Since Dave Appel yelled this at Greg Kurth, I hollered this in response:
 DA> I'm considering how to make an official response to people who
 DA> use that phrase "shoot to kill" in this conference.  This is just
 DA> a friendly suggestion, not an official "moderation." As for now,
 DA> I'll just say that it is frowned upon.  I don't think I want to
 DA> get that nit-picky in the rules.  But be advised that I am not
 DA> the only one here who thinks that your word choice reflects badly
 DA> on you and the rest of us in today's climate.
 DA> Please see the recent post from Vern Humphrey about the word
 DA> choices one should use to express their intents and beliefs in
 DA> regards to the use of deadly force.
 DA> In a nutshell, you "shoot to STOP the attack in the quickest and
 DA> surest manner."  That means aiming for center of mass, using
 DA> hollow points, double-tapping, and shooting until the threat has
 DA> ceased.
While I agree with the intent of your message, your recommendation tends
to be more than a bit verbose.  I mean, why in the hell should I explain
my "intentions" exactly opposite of how I was trained to aim at an attacker?
I'll be damned if I say "shoot to maim/injure/stop the attack".  Whether or
not the hair-splitters can or will agree, if I pull the goddamn piece, I
-will- aim for the largest portion of the anatomy of the attacker.  Not
coincidentally, my aim point(s) are the most lethal to the target.
If and when I clear leather, it will be with the full intention of stopping
the threat.  "Shoot to kill" is a euphemism, anyway.  It has to do with the
method of teaching you stated in your last quoted paragraph.  That tried
and true method -does- tend to kill attackers because of the aim point(s).
 DA> One would hope that if you shoot and stop your attacker, and he
 DA> is still living, that you do NOT calmly walk over and administer
 DA> a coup-de-grace to finish him off.  That is what "shoot to kill"
 DA> implies.  Such a tactic would be forensically detectable, and
 DA> would get the defender/shooter in deep trouble.
There is -no- such implication.  It is "reaching", pure and simple.
... Oxymoron:  Occupational Injury.
--- FM 1.02g/RA 2.02/FD 2.12
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