I am a bit of a lurker, having only made a few posts, but I did want to ask a question and get some feedback on something if I could...
This election got me thinking as I saw countless videos of people being attacked during protests or after events in which their were protesters protesting.
Now I don't want this to be a political debate, I for one do not care who you voted for, but I witnessed many mob-like attacks singling out an individual and ultimately injuring them severely. The person being attacked usually just got beat up or received a few bumps and bruises but that was not always the case. Some of the more popular attacks would be the lady who was a pro-trump supporter who was quite literally surrounded by a mob trapping her between the entrance to a building that was barred where she was spit on, egged, and had things thrown at her; or even instances of people leaving say an event being attacked while trying to get to their vehicles or exit the building in which the event was held.
My observation was that in no cases did I witness anyone put up any defense in the form of a firearm, when at least in my opinion in many of the cases it would be more than justified, or well at least I think it would be, hence my post here. Now I know this is highly likely due to firearms preventing you from participating in many of the political events going on, so I do understand their absence, but wanted to understand if present if they could have played a part in protecting some of these people and how best one might go about doing so if faced with a similar event
So as not to have a huge degree of debate about the situation, let me pose two hypothetical situations and see what folks things might be the best course of action for reducing your chance of being harmed.
Situation #1:
You have excited an event and are simply wanting to proceed from the event to your car that is several blocks away in a parking garage. Your entire route is through many a protestor acting quite belligerent albeit not posing any real aggression, other than they continue to follow you (group of 6-8 hoodlums) using foul language. As you enter the parking garage their taunts increase as does their level of aggressiveness beginning with them snatching your hat and perhaps even ripping a sign from your hands, at this point you find yourself surrounded by 6-8 hoodlums and are pushed to the ground. <go>
Situation #2
Much like the above situation you are leaving an event towards your vehicle that is several blocks away. This time the crowd is a lot more "charged" than the above mentioned crowd and they en-mass follow you (100+ folks) most of whom are just whooping and hollering and yelling out taunts, but with several of the front line protesters getting a bit physical with hard shoulder bumps, maybe an egg or having water sprayed on you. You eventually find yourself cornered between a building that you cannot gain entrance to and a crowd of 100+ if not more folks that have forced you into a tiny alcove. The taunts are going up, someone has thrown an egg, and let's for amusement sake say you have your 13 year old daughter with you who wanted to attend her first political event. <go>
#1
My opinion that situation #1 is totally justified after finally being pushed down to go to guns with such a huge disparity of force. I don't know that I would come up blazing away, I think I would hope that its presence was enough to make the fools scatter, but at that point I think I'm justified to bring out a weapon.
#2
This one has me perplexed... the crowd because it is so large has you entrapped, but only the front line are actually getting aggressive. Part of me wants to say that if you (the crowd) decide to act like an idiot and swarm a person, then you might get what's coming to you and that has me thinking that especially if a physical touch occurs and especially with child beside me I may bring a weapon out. But I can't imagine firing into a crowd, that being said the first time my child is hit, or I am shoved to the ground, then all bets are off and I hope hollow-points don't over penetrate.
That being said, what are your opinions on what you might do, and the legal ramifications of doing it?
Cordially,
Grendal
This election got me thinking as I saw countless videos of people being attacked during protests or after events in which their were protesters protesting.
Now I don't want this to be a political debate, I for one do not care who you voted for, but I witnessed many mob-like attacks singling out an individual and ultimately injuring them severely. The person being attacked usually just got beat up or received a few bumps and bruises but that was not always the case. Some of the more popular attacks would be the lady who was a pro-trump supporter who was quite literally surrounded by a mob trapping her between the entrance to a building that was barred where she was spit on, egged, and had things thrown at her; or even instances of people leaving say an event being attacked while trying to get to their vehicles or exit the building in which the event was held.
My observation was that in no cases did I witness anyone put up any defense in the form of a firearm, when at least in my opinion in many of the cases it would be more than justified, or well at least I think it would be, hence my post here. Now I know this is highly likely due to firearms preventing you from participating in many of the political events going on, so I do understand their absence, but wanted to understand if present if they could have played a part in protecting some of these people and how best one might go about doing so if faced with a similar event
So as not to have a huge degree of debate about the situation, let me pose two hypothetical situations and see what folks things might be the best course of action for reducing your chance of being harmed.
Situation #1:
You have excited an event and are simply wanting to proceed from the event to your car that is several blocks away in a parking garage. Your entire route is through many a protestor acting quite belligerent albeit not posing any real aggression, other than they continue to follow you (group of 6-8 hoodlums) using foul language. As you enter the parking garage their taunts increase as does their level of aggressiveness beginning with them snatching your hat and perhaps even ripping a sign from your hands, at this point you find yourself surrounded by 6-8 hoodlums and are pushed to the ground. <go>
Situation #2
Much like the above situation you are leaving an event towards your vehicle that is several blocks away. This time the crowd is a lot more "charged" than the above mentioned crowd and they en-mass follow you (100+ folks) most of whom are just whooping and hollering and yelling out taunts, but with several of the front line protesters getting a bit physical with hard shoulder bumps, maybe an egg or having water sprayed on you. You eventually find yourself cornered between a building that you cannot gain entrance to and a crowd of 100+ if not more folks that have forced you into a tiny alcove. The taunts are going up, someone has thrown an egg, and let's for amusement sake say you have your 13 year old daughter with you who wanted to attend her first political event. <go>
#1
My opinion that situation #1 is totally justified after finally being pushed down to go to guns with such a huge disparity of force. I don't know that I would come up blazing away, I think I would hope that its presence was enough to make the fools scatter, but at that point I think I'm justified to bring out a weapon.
#2
This one has me perplexed... the crowd because it is so large has you entrapped, but only the front line are actually getting aggressive. Part of me wants to say that if you (the crowd) decide to act like an idiot and swarm a person, then you might get what's coming to you and that has me thinking that especially if a physical touch occurs and especially with child beside me I may bring a weapon out. But I can't imagine firing into a crowd, that being said the first time my child is hit, or I am shoved to the ground, then all bets are off and I hope hollow-points don't over penetrate.
That being said, what are your opinions on what you might do, and the legal ramifications of doing it?
Cordially,
Grendal
The safest crowd to shoot into is always the unarmed crowd....
