Originally Posted by
MickR
You'll have to forgive me if I've misunderstood or if I haven't made myself understood. I think practice is very necessary.
The point I was trying to make was in reference to protecting what you have, with deadly force if necessary, as a few comments alluded to that being a possible scenario, and rightly so.
What I was trying to say, was, it's all well and good to say you have the fire-power to use if required, but if you have never had the joys of having bullets thumping into the ground around you and buzzing around your head (and I hope none of you do, that haven't already). You don't know how you're going to react. There is no practice for having someone shoot at you, with deadly intent and real bullets.
The first time surviver of such an encounter has to deal with the phsycological aftermath. Even if they dealt with the situation at hand, there is no telling whether they, to put it crudely, 'harden up' or go to water the next time around.
The victim of such an attack, if similarly armed, also has to be mentally prepared to kill.
It is a complex subject and as individual as the people who are in the situation, and the situation itself. There is much wasted ammunition, as those involved just panic, and blaze away, hitting nothing. Then panic some more as they reload. Maybe it's dark and they load a round in backwards (yes it can happen with some weapons)...You see what I'm trying to say? You just can't practice for the real life situation well enough to fully understand your own reactions.
Mindset, a preparedness to do or act coldly, ruthlessly, to another, and to be prepared for whatever you can imagine doing to another, being done to you, and surviving that when all is said and done. This is what cannot be practiced.
Fear is something that you need. Fear is the fight or flight reaction. You need fear and you need to learn how to control fear, so that you can bend it to your will. To stand and fight viciously, or, if heavily out numbered, to run so much faster than the pack.
:)
Mick