Subjectively

I have heard some really bad advice in my time.  I’ve gotten bad advice about cars, homes, girlfriends, and even money.  But I think the worst topic I’ve ever gotten bad advice about is self defence.

I am going to present the information that I wish I had gotten 20 years ago.  Some of this information is highly opinionated.  That’s what makes it valuable.  It is the kind of stuff that will undoubtedly earn me flames from the general gun crowd, but you really need to know it to make good decisions.  Please keep reading even if you disagree.  In fact, please keep reading especially if you disagree.

The first topic of discussion is risk management.  Let me explain what I mean by that.  Most people who buy homes pay for homeowners insurance.   They also generally buy flood insurance, and possibly a separate accidental damage policy.  They pray that they will never have to cash in on the policy, and put it in the bank safety deposit box, hopefully to never think about it again.  Is your life more valuable to you than your home?  Sure, you can buy life insurance.  But life insurance is a misnomer.  It doesn’t keep you alive.  It just pays for your responsibilities when you are gone.  The police are not going to keep you alive, they are just going to incarcerate whoever killed you.

There is only one reasonable choice for “keep-your-life” insurance.  It is called a firearm.  The only difference between keeping a firearm for protection and buying insurance for protection is that you are not allowed to forget it.  You have to actively carry it, maintain it, and generally be aware of it.  And this is where some people get off the bandwagon.  They just don’t want to be reminded that often of a threat that seems kinda distant.

Please understand that I fully support any means you can come up with to avoid the situation in the first place.  Don’t go to strange places.  Don’t start fights.  If you see one, learn how to de-escalate.  If you can’t lower the tension, leave.  There are many techniques for threat avoidance and I suggest you learn them and use them.

That being said, you will very likely be involved in an armed confrontation sometime in your life.  In fact, it is almost statistically certain.  I would post some links to the statistics here, but it really doesn’t matter.  The truth is, you have either realized by this point that we are living in a very imperfect world, or you live under a rock.

When that time comes (and it will) you will be highly grateful to have something other than your bare hands available.  You can do your best with a handy can of soup off of the nearest shelf, but you will be amazingly grateful when that something is a firearm.