon that kills it is the person behind it. I thought I heard someone say the serial numbers were scratched off the gun. Wouldn't that be indicative of an illegal weapon? BTW - the laws would keep the guns out of the responsible citizen's hands but would not stop the illegal trade because - where there is a will - there is a way. Yes, I know - sometimes even the good citizens can lose control and you really wouldn't want everyone carrying a gun, but I think if criminals think some people are carrying guns. Well, it just might be a deterrent for some.
Prof. Volokh suggests that maybe professors should at least be allowed to carry on campus.
On this, we agree wholeheartedly.
I am a former police officer. The very first weapons arrest I made was on a 15 yr old kid with a fully loaded semi-automatic. You think he would have thought twice about blowing me away had he thought he had half a chance?
Want to know why I was after him? He had used that weapon to rob a 10 yr old little girl of $2.00 about 10 minutes earlier.
You go, Scalpel. Here's one who lives on the Left Coast who agrees with you.
I don't think carrying a concealed handgun is for everyone, but no one is making everyone get one! Banning all guns won't really help because hmmm bad guys always seem to get guns even if it is illegal! Dang those criminals for no following the law! There isn't going to be a perfect answer, but people should be able to protect themselves with proper screenings in place. I think this VT shooter shows us the screening in place isn't working.
I don't like the fact that a mentally unstable person can get their hands on such a deadly thing, but I'm also pretty sure that when I have a family to protect, I'll want to have a gun stored in the house. So I have nowhere to stand on this issue.
I think that it's silly to try and control anything; guns, marijuana, alcohol, etc. If people want 'em, people will get 'em.
Of this, the law is clear in Texas: no firearms on state property with the exception of police officers, etc. Likewise, any private business can forbid the carry of concealed handguns in spite of any permit you have--raising a world of hurt for you if you defy this and are found out. (eg, a mall or restaurant that says "No handguns")
My point is your argument of "you need to carry protection with you if you want to be safe" is valid really only if you limit yourself where carrying is not expressly forbidden. While, statistically, this protects you for MOST armed attempts in the open street or in one's home, it wouldn't have done crap to avoid, say, another UT tower shooting. I think full-time professors of state universities should be allowed an exception to the state property rule. No lecturers, TAs, visiting profs--just full-time profs who are 100% employed by said university.
Also, there are more ways--in many situations far more effective ways--to protect oneself than simply owning a gun. Martial arts, simple take-down moves--whatever--just add something more than a gun to your arsenal. I don't care what kind of hand-cannon you have on your belt; if a mugger puts their gun in your face, you might as well be carrying a water pistol if you aren't physically adept enough to turn the situation into something different.
No, enrico, "no guns" doesn't cut it in TX. PC30.06 is pretty clear on what qualifies as enforcible notice, and the types of state property that don't allow licensed carry are very limited.
I've had a ranger in a state park ask for ID, glance at the CHL and hand it back to me, then tell me to tuck my gun back in.
And Lyle, I have been in restaurants and other places where I knew that nearly everyone was packing, and felt quite good about it. If anything, it was comforting knowing that my safety wouldn't be entirely dependent on my five rounds of .357 Magnum if something bad happened. (Yes, I carry a speedloader and two speed strips of spares, but I don't expect to have time to use them in a serious encounter.) Do you cower under the table if you happen to be in a restaurant when the local martial arts class comes in for dinner?
This will not work as a matter of fact, that's what I consider.
Post a Comment
<< Home