From: jcmarx@bnr.ca (JC Marx P825)
Subject: Re: handguns (?)
Reply-To: jcmarx@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 12:11:35 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.221353.7322@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>, andy@SAIL.Stanford.EDU (Andy Freeman) writes:
|> In article <1992Aug18.184416.26208@brtph560.bnr.ca> jcmarx@bnr.ca writes:
|> >I think the actual scenario is more like:
|> >1) Woman notices a man stalking her through the parking lot.
|> >2) From her peripheral vision, she sees him running towards her and knows now
|> >  that she cannot make it to her car in time.
|> >3) She runs from the attacker, drawing her revolver from her purse at the
|> >  same time.
|> 
|> Interesting.  Marx assumes that women with guns will behave stupidly.
|> Since they don't, this can only tell us about him, not them, but what
|> does it tell us?

Well, Dirty Harry, let me tell you something about guns; having five or six
days of training (everyone keeps telling me that's all it takes) does not make
one an expert at killing someone. You see, there is a BIG *BIG* difference
between knowing HOW to shoot a pistol at a paper target and how to shoot a
human being. I have several friends who are Vietnam Vets. Even in combat
situations, you (I assume you have never killed a person) would be shocked
and amazed at what goes through a persons mind before/during/after they have
taken another human being's life.

In most cases, people (men or women) buy guns, take the five/six day course
you mentioned and NEVER COME BACK. After so much time (assuming their gun is
still in working order), they find themselves in a situation in which they
must use the weapon. Once in there hand (they are pumped with adrenelin (sp)),
they cannot think as clearly as they like. They often forget things like
clicking the safety, even chambering a bullet. In order to use a hangun
effectively in a stressful moment, USE OF THE WEAPON MUST BE SECOND NATURE - 
THERE IS NO TIME to remember the safety, etc. This requires MUCH MUCH more
training than five or six days.

|> 
|> Does this tell us something about what Marx thinks about women, or
|> what he knows about appropriate behavior?

My father was a GA State Marshal for twelve years. Although I may not be an
expert at "appropriate behavior", I'd like to see YOUR credentials. You seem
to be under the impression that shooting someone by reflex is easy - the
statistics (at least in GA) are staggaring. Killing the enemy, except in the
Dirty Harry type movies, is not as smooth and effortless as you have made it
out -- not for soldiers, not for cops, and not for rape victims.

|> (We already know that he doesn't know how to rank the outcomes in
|> probability order,

I hope YOU never have to take a human life - I hope you will always be able
to enjoy your fantasy world of Clint Eastwood movies.

|> he thinks that people have bigger mace targets than gun targets, that
|> mace is easier to aim,

Most of the mace canisters I have seen employ a SPRAY. Spray means a wide angle
of projection. Unless you're using a shotgun, I don't think you will get a spray
effect from a pistol.

|> more likely, but it could be that he thinks that women are
|> specifically impaired.)

Fortunately, most women do not deceive themselves about the ease of killing
someone. I am sorry if YOU perceive this as an impairment.

And now we return you to our late night feature: Dirty Harry

JC