Detailed Gun Self-Defense Poll

[Silverhair]

There was a previous poll on the use of guns for self defense. That poll was critized for not having as a choice the situation that covers 99+% of gun self-defense usage - scaring off the threat. In that poll, if you didn't shoot somebody, you didn't use the gun. To me that produces a skewed result. Here is a more detailed poll. (I hereby pledge to DUers that in any poll I make in the future, I shall cover as many reasonable possibilities as I can given the limitations of the form.)

If you fit into more than one category, (Some will, I personally fit into two categories.) then use your own judgement what to mark.

I am discussing the domestic, civilian use of guns only. Police use or wartime use shall not count as you were using the gun as an agent of the gov't. I am talking about personal defensive use, of yourself or of another, only. Please do not try to hijack the thread and talk about Iraq. There are lots of other threads for that.

HAVE YOU EVER USED A GUN TO DEFEND YOURSELF? By threatened I mean a type of threat where you felt seriously endangered, and were frightened that physical harm was about to happen to youself or a loved one.

Guns only. I plan to do another poll on other self defense questions.

[Birthmark]

1. No good choice for me.

:) Honestly, I have been threatened with a gun but talked my way out of it. I had a gun accessible, but chose not to use it since I believed that that would have resulted in somebody getting shot.

NOTE: I don't recommend my method of self-defense to anyone else.

[Silverhair]

6. Been there too.

About 32 years ago, I had a deeply disturbed man hold a gun to my head while he talked about the voice that controled him and would not leave him alone. At times he claimed ot be the other enity, an alien, speaking. I remember the gun most clearly. It was a Ruger .22 Mark 1. I watched in amazement as he slapped a fully loaded magazine in & chambered a round, safety off. He talked for about an hour, I humored him, he finally ran out of steam, & put the gun away. I got away & trembled for three days afterwards.

[Xithras]

2. Close

I wounded my spouses attacker, so I checked the "Yes, I shot my assailant" box. I posted all of the gory details in the other gun poll: http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=623990#624597

Based on that thread, I may be the only person at DU who has ever had the unfortunate experience to shoot another human being. It's a situation I wouldn't wish on anybody, but I'm very glad I had my gun that day...the alternative could have been far worse.

[Silverhair]

4. Yes, I read those posts.

Shooting another human, even if they aren't killed, can weight on your mind for a long time. I hope I never have that terrible choice forced on me again. I once had what I was then convinced and still am convinced, (I won't go into details, they might be misunderstood.)in which a robber attempted to stop my loaded 18-wheeler by standing facing me in the road in front of my truck to get me to stop. I was on a deserted city street in a really really bad part of town doing 30mph at 2AM at the time. I still remember the feeling as I reached the decision point. "Stop now or it's too late to hit the brakes." Decision made - I wasn't stopping. If I hit him I'll stop at a safe place to call police, but not here. (That was before cell phones.) He jumped out of the way at the last second, to my great relief. I discovered then that I have it inside myself to genuinely seriously endanger another human, (I consider getting run over by a 40 ton 18-wheeler to be more dangerous than the average gunshot.) but I was convinced (and still am.) that if I stopped he would do violence to me. I didn't like the feeling that discovery gave me.

At the same time, I know now that I ever have to reach for that gun, I won't be bluffing. I hope I never have to reach for it.

[DoNotRefill]

5. You're not alone in that...

I know of at least 2 other DUers who have shot and killed an attacker.

[leftofthedial]

3. my spouse was shot by an attacker

who used a gun he found in my spouse's house.

I've only been that seriously threatened a couple of times and was able to avoid violence both times.