Psst ... It's Not Your Fault

I’m often intrigued by the talk I hear as students conduct “feeling-out” conversation missions on one another at school. The “I’ll blow them away” crowd are actually few and far between, as most ordinary, reasonably-sane folks pass on this boastful but mostly hollow, big-mouth comment. The true “can-do” soldiers who pass through the school most often simply do what they do as good employees might do a good job — effectively, with pride and without bragging or bull dung.

The law enforcement “really shoot, gun-types” — of which there are not many in real life — closely follow the military format as far as their perspective of the job. They do it, it’s dangerous, they can get killed, but they pay attention to business and take care of it when and if the time rarely comes to them. I notice no particular sense of coldness or cruelty in either the military or the cops as to the task of shooting to defend themselves or their partners.

Moving to the non-sworn crowd, they seem to fall into two categories. The small group, who have trained to a level that is admirable and effective, and second, the ones who seem confused, or perhaps even unresolved. This lack of resolve is not shown as an unwillingness to defend themselves, but perhaps as an indecision as to whether or not it’s okay to. They know they should, but are still wrestling with the ramifications.

Everyone reading this is smart enough to know the law will not try you. But the law will, in fact, try us as the lawyers interpret it to the jury and the court. Also keep in mind you won’t be judged by a jury of your peers. They will be invited off the jury. There will probably not be NRA members or cops or soldiers judging your personal act of self-defense. It’s just the life we live and the times we live in, and there’s nothing personal about it. It just is.

Think What?

If I can get Sam and Suzi Homemaker past that point, the next one seems to be “Will I be able to handle this, or will I need a shrink or if I take a bad guy’s life while defending myself? Aren’t I supposed to feel bad about it?”

Hold up both of your hands in front of your face right now. Give or take a scar or two, the hands in front of look pretty much the same. Then again, each is different. Different people involved in similar incidents act differently. A recent article detailed how at the World Trade Center, some folks left the building upon the plane’s impact — and some had meetings to decide what they should do as the building was burning and falling around them.

I think if somebody was involved in a defensive shooting, the response to it would be based on his or her personal experience in training and mental preparation. The “I thought it could happen to me and I trained for it” response would probably be different from someone who didn’t train, think, prepare or anticipate that same problem.

If you were involved in a shooting would you need aid from a psychiatrist? You might, and then again you might not. If I walked into my house and a man was beating my wife with a blunt object I don’t think I’m going to need an after-action personal pity party for shooting the guy.

If, as a police officer, I see a guy try to shoot my partner in the face, I think I’d defend my partner and shoot the guy. Afterward, would I be a babblingcourt-jester-idiot laughing my butt off at the fact I got to shoot somebody? No. Then again, would I be in need of a psychiatrist to help me resolve my inner issues of dealing with the destruction of one of my own species? Not in this situation.

Not My Species

Then again he is not one of my species. In fact, he and I are not anything alike. Trust me — they are different, and the fact I’m not crying over this knot-head doesn’t make me dirty, cruel and heartless. In fact, when I shot him it was based on what HE did, not on what I did. See the difference?

This predator could have gotten a job as a Sell-Mart greeter, or a janitor, or whatever, instead of robbing banks, taking hostages, shooting cops or blowing up buildings.

News Flash: When the bad guys get shot, they get shot for doing what THEY did. My shooting him is based on HIS actions — not mine. Forgive me if I refuse to gear myself mentally to feel sorry for someone who was trying to take my life. In fact, to quote my good friend Chris Edwards: “It’s not my fault.”

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