Guns, Knives & Videotape

The debate around 2^nd Amendment rights, although politically important has led many people to neglect the use and carry of other available weapons that in certain situation may be more relevant and applicable than a firearm e.g. there are occasions when non-lethal weapons such as batons and CS Sprays etc may be more suitable for dealing with an aggressor than a handgun or similar. Not every self-defense situation requires the use of lethal force and having alternative solutions means that an individual doesn’t have to pull their piece when either the law or the level of risk within the situation doesn’t justify it. Just because a handgun can deal with the most extreme of threats doesn’t mean it should be used to deal with all threats.

Taking a firearms course and buying a gun, in and of itself, doesn’t demonstrate much thought and consideration concerning your self-protection needs. Anyone who carries any weapon needs to understand the situations and scenarios when they would draw and then potentially use that weapon – to my way of thinking, as soon as you draw a weapon you need to be prepared to use it; I would actually go further and say that drawing a weapon signals your intent to use it and the situation must de-escalate quickly and significantly for said weapon not to be used. This is also how I view other people’s mindsets and intent when pulling weapons out against me (in spontaneously violent situations) i.e. they are intending to use them. If during a verbal discussion or argument somebody pulls a knife on me, I’m going to work off the basis that they intend to cut me as that would be the only reason why I’d be drawing mine. I would never draw a weapon either for “show” or in the “hope” that it would dissuade someone from acting/behaving in a certain way.

If I’m carrying a firearm and draw it, I’m doing so with the intent to use it i.e. the situation determined it as the solution; if I don’t have to, all well and good. That’s a bonus.

Carrying a knife is not a less than lethal option. A knife is an offensive not a defensive weapon. It may lack the potential collateral damage that a firearm can have however a knife is certainly not a defensive weapon. I would actually argue that a 9 mm has more defensive capabilities and options than a 2.5 inch blade: 1. the level of intimidation is greater which means it may dissuade a person from aggressive and violent behavior, 2. It can be used whilst you are backing off/away whilst a knife requires movement towards an aggressor to be effective and 3. A handgun can be used to take away a person’s movement whilst at distance ( a shot to the knee or hip joint – a tactic used against suicide bombers in the middle east), whereas a blade needs to be applied up close, personal and directly at the assailant. At the end of the day it is as easy and as likely to kill a person when using a knife as it is when using a firearm.

I am no attorney however my cod legal knowledge tells me that it will be a hard job to argue the case for carrying and using a knife, even if the length of the blade conforms to your state’s laws. I have a 2.49 inch blade, which is legal for me to carry in Boston that can kill you with the same level of skill and ease as a 4 inch knife that would be illegal in the same city. The blade length may give me “carry” rights but to a Jury in a court of law, a knife is simply a knife. It matters little if I cut someone with a 2 inch knife as a 5 inch knife, a knife is a knife and it only has one purpose. Being legal doesn’t translate to having the right to use. The situation determines the solution and to 99% of the population and legal world a knife is a knife.

The police don’t use knives and there are reasons beyond the risk of blood on the uniform for this. If a policeman pulls a lethal weapon they want to be sure (as well as justified) of the effect. The consequences of a bullet are far more predictable than that of a knife. But they also have two other non-lethal weapons at their disposal: a Baton and CS Spray. Even though batons are illegal to carry in Massachusetts, if you were to use one you’d have a great point of reference to explain that you were using it in a less than lethal capacity i.e. that’s how the police use them. With a baton you can create and maintain distance, which clearly identifies you as a person wanting to avoid conflict. You can make this case regardless of the number of hits and strikes you may land on your assailant – a hard argument to make if the injuries are wounds and cuts that are dispensed by a bladed weapon.

A knife requires close contact to be effective - a baton doesn’t, neither does CS Spray. These are weapons that can be deployed at distance, meaning that you can be moving away from an assailant as you deploy them, whereas a knife can’t. These are true defensive weapons. There are times you need offensive capabilities, whilst at distance, these require a firearm. However to have defensive capabilities at depth you need to be able to employ both lethal and less than lethal solutions appropriately. Above all you need situational awareness and effective decision making skills to ensure you can deploy your solutions effectively.

Not all violence is the same. There are those aggressors that simply need to be kept at bay whilst you escape/disengage etc and those who need to be finished. Have a knife, carry a baton, own a variety of firearms etc, just make sure you are able to handle all manner of situations.