Why do you want the handicapped to be left defenseless?
Instructor skeptical
Gordon, a Kalamazoo native who retired after 27 years as a Pharmacia Corp. purchasing employee, said fear is part of daily life for the blind who are often easy targets for muggings and assaults.
And the new concealed weapons law could make the blind easier victims because criminals will believe they are not armed, he said.
"I have no problem giving up my wallet; that's not what this is about," Gordon said. "I have to feel my life is in danger."
Gordon set out several months ago to learn self-defense, but he said many of the options were not practical. Pepper spray would likely drop him to the ground if used on an attacker just a foot away, he said. A knife is not reasonable, and a stun gun is illegal, he said.
That's when he began considering obtaining a concealed weapon and contacted Michael Stamm, a retired Michigan State Police trooper and firearms instructor in Bloomingdale.
Stamm was skeptical initially.
"My first thought was, 'Great, that's just what we need, someone who can't see carrying a gun,"' Stamm said. "But then I thought, why be so closed-minded and judgmental?"
The two worked together for hours on a specific technique which they asked not be detailed. It involves Gordon creating a distraction while reaching with his free hand to feel the attacker, pulling the gun with the other and placing the muzzle against the person's body.
Pre-fragmented ammunition used is intended to disperse in the body, not leave it, Stamm said.
Gordon has practiced with a dummy gun on Stamm, approaching him from different angles. He also has fired into different targets by reaching out and placing the muzzle against them.
Rick Hume, Gordon's friend, said he was concerned about the idea. But after seeing it in person, Hume said, he is convinced Gordon could defend himself safely. |
