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Taking a bar stool to a gun fight | Firearms Lawyer(WA)
federalwaymirror.com ^ | 6 July, 2012 | MARK KNAPP

Posted on 07/08/2012 5:57:41 AM PDT by marktwain

The hero that emerged from the most recent Seattle gun story is Lawrence, the brave fellow who threw a bar stool at Ian Stawicki to stop a bloody massacre at Cafe Racer.

Lawrence was sitting in the Seattle coffee bar, a gathering place for artists and other alternative types, when Ian Stawicki walked through the door just before 11 a.m. May 30.

It is unfortunate that most alternative lifestyle types in Seattle choose to be unarmed. It would have only taken one or two armed musicians to stop much of the carnage.

Lawrence had a brother murdered in the attack on the World Trade Center. He promised himself he would “never hide under a table.” The shooter ignored Lawrence and the barstool and proceeded to shoot others in the room. One cafe patron escaped by locking himself in the bathroom. Would the media call Lawrence a hero if he had shot the mentally ill attacker and thereby prevented the outcome of the shooting spree — five dead gunshot victims?

During one short period this past spring, several local residents stopped home invasions and other violent attacks. But were there any discussions of heroics in the Seattle Times? Not even an article about how armed homeowners were winning the war against armed home invaders? Armed citizens actually take steps in advance to make sure that they have something with more stopping power than a stool when attacks are occurring.

The “consensus” among professional journalists and politicians is that “too many” guns are responsible for out-of-control gun violence.

The police determined that a retired police officer was justified in fatally shooting an intruder during a home invasion in Puyallup. The homeowner suddenly found himself confronting two of the men in his hallway after he heard pounding on his door. Two suspects were taken into custody. Another member of the gang, Joshua Baker, escaped and was at large for several days before he was eventually apprehended by police.

Had the homeowner been subject to a duty to retreat, he might have been in some kind of legal jeopardy for “standing his ground.” Retreating might also have increased the homeowner’s chances of getting brained from behind with the crowbar.

A recent check with the Department of Licensing (DOL) revealed that a new record number of Concealed Pistol Licenses are now active in Washington with 357,782 in circulation. March showed a stunning volume of activity, according to a DOL source, with some 12,000 renewals, first-time applications and replacements being processed.

Each one of us has to decide how to deal with the risk of becoming a victim of violence. Many adults of all ages all around the U.S. — including many women — have decided to make a firearm part of their personal protection plan. Normal people protect themselves and loved ones by using guns to prevent violent assaults. The only time gun violence is reported by the news media is when there are victims — usually victims who are not able to shoot back.

Many Americans are becoming licensed to carry. We can all benefit greatly from some of the professional training that is now available all over the United States. Promise yourself that you will never have to use a bar stool in a situation where a gun is the appropriate tool.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: activeshooter; banglist; seattle; wa
Americans have become conditioned to run and hide instead of fighting.
1 posted on 07/08/2012 5:57:47 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain
Would the media call Lawrence a hero if he had shot the mentally ill attacker and thereby prevented the outcome of the shooting spree — five dead gunshot victims?

***********

Lawrence... a hero...??

Not in SEATTLE...

Regardless of the perp's body count...
Lawrence would be in jail.

Sad but true.....jmho

2 posted on 07/08/2012 6:11:47 AM PDT by Wings-n-Wind (The main things are the plain things!)
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To: marktwain

Not all Americans. Some would love to be allowed to hunt over bait. Is that legal in Texas? Can you shoot someone when they try to steal the car parked in your driveway?

If so I wish we had the same citizen administered justice available in WV. It would give us something to do outside of deer season. Folks around here are armed to the teeth. Most thieves know how risky a home invasion could be. It definitely cuts down on the hunting opportunities.

I occasionally encourage a trespasser to achieve a personal best as they run off. For some reason I’ve had less and less of those instances as time as passed.


3 posted on 07/08/2012 6:15:08 AM PDT by meatloaf (Support Senate S 1863 & House Bill 1380 to eliminate oil slavery.)
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To: marktwain

I keep meaning to go and get my CHL, but having to go into Tacoma to do so is a PITA.


4 posted on 07/08/2012 6:48:18 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: Wonder Warthog

I hear ya.

I keep hoping that Pierce County will adopt the same renewal system that King County has where you can get it done at most of the various precinct locations so you don’t have to travel into the belly of the beast.

I’m hoping but I’m not holding my breath.


6 posted on 07/08/2012 8:06:01 AM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: DeepInTheHeartOfTexas

That’s what Border Patrol agents are now order to do.

The Yellow Back Progressives have done it again.


7 posted on 07/08/2012 8:17:03 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: SandRat

That “training” is supposed to be for cube rats. Not line agents. But Big Sis Nappy-Pants was lazy and her minions just sent the training order to everyone.

Comments from Border Patrol Agents:

“this was not geared toward BPAs at all, nor should we have been required to take it. Someone in DC was just throwing another course at us to mark off a checklist saying we had received some training. “

“the “Active Shooter” VLC training was geared toward cube rats and office personnel. It was mainly “training” for unarmed civilian employees not for uniformed law enforcement even though we were forced to endure it like many of the other corporate nonsense VLC trainings that get shoved down our throats.”

“The prescribed response to an active shooter outlined in this “course” is appropriate for office personnel and non LEO’s which is why many BPA’s did not understand why we needed to complete it in the first place since it really has nothing to do with our response to an active shooter. “


8 posted on 07/08/2012 9:22:03 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: Hulka
Decisions of what is needed and that will apply to all personnel made by Staff Puke REMFs.
9 posted on 07/08/2012 9:53:43 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: marktwain
A friend of mine was in his parent's home. They had some sliding glass doors that led to a patio. He noticed movement on the patio.

Quietly opening the gun case in the adjoining room, he grabbed a 12 ga. pump shotgun. When he returned, he saw a 17 to 19 year old peering in.

That was the time he loudly racked the action of the pump shotgun. The kid's eyes looked as big as saucers and he did the fastest disappearing act known to man.

10 posted on 07/08/2012 10:30:49 AM PDT by MasterGunner01 (11)
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To: Hulka; All
“That “training” is supposed to be for cube rats. Not line agents. But Big Sis Nappy-Pants was lazy and her minions just sent the training order to everyone.”

Yes, micromanagement from thousands of miles away by email. It costs high level management nothing, they get to “check off” doing something, and they are completely insulated from the adverse effects of their stupidity.

It is getting really bad all over the Federal government. Hundreds of man hours a year per person wasted on this politically correct B.S.

11 posted on 07/08/2012 4:20:28 PM PDT by marktwain
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