Shooting guns is fun! The amount of time and money we spend at the range proves that. Who does not like going to the range for a day and blowing through a few hundred rounds of ammo? Improving our ability with our weapon systems is critical to success. But, is that where we should focus the majority of our efforts?
To say the topic of defense is vast, is an understatement. Marksmanship, however critical, is a minute fraction of what one wishing to become proficient in self defense must learn. (We will discuss in another article about ways to improve marksmanship without going to the range.) There are a great many avenues and facets that we must learn and become at least aware of. One of the weightiest of these facets is: The Law
This topic has the farthest reaching implications. Not only can we face civil and criminal charges, years of imprisonment, and huge financial strain; an incident can effect our families lives.
Operating withing the confines of the law is critical to self defense. If we stray from legality, in the eyes of the law; you, the victim, become the criminal. There are federal laws pertaining to self defense, and each state has its own laws. For example, Kentucky has a stand your ground law that allows one to defend themselves in a public place that they have a right to be. In Ohio, just across the river, you have a duty to retreat; flee is possible and safe to do so. A Kentuckian crossing to Ohio can land in some seriously hot water if they are unaware of these laws.
There are a great deal of resources to use when trying to identify and learn the laws. We recommend going straight to the Concealed Carry Licensing issues agency. In Kentucky, the issuing agency is Kentucky State police, in Florida that agency is the Department of Agriculture. Each state’s issuing agency should be able to supply you with the laws concerning self defense.
Trust me, committing the law to memory is not an easy thing to do. You probably have already mumbled that to yourself as you read this. It takes to things: Patience and time. Read the law, then read it again, and again, and again. Refresh yourself on this often. Not every day, but, once you get a good handle on it, you can go over it every so often, as you feel necessary.
This is certainly not the glamorous facet of self defense. It is dry, boring, dull, and too often convoluted and confusing. Certainly far from being attractive, the law is tiresome. I get it. I don’t enjoy it, but as the old saying goes: “gotta take a little bitter with the sweet”. By all means, spend time perfecting the dual art/science of shooting, it is both fun and important. More importantly, do not allow the less glamorous aspects of self defense go by the wayside, especially just because they are not as fun. Take the legal aspects seriously now, you most certainly will sitting in the courtroom…
What can we learn:
Learn the Law
You can get burned big time here, bother to learn it
Each state has different laws
– Stay Sharp
Adam