# No thanks, I'll take my chances with the psychopath. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 23, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135 "2012-07-23T14:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/421 "2012-07-27T14:35:26Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > Basically what he briefly glossed over is that no other security measures presently available, feasible, affordable or practical can prevent or even mitigate an attack like this. Never have never will. So… a random member of the public who happens to be armed with a round in the right caliber can take down a gunman, but an armed security guard can’t? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/422 "2012-07-27T14:35:54Z")
To expand on what ExTank and Czarcasm just said, young-ish people in America who aren’t suicide risks are most likely to die in car accidents. Hands down. If you really want to avoid “becoming a victim,” you’ll drive 5 miles an hour under the speed limit in the safest car you can afford. You’ll look up the most dangerous intersections in your area and avoid them like the plague. You’ll never drive if you’ve had so much as a drop of alcohol, you’ll leave your cell phone at home or have the discipline to never touch it. You’ll not drive more than 8 hours in a stretch, you’ll get a hotel if you find yourself on the road while getting a little bit sleepy. The first aid kit in your car will make army medics jealous. You’ll have OnStar in case you get into an accident and nobody’s around to call 911 for you. I know 0 people who behave like this. But I know lots of people who have a bunch of handguns, carry them all the time, train in their proper use, endlessly plan for the active shooter scenario, and otherwise waste their time preparing to defend themselves in an event that is statistically never going to happen. And yet, their automobile safety blows, because they’re also the type of people to drive relatively unsafe sports cars and 4x4s, to drive them too fast, to drink and drive, to drive while distracted, and to drive while tired. Drives me nuts (pun intended). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/423 "2012-07-27T14:48:29Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > There are too many people like Tagos who expect somebody else - the gubmit, the cops, the “authorities” (who or whatever they are) to _keep them safe_. The stark reality is nobody buy you can keep you safe. If you believe otherwise you are living under a dangerous illusion. What we’re trying to do is keep ourselves safe from people like you. We can’t do anything about crazy people determined to do harm – not even necesarily if we have a gun – but there’s a chance we might be able to keep the well-meaning would-be heroes from making things worse through ill-considered action by pointing out the inherent problems in assuming that these situations are as simple as you seem to think they are. ---
**Author:** ![kwimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@kwimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kwimby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/424 "2012-07-27T14:51:05Z")
So we come full circle, back to OP. See my post 363 in this thread. Whether or not you agree with how anyone prioritizes, emphasizes or indulges in their risk taking activities, be it driving, skydiving, or attending late night movie venues or bathtub safety practices, you have no right to force them to see it how you do. Don’t like guns? Fine, don’t have them. Don’t attend gun shows. Don’t hunt. Don’t participate in target shooting or Olympic skeet shooting competition. Certainly don’t carry a concealed weapon for personal protection for chrissakes! But above all, don’t try to tell me what I can and cannot or should not do. What part of that don’t you get? ---
**Author:** ![kwimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@kwimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kwimby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/425 "2012-07-27T14:55:03Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > What we’re trying to do is keep ourselves safe from people like you. I don’t know what you’re worried about. I haven’t killed that many people. Even your supporters here have illustrated how gun violence is nowhere near the top of the list of things you should be worried about. Hell, it’s not even on the first page! Why don’t you get that? Oh, now I remember - you saw a news story about a mass shooting in CO… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/426 "2012-07-27T14:55:54Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > But above all, don’t try to tell me what I can and cannot or should not do. > > What part of that don’t you get? The bit where you get to tell **me** what I can and cannot or should not do. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/427 "2012-07-27T14:56:27Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > What part of that don’t you get? This thread didn’t have a fucking thing to do with gun control. It was a bitchfest about wannabe Chow Yun-Fats. Like you. _You_ saw people talking about guns, and decided it must be about gun control. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/428 "2012-07-27T14:58:24Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > Why don’t you get that? Oh, now I remember - you saw a news story about a mass shooting in CO… No, **mewling kwimby** , I saw a post about you saying how people in the audience at that shooting would have been safer if people had shot back. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/429 "2012-07-27T14:59:37Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > What we’re trying to do is keep ourselves safe from people like you. We can’t do anything about crazy people determined to do harm. Quite. I don’t believe untrained armed fantasists do anything but make me less safe. ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/430 "2012-07-27T15:00:04Z")
It seems to me that if your goal is to keep yourself from becoming a victim of a crazed gunman on a shooting spree, your focus should be not on carrying a gun but on _wearing bulletproof body armor at all times._ I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure there are no laws against that in any state in the union, and it will keep _you_ from being a “victim” without further endangering the lives of anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![kwimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@kwimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kwimby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/431 "2012-07-27T15:01:24Z")
My goal was to prove you wrong in your bitchfest. Done. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/432 "2012-07-27T15:03:31Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > My goal was to prove you wrong in your bitchfest. > > Done. If only you were done. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/433 "2012-07-27T15:03:36Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > So we come full circle, back to OP. See my post 363 in this thread. > > Whether or not you agree with how anyone prioritizes, emphasizes or indulges in their risk taking activities, be it driving, skydiving, or attending late night movie venues or bathtub safety practices, you have no right to force them to see it how you do. > > Don’t like guns? Fine, don’t have them. Don’t attend gun shows. Don’t hunt. Don’t participate in target shooting or Olympic skeet shooting competition. Certainly don’t carry a concealed weapon for personal protection for chrissakes! > > But above all, don’t try to tell me what I can and cannot or should not do. > > What part of that don’t you get? Oh you poor oppressed martyr. It must be rough going through life with all these invented attacks bringing you down. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/434 "2012-07-27T15:05:37Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > To expand on what ExTank and Czarcasm just said… Do 'y’all see this? On the _very_ rare occasion when the topic is guns and you see anything that looks like this, _you damn well better listen!_😉 ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/435 "2012-07-27T15:08:59Z")
This is exactly where intelligent (or maybe just not mentally impaired) people figure out that talking points need to be tailored to the debate. Several current gun owners, both with and without concealed weapons permits, have weighed in on how stupid **kwim** ’s scenario is. But it’s somehow about “gun control”, instead. ETA: Oh, and I see **kwims** has pulled Stupid Rhetorical Trick #512: declare victory in the face of defeat. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/436 "2012-07-27T15:15:06Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > ETA: Oh, and I see **kwims** has pulled Stupid Rhetorical Trick #512: declare victory in the face of defeat. It pretty much goes hand-in-hand with the “I alone fully understand reality and everyone who opposes me is a dogma-blinded sheeple” argument. As we’ve seen multiple times this summer. ---
**Author:** ![HansGrosse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@HansGrosse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HansGrosse)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/437 "2012-07-27T15:15:58Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > When somebody is shooting at me it is pretty close to the top of the list of reactionary activities. Quickly assessing the situation is always #1. Everything else follows. The fact that you seem to want to assume everything wrong about what someone thinks and does is pretty apparent. I won’t stoop to your level of name calling and just reiterate my advice - leave it at home if you either can’t or won’t use it when it’s called for. > > This time it was called for. Too bad. I pray I never end up in a theater with you if some crazy madman like Holmes drops in. The last thing a scared, confused civilian needs is to get pegged in the head by some dude with good intentions but poor judgment and shitty aim. ---
**Author:** ![kwimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@kwimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kwimby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/438 "2012-07-27T15:16:24Z")
How’s the bitchfest goin?! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/439 "2012-07-27T15:21:26Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > How’s the bitchfest goin?! 😛 Pretty good from our point of view. Not so good for you. But thanks for askin’. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135/440 "2012-07-27T15:21:53Z")
> [@kwimby](#): > > How’s the bitchfest goin?! 😛 Pretty much distracted by the warrior wannabe off in the corner giggling to himself, but thanks for asking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thanks-ill-take-my-chances-with-the-psychopath/629135.md?page=23)