Which brings up a question, how many of us that own a gun could pull the triger on another human, scum bag or otherwise???
If someone where in my home or attempting to enter my home to harm any member of my family or I perceived their intent was to harm my family I would have ZERO qualms about ending their existence. Would i carry a weapon in public? No. I agree that the tendency for a bad situation to escalate into a worse situation when a firearm is present is more likely. It is far easier to assess a situation and avoid a conflict than it is to extricate oneself from a conflict once it has begun. That being said, I don't begrudge a persons right to defend themselves with a firearm outside of the home. The reality is there are bad people that walk this earth and they have no problem committing unprovoked violence. They do not submit to background checks, they do not give notice to the authorities they are headed out to maim, injure, rape and kill. Restricting access to firearms by law abiding citizens while not imposing the same restrictions on the malevolent souls that commit most of the violent crime is not the answer. How any human can tell another human they do not have the right to defend oneself is beyond my comprehension. Almost no woman can physically stand up to a man who intends her harm. What if she had a knife or bat? What if the man had knife or a bat? The man would still have the upper hand. Now give the woman a firearm, some training and situational awareness and she is the man's equal or superior in the same confrontation, even if he has the gun.
Two quotes from an acknowledged master of warfare :
“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. â€
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.â€
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
The first speaks to Cliff's bullet design, it has the ability to end the confrontation quickly. (If you shoot someone you damn well intend to kill them what is the harm in doing it more effectively).
The second speaks to keeping out of those types of confrontations. Not always possible, a person would have to be naive to think violence always occurs by mutual consent.