(The chair is for concealment and steadier aim. It’s not bullet proof cover, no matter what movies show.)
An increasing number of massacres of unarmed civilians are now recorded. Most people who are able to hold a cell phone steadily enough to get a recognizable video would have no trouble holding a pistol or a carbine well enough to return fire on terrorists. And, with sound suppressors being essentially over the counter items in France, the attackers wouldn’t be able to see or hear the source all that well with the noise of their own guns masking it.
PS: A more substantive article on the terrorist attack in Paris.
*** help any scumbag attempting this while you’re there… I like your photography, it’s beautiful and educational as well.
The scenario with myself present has run through my mind more than a few times.
Those that don’t carry don’t realize the items in a store at their disposal for self defense may also save their life. Canned food, a baseball bat off the rack, canned aerosol. Whatever it takes to incapacitate an active shooter, and TAKE THEIR GUN. That can then be used to stop other shooters…
I’ve always been impressed reading stories of Palestinian gunmen attacking Israeli civilians and being stopped by passers by. One in particular sticks in my mind of a gunman who shot the driver of a school bus and was about to board it when across the median, a man saw what was happening, stopped his car, took aim and fired his M-16 at the gunman, killing him before he could do any more damage.
I think that, having allowed the threat to enter our nations here in the west, we’ll likely be faced with a need to do similar things or face the reality of bad guys racking up large body counts.
Cops simply cannot be everywhere, nor would we want them to.
Then again, from discussions about recent events in Israel I have learned that the average civilian is not allowed to carry a defensive weapon. The victims in the recent synagogue attack in Jerusalem were all unarmed, for example, and apparently a desire to be able to defend oneself is considered insufficient justification for a weapons permit.
Israel desperately needs constitutional carry (as do the other countries of the world); but they do not have it today.
I agree wholeheartedly. The problem is people still tend to think they’re less safe with everyone armed than they are with only the bad guys and the govt. armed.
In short, they’ve bought the bill of goods sold by the bliss ninnies and the statists that would rather have unarmed livestock than armed citizens to deal with.
It’s a seductive lie. Just let the “experts” deal with the bad guys. Trust us. We can make all the problems go away if you’ll just give us the authority and money to do it. Isn’t that easier than being responsible for your own security in this scary dangerous world? A lot of people fall for it because frankly, a lot of people are deeply stupid, cowardly and generally useless.
Um, you might warn a fella about clicking that first link; especially if they are reading you while at work. Yikes.
Sorry, I just corrected the link to the actual video I meant to connect. The copy-paste was accidental, from another discussion.
Thanks (although, is it wrong to admit that I prefer the original linkage).
Seeing the video helps me to more fully understand the point of your post. The photographer was *close* to the action; like, within pistol range easily. Heck, as John Thomas points out, they were probably also withing tomato can range.
The attackers had no vertical situational awareness. Even a person with a .22 pistol could have taken them down — a hit on the head or the neck would have been very likely to debilitate. Or a few shots at the getaway driver through the car roof…
I’m sure the bystanders and the people being shot were all thinking
“Thank goodness for our strict firearm controls here in France!”