Cougar Allen
Buccaneer (ret.)
- Joined
- Oct 9, 1998
- Messages
- 76,084
I think there is less prejudice against the use of a knife for self-defense in the general population than many members seem to think there is -- for adults.
In this society boys are supposed to have fistfights, boys are supposed to bully smaller boys and they're supposed to respond with their fists and that's all considered normal behavior (it isn't in all societies). We put a great deal of pressure on boys not to defend themselves from bullies with a knife; that would not be considered normal acceptable behavior and we make that very clear to them.
The behavioral standards for adults are different. Adults are not supposed to bully smaller adults; that is not considered acceptable or harmless or normal. There is a whole different paradigm about attacks on adults. If a boy attacks a smaller boy that's considered a relatively acceptable behavior and we as a society don't want that bully to get stabbed; we would rather see the smaller boy get beat up than see the bully get killed or maimed -- but we don't have that protective attitude toward adult rapists and murderers.
Most of my students are women but some are men. They're all adults. None of them have any moral objection to the idea of defending themselves with a knife nor do they have any overwhelming fear that our society will see them as immoral or criminal and inflict worse damage than the rapists and murderers would if they didn't defend themselves.... Obviously my students are a biased sample of the general population, but the attitude they and I perceive in the general population when we talk about our training is not usually negative.
I encourage my students to carry both guns and knives; they each have their own tactical advantages. I see generally less fear and loathing of knives than of guns. Even the least knowledgeable do not seem to suffer from the delusion that knives accidentally stab their owners or children or innocent bystanders. Most of them seem to understand that knife defense is not necessarily lethal defense even before I explain that to them, too. Everyone uses knives every day if only at the table, and no one is inspired with fear at the mere sight of a knife; they do not imagine it will stab them all by itself ... they don't feel it's dangerous merely to be in the vicinity of a knife or to keep one in the house....
Sometimes they suffer from the delusion an attacker could take their knife and use it against them, but it only takes a minute to prove that propaganda is nonsense. The propaganda that 12 random citizens would be likely to decide to inflict some worse penalty than being raped, tortured, and murdered upon them for cutting an attacker's hand is perhaps somewhat more difficult to free them from, but not impossible in most cases....
-Cougar :{)
In this society boys are supposed to have fistfights, boys are supposed to bully smaller boys and they're supposed to respond with their fists and that's all considered normal behavior (it isn't in all societies). We put a great deal of pressure on boys not to defend themselves from bullies with a knife; that would not be considered normal acceptable behavior and we make that very clear to them.
The behavioral standards for adults are different. Adults are not supposed to bully smaller adults; that is not considered acceptable or harmless or normal. There is a whole different paradigm about attacks on adults. If a boy attacks a smaller boy that's considered a relatively acceptable behavior and we as a society don't want that bully to get stabbed; we would rather see the smaller boy get beat up than see the bully get killed or maimed -- but we don't have that protective attitude toward adult rapists and murderers.
Most of my students are women but some are men. They're all adults. None of them have any moral objection to the idea of defending themselves with a knife nor do they have any overwhelming fear that our society will see them as immoral or criminal and inflict worse damage than the rapists and murderers would if they didn't defend themselves.... Obviously my students are a biased sample of the general population, but the attitude they and I perceive in the general population when we talk about our training is not usually negative.
I encourage my students to carry both guns and knives; they each have their own tactical advantages. I see generally less fear and loathing of knives than of guns. Even the least knowledgeable do not seem to suffer from the delusion that knives accidentally stab their owners or children or innocent bystanders. Most of them seem to understand that knife defense is not necessarily lethal defense even before I explain that to them, too. Everyone uses knives every day if only at the table, and no one is inspired with fear at the mere sight of a knife; they do not imagine it will stab them all by itself ... they don't feel it's dangerous merely to be in the vicinity of a knife or to keep one in the house....
Sometimes they suffer from the delusion an attacker could take their knife and use it against them, but it only takes a minute to prove that propaganda is nonsense. The propaganda that 12 random citizens would be likely to decide to inflict some worse penalty than being raped, tortured, and murdered upon them for cutting an attacker's hand is perhaps somewhat more difficult to free them from, but not impossible in most cases....
-Cougar :{)
