eits
Lifer
And yet people in CCW states still get robbed. You would think that if robbers were not willing to risk getting shot they would do it in states that do not issue CCW. I think the very fact that I live in a state with castle doctrine and very lax ccw laws should give any idiot pause before he breaks into someone's house.
Yet it doesn't (except in that town that requires everyone to own a gun), so that tells me these criminals have weighed the facts and have decided the risk is worth it. So I don't feel sorry defending myself because they have already made the decision for me.
I'm not paranoid. I know I will probably never use my guns for self defense. In fact I bought most of my guns for pleasure. I have only purchased 2 guns for self defense (my carry and my 357). I also know the chance that I may get into a car accident is also very low. The same with dying unexpectedly, having a house fire, someone getting hurt on my property and suing me, becoming injured and unable to work for a long period of time, or losing my job and needing to hunt for a new one and pay the bills. Yet I'm prepared for all of those possibilities. I pay car insurance, house insurance, health insurance. I have a fire extinguisher on me and in my car. I have flares, fire steel, tire jacks, first aid kits, small hand tools, and a blanket in my car.
I was raised to be prepared. I'm not scared of the government or some race of people. I don't know any of my friends who fit that description as well. I'm simply prepared. I have made decisions as to what I feel is worth my protection and I have purchased items to insure that protection. For example, I have dead bolts on my doors, I have a safe, I have a sub pump to prevent my basement flooding, I have a fire extinguisher, and I have a firearm.
I also carry a knife every single day. It's not a weapon, it's for utility. Yet everyone who sees it assumes I'm paranoid because I have it simply because it has a spring assist and it is black. I happen to need a knife now and then and I also happen to think black is a nice color and spring assist is just dang cool. No devious reasoning back there.
In fact no one outside will ever see my gun. It's not to be tough, or macho but to simply provide me with a easy to use readily available tool for the protection of myself, my family and my property.
To prepare for the use of said tool I have done what I do with all tools. I have found training and learned how to properly use that tool. If I do not feel the need to fire the gun, I feel it is wrong to pull it. The purpose of my gun is to stop someone from taking my property or my life. If I don't need to shoot it then I don't need to pull it. To this aim I have never practiced pulling my gun and threatening the target down range with it. I have practiced pulling my gun and shooting it. When under stress that will be what is done. You fight like you train. Sadly, that means I will be shooting someone and they might die. As bad as I feel about that, they made that choice, I did not. They decided to try to rob someone in a state where anyone can carry a hidden weapon for $100.00 and where it is legal to use that weapon to defend your property/life.
Further more, using the firearm as a threat puts me at risk. What if he has friends? Very few crimes happen with a solo criminal. This is why all good courses teach you to pull, fire, and then look around. You are looking for his buddy. If I pull and do not fire, now I have to keep myself safe from my attacker while at the same time looking for his partner who could be anywhere. This could get me killed. If I let him run, then pulling it had no purpose as he will be getting away with violating my privacy and possibly taking my stuff with him. This could also offer him the opportunity to get revenge.
In addition to that, in my area home robbers come in two flavors.
1) Meth addicts - these are smash and grabs you probably can get your gun and get downstairs before they are off with your blueray player. Mostly crimes of opportunity such as cars left in driveways or objects near windows that can be quickly carried off.
2) Planned thefts - This just happened right across the street from me. I live in a sleepy, mostly high middle class area with almost no crime. Yet 10-20 miles a way is a huge crime area. In the case of my neighbor she ordered cable tv. It was installed and then next day she came home earlier then normal to find a man in her house with a gun.
Apparently he was the cable guy and had scoped out her house and saw she had a cheap safe in her bedroom. He planned to rob her while she was at work but she came home early. He had brought a gun with him for just that purpose. He ordered her into another room, locked her in, and stole the safe. Her big dog just watched with it's tail between it's legs.
So even in a nice area where children run the streets until dusk and everyone knows everyone there is still that chance of crime. I don't feel it is high and I am in no way scared I might be attacked. I am however comforted with knowing that if someone was to break into my house while I'm at work that he would be met with my wife and a firearm. I don't think she could live with herself if she was in the neighbor's position.
good post. i understand your points of view. thank you for sharing. i can agree with most of them.
