So my wife woke me up this morning, telling me that there was a stranger in the kitchen. My reaction? Grab a lamp off the night stand and go charging into action. I suppose it was fortunate that the perp chose to retreat into the garage. I suspected he was out there, but waited for the police. It appears that the guy was in the throws of meth psychosis. Judging from the commotion he was making, I'm certain he was totally whacked. So all this has me examining the need for home security, whether it is time to buy a gun. I've always felt comfortable not having a gun, but maybe now I should reconsider the need for one.
Spend the money on a better garage door. Guns are pretty useless for anything but attracting gunfire.
Up to you. Statistically speaking a gun is more likely to harm you than help you, but some people feel better with one. Are you willing to live with the risk a gun poses to you and your wife? Only you can answer that.
I think it highly unlikely that we would shoot ourselves. Yes. I'm willing to risk having a gun on hand for situations such as this morning. I was fortunate that it didn't fall into a brawl, where my chances against a mad man would have been questionable. I do give the police a thumbs up. they were on the spot in minutes. Also, they could have shot the guy in my garage, but they used restraint.
Lucky think you didn't have a gun, you might have had to live with the knowledge that you killed somebody. And as it turns he was out he was wacked on drugs and not really a threat to you. Who knows since you did not have a gun there is a chance for this guy to turn his life around. I hope he does....
My Grandfather (WWII veteran) always used to tell me to handle firearms with a simple thought - never point a loaded firearm at someone or something unless you intend to kill it...
Agreed; that is a low risk, as is the risk of the gun being used against you. (Plus the related risk of you shooting a neighbor or friend mistakenly.) It is simply even more unlikely that a gun will help you. But again, it makes some people feel better to have one.
If he's talking shotgun in a house with no children, the risk/reward calculation is much different. The bad stats mostly derive from handguns and/or children. A pump-action shotgun is not only safer but a more effective threat - the sound is unmistakable. And there's no bullets flying around the neighborhood, even by accident. The idea that someone whacked out on drugs is not a threat to the residents of a house they break into is bizarre.
And treat every firearm as though it's loaded. Be aware of the muzzle direction, and what's behind your target if you have one. Never take your finger out of index until ready to fire, and don't friggin' miss. Folks on meth are insane, literally. I've got a buddy that I don't visit any longer, because he's started doing that shit again. He called last week to tell us that government agents had come into his house wearing "invisible" suits, that they "downloaded his computer", but didn't physically take it, didn't ID themselves, and didn't produce a warrant. I guess after he started crashing they just left? He needs some time in hospital at the least. So sad; he's an excellent guitarist, or was. Bowser: I recommend a rigorous training course, even if you are comfortable with weapons. A shotgun is good, but a revolver is much easier to handle in close quarters, and more versatile than autoloaders in ammunition choice.
A gun would be strictly defensive. In the best case scenario, I would offer an intruder the door rather than just shooting first. But considering the mental state of this morning's intruder, anything might have been possible.
I'm in favor of strict gun control, but let's face it, besides avoiding conflict if at all possible, the gun trumps every other form of self defense. People are on drugs, they have guns, they have weapons, you need a gun, and you need to practice with it. It almost doesn't matter which kind.
Agree on the shotgun. Indeed, any long gun significantly reduces the odds that the weapon will cause unintended injury.
I suppose it's a wake up call. My neighbor came by and he's also considering purchasing a gun. Over all, I think it turned out well. The worst of it is the guy took a dump in my garage and kicked a hole in our garage door. We can't find my wife's debit card as of yet. He had her wallet and had gone through it, dumping the contents on the floor. But nobody was hurt, not even the perp. Once again, kudos to our local police.
I don't own a gun, but see nothing wrong with people owning guns for protection. But, suppose you did have a gun? You might have chosen to shoot the guy and really, it was handled just fine by the police. Guns can cause otherwise mild mannered folk to become a bit too over confident, and do things they'd otherwise not do if they didn't own a gun. Glad no one was hurt. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I beg to differ. He's already broken into your house and stolen things. He's fucked up on drugs. If he comes at you, kill him. If he doesn't, wait for the cops. You should remember this though: When you need help in seconds, the police are only minutes away.
