We can’t really know much can we? Is that dog going to bite you? Is that car going to stop and let you go, or does he assume you will stop? There are signs sure- but how many accidents start with something like: “I KNOW he saw me. Me looked right into each other’s eyes...” You’ve got a choice to make- assume you are safe or assume you are in danger. It’s kinda hard to tell after the fact what “vibe” a person was giving- if they seemed stable... etc no?
But ok... the dog is growling. It’s bristling. If you run... it probably attacks. If you move- it might attack. If you do nothing... it might attack. You’ve got to read the situation and the animal to decide what to do don’t you? If a man pulls a gun on you- assume he plans to use it. He is either full of shit and won’t pull the trigger- or he has already decided that he WILL pull the trigger under XYX conditions- and either way unless he’s stone cold- he could always get spooked or just be bent and pull it anyway. What do you have? His word he won’t hurt you?
Honor among thieves- a noble idea that is suspect in reality. You will risk your life on the promise of safety from the person who is holding a gun to your head and robbing you? If you have no good options- taking their word might be the safest route- when possible the professionals like police and even the military will avoid violence when there are innocents who could be in danger- but at a point the risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting. If you’re in the seat you have to make the call.
But if you take a gun out on someone else- this here is proof you need to think they may have a gun too- and why would a person carry a gun they wouldn’t use unless they are just chickenshit and bluster? Moral of the story- leave the gun at home if you don’t plan to use it, and assume that if you have a weapon- people will assume you plan to use it- and they might have a weapon too.
That’s called “judgment.” I’m not going to risk dying over maybe $100 and needing to get new ID cards etc. if you want my wallet and you have the drop on me and a weapon- or maybe have a weapon- take the wallet. So long as I can reasonably believe that giving you the wallet will make you go away. But if you ask for my wallet- and I believe or signs show you’re going to hurt me anyway- do bad things to whoever is with me etc- I’m not risking my life for a wallet if I go to put you down. I’m protecting myself. You read the situation and the person. Why do police carry weapons if it is safer to just let people take shit and go? Because sometimes people aren’t just there to take shit and go.
THIS is the # 1 reason that 30% of gun owners conceal carry. For that slight chance to do what cops & soldiers do with permission... "defend themselves" against armed opponents. Tis why I carry pocket knife and self taught how to kill with one punch.
He saved HIMSELF and others.
If you had the means to do so wouldn't you?