Killing

If it came down to it, could I kill someone? It's admittedly an unpleasant subject, but it's something every gun owner should ponder. Thinking about this issue led me to a book called "On Killing" by Dave Grossman (ISBN 0316040932). I plan to read it and do a book review at a later date, but I'd like to get my thoughts as of now down on this issue.

As I said in my post about the four rules, guns are made with a single purpose. Looking purely at the mechanics, that purpose is to propel a small object (or group of objects) a significant distance with great force. Sometimes we propel those small objects at paper targets, game animals, or old computer cases; but the true purpose, the purpose that led man to invent and strive to perfect the firearm, is to propel those small objects at another human.

If you buy a gun for purposes of self-defense or home defense, you need to be able to use it. Being able to use it means, of course, being aware of the mechanical workings of the gun - how to load it, how to aim, how it feels when it's firing in good working condition. It also, however, means possession of the required mental state to use it against an aggressor.

I frequent the gun-related boards of reddit.com, and every once in a while you'll see postings that read like this: "I'd like to get a gun for home defense. What kind of less-than-lethal ammunition can I get, in order to incapacitate a home invader but not kill him?" or "I want to get a shotgun for home defense, so I can use the racking sound of the pump action to discourage robbers." This is not the proper mindset and I, like many who comment on these kinds of posts, feel that these kinds of people, if this is how they plan to use their gun, should not be buying guns for defensive purposes.

It's tough for some people to accept but you need to get comfortable with the idea that, if you're keeping a gun for defense and you grab it when you go downstairs to investigate that crashing sound at 2:00am, you may have to point it at another human being's vital organs and pull the trigger. You will hopefully (yes, hopefully) at least incapacitate that person, and your goal must be to kill him. If you're leaving your bedroom with your pistol or shotgun in hand, you must be prepared to use it. Are you ok with this?

I'm going to be honest and say personally, at this point, I'm not entirely sure. What I do know is that I have no sympathy for criminals; someone who wants to take things that don't belong to him, be they money or possessions or someone's life, is subhuman as far as I'm concerned. There is a social contract that we all need to live by, and thieves and murders are not living up to their end of the bargain. I have the natural right to defend myself against someone who, through their actions, has shown me that they don't give a shit about me, my possessions, and/or my life. I have the right to meet force with force, lethally if necessary. This right transcends laws and is a fundamental truth of existence, which is the main reason I find gun control so odious.

At the same time, how can I possibly know that I have the ability to pull the trigger when I have another human in the sights? While we humans, when taken collectively, are a murderous lot, when it comes to one-on-one mortal combat we really are quite loath to take the life of another member of our species. Law enforcement and particularly military undergo significant training to overcome the healthy modern man's aversion to killing - you'd be surprised at the research showing that it's really a tough thing to overcome, though the military (for better or worse) has gotten better at it in the last few decades. Further adding complexity is the fact that at the pivotal moment, adrenaline and stress hormones do strange and incredible things to the body and mind. Can I, a civilian who's never so much as been in a fistfight, overcome this?

I can only hope that once I'm married and, hopefully someday, a father, instinct will be the motivator. I have a feeling that, especially when kids are in the mix, something deep in the reptilian brain kicks in and a man becomes far more willing and able to face danger to protect his family. In a real sense, however, the criminal is not the problem. I have a feeling your run-of-the-mill home invader, while callous and disrespectful of other people's property, will be far less of a threat than I. His weapon may be cheap and not in working order. He may be strung out on something that impairs his faculties. He's also probably not that smart. I, on the other hand, will have a good firearm in working order and will have practiced; I will be alert; and my goal in the actions I will be taking will be protecting my family, which is a far more salient motivator than stealing a nice TV. The criminal is not the problem - the adrenaline that will be flooding my system and my natural aversion to taking the life of another is the real obstacle.