Canadian law makes dealing with an armed intruder, very simple.
If he has a knife, I can't use a bigger knife.
Now that's a bit puzzling to me, since if the opponent has a knife, that's already a situation that poses a potentially deadly threat. And if my opponent has a knife, I'm
SURE AS HELL NOT going to want to meet him on equal terms!!
THAT just results in two people getting cut up, & I'd just as soon pass on that, thanks.
What's the difference with both you and an intruder having a gun?
I believe that you missed the intent of my statement - the idea that I was intending to convey is this:
If someone is acting in such a way as to pose a threat to my continued existence, THAT is the biggest threat that any of us can face - you can't escalate beyond death. Death is essentially "playing for ALL the marbles" (so to speak). Given the fact that your opponent is posing the
ultimate threat to you, then a commonsense law (IMHO) would
recognize that, & allow an innocent defender to respond accordingly.
The simple FACT is:
The bad guys are
NOT going to "play by the rules". And as long as there are people in our societies who want to prey upon others, there will
always be a need for the good people to be able to oppose them on equal terms.
Do you seriously think that the police are sufficient to that task??
I am a
BIG fan of the police, I've had a couple of LEOs in my family, & I train with some. I hugely appreciate what they do, & what they go through in order to help all of us live more peaceful, civilized lives. But it's simply UNREALISTIC to think that they can be everywhere, stop every threat before it happens.
YOu're statement would mean that you'd have to walk around with a grenade laucher? Or an M16?
So what if the intruder has an M16? You gonna get an RPG?
Kind of a perpetuating thing...
Well, what's the environment that I'm in?? What are the threats that might need to be faced?? If I'm in Iraq, some parts of Mexico (or even in Detroit!

), then an M-16
AND an RPG might be the appropriate choice!
But (and I say this respectfully), your argument makes use of a bit of hyperbole. Once the defender has the (legal & physical) means to use lethal force, then additional force is superfluous.
We're not allowed to carry guns (thank god for that), meaning most people don't have a gun...
Meaning that all you can do when a bad guy appears is to run, or cower &
pray that the police show up in time. Many of us feel that those are
REALLY BAD options to have to choose between.
To me, it's instructive to compare the Paris attacks to a somewhat-similar attack that occurred here in Colorado in 2007
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2015/06/19/colorado-springs-vs-charleston-the-church-massacre-that-ended-differently-n2014783
In both instances, you had an unprovoked attack by someone using military-type rifles on scores of people who were going about their normal lives, in circumstances where it was very unlikely that any of them would be armed.
In Paris, no one was armed, and 130 people died. In Colorado, you had a security guard who had a single handgun - she was able to stop the attacker before the police arrived. As a result, only
TWO people died in that attack
(although that gunman also killed two others in a separate attack the night before).
And I have to comment on one thing that you said - and
please know that I don't intend for this to offend. You wrote:
We're not allowed to carry guns...
In one sense, it's difficult for me to respond objectively to this statement. To
me, it reeks of a patronizing, infantilizing government that doesn't allow it's citizenry to direct their own lives. It comes down to ONE very basic question - do you trust your citizens/neighbors/etc. to make good decisions, and to act responsibly??

If SO, then why not allow them to own guns?? If NOT, then why would you let them own cars, or knives, or to purchase gasoline, etc???
It's worth remembering that other countries
(most notably Switzerland, who no doubt shares many of your European values) trust their citizens with firearms, and they seem to get along fine.
I just thought of a question that I would like to pose to you - Are you able to agree with me that a gun is just an object, with no intrinsic "good" or "evil" of it's own? (I would honestly like to hear your answer to that.)
I feel really safe here, unless I go to Amsterdam at night, so I don't go there.
Good! I hope that your sense of safety remains for the rest of your days.
But the thought of going to the States next year, knowing most ppl own guns and can walk around with it even in Walmart, doesn't particularly make me feel safe at all. Just the very thought almost makes me wanna cancel the trip. Not joking.
Makes me wanna buy a gun myself when there so I can protect myself.
I NEVER feel that need over here where no one but the police has guns.
It truly saddens me when I read that. In my eyes, our right to own firearms is the bulwark that guards all of our other freedoms. It's an awesome right that comes with corresponding (& equivalent) responsibilities.
I
WISH that, during your trip here, I could get just a small bit of your time to take you out to a range where you could bust some clay targets - people who are unfamiliar with the sport
can't believe how much fun they have!!

Or even to have you put holes in a soda can with a little .22 pistol.
I truly think that if you gained just a small bit of experience shooting, & experiencing the "sporting" aspect of it, you would have a
LOT less fear.
Fear instigates fear.
Sometimes. And sometimes, unfamiliarity breeds fear.
I truly hope that you have a WONDERFUL time when you visit next year!!
Edited by
TBone5280
on Sun 11/22/15 04:19 PM