27 Dead in Mass Shooting at Elementary School in Newton, CT

That is exactly true. The veneer of civilisation is a very thin one.

I've taught karate for years, and I played in a rock band in many of Adelaide's roughest venues. Violence (usually drunken) seems to be in the DNA of some people. It's only 150 years since duels were, at least nominally, still used to settle disputes over honour. Countries engage in violence on a routine and daily basis. Some religions revere and require violence.

A friend of mine had 3 boys. His wife took away all their toy guns, swords, lightsabres...everything that was vaguely weapon like. She left them playing sport, and 10 minutes later they were bashing the fuck out of each other with cricket bats.

Attacking the root causes of violence would have my whole-hearted support: ending disenfranchisement, replacing community, increased mental health spending and so on. But they take commitments of time and money and don't look good on a governmental balance sheet.

Confiscate guns, on the other hand, and the government is seen to be doing something. The fact that it is pointless, diverting and ineffective won't matter.

 

What about an unarmed person who has broken into your home and you meet that person in the kitchen. Would you stand your ground?

 

That's a tough call. How do you know they're unarmed? What ff they grab a knife from my kitchen (and my cooking knives are SHARP)? What if they have an accomplice (or accomplices) who will overpower me and then torture my daughter?

Yes, they are all hypotheticals, but all such matters are real considerations....

 

I purposely left those types of scenarios out...
Sure, if the person grabbed a knife and started waving at you - that changes the situation.

Ok, the person is in your front room with your 32inch plasma TV in their hands...
...what would you do?

If you want to stay in the kitchen, then they have a blender in their hands...
...what do you do?

You can THINK they are heading towards a knife or are planning on raping your teenage daughter if you like...

 

Have you ever been in a life or death scenario? I have. You don't have time to reason and decide. You act.

I would drop the person, non-fatally, probably with the Maglite torch that lives under my bed. Probably.

 

Yes I have, a few times. Not while in the confines of my home, though.

So you wouldn't say: "Put that down, and get the FUCK out of my house" ?

 

Are you nuts? Never EVER EVER EVER warn an intruder. EVER.

 

Why not? Is it construed as a threat?

 

Is what a threat? The fact that an intruder is in my locked house at 3am? hell, yes.


Warn them, and all you do is give them the upper hand.

Have you done any combat or MA training? The whole point is to do unto the other guy before he can hurt you.

Why the hell would I warn him? So he can leave safely, and bring his mates next time? So the next occupant, who may be unable to defend themselves, is raped or killed by him?

If he doesn't wanna get hurt, stay the fuck out of my house. I guarantee I'll stay out of his.

 

No. Being verbally aggressive.

If you hit the person over the head with your flashlight, and then call the police - how long is that person going to be in jail for? A year? 6 months? 3 months?

To try and diffuse the situation.
Unless you kill the person there is a chance that person will be back (I don't think so, but there is a chance).

 

Let me make sure that I understand: An unarmed person breaks into my house (after getting through the landmines, electrified concertina wire, claymore mines on trip wires, and the steel bars I have on all windows and doors) and I find him in my kitchen. Your question is would I “stand my ground”? LOL

Seriously, a person breaking into my house, unarmed or otherwise and not, upon encountering me, assuming a face-down position with arms outstretched is in one hell of a mess. Any further act of aggression by such individual would likely result in my use of deadly force – that is my intent and purpose if such circumstance should ever arise – been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
.

 

Where did I say I'd hit him over the head? I said "non lethally". Please quote me correctly.

The best way is to hit him. Anything else is, with respect, Hollywood hero antics that don't work.

 

So you see breaking and entering as an act of aggression?

 

In the US? They they not do a day!

"Diffusing" situations may be one factor that has gotten us where we are today.

 

It doesn't really matter how. You said 'him' I didn't say him. We can make the person a him if you like. The general idea is a person is in your home, and the other general idea is that you have 'dropped' this person.
Slug the person around the back of the head if you like.

 

In your case, yes.

Why?

 

Breaking into my house IS an act of aggression. Do I not have the right to be safe within my home? Do you, in yours?

 

I was actually talking to a lady yesterday that owns a shop. She said when a young man came in and robbed her a few years ago she actually tried to talk him out of it because she hated to see a young person ruin their life over the $60 dollars she had in the cash register. The cop that responded to the crime berated her pretty badly for that and told her that is the absolute last thing you want to do in that situation, armed or not.

What exactly are you getting at? Would you try to diffuse the situation if someone broke into your home?

 

Yes? Yes, what?

Since there is less and less consequence to committing crimes

 

For those not in the mind frame of those who can do this it is not logical nor understandable as a fellow human to do this damage to others.

My thoughts go out to the families and friends of those lost and of those who will never quite recover from this.