"John H." wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 11:39:03 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
...
On Jan 2, 5:35?am, HK wrote:


Our local sheriff and county prosecutors are not very interested in
going after residents who use lethal force to ward off criminals who
attempt latenight break-ins or home invasions.

Maybe not, but the crooks like to know just where to look to find an
arsenal just waiting to be scooped up.

Statistically, you are probably safer with no gun at all than with a
gun to fend off the "boogie man". Add up all the cases where a
homeowner
successfully frightens away or kills an intruder, then subtract the
number of cases where a PO'd family member picks up the gun and kills
husband, wife, son, daughter, etc. Then subtract the number of
"accidental" gun deaths (kids or grandkids knowing just where to look
for the gun and wating until the first opportunity to screw around
with it). Then subtract the substantial number of cases where people
are shot with their own weapons, either because the thief happened
across the gun a few minutes before the homeowners came in and
surprised him or her, or the victims woke up to find some junked up
crook has won the race to the nightstand. The results are probably not
stacked in favor of keeping a handgun in the bedroom. Keeping the
handgun in a safe, with or without a trigger lock, sort of defeats
the
idea of "quick! shoot the bad guy!" for which most people buy a
handgun in the first place.

In most states there is a huge difference in the sentences handed down
for burglary depending upon whether the crook is armed. In fact, it
can become a different class of crime "armed robbery". Few burglars
enter a dwelling intending to harm the occupants- most will plan the
crime for a time when nobody is home. That accounts for the surprising
number of cases where a homeowner is shot with his or her own weapon-
the burglar entered the home unarmed. In the rare case where somebody
actually plans to murder you, the crime is also likely to be planned
with a minimum of confrontation or opportunity to defend yourself.

Do you live in a "three-strikes" state? If so, you actually are at
greater risk than before. (gun or no) Crooks with two prior felony
convictions are more likely to kill any potential witnesses. They know
that if they get busted for robbing the liquor store or breaking in to
steal your stereo they're going to prison for the rest of their
lives......same basic punishment as for murder so might as well clean
up the loose ends. Depressing, ain't it? :-(


Parts of your writing are true. But most children that accidently shoot
themselves or someone else are kids that have been sheltered from guns.
If
you have a gun in the house, teach the kid about gun safety. Take him /
her
to the range and let them shoot the gun. I grew up around guns as my
father
was a hunter. I use to hunt ducks and pigs, so there were guns in the
house. They were not in a safe 20 years ago, but the kids got to shoot
them
on camping trips, they were taught gun safety. And if a relative is
going
to shoot and kill the another relative, the availability of a firearm is
only going to increase the odds of death a small percentage.
If you are going to have a weapon for home protection, you have to be
prepared to shoot the bad guy. Best advice I ever heard was from a
Kentucky
sherriff. He said if you think someone is in the house, call 911, and get
behind the bed with the light on and bench rest the weapon pointing at the
door. Do not say a word to the bad guy if he comes to the bedroom door.
Just look at him with the gun pointed at him. 99.999% of the time the guy
will turn and run. If he continues into the room, shoot him twice. And
then keep the gun pointed at him lying there. The cops will come in the
door even if it is locked. And the guy can not get the gun if he is
wounded.


If one is sitting there with a shotgun and four pistols in his lap, should
he shoot the intruder twice with *each* weapon?
--
JohnH

"Opa of 6"

What are you thinking? You do not want to destroy the house.