Wait…what…a gun guy quoting Shakespeare?!
“The better part of valor is discretion.” is from Shakespeare’s character Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV. It is unfortunate that the Falstaff character was somewhat dishonorable since his quote has value, meaning and is very relevant in the real world.
I was asked recently, “What would you do if you were armed and saw criminal activity afoot?” What seems like a simple question actually requires much thought, and something anyone who chooses to be armed in public should seriously ponder. The answer I gave; “it depends.”
There are several courses of action.
- You could engage.
- You could surveil the situation, call 911 and relay real time intelligence to the responders covertly until they arrive.
- You could be a good witness after the fact.
- Or, you could just do nothing.
What do you do? It depends. It depends on the totality of the circumstances at hand. It depends on what the evil doer is up to.
In my opinion, “just do nothing” is not acceptable, and engaging should be reserved for the circumstance of an immediate threat of serious bodily injury or death to an innocent. So, engaging is not applicable in all circumstances. That leaves being a good witness and/or providing real time information to the responders.
Is the evil doer actively perpetrating an assault? Then, engagement may well be justified course of action. Is the evil doer leaving he area with the six pack he just lifted from the convenience store? Perhaps being a good witness after the fact is the most reasonable course of action. Is the evil doer breaking to unoccupied vehicles in the parking lot? Perhaps calling to 911 and being the responders’ real time eyes and ears on scene is appropriate. The point is that there our reaction varies depending on the circumstances presented. Drawing the gun is only one possible response, and likely, the least frequently needed reaction.
Let us remember that as a citizen who chooses to be armed, you do not have law enforcement’s playbook. Responding officers do not know who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. We do not know their standard operating procedures. We do not have direct radio communication. We are not uniformed. All of this can be a recipe for tragedies. There have been many documented instances where responding officers have addressed the person with the gun even though he/she was in actuality the good guy with the gun. It happens not only with well-meaning armed civilians, but also in what is known as “blue on blue” where responding officers do not know what they are responding to is, in actuality, another law enforcement officer engaged in an enforcement activity.
These are complex issues that require serious thought and planning to prevent needless escalation and tragedy. Your training should not only focus on marksmanship skills but should also be focused on developing a mindset to think through these complex issues and make a decision in a cool, calm, rational way while under the stress of the moment. Developing a mindset requires education regarding subjects such as the laws in the area you are carrying, situational awareness, and personal safety beyond the use of the firearm. Choosing to be armed does not end at the gun store when the NICS check comes back as a “Proceed.” It does not end with a firearms safety class. Being responsible depends on us being aware, having an educated mindset, and maintaining our physical marksmanship skills through routine training.
The mission of South Alabama Firearms Education is to educate citizens to be confident, competent, safe and responsible gun owners. Please reach out to us anytime at www.firearmsed.com and click on the contact us link.