G.C.Montgomery wrote:
Dude, you need to get out of the suburbs! I live in a neighborhood called Pleasantville but it sounds like you’ve spent too much time watching the movie. PLEASE come to my neighborhood…You have to realize that some people see the world very differently and may not value their own life quite as much as you value your own. Your post indicates you do not live in an area typically inhabited or victimized by gangbangers. So, let me offer a rebuttal as someone living in an area that has a well known presence of Crips and plenty of crime that goes well beyond burglary.
I think many areas like mine and those in which gangbangers thrive are victimized on both sides. Witnesses who talk to police often take their lives in their own hands because doing so can get them targeted by gangbangers who might otherwise ignore them. That isn’t made up, I’ve seen it happen. What makes it worse is that some officers, and sometimes entire departments, will fail to follow up on reports or witness statements because that particular patrol beat simply isn’t a priority. Worst case, the area may have been written off as a lost cause by a department’s leadership…Nothing like hearing something like that from a narcotics officer when asking why a local drug dealer living two houses down is still walking the streets. Again, please come to my neighborhood and let’s see if your theories hold water.
Now that I’m off my soap box, I’ll make a partial concession…One of the things that works in favor of the good guys is that most criminals are amateur gunmen and aren't exactly the world’s greatest tacticians. Can we count on this? Of course not but, it is still pretty rare for bad guys to think about how many bullets you’ve got and how long your ammunition reserves will last. On that thought, it is also atypical for the average moron robbing your grocery store to carry a reload for his pistol.
Now back to the gangbangers…While most may be amateurs, these guys do seem to have an understanding of contamination fire. If they are planning a hit, some gangs will pour boxes and boxes and boxes of bullets into house, apartment or just someone’s front yard. Collateral damage means nothing to them. If you are not involved but somehow get caught in a cross fire between two parties, these people will say it’s your fault for being there. There is no logic. They believe they have nothing to lose and the only thing they understand is strength and violence. Jail is little more than a vacation. Death simply an end to a life they don’t value anyway. Are there ways to strike fear in people like this? Yes but, WE as good guys would have to become monsters on a scale no decent person wants to imagine and then we would be no different than the bad guys.
OK, I think I’m done with deep thoughts…Please return to the original discussion of arguments for and against revolvers.
I chased two guys solo through the Butler projects at 2AM, and suffice it to say, every porch had a group of no less than 3 people standing on it. While Butler isn't known for being "police friendly", they aren't going to miss the opportunity to see someone get thumped by the cops. They made sure I knew where those guys went. 99.9% are going to run. I have spent time working in the Tarrant County Jail, and a whole lot more time working the streets in the metroplex. When you are on the other end of the crap hotline, it behooves you to carry a variety of arms, and plenty of ammo to go around. Most of the plainclothes officers never wear more than a magazine or two, and rarely do they have a backup. But there is not much out there that a little old revolver can't handle for Joe Citizen. I'm surprised it's even a debate. I've never felt undergunned on my own with my 5 shot revolver and a little speed strip, and I've had to use it before. That ought to be plenty to get me out of any messes around here.
You guys that argue about court, and testifying about what you carry, and all that stuff. What are you going to tell a jury when you shoot someone, and you've got to explain why you carry 3 guns, and two boxes of ammo to go to the movies?