Restaurant rethinking allowing concealed weapons after customer shot

[spin]

80. What I don't think you realize is that I carry a legally concealed weapon as a ....

last resort for the slim possibility that I might have to use it against an attacker who seriously intends to severely injure or kill me and has the ability to do so.

While the chances of this ever happening are somewhere around slim to none, it still could happen.

I'll use some dated statistics from 1987 to back up my point. I really don't see a reason to waste too much of my time on this post as I will not change your views. Admittedly our society is somewhat safer than it was in 1987 for many reasons and one of those may be the spread of "shall issue" concealed carry which became law in October of 1987 in Florida. You may argue that the spread of concealed carry across our nation had little effect on the crime rate but I will point out that it didn't cause the crime rate to increase substantially.

83% TO BE VICTIMS OF CRIME VIOLENCE
Special to the New York Times
Published: March 09, 1987

Eighty-three percent of 12-year-old children in the United States will be victims or intended victims of violent crimes at least once in their lifetimes, the Justice Department reported today. Fifty-two percent will be victims of such crimes more than once.

Using figures compiled by the Government's National Crime Survey from 1975 through 1984, the department has calculated for the first time an individual's chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in his or her lifetime.

***snip***

Men are more likely to be violently assaulted than women, the study found. Eighty-nine percent of 12-year-old boys can expect to become victims of violent crimes, as against 73 percent for girls. Nearly one in four men will be robbed, but only one out of five women.

***snip***

Almost 3 out of 4 households will be burglarized at least once in a 20-year period, and theft without forcible entry will occur in 9 out of 10 homes. Urban households have a 93 percent of being burglarized, and rural homes 82 percent.
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/09/us/83-to-be-victims-of-crime-violence.html

Now if some street thug comes up to me and asks for my wallet, I will evaluate him. If I seriously believe that all he wants is the wallet I will give it to him. I can always replace my money, my credit cards and my ID but I can't replace my health or my life easily.

But if the attacker is acting in a manner that indicates that he is going to beat the crap out of me or injure or kill me with a weapon, I will use my own weapon to try to stop his attack. I am 66 years old with a bad back and a hip that needs replaced. I have lost most of the martial arts skills that I learned 20 years ago and I have no desire to try to defeat a much younger and far more physically fit person as I doubt that I would be successful.

People differ. You may feel that I am excessively paranoid. I don't expect my house to burn down but I have fire alarms and extinguishers available. I wear a seat belt when I drive five blocks to the grocery store. I have an emergency medical kit in my home and car. I have a NOAA weather radio to alert me to an approaching tornado.

My own personal life experiences have taught me that it is often better to be prepared than to feel that nothing bad will ever happen to me.

Considering that I have been target shooting handguns for over 40 years on a regular basis it is not surprising that I carry a very light and compact revolver with me. Most of the regular shooters that I know here in Florida do the same.

If I were as paranoid as you feel I would carry one of my 1911 .45ACP pistols with me as they are far more effective at stopping an attack than the mouse gun I do carry. Since I have no real fear of ever being attacked my .38 snub nosed revolver is more than adequate and is very easy to conceal and comfortable to carry.