Arming one's self?


turnipbwc

New Member
Arming one's self?

s.harrington,
"So far every court has ruled in favor of the right to carry in any state as long as you have a valid permit or license. Under the "Fair faith and credit" clause of the US constitution documents issued in one state must be honored by all states."

The Right to Carry Law in WV is only honored in AK,AZ,ID,IN,KY,MI,MO,MT,OK,TN,UT,VT,and VA.
Any idea when that case will be going to the Supreme Court?
turnip
 

Al Wells

New Member
Arming one's self?

Since any 'encounter' would likely be at close quarters, are there any devices that could be used other than a firearm to stop or at least slow down a perp? Or is the real concern that they may be armed as well?

Al
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Arming one's self?

"Encounter"? Yeah, lay down and wait. When he's through he'll be tired and slow down. Then he'll kill you.
 

team3360

New Member
Arming one's self?

Stun guns are available and so are Tasers for personal protection, of which a Stun gun you have to be close enough to touch the person where as a taser I believe shoots a cable out and sends a charge thru the cable, BUT these items may not be LEGAL in all states to possess. LEE
 

Two Dogs

New Member
Arming one's self?

Hi, I agree with s. harrington. Lots of lethal weapons out there. Most require reaching to touch the rat with the weapon. Knife throwing is ok I guess if you like practicing 'couple times a week after you get real accurate and consistent. Tomahawks,machetes and blowguns and such are still in use in some areas of the world(so saying, medieval weaponry types) and still do the job. I heard baseball bats were common & available in flooded areas of la. at the last high water. NRA monthly said also lots of full automatic rifles now on the streets in the area. Don't even think abt combat with those with hand carried firearms unless you shoot frequently and well. I'd sure recommend toward looking closely at the areas and avoiding questionable scenarios. Wives are good resources for advice. Always recall before you get into a shooting, what defence you'll be using to defend yourself against a local. My NM concealed carry permit requires "no retreat", I won't rely on that defense in other states I pass thru since even the worst rat has family who will want retribution and if you're in overnite jail, who will safeguard your wife and rv at the rv park at that juncture? just items to chat upon while you're motoring down the interstate... Two Dogs :cool:
 

turnipbwc

New Member
Arming one's self?

According to the national news last week, 6000 people applied for gun permits in Louisiana since Katrina and only 3 were denied. So if you don't like people carrying guns I suggust to don't go through or near New Orleans.
turnip
 

Guest
Arming one's self?

I have just completed the concealled carry class here in New Mexico. The major jist of the course was not getting into a situation that requires the use of force. Guns are a last resort! There is also a web site, http://www.packing.org that has information on all states. I think that a class such as this is good even for those that do not want to carry a weapon, it shows you how to be safe.
 

turnipbwc

New Member
Arming one's self?

Padre,
Welcome to the forum.

I took the the Gun Safety Course by NRA here in WV last month and sent for my concealled weapon permit this week. I think it's a great course and teachs you everything about gun safety as well as shooting at the range. There are as many women taking this class as men.
turnip
 

Tassiedevil

New Member
Arming one's self?

Hi folks, Bloody hell are you guys trying to scare me,as a soon to be tourist in your country YOU ARE scaring me. I've never held a gun and I don't even know anyone that owns one, accept a friend who is a policeman.Is there a very high incidence of people in RV's being robbed or attacked while in Camping areas. I know we shouldn't just pull up anywhere (everybody here does that) and camp for the night as it wouldn't be safe like it is here.We hadn't even discussed having a weapon of any description. I wish I hadn't read the "arming one's self" question on your forum. regards from the land down under- Sue
 

turnipbwc

New Member
Arming one's self?

tassiedevil,
The USA has the right to bear arms and people are starting to do it. More so since 911. There is nothing to worry about because you have to attend a training class and then apply for a permit before one can carry a fire arm. So most people are trained in knowing how to use a gun properly. Of course there are those who carry a gun in their car/truck/RV all the time without any permits in hopes of never getting caught by the law. If you are uneasy about this maybe you should stay in the UK.
turnip
 

Guest
Arming one's self?

I am originally from Wisconsin where there is no concealled carry whatsoever. I have been here in New Mexico for 8 months and have found out that the police are stretched so thin that the first time I had chance to call them I got an answering machine. I decided that the only one that you can count on for your safety is yourself, an unfortunate fact in a state that pays the State Police so far below the average they cannot keep good officers. I commend the job they do with the number of officers they have.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Arming one's self?

Tassiedevil, welcome to America (when you get here)! I find it strange to hear from someone ("as it wouldn't be safe like it is here") that comes from one of the countries with the largest crime increase in its history going on since everyone was 'disarmed' by the government!
 

hertig

Senior Member
Arming one's self?

Tassiedevil, there have been very few, if any, cases where someone who did not want to was forced to hold a gun. So you will not have any problem with that.

From what I can tell, people in RVs tend to be safer from criminals and stupid people than are people in houses and especially people in hotels. Not immune, of course. There have not been many cases reported where someone in a RV has used a gun to protect themselves, but I'm sure there have been a few. More importantly for you, there have been not an excessive number of people who needed a gun in a RV and did not have one.

There are bad people out there (in every country) and if some people in this one choose to accept the laws and responsibility of having a means of self-protection, well be thankful for it, not fearful, Every legal concealed weapon in this country makes you safer, not more at risk. An armed victim is the bad guy's worse fear.

Frankly, if you want to worry about something, worry about a driver who is drunk, asleep or just inattentive smashing into you...
 

Robert Calvert

New Member
Arming one's self?

As you might tell from my signature, I am very pro-gun. I pretty much carry a gun wherever I go. Most of my RVing is for traveling to shooting competitions. So, I get plenty of practice shooting guns. My wife also carries a gun at all times, (she's a competitive shooter, also). We both have concealed carry permits. That said, here's my take...
To me, a gun is just a tool, like a fire extinguisher. I have an extinguisher in my RV. I hope I never have to use it. But, I know how to use it and keep it handy.
I have a gun on my belt. I hope I never have to use it. But, I know how to use it and keep it handy.
As with the extinguisher, it is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
FIRST question, if someone was about to rape and/or kill your mother, would you do WHATEVER it takes to stop them? Even kill them? A gun is very effective in stopping someone.
SECOND question, are you willing to take the time to become proficient in the use of a firearm?
If the answer to either question is "NO", then a gun is not for you.
If you said "Yes", then a firearms safety and personal defense class would be a good starting point.

As to some of the other issues brought up on this thread...
Most pro-gun organizations claim that most of the time that a law-abiding citizen uses a gun to stop a crime, the gun is never fired. Many times, just showing the weapon is enough to send the criminal running. All gun use statistics reflect a gun being fired. So, gun use statistics are flawed.
I don't know of any case where someone was convicted of murder just because they used hollow-point ammo. That is just a scare tactic used by trial lawyers :angry: .
There is plenty of ammo that disintegrates on impact, reducing the chance of it penetrating several walls. You can also get NON-LETHAL ammo. The bullet or shotgun shell is loaded with rubber balls.
Shotguns are indeed great defensive weapons. If you have enough room to move them. A long gun can become a problem in a narrow hallway or while sitting in a tow vehicle. Shotguns DO have to be aimed, although it is not as critical as a pistol.
Is America a violent nation? Well, we DO have some violent criminals. But, we have a population of close to 300 million people. You're gonna get some bad apples in that big of a crowd. We also have close to 300 million guns in this country. If even 0.1 percent were used to shoot people in a year, that would be 300,000 shootings. We're not even close to that. Great Britain, on the other hand, which banned ALL firearms a couple of years ago, is seeing a huge increase is shootings and murders.
Every state in America that has passed a concealed carry law has seen a drop in violent crimes. (Just check the stats at the U.S. Department of Justice).

I carry a small sized .45 caliber semi-auto that is loaded and cocked, with the safety on. The pistol is designed to be carried that way. I have used a firearm to protect my family once. Someone was trying to kick in my front door at 3 AM. When I displayed the pistol, he fled. I don't go around looking for a chance to shoot a bad guy. In fact, if I and my loved ones can safely leave the area, that's what we'll do. My carrying a pistol does not make this country any more violent.
I am a Christian. Can I, as a Christian, kill someone else? I believe that in the original language of the 10 Commandments, it says "Thou shall not MURDER", not "kill". I do not believe that killing someone in the course of protecting my family is murder.
I do NOT believe that God would want me to passively stand by while my wife or daughter was assaulted. I have a responsibility to protect them.

Just my humble opinion.
 

Robert Calvert

New Member
Arming one's self?

It's hard for me to resist adding to this thread. This is an issue I feel very strongly about. As a teenager, my Dad owned a restaurant. He stopped several attempted robberies with his pistol. He never fired a shot. (Dad was on the U.S. Army pistol competition team at his post. He could've dropped them in their tracks!). My sister stopped an enraged customer from tearing up the restaurant one day, using Dad's gun.
I believe I am the #1 person responsible for my safety. I greatly admire law enforcement officers and do not envy them their dangerous profession or low pay. But, even if you live next door to the police station, you could still be killed before they respond to your 911 call. It is an unfortunate fact that most of the time, the police deal with a crime after the fact. They may catch the guy who DID it, but they rarely catch the guy DOING it.
When RVing, the cops still have to find you, before they can help. If you dial 911 while in an unfamiliar city, will you be able to give clear, concise directions to your location while being mugged or assaulted? A gun will at least give you a chance of surviving until the cavalry arrives.
What chance does a small, frail, elderly woman have against a large, healthy, young man if all she has is her fists? You can say, "Just give him what he wants", but sometimes that doesn't stop the violent criminal. Some of those guys just enjoy beating the hell out of you, even if you've already given them your purse, wallet, car keys, etc. You don't know what they want or how they'll react until it's all over. Then, it will be too late to decide how to react.
And, I'll never submit to being tied up, or stuffed in the trunk of a car. Then you're really helpless.
Just more issues to ponder.
 

Krazeehorse

New Member
Arming one's self?

I still have my set of Paladin toy guns and twin holsters. Probably 40 YO or so. Think it even came with "calling cards" with the knight chess piece logo. Aaaaaaaaaa, the good ol days.
 

Tassiedevil

New Member
Arming one's self?

Turnip 42, I am not desputing the fact that Americans have the right to arm themselves, it just frightens me. As you may remember 10 years ago we had a young man here in Tasmania who gunned down and killed 35 men , women and children and wounded 18 all in a matter of hours.Australia definitely has it's share of violence too , I know nothing could compare with 9/11 but guns in anyones hands scare me and always will. I can't help the way I feel. The deputy that we have bought our RV from has advised me to get a can of capsicum spray, which I probably will.I didn't intend to offend anyone by my comments I am just stating how I feel, I hope to run into some of you on our travels commencing in June. Tassiedevil
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Arming one's self?

Ah, now we have two of the most disarmed countries in the world comparing notes! ... Canada and Australia. Now all we need is a Brit to jump in and talk about our "violent" country! Phooey!
 
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