Home Defense

[squarejohn]

Getting shot by a live in partner usually has nothing to do with self control. When I was very young, about 3 or 4, my family lived in a duplex. Our neighbor was manager of a thrift store and had to bring the cash bag home every night. He bought a pistol, for security. One evening we heard a shot. He was taking the pistol from his jacket and it fired. The slug went through the wall, into his kitchen and made a hole in the refrigerator. If he had turned 90 degrees, the bullet would have been in our apartment.



I am familiar with the area where you live. It's not that far from where I live. I live in an urban neighborhood, complete with homeless people and panhandlers. I have crackheads to deal with and you have meth heads. I have met both and prefer crackheads.

My security comes from awareness of where I live and what is going on, combined with good locks, bars and fences. It's not Fort Knox, but it's secure enough to be more trouble than what is inside.

Guns are fine for self defense. Except for a trap door and a pit full of spikes, there probably is nothing better. I really don't worry about self defense. My problem is property defense. I can't defend anything when I am not here. All the guns in the world can't do that for me.

A gun does give some people a feeling of security. That is their real value. We happily accept the risks of keeping a deadly weapon in reach, for this comfort.
Then, we talk about it. There are two things a burglar knows he can sell quickly. One is a bicycle and the other is a gun. No one is going to break into your house because he knows you have a $400 espresso machine.

That's the real problem of relying on a gun for security. When you really need it, it's day 13 at at the Alamo.

The meth heads are a few miles north of me, in the next parish up. I avoid anyone who uses drugs of any kind. In my neck of the woods I don't worry about bad guys very much. My guns do give me a feeling of security, just in case. You can argue that nobody really needs a gun, but if you do need one, you need it really bad. I actually had to pull a gun just last week. Someone, or something, was thumping at the door. It turned out to be a feral dog. I fired a couple of shots over him, into the ground and it scared him off.

I understand that living in an urban setting is different than rural. You want something with stopping power, but no so much that it will penetrate into a neighbor's house. A twelve gauge shotgun with 00 buck is just right for that.

Your way makes sense to you and my way makes sense to me. I say tomato and you say tamahto. Good luck.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Defense?
No material goods worth stealing, none worth killing or dying for.

People and pets? Now that's another story. I won't advertise, but suffice it to say that any one who even appears to be a threat to those living with or visiting me won't have to worry about his future.

 

[bronzeage]

The meth heads are a few miles north of me, in the next parish up. I avoid anyone who uses drugs of any kind. In my neck of the woods I don't worry about bad guys very much. My guns do give me a feeling of security, just in case. You can argue that nobody really needs a gun, but if you do need one, you need it really bad. I actually had to pull a gun just last week. Someone, or something, was thumping at the door. It turned out to be a feral dog. I fired a couple of shots over him, into the ground and it scared him off.

I understand that living in an urban setting is different than rural. You want something with stopping power, but no so much that it will penetrate into a neighbor's house. A twelve gauge shotgun with 00 buck is just right for that.

Your way makes sense to you and my way makes sense to me. I say tomato and you say tamahto. Good luck.

Best of luck to you, Davy Crockett.

 

[squarejohn]

Defense?
No material goods worth stealing, none worth killing or dying for.

I don't quite understand this sentiment. Are you saying that if someone came into your house, and started moving your furniture and other goods out of your house and into their truck, you would just stand there without even raising a hand? Your material goods represent a substantial portion of your life, which you spent time and effort acquiring. Most people would think their property is worth defending because it is an extension of their self.

Maybe I'm missing something here. I would appreciate it if you would expand on this amazing statement.

 

[driphoney]

Defense?
No material goods worth stealing, none worth killing or dying for.

People and pets? Now that's another story. I won't advertise, but suffice it to say that any one who even appears to be a threat to those living with or visiting me won't have to worry about his future.

I don't quite understand this sentiment. Are you saying that if someone came into your house, and started moving your furniture and other goods out of your house and into their truck, you would just stand there without even raising a hand? Your material goods represent a substantial portion of your life, which you spent time and effort acquiring. Most people would think their property is worth defending because it is an extension of their self.

Maybe I'm missing something here. I would appreciate it if you would expand on this amazing statement.

I can't answer for Tio, but I feel the same way. While I wouldn't be happy if--would actually feel violated--someone started moving my furniture, and in that case, I'd call law enforcement. I wouldn't just stand there. However, nothing material I own is worth endangering myself or others, including the intruder. It's just stuff. Stuff can be replaced. I can't be replaced, nor can my pre-killing/wounding mental state if I did harm another person physically, even if they are a thief. Ultimately, it's a selfish position. I don't value any thing over myself. Maybe it was just the way I was brought up. We never had much and we didn't put much value in things. Recently someone mentioned getting a coach bag. I just sat there for a minute wondering what shape that was, then it hit me, Coach.

However, like Tio, people in my life have extreme value beyond price. Threatening to harm them is worth anything and everything to me, though I don't own a weapon, nor do I know how to use one. Part of my reason for that is that the only people I personally have ever known involved in weapons related deaths and injuries have been family members of the gun owner. I realize it's anecdotal, but we're often influenced by our life events. I'm NOT anti-personal weapon, just not comfortable with them myself.

But if I'd lived through a home invasion, no doubt I'd do a 180 on all that thinking.

 

[squarejohn]

I can't answer for Tio, but I feel the same way. While I wouldn't be happy if--would actually feel violated--someone started moving my furniture, and in that case, I'd call law enforcement. I wouldn't just stand there. However, nothing material I own is worth endangering myself or others, including the intruder. It's just stuff. Stuff can be replaced. I can't be replaced, nor can my pre-killing/wounding mental state if I did harm another person physically, even if they are a thief. Ultimately, it's a selfish position. I don't value any thing over myself. Maybe it was just the way I was brought up. We never had much and we didn't put much value in things. Recently someone mentioned getting a coach bag. I just sat there for a minute wondering what shape that was, then it hit me, Coach.

However, like Tio, people in my life have extreme value beyond price. Threatening to harm them is worth anything and everything to me, though I don't own a weapon, nor do I know how to use one. Part of my reason for that is that the only people I personally have ever known involved in weapons related deaths and injuries have been family members of the gun owner. I realize it's anecdotal, but we're often influenced by our life events. I'm NOT anti-personal weapon, just not comfortable with them myself.

But if I'd lived through a home invasion, no doubt I'd do a 180 on all that thinking.

You sound like a very sweet and gentle person. The world needs many, many more people like you.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I don't quite understand this sentiment. Are you saying that if someone came into your house, and started moving your furniture and other goods out of your house and into their truck, you would just stand there without even raising a hand? Your material goods represent a substantial portion of your life, which you spent time and effort acquiring. Most people would think their property is worth defending because it is an extension of their self.

Maybe I'm missing something here. I would appreciate it if you would expand on this amazing statement.

Simple enough...I don't see any of my belongings as worth stealing. If someone were to come in and start taking things, I'd object, of course, but not to the point of killing or dying. Once, when I was much younger, I did threaten some thieves who were in the process of pilfering my apartment. The shotgun did get them to change their minds, but for myself, upon reflection, I decided I really wouldn't want to kill some one over a stereo set. And, further, I came to the conclusion that I really didn't want to think of material goods as extensions of myself, that I would not define myself by what I owned.

I am a bit more (a good bit more) possessive of my words, images, and ideas, and get very annoyed at plagiarism. But I'm sure I wouldn't shoot somebody for stealing my stories, and I consider them more valuable than my goods.

I'm sure you have no problem understanding my views of people, including myself; I would kill or die in defense of them.

 

[squarejohn]

Simple enough...I don't see any of my belongings as worth stealing. If someone were to come in and start taking things, I'd object, of course, but not to the point of killing or dying. Once, when I was much younger, I did threaten some thieves who were in the process of pilfering my apartment. The shotgun did get them to change their minds, but for myself, upon reflection, I decided I really wouldn't want to kill some one over a stereo set. And, further, I came to the conclusion that I really didn't want to think of material goods as extensions of myself, that I would not define myself by what I owned.

I am a bit more (a good bit more) possessive of my words, images, and ideas, and get very annoyed at plagiarism. But I'm sure I wouldn't shoot somebody for stealing my stories, and I consider them more valuable than my goods.

I'm sure you have no problem understanding my views of people, including myself; I would kill or die in defense of them.

That's clear enough for me.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Remington 870, 18 1/2 barrel with 2 3/4 #7 shot.

More important than having the weapon, I have the skill and willingness to use it if needed.