It is odd how they sometimes work. sometimes I forget the quote box and can just paste in highlighted text, sometimes I can't; other times I use the quote box and that red line with the return arrow on it won't let me do anything. I am at a loss. This time of course, everything worked properly.
 

Somebody breaks into my house, I am not waiting to see if he was just eager to present me with flowers. I am assuming he has bad intent by the simple fact he committed a B&E; mind you, at the least it is unlawful entry if a person enters my home without my knowledge or invite, even if the door is not locked or even open. At that point, I do not ask. If it was somebody I knew who needed to get in for any reason, they'd have called. Someone who comes into my house while I and my family sleep will get shot dead assuming I can get my firearm ready in time. If not, I have another suitable weapon ready.

If it sounds a bit whacko to you, just know that the city has been moving closer to the suburbs with every passing year. We have had people have their cars entered (my neighborhood and right next door) and personal effects stolen, homes entered via screens being cut with a knife and valuables stolen. There have also been prowlers in vans looking for young children and/or women.

I expect Santa will come down the chimney on Christmas Eve, so if I hear a noise in the basement that night I will know who it is and go back to sleep if I am not too excited. [g] Other than that, if someone enters my house unannounced and unexpected in the wee hours, I am going to fill my hand fast.

I have to say this though: My brother has a pistol, a semi auto. My brother is a bit of an odd duck and I do not agree with how he carries his gun. He has broken the law technically a couple of times when he has carried it (the way it was done) and he heard shit from me when he did it. I think he should get rid of the gun. Once he left the gun loaded in the glove box of my mom's car and he asked me to retrieve it for him. In my mind, the priviledge or owning and carrying a weapon is overshadowed by the great responsibility automatically to be assumed upon being granted that right. That means not "forgetting" a lethal weapon in someone else's car! also, I believe if one borrows another's car, that person should have a say so whether or not they even want the gun in their car.

I understand why he carries the gun though. when he lived in Philadelphia he actually had some guy try to climb in his front window at night. He lives in a not-too-nice neighborhood now in a semi-suburban environment. I never understood why he chose to live there. He carries the pistol for those reasons (or at least has the gun) and also years ago at work he was attacked by a co-worker who held a knife to his throat. Oddly, the employer never called the polic; I do not recall why my brother did not. In today's environment, a huge lawsuit would have been the result, the offending employee would have been fired and likely improsoned and my brother would have been using the suit money to find a newer, better job. The place has long since closed unrelated to that.

 

Did you ever see such a messed up situation in your whole life, son?

Sometimes the person being aimed at needs to be shot. That is why there is a justifiable homicide law.

For example, Joe comes home, finds some guy he doesn't know plowing the stuffing out of his wife and he doesn't take the time to figure out whether she is enjoying it or not. He assumes she is being raped, pulls out his pistol and shoots him. Make the scenario any way you want, but the end result is still likely the same.

Or Joe comes home, hears noise in house and gets his gun from the garage or shed, then surprises some guy rifling through his desk drawers with belongings strewn everywhere. Joe confronts the assumed burglar and he turns toward Joe with something in his hands and Joe shoots him.

See, you are assuming eberyone who gets shot is innocent. That is a rather naive view of the real world, don't you think? So do you think if someone shoots at me, even though I am not a policeman, I am killing someone who is "innocent"? Absurd, sir.

 

 

Did you ever see such a messed up situation in your whole life, son?

Actually, I think most statistics are somewhat bullshit. There are too many variables to consider especially in something controversial such as this, and even the shit I posted was something I found which applied to my argument. The problem with statistics in many cases is, If I am defending gun ownership I can be subjective and "find" information supporting my argument and the reverse is also true. Cherry-picked data. The crap I posted about knives was probably from some anti-knife zealot.

I can't really trust statistics from either side, to be fair. Figures lie and liars figure. Nobody is truly objectibive and that is what the whole argument/discussion is about.

Why aren't knives also mentioned by Freud (or maybe they were and I was nodding off during the lecture). I mean, they are male-shaped, aren't they? I never really thought of the gun as an extension of the penis so much as an extension of the hand or fist. I am not sexually aroused by guns. Other, kinky things perhaps, but that is fodder for another discussion and perhaps you are not keen to know. [G]

 

Did you ever see such a messed up situation in your whole life, son?

What sort of people rob houses? They could be all sorts. They could be punk kids who have nothing better to do, or punk kids needing to support a drug habit. It could be some strung-out meth head with an unpredictable nature. It could be someone who has done nothing but crime all their lives. I am out of work and I have not had to rob anyone's house to feed my family.

Sorry, mate, but if someone breaks into my house I don't have time to play Dr, Phil or interview them. They are already a threat so they are going to get help, possibly permanent help. Help that means they need want no longer. I think you have an overly simplistic, idealistic view of crime and criminals. There are skinheads here, neo-nazis, whack jobs, malcontents and just some general jerk-offs running around. We have some arsehole up in the Poconos who killed one State Trooper and wounded another. Yeah, OK- he killed a police officer. So he needs to be shot, right?

Guess what? If he shows up at my house he will get shot by me no questions asked. I would probably get a commendation for it and of course it is an extreme example. You are approaching this as though in all cases the people being shot are general, all-around good people. In many or most cases, they are not.

Oscar Pistorious is likely to get away with manslaughter because of his celebrity, not because he is not guilty of killing his girlfriend. He is an example of taking the breaking and entering bit to an implausible extreme. I have followed a bit of that case and I really cannot see how he did that and thought there was a burglar. Nonsense.

A person does not have to have a gun to be a threat in someone's house. The delay in not taking someone else's life in a robbery situation may be the difference between your living or dying, or someone in your family living or dying. Say I find a guy in my house, confront him with a gun and he runs out of ny bedroom or living room and to my daughter, taking her as a hostage? I won't take that chance, especially with a dsperate person. Maybe they are desperate, maybe just dangerous. No percentage in it for me to find out; I'll be glad to be edified later.

Actually, I hope to never have to be in that situation. It would never be easy.

** LOL, stopping and entering is not a crime.  :-)

 

Did you ever see such a messed up situation in your whole life, son?