Anti-gunners commonly make the argument that the best thing to do in any emergency scenario is to call 911 and wait for emergency responders to arrive. But aside from the obvious absurdity of telling a woman whose front door has just been kicked down to put her trust in police response time, there is the fact that making the call can put you at risk. The tragic story of Dickie Stewart, who was killed while trying to help his neighbor, illustrates this principle.
Stewart, a resident of Pickens County, S.C., saw neighbor Bill Isaacs lying unresponsive in the yard of another property. He went to check on Isaacs while calling 911, but by doing so he made himself a target. An operator heard him exclaim, “I’ve been shot … He shot me too!” The sad loss of both men shows that just calling authorities without being armed is not always sufficient to guarantee safety.
