Self defense is about choices

I choose to carry a gun to defend myself. I choose to exercise. I choose to not always eat like a 20 year old. All of these are choices.

Self defense is all about choices. By carrying a gun and getting training, I’m choosing to violently resist anyone’s attempts to do me harm. But my choices aren’t your choices. For example, I choose to exercise because strong, fit people are harder to kill and generally more capable. But I also choose to eat pizza and drink beer because pizza and beer are delicious. Again, choices.

I know people who don’t drink alcohol. Choices. I know people who don’t drink coffee, and while I assume those people are monsters, I respect their choices. And that brings us to the concept of respecting choices, something we struggle with a lot. If you choose to carry a Hi-Point and get training at the DerpShow Academy, I respect that it’s your right to make whatever choices you want, but that doesn’t mean I agree with them. There is a difference between respecting a choice as someone’s right, and validating a bad choice with support.

Not everyone’s choices are equal. There are good choices and bad choices. We crusade against bad choices by providing education about guns, gear and training, but ultimately it’s up to the individual to make good decisions. It is their right to do whatever they want, and we can only hope to steer our friends in the right direction.

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3 Comments

  1. Amen! In this internet age, so many tout their beliefs as the One True Way and no other way shall be acceptable. This can be either opinion combined with some degree of anonymity, or trying to justify to themselves why they spend $5,000 on something by insisting that it MUST be the best.

    I’ve always claimed, in many situations, someone with a firearm available to them will be better off than someone with none available. In some, night sights, a laser, a different caliber, etc. may be better, in others it won’t make a difference. Go through any firearm related discussion forum and see how often ‘How much is your life worth?’ is mentioned. Carrying for self defense is always going to be a a set of compromises. Sure you could spend everything you have on the latest custom gadgets and gizmos that will do everything for you but pull the trigger, but what are the odds of needing it vs. knowing that you’re going to have to eat to continue living.

    After all, another well-used quote you’ll see in those forums – Rule 1 in a gunfight: Have a gun.

  2. Also if you choose to talk about your choices online, you implicitly choose to be mocked if your choices are dumb.

  3. By choosing to carry I am choosing to violently resist? You are right, it is about choices. I carry a gun too, I choose to do it because it is the most persuasive method available, to circumvent a potentially life threatening situation.

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