Well, adults carrying toy guns are an endangered species, and I haven’t heard all that much anti-extinction fervor over them.
When there are people around shooting guns, you go for cover, and cover the innocent. After that, you assess the chance of taking action to reduce casualties. If words will work, you use them. You definitely don’t pull your gat, and stand up looking for targets. (Else why have a concealed weapon, right?) If the police show up, you stop doing the gun thing. Your rights are not the issue, simplifying that poor bastard’s tactical problems is the most help you can give him. Yeah, if you see an innocent, such as yourself in imminent danger, and you have a decent shot, you take it. Draw, stance, sight picture, squeeze. Center of mass, then head if the target doesn’t drop. Then you drop, and act as dead as you can.
A guy with a badge and a gun says “put the gun down” you . . . (ready for it?) . . . you put the damn gun down, keeping it pointed up, until it is on the ground. Explaining how you were on his side will be much easier if he doesn’t shoot you. You don’t get to use deadly force against him, just because he made a mistake, but he does. You did have the option of running away, and letting the bad guy shoot up the playground. You won’t even be mentioned in the news report. He gets vilified for not doing something, even if he does do something, and usually, even if he does the right thing, and it works.
Killing a person, even justly, is a very serious thing, with grave consequnces to you. It will matter for the rest of your life. Being the hero is usually not a good enough reward for the nightmares, and depression you are likely to have. Doing it and then finding out you are not the hero, but rather the idiot with a gun who shot the undercover cop, well, that’s gonna ruin your whole life.
Our Constitution expects you to be responsible for the right to bear arms. I think our founding fathers were a bit on the optomistic side, to be honest. It’s a machine designed to kill people. Any second during which you have one on your person, and don’t have that in mind, you are a danger to the public peace. If you start taking shots at people who do not pose an imminent, and deadly threat to anyone, Congratulation! You are now a dangerous criminal. I might have to shoot you. I sure hope not.
Some armed civilians might reduce the likelihood of deadly violence in public. Then again, others might well increase it. Holding people responsible for their use of arms is entirely constitutional.
Tris
“Write a wise saying and your name will live forever.” ~ Anonymous ~