percieved self defense. There is also a tried and true statistic to consider in these arguments.There are 2 ways to get yourself shot, when normaly you wouldn't be:
Have a gun.
Be a cop.
Cops aim for center mass and go for the kill because people want to kill them simply because they're cops. They are at hightened risk because thay have a badge on, you do not.
If you are being held up, and are seen to posses a gun, you are getting shot, period. Sadly, guns are shitty self defense weapons, since they dont stop bullets. Had you not had the gun, 99 out of 100 times you would have only been out a wallet. That 1 time out of 100, you'll be shot before you'd have a chance to pull it.
try it
I wouldn't. 2 reasons;
1-I've never done anything to anyone to warrant intense kill worthy anger. I've never made anyone nearly mad enough to kill me. Its been nearly 10 years since I've irked some one to take a swing at me. So, the only reason I see myself in that situation is a robbery. In which case, they get what they want, I act calm, they're less likely to panic and think they have to shoot me. trying to act like a clint eastwood wanna'be hard ass escelates those situations. Most murders are crimes of percieved neccesity. Anyone who wants to kill me is going to do it before I have any say in the matter.
bringing me to 2 - I dont get scared when there's no point to it. If you cant control yourself, you have no hope of controling anything. Considering the things I do, though, I face threatening situations differently, its nothing new to me. I dont need a weapon to feel like I'm in control. My last life/death immediate "gotta be made now" descision was only a couple months ago.
And I stand by my point, anyone prone to panic or fits of anger should not posses a fire arm. Gun hobbiests I have no problem with, because its just a hobby, they can live without it. I'm not ignorant on the subject. Considering my minute experience, I'm actualy a decent marksman.
Anyone who lobbies congress for the right to carry one on the street bothers me. Anyone who throws a fit because they cant own an assault rifle bothers me. Anyone who quotes Chuck Heston's "cold dead hands" speach worries me. These are people who are clearly beond "hobby", and have centered their lives around a device made soley for killing human beings. These people are sad, insecure little people, and do not deserve to wield the power to take another life.