Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Florida Movie Theater Shooting: Don't Engage People If You Lack Social Skills


Florida Movie Theater Shooting: Don't Engage People If You Lack Social Skills

If you see a person engaging in what you perceive to be bad behavior, think twice before you go over there and start telling them how to behave. Yes, it is legal to approach people and to talk to them BUT you may not be well received, especially if you have an "attitude." 

You see, your actions, words, and tone might offend the person you are trying to correct and he now may just be sufficiently motivated to teach you a lesson. Some people just do not know how to "talk" to people and should not do so until they learn how to do so. 

If nobody is being harmed and the only thing that is being trampled upon is your nerves and your feelings, take a chill pill and keep it moving. Otherwise, call the police. If the police aren't coming, then maybe you need to check yourself.

I know that hindsight is 20/20, but if you find yourself in a theater and somebody is making noises which is disturbing your movie-watching experience, you have several options: politely talk to the person, tell an usher, or move to another seat. Versions of the story I have read suggest that the shooter only earnestly attempted one of the aforementioned options.

You can't start a confrontation which then devolves into physical contact and THEN claim you are afraid and can now use lethal force to defend yourself. Most people understand the concept of "imminent danger" but many get lost on another term - reasonable. It is not reasonable to start a confrontation, participate in the escalation, and then decide to use lethal force because things are not going your way in the aftermath.

Trust me, I know how hard it is to let perceived trespasses and slights slide. At times, it seems that I am a magnet for weirdos, psychos, and idiots. If you know me well, you were probably with me when one of these incidents occurred. 

However, at the end of the day, I truly understand that a firearm is a tool of last resort and that carrying a firearm is a grave responsibility. As such, I don't have a need to teach people lessons unless they are trying to mug me, carjack me, home-invade me, or otherwise cause me great bodily harm.

Perhaps, the thing that bugs me most about this incident which did indeed occur in Florida a couple of days ago, is the arrogance and duplicity of anti-gun advocates once again attempting to mislead the public that "Stand Your Ground" laws are flawed. They are not - the logic of the gun-grabbers is intentionally misleading. 

There is no sane reason why a person in a place he both legally has a right to be AND who is not committing a crime should attempt to run before defending himself when he is presented with BOTH a REASONABLE and an IMMINENT threat of great bodily harm, sexual assault, or death. Anybody suggesting that victims should get shot in the back before attempting a defense needs his head examined. 

The focus legally should always be on the bad guy's actions and NOT on what the victim did or didn't do in the aftermath of a dangerous situation presenting itself.

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About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, UPI, NRAnews, Guns Digest, Tactical-Life, The Truth About Guns, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, The Detroit Examiner, WJLB, WGPR, and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about free shooting lessons for women and Michigan CCW Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com.
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.74

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