Give Them What They Want..... Not on Your Life

You see it on a regular basis, some police officer on TV, or commentary in the news paper informing us that the best way to stay safe during an "encounter" with a violent goblin is to "just give them what they want." Any long term reader of this blog knows how I feel about that particular bit of advice.

I am in good company.

Fits Comments on this very subject in his post commenting on a recent news article:

Police Warn Crime Victims Against Taking On The Bad Guy

Where does one even begin to dispute such irrational nonsense...

But of course if attacked I will "take the law into my own hands." The Founders identified that as an inalienable right, and I have far more expertise and practice in defending myself than any law enforcement officer alive. To date, you see, none have ever defended me, while I on the other hand, have, so this designates ME as the qualified expert and not they.

So do we all. Each and every manjack. Our very own first and last line of defense.

But of course the police say otherwise. In SPITE of evidence to the contrary. Why?

Can't go letting joe blow think that he can do the same job as the hired help.

Then again, you COULD just take their advice and surrender.

Be good enough to tell us in advance where to send the flowers.

Marko has penned an excellent essay that puts to rest the myth that capitulating to goblins ensures your safety.

I'll just grab a quick excerpt:

give them nothing.

There are people in this world to whom you're not a human being. They don't want to be respected by you. They don't care about you--they're not even really aware of you. They only care about the food you represent, the money that's in your pocket. You're not a person to them, but an obstacle. You're just in the way of the reward, like a wrapper around a candy bar, and these people are willing to discard you just like that wrapper in order to get what they want.

An earlier article from Finn Aagaard's biography mentions the social responsibility of resisting criminal activity.

Responsibly Armed

My pistol is my family's shield, my guarantee that upon my life I will let no evil touch them. When a malefactor demands, Your dignity and your money, or your life!" my pistol introduces a very sobering third alternative: No - if you persist in this criminal endeavor, it is your life that will be at hazard."

Many people will suggest that the contents of your wallet are not worth jeopardizing your life for, just hand it over to the thug and move on. By doing so you are encouraging crime - success ensures the robber will seek another victim. I consider it to be a citizen's duty (a hard word to the me generation) to resist attempted violent crime by all means at his disposal, even at considerable risk to himself...

It is not the duty of law enforcement to protect society from the goblins. For the most part, it is the duty of law enforcement to identify said goblins after the fact, and isolate them from society. If you look at the number of violent crimes that go unsolved, and the number of violent offenders that are back on the streets after a short stint behind bars, you can see that law enforcement has it's hands full. The failure to isolate goblins from society is a political one, not to be placed at the feet of our LEO's, but as they chase after a goblin for the 5th or 6th time, who is keeping an eye out for your well being? No one but you and yours.