Posted on 03/17/2002 4:46:15 PM PST by the_devils_advocate_666
Edited on 04/29/2004 2:00:17 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Can I take a wild guess about the races of these players?
You get three guesses, and the first two don't count.
Absolutely. I was fortunate enough to attend Heder during my early school years, so got from there what no one is willing to teach in public school anymore. I spent early hours in public school and the rest of the day, until after dark, except on Fridays, in Hebrew School. I see these kinds of things happening everywhere, not just people of one skin or another, so skin color hardly counts for much. Andrea and Russell Yates are not black. The Ukrainian who murdered his family was not black. People have to get off this, "it can't happen here," kick, and realize that warnings are being sounded everywhere. Pay attention.
I think there are many kids who could make you change your mind.
Well, first there is the issue of living where this would happen. I'm not keen on cities to begin with, so I tend to try to live closer to more rural areas. Second, there is the issue of a complete lack of situational awareness. Complete strangers, in a group no less, knocking on your door and throwing pebbles against your window is not what I call an everyday event.
Okay, so I'm cautious, and the cityfolk call me paranoid. But unusual events around the property will always see me holstering a .45 ACP pistol, and sometimes unlimbering a 12 ga shotgun loaded with 00 buck. Nothing like the occassional pack of feral dogs around here to get your caution up in a jiffy. On the other hand, almost every home out where I live has firearms, and it is not unusual to hear shots during hunting season.
So I find it highly improbable that I would place myself in that situation to begin with. However, to answer your question in the improbable event that something like this happened at my home: yes, I would shoot, after giving a warning if they give me enough time to issue one. Even if they vastly outnumber me and have firearms of their own; I'm not going down without being absolutely certain that the first of them to raise a hand goes down with me. Mobs turn ugly real fast and at unpredictable moments. I'm not taking any chances in that kind of situation. If someone has the presence of mind to participate in a planned group activity (no matter how loosely planned), they have the capacity to accept the full consequences for their own actions. Age is not a factor; capacity to formulate actions is the key.
In practical terms, I would probably move away after something like this happens. It would might be the kind of event that would trigger the expatriation I have been planning.
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