> Gun licenses are extraordinarily difficult to acquire and a man who won't use > a stick will not use a gun. The chap who uses a gun will not need a licence.
I have been reading quite a few articles on the harrassment issue, and what has become evident is that the catalyst for this is not the appeal of orthodoxy, but economic disparity. I don't like this conclusion either, but there is just no way around it. So what does it mean for the economically fortunate? It means that you can use sticks, and so will they. You can defend yourself with legal guns, and the next time they'll attack with illegal guns. But the inescapable fact is that they have nothing to lose, while you do. And more often than not in any physical confrontation, the ones who prevail are those with nothing or less to lose. Those you seek to defend yourself against are more in number, and they are your countrymen. If you, like me, read the tale of two cities and sympathised with the French revolutionaries, well you should be able to sympathise with them. If you wondered at the naiveté of Marie Antoinette when she said, "Let them eat cake", well the circumstances are not too different. Yes, it is your right to blow as much money in a restaurant on one night as many in your country live on for a month. It is also your right to show as much skin as you want to while staying with the level of modesty prescribed by law. But the wise realize that it’s not the law or ideals that determine right or wrong, but the context in which an action is performed. And as such, the context is not on your side. Don't get me wrong, I don't suffer from pangs of conscience when I dine at a five star restaurant nor am I a big fan of charity which involves parting with my hard-earned money (though I am ready to spend my time and have). But if these goons catch me, I either run (I have long legs and can run pretty darn fast) or fall on my knees and beg (because the mob rarely likes to hurt somebody begging for their life - it just doesn't give them the same ego boost and dampens the adrenaline rush). Also, get insurance which might cover you from any financial loss or hospital expenses due to such episodes (it’s definitely cheaper than a gun). End result - the goons are satisfied and you're in one piece. I doubt any of these goons want to cause any serious injury - they are not fundamentalists or extremists. Righteous indignation and idealism are great for coffee table conversations, and I indulge in them too. But when push comes to shove, I prefer being a realist and practical. Moreover, I'm concerned when ordinary people start arming themselves. I once had a gun pointed at me (for no fault of mine I might add, lest I be judged :) ) and I know what it feels like, and I would never do that to a fellow human being, no matter what the circumstances. I also know what holding a deadly weapon does to a man (or woman). The power to take another's life is not something you want to or should possess unless it’s your job and you’re trained not to use it at the slightest provocation. My two paisa. Kiran
