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By Bradley J. Steiner, American Combato
A recent news story reported that a woman producing a handgun and leveling it at another woman over a dispute regarding—of all stupid things—the armed woman’s alleged refusal to apologize to the other woman’s 15 year old daughter after bumping into her!
Look, if you bump into someone (or step on their foot accidentally, or inadvertently knock something out of their hand, or accidentally spill coffee on them, etc.) stop and apologize to them immediately. Without being asked. And if you caused them any loss, tell them you will pay for it.
That’s how human beings who have been properly civilized behave. Got it?
This applies if the individual is a child, a young adult, a mature adult, or an elderly person. Why is it necessary to offer this as instruction!? It seems that something is missing in some people.
We note that this armed woman likely had been mis-trained in the proper use of a handgun. First, because at a distance of about three feet (initially) from the individual at whom she pointed her weapon, she was in a “Weaver” stance, presumably ready to use the handgun’s sights.
Second, she had her finger outside the trigger guard. (And in this entirely absurd “ready position”, we note with amusement that she demonstrated the absolute truth of the point shooting doctrine, in that she had her eyes riveted on the lady at whom she pointed her gun!)
Third, whoever taught her how to use a handgun taught her not only the wrong technique (of course a whole slew of True Believers will disagree with us when we say this), but also completely neglected to hammer home the understanding of when bringing a firearm into play is legally justifiable. and moral.
We saw the entire video of this encounter the previous day, when the incident occurred, by the way. The entire situation could have been avoided. Apologize, and then leave. Instead, the armed woman and her husband now face felony charges. The husband was fired from his job. Their weapons have been confiscated, and they may lose their right to own firearms if they are convicted of a felony!
And… it is going to cost them a small fortune in legal fees to mount a defense in court to somehow prove that they didn’t act unlawfully! Seems a lousy alternative to merely having said: “I’m terribly sorry! Please excuse me.”
No one is a stronger believer in and advocate of the right to keep and bear arms, and the need to use them without hesitation when necessary to save human life than us. But we are equally adamant about NEVER bringing a firearm into play unless necessary for the purpose of saving human life.
You don’t draw a gun because you’re miffed, are having a bad day, are too proud to acknowledge that you owe someone an apology, or are having an argument with someone and find yourself getting angry.
We see an avoidable confrontation like this one as simply tragic. LEARN FROM IT, WILL YOU?