[Response to: http://www.suntimes.com/output/richards/cst-edt-cindy24.html ] To: ca-firearms From: Erik A. Hart Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 04:26:29 EDT Subject: [ca-firearms] Cindy Richards Dear Ms. Richards: I am a 31 year old married man. I am 6 foot three inches tall and weigh nearly 300 pounds. I played college football at the division 1A level... I studied martial arts my entire life. I tell you this because criminals DO NOT GIVE EXTRA POINTS based on size and strength or fighting ability. I am every criminals WORST NIGHTMARE. For most people, I am the most physically imposing person they will ever met. And... I was the victim of crime. I was not in the murder capitol of the free world when the crime occurred. I was in an area I thought to be perfectly safe, in San Francisco California. The home of peace and love and tenderness. Four men attacked me as I walked to my car one evening with another male friend (also quite a large man). They demanded money, however, they began hitting us before we could comply. Had they given me an opportunity to submit, I would have gladly turned over my possessions... but they did not, because, they were criminals, and cared more about the 7 dollars in my pocket than my life. I was not armed, I wish I was. They were... They had small "Kubitan" clubs and rolls of quarters in their clenched fists... Had I been armed I would have been justified in using deadly force. I was punched several times in the face before I knew what was happening. My friend ran away as fast as he could. I dont blame him, I would have ran too, if I could have... but I was surrounded. It was in that moment that I knew I was faced with a life and death struggle. It was also in that moment where a firearm would have come in handy. I was hit in the nape of the neck by another assailant standing behind me (this is known as a "rabbit punch" as it is the method preferred for stunning and killing wild game). As intended, the blow stunned me and sent me to my knees. I was then struck on the top of my head by another man's balled up fist (containing a bludgeon of some sort) while I was simultaneously kicked in the ribcage. I was now on my hands and knees and was kicked, in the face, 5 times, by two different assailants standing to either side of me. Through all this I managed to maintain consciousness... although I was woozy and bleeding profusely, I managed to punch them in the knees as they continued to kick me. Finally I knew that if I was going to live I needed to act immediately. I mustered all the strength in my body and kicked at one of the assailants knees... It barely hit him... but it was enough to show him I was'nt giving up, and they ran away. You see, criminals are cowards. When faced with an adversary who wont just die easy, they run to find someone else to rob. They of course were never caught, not that their apprehension would have been any consolation to me at that point. I was nearly beaten to death. Had I not fought back, I certainly would have been Murdered that night. A lesser person wouldn't have had a chance. I suffered a bilateral fractured mandible (that's a broken jaw in two places, meaning approximately 2 inches of my lower jaw was not attached to the rest of my body at any point, except for the skin that held it in place). My jaw was wired shut for 12 weeks. I had to eat through a straw. I lost nearly 60 pounds in that time, and developed hypoglycemia. I had to have 2, 13 hour surgeries to fix the break. My jaw and lips are still numb to this day, 8 years later. My full memory of the incident has only recently returned. I am worried... I am worried about the long term damage going without food for that long did to my heart. I am worried what 20+ Head X-rays did to my body. And yes, I am worried about my safety, and the safety of my family, which is why I carry a concealed weapon. Ms. Richards, if they will come after me, they will come after anybody, and NOTHING, short of being armed, will give a victim of this type of attack a chance to survive. I believe that Mayor Daley's ban on gun ownership ensures that only the criminals get guns [Criminals love that too]. I KNOW that concealed carry laws save lives by providing citizens a CHANCE to defend themselves from the senseless violence that can effect ANYBODY at ANYTIME, ANYPLACE. Ms. Richards, I did not ASK to be attacked. I did not go looking for trouble. It happened. I don't blame the city of San Francisco. I don't blame the police. I don't blame YOU. I blame the criminals who happened to find me that night. I had an unlucky draw in the lottery of life. I now understand how quickly and easily ANYBODY can become a victim of crime. I will only blame YOU if you say I don't have the right to prevent such harm from being inflicted on me, should my luck run out again. Maybe next time I cross the path of such animals, I will be with my wife, or children (God forbid). WIll you promise me YOU'LL be there to protect them, since you won't allow me to? Since you seem to have all the answers, what SHOULD I HAVE done that evening? Should I have not been alone? I wasn't. Should I have not walked to my car? How was I to get home? Should I have called a police officer (in other words, a man with a gun)? I did, they arrived 20 minutes AFTER the attack was over. Perhaps I should have had Pepper Spray. I have been sprayed with Pepper Spray and can attest, that it would have done little to abate the attack on me, as I am sure that had I done anything like that, these men would have continued to stomp me to death in between gasps for air. Should I have taken Martial Arts? I did. I never had a chance to use it until AFTER I was nearly beaten to death. The entire attack took less than 30 seconds and I was faced with overwhelming odds. What would you have me do NEXT time? Just HOPE I get greeted by FRIENDLIER criminals? No Ms. Richards. Next time I will be armed. And if the mere sight of the firearm doesn't change their minds about the attack, I guarantee the sight of one of their accomplices being shot by it, will. Ms. Richards, I am an honest, law-abiding, upstanding member of society. You have nothing to fear from me or my firearm. I am intelligent and level headed enough to know when pulling a gun is justified, and when it isn't. I don't want to go to jail for breaking the law. I don't want to lose all my property in a lawsuit because I used unjustified force, and I don't want to play Rambo either. I just want a chance to defend myself should I happen upon another group of young men intent on killing me for my pocket change. You SHOULD be afraid though. You should be afraid of criminals who don't need a gun to commit crime, and are constantly looking for someone else to victimize. And please, ask yourself this question, If a criminal sees a 6' foot tall 300 pound athlete as a potential victim... will he be afraid of YOU? Very truly yours, Erik A. Hart Attorney At Law