A few years back I recall a news story where two kids [in hoodies] at the Tacoma park and ride beat a disabled man with two prosthetic legs to critical condition. In thinking through this news story, I thought of what a bystander might have to do.
1- Even a bad ass fit guy does not want to take on one or more teen thugs in a physical fight. As a college athlete, I watched a teammate attempt this with some gang punks in downtown Portland who attacked him. Individually he would have clobbered any of them. However each of them got about 5 punches into him for every punch he could return. Further, he's lucky he did not get stabbed or shot. Also as an adult in today's upside down world, you may be end up getting sued for their broken teeth.
2- A bystander in a car is not likely going to be able to use the vehicle to subdue the punks without harming the actual victim. Further this would also result in you getting sued or arrested for vehicular assault.
3- A knife? Please see 1 & 2.
4- A gun. Effective, but look how it turned out for Zimmerman. Presuming it was self defense, Zimmerman was forced to take a life and his life is destroyed because of it. Yes, he is alive, but at what cost to him and the thug. If he were carrying pepper spray, this would be a complete non-incident and Trayvon would be sitting behind bars for assault which is where he belongs.
It was through this line of thinking that I arrived at stocking up on pepper spray. With pepper spray you first have the option of giving someone who physically outmatches you a VERY bad day instead of ending their life. This doesn't preclude you from using lethal force, but it does give you an option that involves a lot less hassle than a dead thug. Its an option I wish more gun owners would consider. I guarantee you that most gun owners do not also own pepper spray. To me this is as dumb as not storing a gun in a safe.
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