LGBT & Minority Protection: Should you get a gun?

Pictured above: My Taurus TX22 Compact with a Holosun 407k green dot optic, which is moreso a target pistol rather than anything I'd recommend for self defense

This question is being asked all over the internet with the extremist regime in power in the US, and it’s one that’s important enough that I want to add my voice to the discussion just to make sure the message is spread as far and wide as possible.

First off, let me say this: I am not the only person with this take. A lot of left-leaning gun owners are saying the same thing. I myself was personally inspired by Tacticool GF’s multiple discussions on the topic, and found her takes exceptionally responsible and useful, but her voice isn’t the only one singing the same refrain. Folks like Paul Harrell (RIP), Karl over at InRangeTV, and others all have a wealth of knowledge that's helped inspire my take (which should not be taken as gospel, FYI - look at multiple perspectives, too).

The short answer to the question of should you get a gun for personal protection (again, in my opinion): Most likely no, as the likelihood of you needing a lethal response, as well as the viable alternatives available to you, make a gun a problematic choice for most people. I encourage you to read on, though, as I go into a lot of details as to why I say that, and the limited cases where a gun may be useful.

First, let’s talk about the important alternatives to a firearm.

Personal protection: Alternatives to a gun

In the world of self defense, there are a couple of great options available before you get down to the lethality of a gun. I’ll try to keep this short.

If you want my primary recommendation: Everybody should carry pepper spray. You can get this cheaply, it requires very little training to use properly, is almost guaranteed to be legal in your area (disclaimer: I am not a lawyer), and you should have no problems carrying it with you everywhere you go. You don’t need bear mace, or anything crazy: They make great smaller-sized sprays that you can easily carry on your keychain. Just be sure whatever you get has a good, easily-disabled (but not accidentally-disabled) safety to prevent you from macing your crotch, face, etc.

Just practice with it once or twice, and get used to how you prepare it (disabling any potential safety), and you’re all set.

Beyond that, take self-defense courses (actual self-defense courses, too, not just a basic karate class). If you find yourself under assault by someone just using their fists, pulling a gun is a rather extreme level of response, and can also potentially land you in legal hot water (we’ll talk about that later).

Finally, if you’ve got the mobility.. Just run. Seriously! Who gives a fuck if you stood your ground or not: You’re alive, and that’s the goal here.

That’s it. That’s what I would recommend for personal protection for most folks. Let’s talk about a couple bad ideas, though..

Some folks may think carrying a knife is good for personal protection: I’d actually discourage you against that.

Knives are very much NOT a self-defense tool. At best you hope it will scare someone away, but if they’re coming at you with a weapon themselves, odds are (disclaimer: this is anecdotal at best) you’ll end up hurting yourself with said knife as much as the attacker.

Knives are best used by folks who have some serious training in them, and even then they tend to be more effective as an instrument of surprise than defense.

This leads me into something my fellow spoonies may wonder about: Sword canes.

Just.. No. If you’re in a position to need a cane for mobility, you’re hardly going to be able to properly defend yourself with a sword, which requires a greater degree of strength and dexterity. You’re better off just swinging your cane itself than trying to draw a sword from it.

Alright, for those of you who made it this far, let’s talk about using a firearm for self defense and some important considerations.

What to know about using a firearm for self-defense

Alright, shit is going to get real here for a sec.

If you’re going to use a gun to defend yourself, the most important thing everybody who has experience in the firearms industry is going to tell you to do is this: Train.

You have to fucking train constantly.. And I’m not just talking about basic target shooting. You need to practice drawing your firearm, clearing malfunctions, snap-reaction aiming, being aware of your target and what’s behind them (because bullets don’t just stop once they hit in many cases), and a whole lot more that I’m sure I’ll miss trying to cover here.

Additionally, you need money. Range fees if you don’t have a regular spot to shoot, ammo, accessories (conceal carry holster/belt, optics, spare mags, ear & eye pro, etc), securing it (because you WILL need a good safe, not some cheap Amazon POS), and ideally professional training. Even better, toss on some competition shooting to get comfortable shooting under some amount of pressure.

Guns are fucking expensive: Even the best $300 pistol will chew up your wallet on ammo. Every range trip I suggest you fire off at least 100 rounds, and if you’re not hitting the range at least once a month (EVERY MONTH), you’re more of a liability than an asset in a situation where a gun is warranted.. And that doesn’t even include the time you should spend dry-fire training (where you don’t load it, and practice the general manual of arms).

Also: Know your laws in your area. I’m in a very restrictive state myself, so I have a lot of regulations to contend with. I need an ID to purchase firearms and ammo, I have a 3 day waiting period, I need a second ID in order to conceal carry, I have magazine and weapon restrictions, and more.

And we haven’t even talked about home defense, but that’s it’s own topic.. Most importantly in that regard, I just have to emphasize this: Be aware of your targets and what’s behind them. Most firearms WILL overpenetrate and go through walls.. And frequently into your neighbor’s home. This could lead to legal consequences, which is something else we need to talk about.

Even folks who have been in justifiable self-defense situations with firearms have ended up under arrest. Why? Because - by the time the police show up - all they are aware of is that there is someone who’s dead (because “shooting to wound” is a horrible Hollywood trope that just doesn’t work), and you have a gun.

That’s right: Not only do you have to be prepared to deal with the emotional consequences of taking a life, but you also have to be prepared to defend yourself legally.

You had better hope there was security video available, because you have to prove that you were acting in self-defense, and there were no other clearly viable options available to you outside of shooting someone..

..Oh, and just to re-emphasize the point: If your bullet over-penetrates - or you miss - and hit someone else? You’re probably legally fucked unless you’ve got an amazing lawyer (and just imagine if you hit a fucking kid, because it CERTAINLY could happen).

So, if you’ve made it this far, I hope you’ve seriously thought about the viability of firearms for self defense.

Remember: Pepper spray/mace is cheap, effective, and more importantly aren’t likely to get you into serious trouble.

I do want to say one thing, in finality: Even if you don't plan on getting a gun for self-defense, find a friend to take you to the range to introduce you into shooting a firearm. Understanding a little bit about them will help you be better informed in general, even if you never end up owning one yourself.