Some simple thoughts that have been peculating in my punkin haid for some time now...especially as I am embarking on a new set of martial arts weapons training. I do enjoy weapons and training with them.
One thinks of a weapon as an advantage in a self-defense situation, and to be sure, it is. But I believe that there are also disadvantages involved in weapons carry.
First, if one has a weapon, one must protect that weapon from being taken away and used against one. Whether it is a gun, a knife, a bludgeon, or whatever; nearly any weapon that one can carry can be used against one if it is seized by an aggressor.
Second, nearly all weapons one might carry could potentially be considered capable of inflicting deadly force, at least in legal terms and in the USA (I do not know the laws of every jurisdiction, I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, etc). However, it is my belief and understanding that one may only legally resort to deadly force when one is authorized to do so; for example when legitimately in fear of one's life.
Third, a weapon, as many here know but some may not, is not a magic wand. One does not pull it out, wave it around, and things get better. In general, once a weapon is brandished, the chances that it will have to be used become much, much, higher. In other words, even if a given confrontation was not life-threatening, by introducing a weapon, now it is. And that may not be a good idea, depending on the circumstances.
Fourth, weapons in general require proficiency to be anything other than a dangerous detriment to the person carrying them. A knife, a gun, even a taser or pepper spray. One gains little advantage from depositing them in a purse or glove box or carrying them in a pocket if one has no particular experience using them. As a former Military Policeman, we took part in extensive training with our weapons, including spraying each other directly in the face with Mace (before pepper spray). We did our best to become and remain proficient with our weapons, and we used them constantly in self-defense situations (Marines in garrison, what can you expect?). I do not think most civilians practice to obtain that level of proficiency.
Fifth, the willingness to use a weapon to take a life. I suspect that most people who carry weapons have not thought a lot about what happens when you take a human life, or they don't think (or want to think) that the weapon they choose to carry might end a life, or that they would employ it in that manner.
I am not trying to say that one should not defend one's life with deadly force if the need arises. I am saying that I don't think many people have through through what it means to do so. To intentionally end a human life is more than pulling a trigger. There will be blood, brains, fecal matter, urine, vomit, and the general chaos that ensues after such an event. Even if justified in killing a human being, there will police, questions, lawyers, and expenses. There will almost always be emotion and financial costs. Still better than being dead oneself, true. But I would hope that no one seriously thinks they can blow away a mugger (for example) and tell the cops what happened and that's that, end of story. Your life will change, forever, starting at that moment, and in many ways not for the better, other than the major upside of still being alive.
I can well imagine a scenario where a person becomes involved in a dispute which becomes physical. Given our current times, perhaps a road rage incident or a fight over a parking spot or some such thing. Words are exchanged, neither party backs down, someone throws a punch.
Now, if I am the person being punched, of course I will defend myself. But if I am carrying, say, a gun, now I have to worry that the person punching me will tackle me or knock me down and somehow gain possession of that gun. Now my focus it not just on defending myself, but also defending the gun. And if I defend my possession of that gun by drawing it, now the chances are much higher that I am going to end up using it, or having it used on me. My attention is divided, and my hand or hands may end up being occupied with the weapon itself, which is of no actual use to me until and unless I am obligated to take a life to save my own.
I will add a few more things.
It appears to me that there are many who seem to have a preoccupation with the notion of carrying weapons they can 'get away with' in terms of not having them considered to be weapons by law enforcement. In my opinion, this is dangerous thinking. I only worked in law enforcement for a short time and I only studied Criminal Justice in college for a few years, but I did manage to absorb some basic understanding that has served me well over the years. For example, it's not what the item is, it's how you use it. A screwdriver is a screwdriver, until it's used as a weapon and the person who was carrying it INTENDED to use it for that purpose. Then is it a deadly weapon. I'm sorry, there's no way around this. All the various items that companies make with the idea that they will be mistaken for innocuous items and not weapons, but which are intended to be employed as weapons, they won't pass muster if one actually purchases them with the intent to use them as weapons and then does so. There are no cheats that work. Sorry.
Most controversially, I will add that in my experience, there are some people who seem to have either what I would consider an unhealthy obsession with weapons or a tendency to engage in magical thinking about what weapons do for a person. I do not suspect that such people are going to gain any advantage at all if they carry weapons about for the purposes of self-defense.
That's all I have for now. Feel free to comment. I am not against weapons carry, I support the right to carry, I like firearms, and I of course support the right to defend oneself, even with deadly force, when and as required. I have no sympathy for criminals. I am merely trying to take a clear-eyed look at the reasons we carry, what we carry, how we carry, and whether or not that is always a good idea for general self-defense.
