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Back from NRA meeting

Best presentation I heard at the Firearms Law Seminar was that of Massad Ayoob. I'm a good and often tough judge of speaking, and he was simply first rate. He spoke on self-defense and the law of self-defense.

I lost my notes, unfortunately, but some of the points he made, with force, logic, and humor were:

Some people don't talk to the police. He says, if you had to unholster your gun, your next move should be to dial 911. Reasoning: police instinctively divide humanity into perps and victims. Whoever calls first is assumed to be the victim. If you warded off a road-rage type with your gun, his revenge will be to call 911 and claim you were the one provoking everything and drew for no reason at all. You want to have called first. (Obviously, this advice may not apply if carrying illegally in New Jersey).

Point out the evidence. If there were shots, you want the spent brass pinned down before people start picking it up or accidentally kicking it out of place.

Say you are willing to sign a complaint. This better than saying "press charges," which is the prosecutor's job.

Do not recite "I was in fear for my life" as if it were magical incantation. Point out WHY you were in fear for your life.

On a human level, the fact that you tried to avoid use of force is persuasive, even if the law is "no retreat." If you could have closed and locked the door instead of "standing your ground," there's a human tendency to think that you were looking forward to using force.

If you hear a pounding on your door at 3 AM, consider that it's less likely to come from a mutant with 666 tattooed on his forehead than it is to be police with word that, oh, your car was stolen and they found it. If you open the door with gun in hand, "you don't need this little A-rab to tell you where things will be going."

Memorize what you will shout if things go bad. No need to be hesitating between "freeze," or "don't move," or something else.

Your opponents will go for the media first and try you there. Zimmerman is a classic case. His head being smashed by someone who is far more powerful than he, he winds up being branded as a vigilante racist who shot an unarmed man. Ferguson -- a guy who committed a robbery, fought with an injured the officer, tried to get his gun (the forensic evidence was clear there) became a racist who shot an unarmed "gentle giant" in the back while the guy was trying to surrender. In both cases, the defender winds up with his life ruined even after he proves his innocence.