The title of this blog post raises an interesting question and one that will no doubt lead to a debate about ethics, safety and the legalities involved. So is it appropriate for a senior citizen to buy a stun gun for protection? I am a firm believer that any law-abiding citizen of sound mind should have the right (if not the responsibility) to carry a non-lethal form of self defense, especially if the person in question is a senior citizen. As we age we naturally lose a bit of our strength, agility and reflex time and as a result our natural ability to defend ourselves in the event of a violent physical assault. As such, our senior citizens deserve the ability to even the playing field with potential attackers by carrying a self-defense device like a stun gun. Carrying a stun gun is an extremely serious matter and very careful consideration should be taken when deciding whether or not a stun gun is right for a particular senior.

I certainly do not feel that buying a stun gun is appropriate for any senior citizen. Certain questions need to be asked before deciding whether or not a stun device is an appropriate measure for any individual of any age. Here, in my opinion are two of the qualifying questions one should ask…

1. Does this senior citizen have a criminal record of any kind? A criminal record of any kind is usually a good sign that this particular senior doesn't know how to behave appropriately and uses poor judgment. There could be exceptions to this rule but for the most part I would say if one has a criminal record they should not be allowed to carry a stun device of any kind.

2. Is this senior citizen of sound mind and body? The measuring stick i used to use to determine if a senior was of a sound enough mind and body used to rely on whether or not the senior in question was licensed to operate a motor vehicle. However, after almost being struck by 2 seniors that should not have been driving a car I've adjusted my measuring stick. I would say use your good judgment here. If the senior leaves the house in the morning and forgot to put on his pants I would say no, this person should not own a stun gun. Again, use good judgment, if a senior lives alone and is fully capable of taken care of themselves on a day to day basis than that individual should be more than capable of carrying and potentially using a stun device.

So the answer to the question "is it appropriate for a senior citizen to carry a stun gun?" is "maybe" but for those that qualify I am in complete support of carrying such a device. Certainly stun guns can be dangerous but there is going to be an inherent level of danger in just about any self defense weapon otherwise they wouldn't be very effective. What is so great about a stun device is that it can be every bit as effective as a firearm without having to result in the death of another human being. So please, if you are a senior citizen concerned for your own safety please consider carrying a stun device.