Sunday, May 20, 2007

Guns: The easiest way to win a gunfight

...Is to avoid getting in one in the first place.

Chris Rock once joked how there would be less crime if bullets cost $10,000 each, but in a way, they already do. Any time you start shooting, even if you are justifiably defending yourself or another innocent party, there's going to be a mess of legal consequences. Besides the need to avoid a criminal conviction, you may also be sued by the families of the attackers. Though such a suit would likely be quickly dismissed, any time you get served, it's kind of touch-and-go until you get someone experienced with torts to advise you.

That's why I think this story, though less flashy and less laudable than the brave intervention of Mark Wilson to stop a deranged spree killer, is a good illustration of how a responsible wielder of a concealed weapon could behave. By all means, if you are in danger of losing your life or your limbs, go ahead and come out firing. But if you can get away from imminent danger and keep the assailants where they are, that is helpful as well. In this case, tragically, the partner (of the person who was halted by the CCW) elected to murder innocent bank tellers for no real reason, but in most cases, the CCW's actions would have resulted in cornered bank robbers and no deaths.

(standard disclaimer - IANAL, merely a law student)

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