Defending Yourself

[Mxchael]

I just got a tool to help me with personal self-defense. I picked out one particular tool (a stun gun) based on the fact that I wanted something to interrupt or temporarily disable. My friends recommended taking a concealed carry course and getting a small gun, but I see that as too much of a risk of permanently disabling or accidentally killing someone if I misfire (both of which are not my intent).

What are your feelings on self-defense?

What are your feelings on the different methods of self-defense? How effective do you think they are? Do you think all are moral or are there certain limits?

If you had to arm yourself with a tool to defend yourself against a crime, what would you choose and why?

Well being Canadian, we're not allowed to carry any weapons for self defense (no guns, knives, bb guns, tasers, or mace unless given permission by the Police on very rare occasions where your life may be threatened). I believe self defense is important, of course, but we try to deescalate the situation if one ever arises, or call the Police immediately if needed.

 

[theophilus777]

Well being Canadian, we're not allowed to carry any weapons for self defense (no guns, knives, bb guns, tasers, or mace unless given permission by the Police on very rare occasions where your life may be threatened).

That's law Nation-wide? Or is it regional, or limited to cities?

 

[theophilus777]

If I knew in advance that I was going to be attacked then I would have law enforcement set up a sting operation and intercept the would-be attacker in the act of attempting to make the attack. Why be "defended" after the fact that an attack is being carried when you can stop the attack before it is carried out and apprehend the would-be attacker?

Why indeed. Except your scenario here is not realistic. Further, our Police have no duty to protect us. Their weapons are for their own protection, not ours. Nice, huh?

 

[Mxchael]

That's law Nation-wide? Or is it regional, or limited to cities?

It is strictly illegal to carry any weapon for self defense in Canada, even a stick.

It is legal to carry a blade under 6" whether it be for camping, hunting, or for your job but for self defense it is illegal. If there ever comes a time that you are ever assaulted and you happen to be carrying a blade and it escalates to where you have use it.. well then its in the Police hands to judge whether what you did was right or wrong.

 

[theophilus777]

Wow!

"Louis DiNatale didn't intend to enter Canada when he and his wife wound up on a bridge from New York state to Ontario province one day in September, misdirected by an unreliable GPS. What began as an American couple's getaway to Vermont quickly turned into a lesson on the stark difference between the U.S. and Canada when it comes to gun laws." SOURCE: Case against U.S. man illustrates Canada's zero-tolerance gun policy - Los Angeles Times

That's why I hate GPS.

 

[Mxchael]

Wow!

"Louis DiNatale didn't intend to enter Canada when he and his wife wound up on a bridge from New York state to Ontario province one day in September, misdirected by an unreliable GPS. What began as an American couple's getaway to Vermont quickly turned into a lesson on the stark difference between the U.S. and Canada when it comes to gun laws." SOURCE: Case against U.S. man illustrates Canada's zero-tolerance gun policy - Los Angeles Times

That's why I hate GPS.

 

[Inkachu]

Aaaaaand one more reason I will NEVER live in Canada.

 

[Darkhorse]

Aaaaaand one more reason I will NEVER live in Canada.

Me too. That may be why my grandfather left Canada for Utah!

 

[Mxchael]

Aaaaaand one more reason I will NEVER live in Canada.

We're not a gun loving country. We won't pull a weapon on someone who cuts us off in traffic. Gun violence and mass shootings are slim-to-none. I'm sorry we don't meet your approval.

 

[theophilus777]

We're not a gun loving country. We won't pull a weapon on someone who cuts us off in traffic. Gun violence and mass shootings are slim-to-none. I'm sorry we don't meet your approval.

Actually plenty of Canadians do love their guns. Lots of ownership there. Glad you manage to keep their use confined to better purposes than splattering thy neighbor.

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

It's a lot easier to picture the emotional situation where you need a gun and don't have one that it is to seriously consider the statistics concerning gun ownership and gun crime. While having a firearm might make you safer in a particular situation (some home break-ins, a situation where you're accosted by a stranger on the street), the prevalence of firearms in society actually makes you and everyone else much less safe on the whole.

Banning less lethal self-defense weapons like mace or tazers, though, sounds like a little bit of a bad idea.

 

[theophilus777]

the prevalence of firearms in society actually makes you and everyone else much less safe on the whole.

This is your opinion. Certain liberal slanting sources spewing out propaganda spew out propaganda making it seem that way. The reality is quite different.
(I still don't own a gun)

Banning less lethal self-defense weapons like mace or tazers, though, sounds like a little bit of a bad idea.

Agreed. Interesting that SCOTUS finally determined the 2nd Amendment gives us the right to own guns, but to my knowledge they haven't said anything about these.

 

[Jonathan Jarvis]

Being well defended makes sense what ever legal means you do it by. The problem arises when your behaviour oversteps defending yourself and crosses over to retaliation.

You are minding your own business and out of the blue you are attacked. You Mace the attacker and run off. Seems fair to me.

The same scenario as above. This time rather than running off after you have Maced him, you give him a kicking to teach him a lesson not to mess with you. Have you overstepped the line here?

Posit the next situation - you get into a argument, but this time its your fault, you started it. It gets to shoving, then fists start flying. You find you've bitten off more than you can chew, you start to come off worse. There is a real risk that you are going to be beaten to pulp. Should you be able to use your Mace against your opponent to defend yourself from serious injury in a situation that you caused?

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

This is your opinion. Certain liberal slanting sources spewing out propaganda spew out propaganda making it seem that way. The reality is quite different.
(I still don't own a gun)

There really isn't any way to get around the fact that the U.S. has the most deaths due to gun crime of any developed country, or that many firearms available in Mexico have gotten there illegally through our border. We have unique historical circumstances that enshrined firearms into our legal code in a way that would make outright banning them or severely restricting them pretty much impossible, but it's important to limit their availability to whatever level we can while still allowing their legitimate use.

Agreed. Interesting that SCOTUS finally determined the 2nd Amendment gives us the right to own guns, but to my knowledge they haven't said anything about these.

I honestly have no idea whether they would be constitutionally protected or not. I guess that it depends on the definition of "arms" in the constitution.

 

[Robban]

I just got a tool to help me with personal self-defense. I picked out one particular tool (a stun gun) based on the fact that I wanted something to interrupt or temporarily disable. My friends recommended taking a concealed carry course and getting a small gun, but I see that as too much of a risk of permanently disabling or accidentally killing someone if I misfire (both of which are not my intent).

What are your feelings on self-defense?

What are your feelings on the different methods of self-defense? How effective do you think they are? Do you think all are moral or are there certain limits?

If you had to arm yourself with a tool to defend yourself against a crime, what would you choose and why?

Something like this?

Benny Hinn: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor - YouTube

 

[LOVEthroughINTELLECT]

Why indeed. Except your scenario here is not realistic. Further, our Police have no duty to protect us. Their weapons are for their own protection, not ours. Nice, huh?

This thread is not about anybody "protecting" anybody. This thread is about defending one's self.

My response has been that one's best defense is a good offense in the form of preventing an attack from ever being conceived in the first place.

If, however, an attack has already been conceived and you know about it then law enforcement should be made aware of it and they will likely want to catch the offenders in the act of attempting to carry out the attack.

It is the police's job to enforce the law. I can't think of any attack that would be legal where I live.