Extreamly Paranoid or Being Safe?

[youngunz4life]

mleake

I liked your post. I have thought about the muffs thing though, and I decided a while back that in an emergency the ears are going for the ride. I need to hear whatever noise I can during an emergency situation and also need to know how much noise(hopefully barely any) that I am making. Honestly, I am not even sure either way if electronic muffs allow someone do do that. I just have plugs and muffs together when I shoot in a non-emergency situation.

My wife and I have a safe word too. We have gone over this many times. If she comes downstairs when I am up late as one example, she states the safe word because I don't want to ask for that info and make noise if I don't have to. The alarm trigger would go off in this situation, so I don't want to be scared that there has been a breach. Alarms are great and I recommend them. If you can't dial 911, police will come w/the alarm. NO THEY WON"T BE THERE IN TIME, but most or at least many invaders, robbers, thieves, perps, etc will vacate when the alarm goes off: they aren't going to just continue to climb thru the window. Also, it gives you a head's up - you know something is going on and you are ready ahead of time.

 

[MrGreen]

It can depend on each person as well. I know two martial arts teachers who are at master rank who both carry on them regularly. One is a former cop and Marine. The other grew up in a rough part of Houston. Neither of them are paranoid, and both can (and have) handle themselves against even multipual attackers while unarmed. They are the last two people I have ever met who need to carry a weapon. However they carry because they like it. They also carry because they know first hand that a lot of bad people carry weapons. BTW did anyone even click on that link??

 

[Old Grump]

I lived in a no-gun condo in Illinois for 2 1/2 years near Chicago. About a month after I moved into this nice quiet little neighborhood I stepped outside my door to get my morning paper and was rushed back into my house by a young police officer in full gear complete with blackmask, bullet proof shield and full face shield, a pistol in his hand. Swat and DEA were raiding the unit across the sidewalk from me. I don't consider myself paranoid but I broke the no-gun rule at the Condo with my 45 loaded and holstered next to my bed for the rest of my time there. There were 2 other police actions at units within a block of me over the next 2 years and it was often noisy at night after a Bulls or Bears win and of course holidays with celebratory gunfire. A feller would almost think he was living in Beirut.

One person was found dead in a unit close enough for me to see it from my front stoop. Apparently the owner of the condo had rented his unit out to a friend in violation of the rules. They had a falling out and the owner beat his friend to death with his fist and feet. When you have a lot of people crowded together in a small space you will have a few bad ones.

That is why I live in the hut in the woods now. It's a lot quieter here than it was down there but I have guns loaded and ready because I am 35 minutes away from a deputy on a good day. Unlikely anything will happen here but I don't want to be caught picking my nose alone and unarmed if something does happen. It isn't called paranoid, its called being careful.

 

[noelf2]

Maybe, but with the population of the US at slightly over 300,000 I doubt it.

add about 3 zeros to that number .

Certainly there is something to be said for caution, but a fear that results in having a gun on your person at all times, and in a bag while you shower is way over the top in my opinion.

Carrying all the time isn't because one is in "fear" all the time (usually). Certainly some folks are in fear all the time, and I agree that is not justified or healthy. I carry almost all the time, and hardly ever in fear or even thinking about bad things. It's just routine, and one which could save my life sometime (better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it).

I respect your opinion. I had the same opinion at one point. See my earlier answer to the OP. Something happened that has him worried. He's paranoid now, but that will die down. He'll lose the "fear" and develop a comfortable routine. IMHO this is a "healthy" and normal progression.

Like I said, just hasn't been your turn yet. I hope it never is, and the odds are with you! I'm not a gambler on odds (anymore).

 

[Don P]

Obviously you fear that you will be attacked, and want to be ready.
In my view that is fear, and I would not live that way.

Are the folks that lock their doors and windows paranoid and living in fear?
How about the folks who lock their cars at night and also lock the doors when traveling in said car? Paranoid, living in fear?
How about the folks that have gun safes and place their guns in said safe and lock the said safe when not at home? Paranoid, living in fear?

As stated bad things happen everywhere and not just in less than desirable communities. Ghetto, to middle class, to gated poop happens

 

[oneounceload]

Are the folks that lock their doors and windows paranoid and living in fear?
How about the folks who lock their cars at night and also lock the doors when traveling in said car? Paranoid, living in fear?
How about the folks that have gun safes and place their guns in said safe and lock the said safe when not at home? Paranoid, living in fear?

Locking a car's door at night is about petty theft, not zombie attacks

When traveling? Most cars do that automatically when you put it in gear

Gun safes? again, that is about theft, not attack

Packing in the shower? yep - paranoid to the point maybe they should not own a gun

Packing a gun, and 2 BUGs with reloads? Yep, they need to loosen the tin foil or stay in their momma's basement

Many of those types also seem to NOT possess basic common sense and think packing major artillery will make up for that

Look up the stats for being hit by lightning, killed by a texting teenage driver or a drunk driver or choking on a piece of steak - being attacked in your shower ranks real low on the list (as in not even on it)

But then again, I believe people need to pass a basic reading comprehension test and one in civics before being allowed to vote, so they same for gun ownership isn't far-fetched to me..................

 

[Don P]

sounds a little paranoid to me, if your place is small then you wouldn't have far to go to retrieve a loaded pistol if need be.

Hold on Mr. Crackhead while I fetch up my firearm from the other room

 

[NWPilgrim]

Try a Google or Bing search on "home invasion". You project your own mindset when you say others are in fear when they go armed. I know lots of guys who go armed in and out of their homes and not one of them have I ever thought of being afraid.

Whether their evaluation of risks and measures to mitigate them is the same as your or not does not reflect whether they are in fear. It does reflect the critic's poor understanding of being armed and ready and the mindset to do so.

I am sure some critics here are "more armed" than other citizens deem necessary. One even claims in another thread to consult on CC holster at training classes. Does that make you full of fear because you own at least one gun for self defense? If you carry it at all does that make you more full of fear than a gun owner who never carries?

Projecting motive to an action is more revealing of yourself than the other person.

 

[MLeake]

Younggunz, a good set of electronic muffs will actually enhance your hearing over normal, but when noise exceeds a certain threshold the electronics cut out, and the muffs work like normal muffs.

IE there is no tactical downside.

 

[Bud Helms]

Each is free to do as he will, but I am surprised at how many folks live in fear as a way of life. Now before you argue that you are not living in fear, then what causes you to carry a gun from room to room or shower with a gun? Obviously you fear that you will be attacked, and want to be ready.
In my view that is fear, and I would not live that way.

I am puzzled by the logic used to reach the conclusion that this indicates living in fear.

Of course you stated that it is your view ("In my view that is fear, ..."), so it is a legitimate opinion. That said, there is another view.

I am reminded of people that ask, "Why do you carry a gun? Do you think someone is going to attack you or try to rob you?" (Actually happened ... the question, I mean). My reply, and why I am comfortable with measures you may choose that are burdensome in my view (there it is again), is that it you nor I know when we will need to defend ourselves with deadly force. I admit that inside my own home, I am more relaxed than out and about town. A person needs a place of refuge after all. But if you decide to remain armed with every step you take in your own home, then I salute your committment, but I cannot maintain that level of watchfulness 24 hours a day. It is too stressful and very tiring. I do not, however think it is due to fear. It is maintaining the same vigilance for the unknown which many of us do outside the home. Why is remaining armed in my home an act of fear yet when I am armed the same outside my home it is being prepared?

The rationale for one is the rationale for the other. Some simply choose to maintain their vigilance in places you and I choose to let our guard down.

I don't see a problem and I certainly don't interpret that as an expression of fear. If it is, then carrying anywhere is borne of fear. I don't believe that to be the case.

Edited to add: It occurs to me that some may indeed carry out of fear, but if that is the case, they may need to reexamine their motives. I still have a hard time attributing the committment to carry and defend one's loved ones, self and property an act of fear, in the home or outside. I suppose one could say there is an element of fear involved in any act that is intended to protect against harm, but it shouldn't be confused with being frightened. That's quite a different thing.

 

[Glockgrabber]

I dont find it paranoid, i live in a very small town, and we recently had a string of very sudden and brutal home invasions, they were all at night, and in the nicest neighborhoods we have. I cant find statistics at the moment, but i was told by a very knowledgable police officer that most of the robberys around here happen at night and in the home. Even people present in the home are not a deterrant, for one captured robber told them that "i broke in there when they were home so i could get em to tell me where the expensive stuff was" his method of victim interrogation involved tying them up and shoving a sawed-off double in their faces. So to sum it all up and repeat myself no its not paranoid to want to be prepared when there is the possiblity of a shotgun wielding cretin busting through your door at 0 dark'30. To borrow Clint Smith's wonder phrase, "i carry a gun, what the **** do i have to be afraid of." Slightly out of context, but close enough

 

[JohnKSa]

Ok, this is my take and I'll admit to not having read all the way through the thread.

If you're really concerned about a break-in, then there are several things you should do. Arming yourself is just one way to improve your security, and frankly, it's probably not really the most effective approach, in the absence of any other measures, all things considered. Increasing the security of your home is the first step to take and there are a number of relatively easy,and inexpensive ways to accomplish that quite effectively. The police are generally willing to provide a number of helpful tips in this regard.

Focusing on a single aspect of improving your security (going armed) rather than taking a more systematic approach to solving the overall problem is probably not so much a strategy as it is a "bandaid" approach.

 

[Ringolevio]

Redundancy

JohnKSa:

Ok, this is my take and I'll admit to not having read all the way through the thread.

If you're really concerned about a break-in, then there are several things you should do. Arming yourself is just one way to improve your security, and frankly, it's probably not really the most effective approach, in the absence of any other measures, all things considered. Increasing the security of your home is the first step to take and there are a number of relatively easy,and inexpensive ways to accomplish that quite effectively. The police are generally willing to provide a number of helpful tips in this regard.

Focusing on a single aspect of improving your security (going armed) rather than taking a more systematic approach to solving the overall problem is probably not so much a strategy as it is a "bandaid" approach.

Had you read through the thread, you might have noticed that I expressed pretty much the same thing, in far fewer words:

You should also make your home a hard target and sharpen your situational awareness, so the gun is your last line of defense rather than your first and only one. And it's a good idea to try to avoid confronting an intruder, unless you have no choice.

 

[MrGreen]

Has anyone taken a gun with them to the bathroom and held it while sitting on the toilet?

 

[Glockgrabber]

Ive happened to be wearing one in the bathroom, but never held it. Though i know several people that keep a gun in their bathroom lol.

 

[Ringolevio]

It's always good to have something in your hand

MrGreen:

Has anyone taken a gun with them to the bathroom and held it while sitting on the toilet?

You betcha! And of course I take my cellphone, too. That way, I can Shoot, Move and Communicate!


[Just free-associating here] Then again, if you have an old-fashioned toilet tank, that would be a good place to hide a gun, a la "The Godfather", in which Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) retrieved a gun hidden in the restroom of an Italian restaurant and used it to assassinate a rival mob boss and a police captain.

One of my favorite lines in that movie comes from the lead-up to that scene, where Sonny Corleone (James Caan) says something like, "Listen, I want somebody good to plant that gun. I don't want my little brother coming out of that toilet with just his **** in his hand!"

 

[Rusty35]

Well,
You heard about a crime that happened 20 years ago on the radio, and it
"scared the hell out of you".

You woke up in the middle of the night "too scared to even move"

I say you are just a tad too paranoid.

 

[dabigguns357]

So it's ok to wonder around the rabbit hole with not a care in the world.Lets hit the real nail on the head,what would have happened if the earthquake had been alot bigger or the hurricane strengthins and you are at the center or near enough that there is some chaos and looting.Are you going to feel the same way about going through your daily lives without carrying or not carrying while at home.

Do you see all those people preparing because of the hurricane right now.How many of those people will know where and when the storm will hit,they don't but they are still preparing.Having a gun on me and my wife makes as much sense as preparing for a flood,hurricane,or major disaster.

You never know when or where life will through you a curve ball,you just have to be prepared and work through it.

 

[Crosshair]

Has anyone taken a gun with them to the bathroom and held it while sitting on the toilet?

Seriously now. It's not all that of a bad idea. Is someone is casing the place they should be able to figure out what window is the bathroom. That light is on, someone has their pants around their ankles or no pants at all.

 

[Buzzcook]

Destroyer

Met a girl called lola and I took her back to my place
feelin' guilty, feelin' scared, hidden cameras everywhere
STOP!
Hold on
Stay in control

Girl, I want you here with me
But I'm really not as cool as I'd like to be
'cause there's a red, under my bed
And there's a little yellow man in my head
And there's a true, blue, inside of me
That keeps stoppin' me, touchin' ya, watchin' ya, lovin' ya

Paranoia, need destroyer.
Paranoia, they destroy ya'

Well I fell asleep, then I woke feelin' kinda' queer
Lola looked at me and said ooh you look so weird
She said man, there's really something wrong with you
One day you're gonna' self-destruct
You're up, get down, I'll come work you out
You get a good thing goin' then you blow yourself out

Silly boy ya' self-destroyer.
Silly boy ya' self-destroyer

Silly boy you got so much to live for
So much to aim for, so much to try for
You blow it all with, paranoia
You're so insecure you, self-destroyer

(and it goes like this, here it goes) paranoia, they destroy ya
(here it goes again) paranoia, they destroy ya

Doctor, doctor, help her please I know you'll understand
there's a time device inside of me I'm a self-destructin' man
there's a red, under my bed
and there's a little green man in my head
and said you're not goin' crazy, you're just a bit sad
'cause there's a man in ya, knawin' ya, tearin' ya, in to to

silly boy ya' self-destroyer. paranoia, they destroy ya'

self-destroyer, wreck your health
destroy friends, destroy yourself
the time device of, self-destruction
lies, confusion, start eruption

(yea, it goes like this, here it goes) paranoia, they destroy ya
(here's to paranoia) paranoia, they destroy ya
(hey hey, here it goes) paranoia, they destroy ya
(and it goes like this)

paranoia, they destroy ya
(and it goes like this)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WJ6FbcWYRU

I moved from a relatively safe place to a supposedly dangerous place. I started carrying a gun after I got what I considered to be a real threat.
Turns out the scary place wasn't that scary and the threat was made by a puffed up punk.
Make yourself safe by all means. Don't get scared though it ruins your fun.