Chris, you've had some bad luck if you've had to shoot several people. I know a lot of cops personally. Some that have worked Gary IN for 30 + years and never shot anyone.
Gary, Indiana LOL
I have been there!
Imagine a Place 10 times the size of Gary, Indiana, and MUCH worse.
That place would be called Detroit
My Hometown.
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There are several areas in Detroit SO bad, the Cops will not even respond to a call in!
Thus, you are " on your own" if you are unfortunate enough to live there.
You learn to fight real quick as a kid, or face getting your lunch/jacket stolen.
As you become a teenager, you "graduate" from Knives/Baseball Bats/Beer Bottles/etc/etc to guns.
EVEN if you are known to fight when provoked, being known to NOT have a Gun where I am from may get you killed.
And sometimes, EVEN if you do have a Gun, Gangs and those from outside your neighborhood may TRY you
You see Richard, I grew up in the Jeffries Housing Project on Detroit's Lower East Side.
Crime/Drugs were rampant there.
Drug Gangs posted "lookouts" at the entrances of the Housing Project, paid to watch out for the Police where i lived.
Police were shot at so much, they actually QUIT responding to calls!
So, not only was calling the Police to protect you a futile effort, but calling the Police for ANYTHING would quickly get you labeled as a SNITCH.
The old saying "Snitches Get Stitches" was so true, and many known Cop Callers were found dead in Dumpsters, etc.
I did not get my first handgun to "look cool" Richard, i got it to survive.
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We moved to Florida in 1971, I took my Gun with me
Never really had to pull it here
All most of the Rednecks down here wanted to do was fight back then.
Little risk of being killed/shot/stabbed.
I did a lot of street fighting in my day, mostly with Blacks since Detroit is a VERY Black City.
Blacks are TOUGH mo fo's,
MUCH tougher then most white people.
It is no "accident" they dominate many sports/boxing.
After fighting with them, most surburban Redneck white kids were a cake walk.
No Gun "needed"
Now that I will be 55 in October, I look back at my past and wonder how I did some things I did ?
I was at a Beef O' Bradys here locally last Football Season and somehow made a NY Jets Fan mad ??
I told him Vinny Testaverde sucked, w
hen he was with Tampa
The guy actually pushed me, told me he would "kick my azz"
Know what I did ?
I put my hands up with my palms open and said "I know you will kick my azz, I can't fight"
The friends of mine with me that day were shocked.
It was the ALCOHOL talking, and the frustation that his team, the NY Jets were Losing
The very next week, the guy was at Beef O'Bradys again, and came uo to me and said " Thank You for not escalating the situation last week, I was DRUNK"
The Man is a Painting Contractor, and we remain friends to this day.
He has sent me a considerable amount of work!
In a "past life" i know what I would have done to him.
But I have changed.
I have way too much to lose for a moment of "glory" punching out a drunk in a Bar with zillions of witnesses
Besides, i punch in combinations, and THAT is Aggravated Battery in Florida
Yep, a simple everyday Bar Fight can turn into a legal
nightmare IF you throw
more then one punch!
Best to just walk away