Self Defense advice from. . . a gangbanger?

I don't know that a gang banger is the best person to take advice from but it does lend to the argument (one I wholly subscribe to) that when citizen carry is allowed violence against citizens drops. Thugs and mugs are much less inclined to attack someone if they know they may be armed.

As for police officials not agreeing with this advice, that is understandable, at least publicly. The last thing they want is someone taking their advice and then getting killed in some machismo blaze of gunfire because they don't know how to handle a weapon. Next of Kin Litigation ensues.

If you are going to buy and carry a gun YOU MUST TRAIN WITH IT. It isn't a magic wand and if you think by merely showing pointing and pulling the trigger you will win a confrontation then the odds are very much against you.

This is not meant to be a broadbrush statement but it is also true that most people who carry a gun and train with it ARE BETTER SHOTS than the local police who may need to only qualify once a year and that at a very low proficiency level.

(I know one local cop who has said their qualifying pretty much involves knowing how to hold the weapon and pull the trigger. Shots on target don't matter)

Your safety is YOUR responsibility, whether from gangbangers or Crazy Jihadis. Treat it seriously. That firearm is also your responsibility. Make sure you know how to do more than just put it in it's holster.

from Red Alerts h/t Damien:

Buffalo Gang Banger on Avoiding Gang Violence: “Buy a Gun”
by Rob Taylor on January 4th, 2010

This little quote was buried in a longer piece about the rise in gang violence in Buffalo N.Y. which spiked as several local gangs all tried to extend their territory at the same time:

“Buy a gun,” a member of a recently busted inner-city gang told The Buffalo News last week when asked what could be done to curtail homicides. “Hey, I’m just being honest. You asked.”

Tall and good looking, the young man half smiled, shrugged and seemed to disappear into his oversized winter coat.

Twice the victim of gunfire — a fact a street cop confirmed — the young man said he views self-protection as the best means of avoiding death on the streets.

The gangs that fight over territory and drugs, he said, are often not well organized.

“It’s more like disorganized,” he said, asking that his name be withheld.

Police officials don’t agree with his advice to take up a gun, but they do say his description of most local gangs is accurate. The only problem is that these disorganized gangs sometimes hit their targets with deadly accuracy.

The warfare between “disorganized” gangs is on the rise as youth unemployment explodes and cities begin having trouble paying for the necessary law enforcement to keep control of the streets. Add to this the rise in America of transnational gangs like MS-13 who are used to challenging governmental authority and literally creating states within a state and the what you have is a recipe for American citizens getting left to their own devices. Buy a gun or buy a coffin will be a reality for more than just gang members in the coming year.