Breaking news: The sun rises in the east!
The headline story in the Jan. 12 edition of the Chicago Tribune was: “Permit to carry gun not license to shoot.” This is news only to those who are opposed to citizens owning firearms.
Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association has pointed out that gun-grabbers (a less polite term) fall into three main categories — the low information types, the true believers (victims, pacifists and hate-anything-conservatives-favor) and the political hacks (do anything for votes).
This headline and article were news only to political hacks (they pretended it was news) and people who don’t understand guns and gun laws.
For centuries the law has been clear. A citizen can only use lethal force against another person to stop the immediate and otherwise unavoidable threat of severe injury or death. Once the threat is no longer present, call 911 and let the police handle things after they arrive.
Do anything to avoid the use of lethal force against another person (gun, knife, blunt object, chainsaw, disparity in force: big man versus smaller man, man versus woman, professional boxer versus anyone else). Call the police.
When faced with an immediate threat of severe injury or death, go to a safe place and wait for the police to arrive.
Do anything to avoid the use of lethal force against another person.
Lethal force cannot be used to protect property. Let the police retrieve the property.
Lethal force cannot be used to further injure or kill someone nor to “teach them a lesson” once the immediate threat is stopped. Let the police handle the situation after they arrive.
Lethal force cannot be used against a retreating attacker. Let the police catch the alleged criminal.
If you do use lethal force legally, at best, your life will be greatly — and negatively — impacted. You will usually be arrested immediately for discharge of a firearm during commission of a felony. (You will be released after the police have sorted out victim/attacker.) You will have nightmares and psychological issues for months or years. Some lawyers and the attacking felon’s loving family members will sue you (usually unsuccessfully) for violating the civil rights of their criminal kin. (You incur legal defense expenses, regardless.)
The low-information types do not understand/refuse to learn that a big part of concealed-carry training involves how not to use a gun against another citizen by avoiding situations where lethal force is the only resort.
The real news in this story is more of a public service announcement: When facing a dangerous threat, retreat to a place of safety, call the police and let them handle things.
And remember the obvious: The trained and armed individual awaits the arrival of the police with more confidence than if unarmed.
John Erickson
Oak Park