Gun Ownership and Common Sense...

..two concepts that should be inextricably linked. However it is becoming painfully obvious that there tends to be a lack of one of these, namely common sense, among some gun owners. Common sense dictates that when handling a firearm one should never point it at another human being unless your life is threatened. Unfortunately some people don't understand this basic tenet of safe firearm handling. In fact it would seem that they almost relish the thought of pointing their "weapon" at another person, that they almost wish for an encounter to happen so that they can draw their gun on someone. This is a sad thing. An aggressive encounter should never be sought out or wished for, it is something to be avoided. Should you find yourself in an encounter then it is your top priority to attempt to deescalate the situation, first through talking. Try to talk down the situation, or in the case of not being sure (perhaps it's dark) of who may be there, ask who it is before taking any action. If deescalation doesn't work then attempt to extricate yourself from the situation, walk away or if that fails run away. There is no shame in escaping a potentially dangerous situation before it gets out of hand. If this fails you should still not draw your gun, use your fists, knees, feet, elbows, etc. to attempt to escape your assailant. If and only if this too fails to allow you to escape should you draw a gun. A gun is a last resort and should never be the first course of action. Being too "quick on the draw" could result in you hurting an innocent person or at the very least giving gun owners a bad name. The only time a show of force may be necessary is if you are in immediate danger, simply allowing a potential assailant to see that you are, in fact, armed can deescalate a situation instantly. However, take note that I did not say "draw your gun" a show of force simply means to uncover the fact that you are armed. Sweeping a shirt up to show a holster is a prime example. You don't need to draw your gun. There is nothing wrong with being prepared, but being too eager to put those preparations into practice can be dangerous to others and yourself. Stop, think, and never hope for a chance to pull your gun. Use common sense and don't go for your holster every time you hear a bump in the night.