Southdale Shopping Center facing serious Gang Issues!

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by Binky .357

But enough of all of this, mine wasn't an intention to derail this thread, only to respond to the ad hominem attack on people who


Again, sh*t happens, especially in large areas where several people congregate as a matter of routine. I plan to be ready for it.

Once again, I'll let my side of the discussion rest as long as others are willing to stop taking jabs at the concept of gun ownership being a proactive way for a law abiding citizen to defend themselves.

Right, and now I have a question for you.

This is the scenario. You're walking thru a dark corner of the city. Your weapon is "safely" stowed in your waistband or elsewhere. A bad guy approaches, displays a gun, demands your wallet.

Now what? If you do ANYTHING other than swiftly reach for your wallet, you have to assume you'll be shot. I don't see how your gun helps you in this situation. In fact, it could very easily make things worse. What happens when two guys are aiming guns at each other? Someone will be shot. Maybe you.

[Binky .357]

Originally Posted by Globe199

Right, and now I have a question for you.

This is the scenario. You're walking thru a dark corner of the city. Your weapon is "safely" stowed in your waistband or elsewhere. A bad guy approaches, displays a gun, demands your wallet.

Now what? If you do ANYTHING other than swiftly reach for your wallet, you have to assume you'll be shot. I don't see how your gun helps you in this situation. In fact, it could very easily make things worse. What happens when two guys are aiming guns at each other? Someone will be shot. Maybe you.

Why in the name of god would I be walking through a dark corner of the city? Why would I allow a "bad guy" to get close enough to be a threat without first evaluating him or his intentions? Why would I give him my real wallet and not toss a throwaway with fake credit cards and phoney money (not conterfeit, but the "Jesus Saves" crap that floats around from time to time, or the $3 bills with Clintons face on it) at his feet to distract him?

First of all, I'm not going anywhere more than one or two blocks from my vehicle when I'm in anything remotely resembling a city. Second, if I see an unknown person approaching me (either focused intently on me or casting furtive glances all around, as if looking for witnesses) without first hailing me or asking for some kind of help, the weapon I carry will be a little closer at hand. Third, I do carry a "throw wallet" to distract the hypothetical thug. Fourth, I'll be damned if I'm gonna comply with someone who's likely to shoot me anyway, just for kicks or to eliminate a witness.

The biggest of these is, I don't go where trouble is likely, ie "some dark corner of the city". That's a far cry from the Mall in question in this thread.

If my vehicle broke down in a "dark corner of the city", the first thing I would do is lock the doors, second is arm myself, and third is to call a tow truck. Calling the cops would be optional, unless real trouble presented itself.

I really don't walk into "dark corners of the city" with the habit of letting my guard down. Paranoid? Practical? I hope I really never have to find out.

(As an aside, being in a "dark corner of the city" would be one of the few practical times to carry openly with a retention holster, ie a shoulder holster or level 2 belt holster. If that attracts the attention of the cops, so be it. I'd rather have a cop pay a little closer attention to me because I'm armed than have a thug pay attention to me becaus he thinks I'm not.

There are so many of the Pants-Sh***ers that say my gun wil be taken from me if I carry openly, but I have yet to see one verifiable, documented case where a person with a permit to carry was carrying openly and had their firearm taken from them. Maybe they're there, but such accounts are rare as spun gold.

And besides, if it's that easy to snatch my gun from me, I'll just snatch it back from the "bad guy". Easy, huh?)

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by Binky .357

Why in the name of god would I be walking through a dark corner of the city? Why would I allow a "bad guy" to get close enough to be a threat without first evaluating him or his intentions? Why would I give him my real wallet and not toss a throwaway with fake credit cards and phoney money (not conterfeit, but the "Jesus Saves" crap that floats around from time to time, or the $3 bills with Clintons face on it) at his feet to distract him?

First of all, I'm not going anywhere more than one or two blocks from my vehicle when I'm in anything remotely resembling a city. Second, if I see an unknown person approaching me (either focused intently on me or casting furtive glances all around, as if looking for witnesses) without first hailing me or asking for some kind of help, the weapon I carry will be a little closer at hand. Third, I do carry a "throw wallet" to distract the hypothetical thug. Fourth, I'll be damned if I'm gonna comply with someone who's likely to shoot me anyway, just for kicks or to eliminate a witness.

The biggest of these is, I don't go where trouble is likely, ie "some dark corner of the city". That's a far cry from the Mall in question in this thread.

If my vehicle broke down in a "dark corner of the city", the first thing I would do is lock the doors, second is arm myself, and third is to call a tow truck. Calling the cops would be optional, unless real trouble presented itself.

I really don't walk into "dark corners of the city" with the habit of letting my guard down. Paranoid? Practical? I hope I really never have to find out.

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Wow. I mean, WOW. You are a very scared person. How did you get to be so scared? If you don't go anywhere you'd need a gun, why do you need a gun? I don't jump out of planes. Ergo, I don't own a parachute.

I go into the big, bad city all the time. I've never owned nor carried a gun. Am I stupid or just not frightened beyond my wits?

I have a friend like you. He loves guns. Owns several. Keeps one in his car. He thinks Minneapolis is an exceedingly dangerous place. He also subscribes to the misguided theory that if a thief believes you may be armed (because of the conceal and carry law), he is less likely to rob you. That theory has been disproved repeatedly.

[golfgal]

Ok, kids, that is enough, thread closed.