Would you take matters into your own hands if you were in the middle of a terrorist attack? (employees, assault)
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Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cali BassMan
It's hard to say what anyone would do, fear would be a factor, it's easy to talk a good game until bullets start flying....
This. If folks have never been around assault rifles without hearing protection, than they really have no idea just how loud and startling it can be. Not to mention if there are IEDs going off around you.
I have no clue. Do I have a weapon or not? How many are there? Do they catch me by surprise or do I see them and or hear them first? There are these variables and other variables that I haven't listed that have to be taken into consideration.
About the only thing you can do in a situation like that is take cover and protect yourself. If you can manage that, then possibly your next course of action would be to see if you can do anything to stop the terrorists.
The reality of the situation is, the terrorists have had weeks, months, sometimes even years to plan their attack. They've chosen that specific moment due to a variety of factors to make the outcome more favorable to them. Anyone who finds themselves thrust into that situation in a moment's notice is at a severe disadvantage, and even making it out alive is a win.
With some advance warning and a weapon, of course I would take action. The consequences of not doing anything would be far worse. If you could stop just one terrorist out of a group from detonating a bomb, you could potentially save hundreds of lives.
Of course it depends on the specifics of the attack. But I wouldn't rule out any possible action, from running away to hiding to taking action if I thought I could make a meaningful difference.
While most American men like to think that they are men of action, most are not and I used to assume that if faced with a truly scary/threatening situation I'd be most likely to run away or hide because I believe that is the most typical human reaction.
However last year I was witness to a shooting on the streets here in Chicago, and when I say "witness to" I mean I was literally directly across the street from it, saw the car stop, saw the gunman exit the car, saw him lift his gun and watched him shoot. Feeling surprisingly fearless, I stood there watching, debating what to do, judging whether I had enough time to sneak up on him and disarm him, judging whether I was big enough to overpower him if necessary. I don't know for sure what I would have decided only because my partner forced me to take cover behind a parked car. *His* reaction was to get down and hide, but mine was not.
So I can't say for certain what I'd do without seeing that actual situation but I can say with certainty that I wouldn't just automatically hide or run and I really might take matters into my own hands.
I'd be the roadrunner...and lickity split, run for cover! Naturally I have no desire to kill any others in the process, so stay off the sidewalks when I clear out
guns, bombs and the weapons they garner will most likely maim and kill within seconds.
I find it funny when folks say they don't mind dying...How do you know? Zombie perhaps?
I lived thru some riots and that was scarry enough, I cannot imagine the terror some endure for years even with these styles of barbaric mentality.
Our americanization of the RAMBO mentality is akin to the style terrorist use....guess humans haven't evolved....
Of course it depends on the specifics of the attack. But I wouldn't rule out any possible action, from running away to hiding to taking action if I thought I could make a meaningful difference.
While most American men like to think that they are men of action, most are not and I used to assume that if faced with a truly scary/threatening situation I'd be most likely to run away or hide because I believe that is the most typical human reaction.
However last year I was witness to a shooting on the streets here in Chicago, and when I say "witness to" I mean I was literally directly across the street from it, saw the car stop, saw the gunman exit the car, saw him lift his gun and watched him shoot. Feeling surprisingly fearless, I stood there watching, debating what to do, judging whether I had enough time to sneak up on him and disarm him, judging whether I was big enough to overpower him if necessary. I don't know for sure what I would have decided only because my partner forced me to take cover behind a parked car. *His* reaction was to get down and hide, but mine was not.
So I can't say for certain what I'd do without seeing that actual situation but I can say with certainty that I wouldn't just automatically hide or run and I really might take matters into my own hands.
It's usually better to watch the hit from behind the car. I don't think standing in the open is the smart thing to do. If you weren't armed, your chances of doing anything to the guy were slim to none--unless you were Clayton Kershaw and happened to be holding a baseball.
Even in video games, pistols lose to rifles 80-90% of the time. Also the person who gets surprised is almost always screwed. No. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out. I would be running or hiding, regardless of whether I had my weapon on me.
If the attack started literally right in front of me, and I was trapped, maybe then I would intervene out of a lack of better options.
It's usually better to watch the hit from behind the car. I don't think standing in the open is the smart thing to do. If you weren't armed, your chances of doing anything to the guy were slim to none--unless you were Clayton Kershaw and happened to be holding a baseball.
Like I said, it depends entirely on the circumstances. You have to weigh a lot of factors. Personal risk is just one of those factors.
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