If you have a gun for self-defense, I pose the question, "At what point would you pull the trigger?" Before you answer I pose the question, "Have you ever seen anyone die from a gunshot, knife, or other violent means first hand in a real-life person?" I have several times and it isn't an easy thing to unsee. ' Both are valid questions because I feel if you have seen someone die from such, then you have a better reference point to base your response to the question, "Could you pull the trigger, well could you?" Just my opinion but I think if you answer you couldn't, then you should not have a gun for self-defense. Pointing a gun at someone as a bluff can lead to a more serious situation than might have happened otherwise. I was raised to never point a gun (even a toy) at any person or animal I did not intend to kill. I never had a toy, but a .22 at age 6 that was kept under the strict supervision of my father. Only once in my life did I point a gun at a human. They had threatened my life and came on my property holding a handgun at their side. They were so shocked when I produced my Colt pointed directly at them that they didn't bother to raise their weapon. After they dropped their weapon, I put my Colt down and then asked them what their problem was. It turned out the real estate guy had lied to them and they were not supposed to be moving in before 30 days. I had rented the place for 30 days to friends. To defuse the situation my friends said they would move out by night. Otherwise, we all feared they might beat the real estate guy. The sheriff came and decided since he could see the guy was a coward and the gun was unloaded that he just recorded the incident and gave Mr. Intimidataion a lecture about the next time he does that he will be lying dead as mountain people don't take kindly to armed threats. I reflect on that day, especially after being burglarized. I had gone to a meeting and came home to find my house ransacked with several items stolen. If I had been home when I heard the back door being smashed in, would I have met them with a gun and shot them or hesitated and let them run away? If you see armed thugs raping a neighbor girl and you can stop it by shooting them, do you do it or call the police and hope they come in time? If you hear a commotion in your living room and go in with a gun ready and see one of your family lying in a pool of blood, with a knife-wielding killer standing there, do you pull the trigger? Do you pull the trigger if they smash out your bedroom window and are coming inside? I think this is a very relevant question in this day and time for every home defense gun owner to think about.
First thing I would like to know is............where on earth do you/did you live that this has happened? We never/ever lived anywhere where we feel that we needed "home defense", however we do own a few firearms. Now, could I "pull the trigger?". In one word, yes! OTOH, I'm not sure my wife could, but if someone was threatening me, I think she could. But, when it comes to "pulling the trigger", she really hasn't got that personality that I do.
You don't necessarily have to shoot to kill. I don't care to kill any person although causing sever pain is no problem if they mean me harm. Hopefully, your holding a gun would just be a deterrent. Could I pull the trigger? Not with the left hand due to arthritis, so just the right unless that changes.
Well, your post is true, unless, that is, if the other person has a gun and brings it up towards you. If you don't "shoot to kill", you, yourself, could be killed. Having been an EMT, years ago, I know how people on drugs can act. A non-lethal bullet can result, again, in them shooting you and anyone by you. There have been many cases, and these cases well documented with police departments, where a stun gun was used on a suspect, with absolutely no results. The suspect can/will still come at the officer/officers to kill or injury them.
Without being sure of how I would react in the real situation, I can say that I would shoot to save my life. Hal
I have no idea how I'd actually react in that situation, and I doubt many people do. We have guns in the house but I'd be more likely to wave it around or fire into the ceiling just to try to scare intruders away. Not sure I could actually "shoot to kill" unless under extreme threat to my family or my own life, and I certainly hope I never have to find out.
I don't ever think about it (I'm not saying whether I do or don't have a gun). No, I could not pull the trigger, unless it was a last resort (and I can't imagine anything that would be) But I've always had a dog (sometimes 2 or 3), and just like my daughters, I depend on them, especially since they are so devoted). My nearest daughter has a 100-lb German Shepherd, all muscle, and no one will bother her or her girls, and she travels with it. My other daughter has a pit bull (among others), and on one will bother her either. Although, I must say, after I saw the movie ALONE (Aug, 2020- there are 3 movies named Alone, so make sure its the right one), I may change my mind. What a scary movie!
I doubt that I will ever be in a position to have to make that decision, but I like to keep my options open. When people talk about all of the violence that they have seen around them, I can't help but wonder why they didn't simply move or change whatever it was about their lives that brought on all of this violence. I have lived in several places, including places that others have cited as being particularly violent, yet I have lived my life without much cause for fear of violence. There were plenty of people being shot, stabbed, or otherwise murdered in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and a stray bullet from a nearby driveby put a hole in my bathroom window once, but I didn't even lock my doors or take the keys out of my ignition. I have been on speaking terms with people who have killed other people, but they never had any reason to kill me, nor did I have any reason to fear for my life. My chances of being killed by a cop are probably greater than that of being killed by anyone else, and that's not very high. I still like to keep my options open, and I can't do that if I am unarmed.
I'm an ex soldier I've sent a few people to Hell under some of these circumstances I'd gladly do it again.
Back in the mid 70's, when I was working in Compton for an ambulance service, my unit partner and I were shot at. We were crossing a railroad track and heard a "pop" noise. When we got back to the office, we seen where a bullet had grazed the crease in the hood of our unit. My unit partner lived in Compton, but, as far as I knew, he didn't have anyone angry with him. It only happened once.
I've owned guns for 50 years, and have carried for self-defense for 30 of them. "Could you shoot another human?" is one question that we all hope we never have to really answer, but I wouldn't carry if I wasn't certain that I would if my life (or someone else's) depended on it. Otherwise, I'd leave it at home. My main reason for carrying is that the more armed citizens there are out there, the lower the rate of crime. Generally, criminals are not stupid. There are not gonna take risks with their own lives. In Virginia, if you pull the gun you better pull the trigger; otherwise, you will be charged with "brandishing." You cannot legally pull your gun in an effort to defuse the situation (or to threaten or scare somebody.)
Yes, laws in each state are different. So you might need to brush up on them now just in case. But if the situation was truly kill of be killed, I believe I could do it to save mine or myself. I would not have been sure if I had not experiences with animals. Sadly I had to shoot a raccoon in a live trap. It was quick for him but my hand shook as I did not want to do it. But we kept loosing my laying hens to animals such as this. I killed a rooster, that attacked me, without much thought. It was be attacked or kill it. I hit him hard, several times, with the handle of my cane but the anger was great. enough. Hubby got me a gun that would keep me safe from others (and myself
@Ed Wilson Use of lethal force to stop or prevent what one perceives as IMMINENT commission of a felony involving potential lethal force is usually the only way D.A.s will not press charges. No matter whether one shoots to kill or injure or stop a criminal act, he/she WILL BE SUED, as well as almost always charged with commission of a crime of on e kind or another. Killing in self defense invariably results in suit by the deceased's survivors; injuring in self defense almost always results in suit filed by the injured. Yes, all lawyers are hungry, too. Frank
@Hugh Manely Unfortunately, it has been shown that even in the case of trained attack dogs, a big, juicy steak thrown to it in advance of action will often deter the animal's intent. Frank
@Herb Durant I have often wondered whether killing adversaries in WAR is considered self defense. Many shots taken perhaps were, but most were not, but rather consisted of indiscriminate firing in the enemy's direction. Military statistics seem to indicate that about one-million rounds were fired in WW-II for each combatant shot. Frank