Guns are in the forefront when anyone speaks of defending themselves against an attacker. After all, who walks up, grabs someone and stabs them or kidnaps them?
The first thing you think of is getting a carry permit so you can carry a gun to defend yourself. This is an excellent idea. I think that every responsible, law abiding citizen should be able to carry one for self defense. But, what about the times when a gun is not the best line of defense?
There are places where you cannot lawfully carry a gun-even with a permit. There are more places you cannot carry with permit less carry.
If you go somewhere that posts their property legally with signs prohibiting firearms, you cannot legally carry there. So, let's start there. If you go to a retail store that legally posts their property, and have to either leave your weapon in your car (secured of course), and you leave the store walking to your car you don't have a gun for protection. Someone jumps you on the way to your car. You are without a handgun to protect yourself. For that matter, it may have happened so fast, you couldn't have gotten to one if you had it. Now what are you going to do? Scream "help!"? In many areas that won't get much attention. Your only options at this point are to give up or fight.
Are you equipped to defend yourself and escape? Do you know how to escape a choke hold? Can you escape a headlock? If you are able to escape, where would you run to? These are just a couple of scenarios you may have to deal with.
Don't let yourself get caught up in the belief that, carrying a gun is the only line of defense you need. Both in the Military and as a LEO, we were taught that there is a "use of force continuum" in every situation. If you are properly equipped, you will be able to address any threat towards you. If all you have is a gun and the attacker ends up with it, what do you do next? You have already skipped rest of the continuum and gone straight to deadly force. Now he/she has your only means of self defense and can use it against you. Had you started on the lower end, you could possibly have engaged the attacker, escaped and gotten help or at least put enough distance between you and your attacker to eliminate the need for deadly force.
So, to sum it up. Don't make your firearm your only means of self defense. We hold Women's Self Defense workshops monthly, as well as Home Defense, and others. We also conduct Concealed Carry and Enhanced Carry Permit classes. If your church, business, or group would like to have us conduct any of these for you, contact us. Our website is trainwith901ft.com. Our email is trainwith901ft@yahoo.com.
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