Would-be robber shot dead inside Philadelphia dollar store: Police

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

20. Replies

PLEASE show me the 'ample evidence'

Well you mentioned 249. I think 249 qualifies as "many". I think the number is higher but let's work with your number. I don't think all of those 249 resulted in a lifesaving level event. I do think the number of lifesaving level events included among that 249 is much more than 0.

When good guys with guns shoot more bad guys on purpose than other people by accident get back to me and we can both celebrate.

I think part of being the good guys is not actually shooting folks.

One main point I'm making is that valid civilian DGUs fall mostly into 3 categories:
- Someone is found with a bullet hole and the legal system has either found him/her not guilty or declined to prosecute them.
- Law enforcement takes a report from a credible witness.
- A self-dense event takes place and goes unreported.

I surmise that the 249 cases you mentioned can't possibly include that last category since those are by definition unverifiable. In my professional world, verification is conducted by any of the following means: test, analysis, demonstration and inspection. Prefacing this by reiterating that polls and surveys are statistically unreliable, I would find it difficult to believe that everyone responding such polls and surveys beyond the 249 you list, is fabricating or exaggerating. This is my reasoned analysis.
From the CDC:

Estimates of defensive gun use vary depending on the questions asked, populations studied, timeframe, and other factors related to the design of studies. The report Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence indicates a range of 60,000 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses each year.
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/firearms/fastfact.html

My other main point is that a single life saved by a DGU use justifies maintaining DGUs as legal. I am unqualified to judge a randomly selected fellow citizen as not deserving of such a chance. If a person legally can obtain a firearm, I think they should be able to keep in their possession on their property. I think provisions should exist to qualify those who wish to carry in public.

As you said, guns don't confer any magic powers or divine levels of immortality. I believe "Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation."