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Armed woman thwarts rape--her own story
- Thread starter bestdefense357
- Start date
Johnny Got His Gun.1
New member
Simple. Plain. Beautiful.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>A mother sticks to her choice to keep a handgun handy
06/05/2000
Stephanie Madison
South Sound
There was a time when I believed having a gun in the same house where children reside was not only unsafe but was bordering on recklessness. Mothers shouldn't own guns.
A single mom, I was accustomed to being alone. I don't remember being afraid. I left my windows open in the summer; I liked to breathe the crisp night air. I won't say I was careless; saying that would assume blame. A person should be able to leave a door or window open without signaling an invasion. No, I wasn't careless.
I worked late. It was dark when I got home. I was carrying my 2-year-old, a diaper bag, a purse, my paycheck in my teeth. I stepped into the darkness and heard what I thought was the answering machine clicking. I stopped. It was too loud. Someone was in my house.
I dropped everything except my daughter. I drove to my mother's house nearby and called the police. A stranger had been in the house but nothing seemed to be missing. Probably just some kids, police assured me.
That night as I undressed for bed I pulled open my top drawer. It didn't occur to me at first. I dug through the drawer almost frantically. Missing were garter belts and stockings, teddies and underwear. I was actually sort of scared.
The next day, at the urging of a girlfriend, I learned to shoot a gun.
I could feel the power of the handgun as I shot the silhouette target in the neck and head. I remember holding the gun, knowing it had the power to kill. I didn't like it.
My friend told me to take the gun ... just in case.
"No," I said, "I have kids." The argument lasted 30 minutes.
Finally, she took my hand gently, "It will be OK. Take the gun."
I don't know if it was her voice or her expression - but I took the gun.
Three days later I awoke to a man crawling into my bedroom.
It was about 5 a.m. It was still dark. He bumped the door with his shoulder and I remember my eyes opening wide as I struggled to focus. I reached under my mattress grabbed the loaded gun, and sat straight up. I did it instantly.
I jumped out of bed as the man rose to his feet and took a step toward me. I pulled back the hammer.
He threw his arms into the air, "No! Don't shoot! My friend is in the living room with your kid."
My hand was steady even as my mind raced around his words. He backed up into the wall.
"Who are you?" I yelled.
"I'm, I'm," he stammered, "I'm friends with Jeff."
Jeff, Jeff, Jeff, Jeff who? I don't know any Jeff. Do I know a Jeff? I certainly didn't want to shoot someone I knew.
I stood before this man. my gun loaded and aimed directly at him. A voice came from somewhere inside me, "Move! Now!"
I had never heard that voice before, nor have I heard it since. It was loud and strong and deep.
I wanted to pull the trigger as I followed him down the hall, into the living room, out the front door. I wanted to shoot him as he scurried and slipped on the wet grass in the front yard.
He didn't touch me. He didn't rape me. He wasn't allowed to. I had a gun. He didn't. I kept the power he had come to ruthlessly steal.
He is now serving a 106-year sentence for the subsequent rapes of four other women. All single moms, all non-gun owners. Sometimes I think of those women. When I do, I feel almost guilty I didn't pull the trigger.
I am not a member of the NRA. I don't picket or protest. I listen quietly as you tell me I shouldn't have a gun. I accept the flyers you send home from school stating the dangers of handguns but omitting the possible benefits.
Don't I care about the safety of my children? It is something you want to know.
My kids know not to touch my gun. I know my kids and I trust they never will.
I do not suggest every parent should own a gun. I can only speak for myself, from my experience. Unless you have lived my experience, please don't speak for me.
Socially acceptable or not, I will never be without a gun. I am a responsible mother.
- - -
* Stephanie Madison lives in Eatonville.
[/quote]
------------------
John/az
"When freedom is at stake, your silence is not golden, it's yellow..." RKBA!
www.cphv.com
06/05/2000
Stephanie Madison
South Sound
There was a time when I believed having a gun in the same house where children reside was not only unsafe but was bordering on recklessness. Mothers shouldn't own guns.
A single mom, I was accustomed to being alone. I don't remember being afraid. I left my windows open in the summer; I liked to breathe the crisp night air. I won't say I was careless; saying that would assume blame. A person should be able to leave a door or window open without signaling an invasion. No, I wasn't careless.
I worked late. It was dark when I got home. I was carrying my 2-year-old, a diaper bag, a purse, my paycheck in my teeth. I stepped into the darkness and heard what I thought was the answering machine clicking. I stopped. It was too loud. Someone was in my house.
I dropped everything except my daughter. I drove to my mother's house nearby and called the police. A stranger had been in the house but nothing seemed to be missing. Probably just some kids, police assured me.
That night as I undressed for bed I pulled open my top drawer. It didn't occur to me at first. I dug through the drawer almost frantically. Missing were garter belts and stockings, teddies and underwear. I was actually sort of scared.
The next day, at the urging of a girlfriend, I learned to shoot a gun.
I could feel the power of the handgun as I shot the silhouette target in the neck and head. I remember holding the gun, knowing it had the power to kill. I didn't like it.
My friend told me to take the gun ... just in case.
"No," I said, "I have kids." The argument lasted 30 minutes.
Finally, she took my hand gently, "It will be OK. Take the gun."
I don't know if it was her voice or her expression - but I took the gun.
Three days later I awoke to a man crawling into my bedroom.
It was about 5 a.m. It was still dark. He bumped the door with his shoulder and I remember my eyes opening wide as I struggled to focus. I reached under my mattress grabbed the loaded gun, and sat straight up. I did it instantly.
I jumped out of bed as the man rose to his feet and took a step toward me. I pulled back the hammer.
He threw his arms into the air, "No! Don't shoot! My friend is in the living room with your kid."
My hand was steady even as my mind raced around his words. He backed up into the wall.
"Who are you?" I yelled.
"I'm, I'm," he stammered, "I'm friends with Jeff."
Jeff, Jeff, Jeff, Jeff who? I don't know any Jeff. Do I know a Jeff? I certainly didn't want to shoot someone I knew.
I stood before this man. my gun loaded and aimed directly at him. A voice came from somewhere inside me, "Move! Now!"
I had never heard that voice before, nor have I heard it since. It was loud and strong and deep.
I wanted to pull the trigger as I followed him down the hall, into the living room, out the front door. I wanted to shoot him as he scurried and slipped on the wet grass in the front yard.
He didn't touch me. He didn't rape me. He wasn't allowed to. I had a gun. He didn't. I kept the power he had come to ruthlessly steal.
He is now serving a 106-year sentence for the subsequent rapes of four other women. All single moms, all non-gun owners. Sometimes I think of those women. When I do, I feel almost guilty I didn't pull the trigger.
I am not a member of the NRA. I don't picket or protest. I listen quietly as you tell me I shouldn't have a gun. I accept the flyers you send home from school stating the dangers of handguns but omitting the possible benefits.
Don't I care about the safety of my children? It is something you want to know.
My kids know not to touch my gun. I know my kids and I trust they never will.
I do not suggest every parent should own a gun. I can only speak for myself, from my experience. Unless you have lived my experience, please don't speak for me.
Socially acceptable or not, I will never be without a gun. I am a responsible mother.
- - -
* Stephanie Madison lives in Eatonville.
[/quote]
------------------
John/az
"When freedom is at stake, your silence is not golden, it's yellow..." RKBA!
www.cphv.com
GIT_SOME.45
New member
Short, Sweet, And to the point...
Good Post!
------------------
SHOOT,COMMUNICATE AND MOVE OUT !
Good Post!
------------------
SHOOT,COMMUNICATE AND MOVE OUT !
Idaho Mike
New member
Good story, and I'm happy for Stephanie Madison.
But....
1. How come she let the would-be rapist get away, to eventually rape at least four other women? By watching him scamper across the lawn and into the night, she was inviting a possible revisit, at the very least. Did she report the incident to the police? She doesn't say. I'm not saying shoot the guy, as much as he deserved it, but try to hold him for the cops.
2. What's her reason for not joining the NRA? She sort of stigmatizes the NRA by her offhand comment.
3. As an NRA instructor and CCW instructor, let me stress - You never lend your gun to anyone, under any circumstances! Her friend did her a great favor, but that same friend would have been responsible for anything stupid or illegal Stephanie might have done. If someone you know may be in danger, has been trained in gun safety and can't afford one, lend them the bucks, but not your gun.
4. I do appreciate she wrote the guest editorial - it will probably do more to convert some single moms than $1 million worth of NRA ads.
[This message has been edited by Idaho Mike (edited July 28, 2000).]
But....
1. How come she let the would-be rapist get away, to eventually rape at least four other women? By watching him scamper across the lawn and into the night, she was inviting a possible revisit, at the very least. Did she report the incident to the police? She doesn't say. I'm not saying shoot the guy, as much as he deserved it, but try to hold him for the cops.
2. What's her reason for not joining the NRA? She sort of stigmatizes the NRA by her offhand comment.
3. As an NRA instructor and CCW instructor, let me stress - You never lend your gun to anyone, under any circumstances! Her friend did her a great favor, but that same friend would have been responsible for anything stupid or illegal Stephanie might have done. If someone you know may be in danger, has been trained in gun safety and can't afford one, lend them the bucks, but not your gun.
4. I do appreciate she wrote the guest editorial - it will probably do more to convert some single moms than $1 million worth of NRA ads.
[This message has been edited by Idaho Mike (edited July 28, 2000).]
I too am curious why she let him get away, but you do have to consider she had no real training for such a situation and was probably terrified to some degree. I imagine under the stress of the situation there was no training to fall back on, and therefore she made a mistake. It is a true shame she didn't shoot him, but unfortunately I doubt the legal system would have been in agreement with me on that.
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I twist the facts until they tell the truth
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I twist the facts until they tell the truth
One important thing jumps out at me from this article: "I am not a member of the NRA". Unfortunately, despite the flaws we need the NRA, GOA, GOAL and all groups like them. And these groups need members. The more the better. People like these women absolutely positively MUST understand that they need not only to defend their families, but they need to defened their right to defend their families. The anti-gun lobby will not stop at taking the guns away from NRA members, they will take her gun as well... and along with it, her ability to defend herself. We MUST make these people understand that!! We must make these people understand that the gun grabbers think 5 raped women is better than one single mom owning a gun! (For her children, of course)
As much as I would have loved for her to have killed this SOB and saved four women from a fate many consider worse than death, I can't really fault her. She had stopped the danger to herself and simply wanted him GONE! Plus, she said she kept wanting to shoot him. That leads me to believe she was both frightened and a bit revenge hungry. If she'd shot him when she saw him, no problem given the sex/size differential, his threat to her children, and the fact he was in her bedroom. In the back when she'd ordered him to leave and he was complying? Severe problems, both legally and emotionally.
Her only mistake was in not holding him for the cops. But, then again, that may not have been a mistake. Anyone alone, even armed, is not in the best position to hold someone for the cops. Ayoob supports ordering the scumbag to leave and filing the report with the cops afterwards.
This woman did what she had to in order to survive and stay within the law. I'm just sorry that four women didn't have the means, the time, and/or the luck to do likewise.
Her only mistake was in not holding him for the cops. But, then again, that may not have been a mistake. Anyone alone, even armed, is not in the best position to hold someone for the cops. Ayoob supports ordering the scumbag to leave and filing the report with the cops afterwards.
This woman did what she had to in order to survive and stay within the law. I'm just sorry that four women didn't have the means, the time, and/or the luck to do likewise.
Dont think you can blame her for not shooting the guy. Once he began to cooperate with her damands she has no legal or even moral justification to shoot, other than revenge. She had no way of knowing he would infact rape 4 other women. If there is any guilt to be leveled it is for the people who chose not to actively defend themselves and even that is reaching.
Rapists like child molesters do not just stop their type of crime.Current research indicates child molesters have almost no ablility to control their hard wired desire to control someone greatly weaker than themselves. This hard wiring is usually a result of their own abuse at an early age. Rapists are not that different accept they have a slightly better prognosis for successful treatment (due to the lack of hard wiring) if the desire comes from within rather than a desire not to go to jail (external desires).The desire that comes from within is the result of being able to feel for another human beings pain and knowing what is right or wrong. This is very rare because it they were able to feel for another they would not rape in the first place. Too bad this woman did not make the world safer for our daugthers and wives.
Her followthrough may be debatable, but we desperately need stories like this to get published more often. I wonder if there's a way to get in touch with her to get permission to reprint?
Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.