[geeks] Dos and similar games

[Phil Stracchino]

Mike Hebel wrote:
> Thus spake Michael Parson:
>> On Thu, Aug 17, 2006 at 01:31:03PM -0500, Mike Hebel wrote:
> 
>> If everyone that carries carries openly then a would-be criminal can
>> scan a room/area/whatever and make a quick judgement call on if they
>> want to go forward.  But if you know that statistically, 15% of the
>> population carries (concealed), and you can't tell who in the room
>> might have a gun under their belt, it makes that decision harder, and a
>> smart criminal (yeah, there are a few out there) would choose an easier
>> target.
> 
> 15% is a percentage that is easily gambled on and makes the risk an
> acceptable one for the criminal.  If they know that most likely the
> majority of people carrying weapons openly will be after him the moment
> something happens then it becomes a serious deterrent.  And belive me -
> those that choose to carry weapons _will_ be on him if something happens. 
> Just as someone with a CCW would.

Per a NIJ study about ten years ago, something like 93% of felons
surveyed in Federal pen admitted that on at least one occasion, they had
decided against committing a crime merely because they thought it
POSSIBLE that their intended victim MIGHT be armed.

(Same survey also found that something like two thirds of felons fear
armed citizens more than they fear the police, and something over 80%
said that their worst fear when breaking into a home is encountering an
armed homeowner.)


-- 
 Phil Stracchino                     Landline: 603-886-3518
 phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net         Mobile: 603-216-7037
 Renaissance Man, Unix generalist, Perl hacker, Free Stater