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Its a two way street. as I sit here and write this I'm on my couch next to the front door. If the perp kicks the door in first kick, I'm not going to have time to react, however if I'm laying in bed upstairs and I hear banging at the door, or even here it kicked in I like my chances a lot.
Your anti gun thats fine I'm sorry about your friend, but I was brought up around them. As for your expert views being ex military, most of the adult males in my childhood were vietnam vets and they didn't go anywhere without a gun, not everyone shares your views.
I didn't get an anti-gun vibe from BA. I think he is saying the majority of people who are talking like Dirty Harry haven't been in any shoot outs (thank goodness).... and before there is a shootout there are a ton of other things you can do to prevent an intruder from even thinking of breaking into your home.
I would appreciate more post that give good info on how to use a gun properly instead of hearing people brag about how they almost shot someone who wasn't a real threat.
Most middle aged people around the south and midwest were brought up with guns. I believe I can say with some certainty that most practice gun safety and don't fancy themselves as John Waynes when they are in possession. When I visit relatives in New York and Boston and I tell them that I have a pistol in my car's console, they are shocked and wonder why I have a gun. I then ask them why they don't. That amazes me. Up there it generally seems that only criminals have guns. Down here, everyone seems to have them. I had my own 22 caliber when I was 12 and would go hunting on my own. Guns seem to have been part of growing up, a rite of passage perhaps. I believe that outside of the city, that is still much the case.
I hope I never have a burglar enter my home. I am not as concerned about shooting him as I am the terror caused to others by a burglar being in the house. I only hope that if it does happen, he dies immediately after being shot so he won't bleed too much on my carpeting or wooden floors. I would likely have to replace them.
You don't seem to be very knowledgeable about the concept of a "home security plan." Whether you own firearms or not, there is no excuse for not having a rehearsed plan for you and your family in the event of a break-in.
Once you have formed your plan, practice it (as other posters have mentioned.) If you hear a strange noise in the dark of the night, proceed as though it is a break-in and begin to implement your security plan, whatever that may be. It is excellent practice in a potentially elevated adrenaline situation. The more chances you have to practice, the more calm you’ll be in the next elevated adrenaline situation.
A home security plan, even without firearms, can cause burglars to flee. Security plans can involve combinations of simple things: whole house alarm systems, small audible alarms, pepper spray, flashlights/white lights, cell phones, hiding places, rendezvous points, decoy valuables, etc. Your family needs to have a strategy and rehearsed plan. Are you going to stay and fight? Are you going to teach your children to hide? Or flee to a neighbor’s house? What measures are you willing (or not willing) to take to protect yourself? Your spouse? Your kids? All these things need to be decided and practiced ahead of time.
If you are awakened at 2AM by your alarm system or the sound of breaking glass, do you know what you and each member of your family will do? My wife and I have a plan, and it involves several things in addition to firearms.
Also, a firearm that is locked away from easy access is useless. There are many products today that allow a gun to be easily accessible and safe. There are safes and lockboxes that can open quickly, via fingerprint, 4-digit code, and simple old-fashioned keys. Planning firearm access is a key part of my home security plan.
Your comment regarding “testosterone and macho males” is way off base. I grew up in a house where dear sweet old mom had a .357 and wouldn’t hesitate to check out any strange noises in the house. She absolutely insisted that my dad train her to handle a firearm since my dad traveled frequently for work. Also, my beautiful, petit wife is an avid shooter and a huge advocate of personal protection and home security. Both of them believe that protecting themselves and their family is primarily their responsibly. Remember, the police can’t often prevent you from being a victim of crime. They can only look for the bad guys after you’ve been a victim.
I look at it this way: if I’m injured or killed because I had a shootout with home invaders, that’s terrible, but so be it. But, I might injure or kill the home invaders in the process, or they might choose to flee when the first shot is fired. The noise of the gunfire is going to cause my neighbors to call the police, turn on all outdoor lights, and a couple of them would even grab their guns and come to my aid. However, if I choose to be defenseless, unprepared, and unarmed, I can still get shot, or be knocked out, or be tied up. At this point the invader may rape and / or murder my family in relative silence while I’m helpless to do anything about it. At this point, you have to ask yourself a question: do I hope I live through this, only to live with the shame and guilt of not doing everything I possible could to protect my family? I’ve made my choice: protecting my family and I is primarily my responsibility. It’s a responsibility I take very, very seriously. Don’t mock those of us who haven’t abdicated this responsibility.
So if someone doesn't own a firearm then they have abdicated responsibility for protecting themselves and family?
What a load of BS.
I know there are tragedies involving kids getting hold of Daddys gun, also incidents where you wonder if people would still be alive had a gun not been so handy- ie crimes within families maybe comitted in the heat of the moment.
There are many products today that allow a gun to be easily accessible and safe. There are safes and lockboxes that can open quickly, via fingerprint, 4-digit code, and simple old-fashioned keys. Planning firearm access is a key part of my home security plan
About 6 years ago my car spontaneously caight fire whilst I was driving home from work. I got out of the car and once on the sidewalk went to call the emergency services and I couldn't remember how to use my cellphone.
I do believe people are abdicating responsibility by leaving a 16 yr old and younger siblings alone in the house, especially after there has already been an attempted break-in on an earlier occasion.
In my opinion, considering that car wrecks are the number one killer of teenage males, allowing a 16 year old to drive powerful /large cars trucks is abdicating responsibility.
We do have a plan should a fire breakout in our home and have 3 mains smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector.
We also have a security system- I actually never mentioned I had a problem with security systems and planning for emergencies!
Incidentally, what you are doing when you "practice" your plan is a type of simulation. The good thing about simulation training is that it allows people to practice something that they will probabaly have limited "real life" exposure to during their training. However the situation is not real and can never be a replacement for training in the "real" situation.
Research shows that it may improve confidence and improves the speed at accuracy with which a task (a series of set steps) can be performed, however, even if the simulation is "high fidelity" and there is the capability to introduce different factors into the scenario ,then it is very very far removed from any situation involving people, machines, personalities and external factors.
Would you consider a trainee doctor who has performed laproscopic surgery 40 times on a high fidelity mannequin (dummy) to be as skilled as one who has performed the same number under supervision on "real" patient?
Shooting at a target at a shooting range is "low fidelity" simulation, so when you say "my beautiful, petit wife is an avid shooter " that's subjective (on several counts) and only refers to her capability in that simulated situation.
The noise of the gunfire is going to cause my neighbors to call the police, turn on all outdoor lights, and a couple of them would even grab their guns and come to my aid.
Surely the noise of the intruder alarm going off would be enough to get your neighbors to do that and if you take your responsibility to protect your family as seriously as you say you do, then a good security system will be monitored and call 911 automatically.
only to live with the shame and guilt of not doing everything I possible could to protect my family?
Do you think about the possibility that the invaders who are unarmed may use your gun to shoot a family member, perhaps after /before shooting you?
Or that because they know you have a gun they use more violence than they would have done had you been unarmed as their sole intention was to steal?
Or that you shoot and only hurt them and (as adrenaline and endorphins do funny things to people) they then get pissed and shoot your family?
Or the guilt you may feel if you shoot an intruder dead?
We're not living in the 1950s before 911 and intruder alarms and (if we believe what we read) there are people out there who are very practised at what they do as they do it on a frequent basis. So they are more experienced and haven't only been exposed to "simulation".
In the situation where you confront these people with a gun they will be expecting the worst scenario and , just like you think you are, be very well prepared to shoot you. You're the one on the back foot in the middle of the night waking from sleep in a dark house and it's my belief that you and your family are most likely to be the ones who come off worst.
I didn't get an anti-gun vibe from BA. I think he is saying the majority of people who are talking like Dirty Harry haven't been in any shoot outs (thank goodness).... and before there is a shootout there are a ton of other things you can do to prevent an intruder from even thinking of breaking into your home.
I would appreciate more post that give good info on how to use a gun properly instead of hearing people brag about how they almost shot someone who wasn't a real threat.
There is a "gun forum" here on CD, read with caution and do other research, several "experts" there. Again, and I can't stress this enough....research and read the authors I listed. They will give you tried and true advice. They have the knowledge and experience.
So if someone doesn't own a firearm then they have abdicated responsibility for protecting themselves and family?
What a load of BS.
I know there are tragedies involving kids getting hold of Daddys gun, also incidents where you wonder if people would still be alive had a gun not been so handy- ie crimes within families maybe comitted in the heat of the moment.
There are many products today that allow a gun to be easily accessible and safe. There are safes and lockboxes that can open quickly, via fingerprint, 4-digit code, and simple old-fashioned keys. Planning firearm access is a key part of my home security plan
About 6 years ago my car spontaneously caight fire whilst I was driving home from work. I got out of the car and once on the sidewalk went to call the emergency services and I couldn't remember how to use my cellphone.
I do believe people are abdicating responsibility by leaving a 16 yr old and younger siblings alone in the house, especially after there has already been an attempted break-in on an earlier occasion.
In my opinion, considering that car wrecks are the number one killer of teenage males, allowing a 16 year old to drive powerful /large cars trucks is abdicating responsibility.
We do have a plan should a fire breakout in our home and have 3 mains smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector.
We also have a security system- I actually never mentioned I had a problem with security systems and planning for emergencies!
Incidentally, what you are doing when you "practice" your plan is a type of simulation. The good thing about simulation training is that it allows people to practice something that they will probabaly have limited "real life" exposure to during their training. However the situation is not real and can never be a replacement for training in the "real" situation.
Research shows that it may improve confidence and improves the speed at accuracy with which a task (a series of set steps) can be performed, however, even if the simulation is "high fidelity" and there is the capability to introduce different factors into the scenario ,then it is very very far removed from any situation involving people, machines, personalities and external factors.
Would you consider a trainee doctor who has performed laproscopic surgery 40 times on a high fidelity mannequin (dummy) to be as skilled as one who has performed the same number under supervision on "real" patient?
Shooting at a target at a shooting range is "low fidelity" simulation, so when you say "my beautiful, petit wife is an avid shooter " that's subjective (on several counts) and only refers to her capability in that simulated situation.
The noise of the gunfire is going to cause my neighbors to call the police, turn on all outdoor lights, and a couple of them would even grab their guns and come to my aid.
Surely the noise of the intruder alarm going off would be enough to get your neighbors to do that and if you take your responsibility to protect your family as seriously as you say you do, then a good security system will be monitored and call 911 automatically.
only to live with the shame and guilt of not doing everything I possible could to protect my family?
Do you think about the possibility that the invaders who are unarmed may use your gun to shoot a family member, perhaps after /before shooting you?
Or that because they know you have a gun they use more violence than they would have done had you been unarmed as their sole intention was to steal?
Or that you shoot and only hurt them and (as adrenaline and endorphins do funny things to people) they then get pissed and shoot your family?
Or the guilt you may feel if you shoot an intruder dead?
We're not living in the 1950s before 911 and intruder alarms and (if we believe what we read) there are people out there who are very practised at what they do as they do it on a frequent basis. So they are more experienced and haven't only been exposed to "simulation".
In the situation where you confront these people with a gun they will be expecting the worst scenario and , just like you think you are, be very well prepared to shoot you. You're the one on the back foot in the middle of the night waking from sleep in a dark house and it's my belief that you and your family are most likely to be the ones who come off worst.
Most middle aged people around the south and midwest were brought up with guns. I believe I can say with some certainty that most practice gun safety and don't fancy themselves as John Waynes when they are in possession. When I visit relatives in New York and Boston and I tell them that I have a pistol in my car's console, they are shocked and wonder why I have a gun. I then ask them why they don't. That amazes me. Up there it generally seems that only criminals have guns. Down here, everyone seems to have them. I had my own 22 caliber when I was 12 and would go hunting on my own. Guns seem to have been part of growing up, a rite of passage perhaps. I believe that outside of the city, that is still much the case.
I hope I never have a burglar enter my home. I am not as concerned about shooting him as I am the terror caused to others by a burglar being in the house. I only hope that if it does happen, he dies immediately after being shot so he won't bleed too much on my carpeting or wooden floors. I would likely have to replace them.
I couldn't say it any better.
I was 8 years old when I got my first 880 daisy bb gun. At the time is was the most powerful bb gun daisy made. I used it till it wore out. My dad then bought me a crossman 760 which I shot till I wore it out. I wore out another 880, and by that time I was 14. At that point my Dad allowed me to carry his marlin semi-automatic .22 rifle. I wore that out. I then got grandpap's 22 lever action that I shot till I wore that out. At that point I was 17 or 18 years old, and my dad got me a 22 mag.
My point of all of this I've probably shot somewhere between 50k to 100k rounds in my life. I was brought up to respect, but not to fear guns. I don't try to stuff guns down people's throats, so don't try and tell me about all the dangers that come with owning guns. Its just like any other piece of high powered equipment. You have to afford it respect, and if you don't you will get hurt.
So if someone doesn't own a firearm then they have abdicated responsibility for protecting themselves and family?
What a load of BS.
I know there are tragedies involving kids getting hold of Daddys gun, also incidents where you wonder if people would still be alive had a gun not been so handy- ie crimes within families maybe comitted in the heat of the moment.
There are many products today that allow a gun to be easily accessible and safe. There are safes and lockboxes that can open quickly, via fingerprint, 4-digit code, and simple old-fashioned keys. Planning firearm access is a key part of my home security plan
About 6 years ago my car spontaneously caight fire whilst I was driving home from work. I got out of the car and once on the sidewalk went to call the emergency services and I couldn't remember how to use my cellphone.
I do believe people are abdicating responsibility by leaving a 16 yr old and younger siblings alone in the house, especially after there has already been an attempted break-in on an earlier occasion.
In my opinion, considering that car wrecks are the number one killer of teenage males, allowing a 16 year old to drive powerful /large cars trucks is abdicating responsibility.
We do have a plan should a fire breakout in our home and have 3 mains smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector.
We also have a security system- I actually never mentioned I had a problem with security systems and planning for emergencies!
Incidentally, what you are doing when you "practice" your plan is a type of simulation. The good thing about simulation training is that it allows people to practice something that they will probabaly have limited "real life" exposure to during their training. However the situation is not real and can never be a replacement for training in the "real" situation.
Research shows that it may improve confidence and improves the speed at accuracy with which a task (a series of set steps) can be performed, however, even if the simulation is "high fidelity" and there is the capability to introduce different factors into the scenario ,then it is very very far removed from any situation involving people, machines, personalities and external factors.
Would you consider a trainee doctor who has performed laproscopic surgery 40 times on a high fidelity mannequin (dummy) to be as skilled as one who has performed the same number under supervision on "real" patient?
Shooting at a target at a shooting range is "low fidelity" simulation, so when you say "my beautiful, petit wife is an avid shooter " that's subjective (on several counts) and only refers to her capability in that simulated situation.
The noise of the gunfire is going to cause my neighbors to call the police, turn on all outdoor lights, and a couple of them would even grab their guns and come to my aid.
Surely the noise of the intruder alarm going off would be enough to get your neighbors to do that and if you take your responsibility to protect your family as seriously as you say you do, then a good security system will be monitored and call 911 automatically.
only to live with the shame and guilt of not doing everything I possible could to protect my family?
Do you think about the possibility that the invaders who are unarmed may use your gun to shoot a family member, perhaps after /before shooting you?
Or that because they know you have a gun they use more violence than they would have done had you been unarmed as their sole intention was to steal?
Or that you shoot and only hurt them and (as adrenaline and endorphins do funny things to people) they then get pissed and shoot your family?
Or the guilt you may feel if you shoot an intruder dead?
We're not living in the 1950s before 911 and intruder alarms and (if we believe what we read) there are people out there who are very practised at what they do as they do it on a frequent basis. So they are more experienced and haven't only been exposed to "simulation".
In the situation where you confront these people with a gun they will be expecting the worst scenario and , just like you think you are, be very well prepared to shoot you. You're the one on the back foot in the middle of the night waking from sleep in a dark house and it's my belief that you and your family are most likely to be the ones who come off worst.
I also think its funny how the Anti's say oh its different when its a real life. Most gun owners are hunters and have killed many things, and while its not the same as killing a person when that big beautiful buck walks out in all his glory you have to control yourself then too. Heck some people hunt dangerous game and if they don't make the perfect shot they are going to have one angry animal to deal with, but they do it.
Also I'm going to bet that I have a lot more practice with my gun than the intruder is going to have with his. I doubt the local thug goes to the range much. Also the thug is coming into my home, which in all likelihood he's never been in. Like I said in an earlier post unless the kick the door down on the first try while I'm sitting unarmed on my couch I like my chances. If I hear someone breaking in I'm not going to be standing in the middle of my house. I will take a defensive position and use the element of surprise to my full advantage.
The taking of human life, justified or not, is not an issue to take lightly. That's why I don't. My past job and my experiences along the way have helped to shape the man I am today. To those making the point about the aftermath of a shooting or confrontation - you are absolutely correct in that sense. I still see a therapist and have to take meds due to nightmares. But you can't carry shame or guilt around with you; The deed is done. They entered with intention of harm, you draw, front sight on center mass, squeeze. Thank God we ended up passing the Castle Law. No law abiding citizen that had to face down intruders in their home should ever have to prove they were "justified" in using lethal force. That job should fall on the family/lawyers of the intruder(s).
How about this? Let's stop taking snarky shots at each other, and just try to agree that the passing of this law is a very good thing for anyone that rents or is a homeowner.
Here it is, plain and simple: this thread was posted to notify homeowners that their right to protect their home and family has been extended a bit legislatively, to define that a homeowner does not have to retreat should someone break into that person's home.
For those of you who have philosophical reasons as to why you don't want to own a gun, or who have experienced some sort of trauma b/c of an incident involving a gun, or who don't feel safe with a gun in the house b/c of small children . . . DO NOT BUY A GUN.
It is simple. There is no reason to get nasty to those of us who are responsible gun owners. I do not care if you own a gun or not. I just hope if you DO own a gun, you will learn how to properly use it.
I think some of the comments have been way overboard about people being "macho" or "wanting to play Dirty Harry" etc b/c they own guns. Many of us are from a culture where hunting is a sport as well as a food source, and we are fully aware of what it means to kill something. As a species, man used to depend on hunters and gatherers to survive, so it is not as though there is something weird or evil about being a hunter, for god's sake.
This thread has alerted folks of their rights as citizens of this state. I hope none of you is ever the victim of a home invasion. Many have suggested ways to protect property to discourage break-ins, but that isn't what this thread is about. This thread is about what can be legally done once an intruder steps over the threshold.
If you choose to have a firearm and defend yourself, that is your business. For those of you who don't choose that route . . . this thread should be of no interest to you.
Here it is, plain and simple: this thread was posted to notify homeowners that their right to protect their home and family has been extended a bit legislatively, to define that a homeowner does not have to retreat should someone break into that person's home.
For those of you who have philosophical reasons as to why you don't want to own a gun, or who have experienced some sort of trauma b/c of an incident involving a gun, or who don't feel safe with a gun in the house b/c of small children . . . DO NOT BUY A GUN.
It is simple. There is no reason to get nasty to those of us who are responsible gun owners. I do not care if you own a gun or not. I just hope if you DO own a gun, you will learn how to properly use it.
I think some of the comments have been way overboard about people being "macho" or "wanting to play Dirty Harry" etc b/c they own guns. Many of us are from a culture where hunting is a sport as well as a food source, and we are fully aware of what it means to kill something. As a species, man used to depend on hunters and gatherers to survive, so it is not as though there is something weird or evil about being a hunter, for god's sake.
This thread has alerted folks of their rights as citizens of this state. I hope none of you is ever the victim of a home invasion. Many have suggested ways to protect property to discourage break-ins, but that isn't what this thread is about. This thread is about what can be legally done once an intruder steps over the threshold.
If you choose to have a firearm and defend yourself, that is your business. For those of you who don't choose that route . . . this thread should be of no interest to you.
I don't think anyone was being nasty...
I peaked my head in to hear about the law and gave my opinion on those who were more concerned with bragging about their guns then giving good information.
There have been some very good post regarding the law, intent, aftermath etc...
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