hmmm, seems to me that folks across the ocean think us americans just whip out guns like candy bars…
I for one am all for guns! I am not for idiots with guns. And no that is not the same thing. Anyone who thinks to bring a gun into their home should have at least 12 training sessions and keep up their training at least every 6 months, in my opinion. Training will not keep you from being scared, but it sure can help eliminate cases of “twitch triggers” and “damned stupid head shot himself in the foot” .
Although I’m well aware there are some people who are a little too trigger happy in the world - most of us gun owners are extremely aware of the value of life and would avoid killing if given the choice.
Now as a woman, I’ll tell you that this is my thought on the supossedly non-threatening burgular scenario.
It’s 2 am and I hear a noise from the dining room. Sounds like the backdoor being messed with?? I pick up my cell phone from the nightstand, dial 911 and say I’m going to see what this noise comming from the back is… and think how silly I’m going to feel explaining this to my husband when he gets back into town next week… then I hear it! The backdoor’s wood has split, someone’s broke the handle! I get my gun from — and walk to the bedroom door.
In my room behind me is the baby, in the 3 rooms across from me are 6 other sleeping little ones. This isn’t a ritzy neighborhood - we have nothing for this guy to use! I make a split second choice: if he enters the hallway, I’m going to shoot first and ask questions later. Then I see 2 black shadows turn to enter the hallway… I scream “RUN!” “GO AWAY!” as I go down the hallway to get between them and the first children’s bedroom door and then … I shoot! I shoot again! Are they dead? Are they on the run? Are they mad and comming at me?
I can wait for the police to grab them getting my t.v. - but my kids…my own person… this precious baby in my bed??? No way am I giving him even a moments chance to hurt them! And if I have to choose, it’ll be over his dead body rather than mine. My goal is going to be to stop him. Period. It just so happens that dead does that very well. Shoot him in the leg/arm you say? Let me tell you something about drugs - some drugs can get their system pumping so wild he may not even feel the bullet, much less stop beating the c**p out of me. Not to mention, you have to be a hell of a crack shot to get a moving target in the arm/leg in a moment of chaos while in survivor mode.
Now, tell me Fighting Fat, would you say I was wrong to assume the worst here? After all, their vary presence in my home is sinister to say the least! Most of these cases do not promote themselves to a dialog of “Hello there sirs! You must have the wrong house? No? Well, I guess if the electronics, jewlery, and cash is all you want it’s okay. I’ll just go tie my self up while you pack up. Oh and please be quiet could you? I wouldn’t want the children woken up. Thank you. Such nice young men you are. why, it’s just been a pleasure having you steal my property! I may not call it in at all! What?! You want rape me and kill any poor child that might wake up and see?!! Why that’s just horrible, if you don’t change your mind this instant - why, why… I’ll just have to shoot you in the shoulder!”
I am not prone to the “shoot first and let God sort them” attitude, but common sense says you should be able to defend yourself, family, and property - blind trust that help will arrive in the nick of time is just stupid. That a fickle government will always seek the common good of it’s people has been historicly proven wrong too many times to count. And the less able to defend themselves those people are - the more brutish the govenments were in their treatments.
If those men turn and run out of the house, I’ll be weeping glad to see them gone and thrilled to let the police go get them and have the law run it’s course (which I would hope to be considerable and deterring punishment!). But if not, I’m not going to just sit and watch my family suffer until some one else decides it’s worth the trouble to help.
Just another perspective from a just another american gal…
