Home Defense, what do you think? (deceiving title)

R

relientk1988

New member
Hello, I hope I can get my point across without offending anyone. Criticism is welcome.


As I browse this forum the majority of threads I see start with "stopping power...", "what would you do if...", and I'm wondering if I'm the only person who likes shooting handguns for fun. I live in the suburbs and not really afraid of anything. My shotgun is locked up but I have one shell on my nightstand. Compared to people that have a loaded handgun at every egress I'm tame. Where do you all live? From these threads is seems everyone lives in the worst part of New York. How many people have actually had their homes broken into? I know some of you have and yes, you should protect your home and family. I think CCW is a great idea, but not if it makes you see everything as a threat. Well thanks for reading this and I hope you all are riled up and ready to insult me :) ,

Ben
 
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It’s not a question of where you live or if you “expect” to be robbed/assaulted. I wear a seat belt and I don’t “expect to be sideswiped by a drunk driver”.

I think most enjoy both the practical and the tactical aspects of the firearm as well as the sport and collector appeal it offers. I know I do.
 
It can happen anywhere, at anytime. I never really worried about home invasions, until someone came through my door one night. IMHO, feeling completely "safe" because of where you live is a false sense of security.
 
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I live one block from the boundary of what was identified last time I looked (early 90's) the 2nd highest crime district in Ohio, mainly burglaries. Before 7 bars in a 2 block area were closed down a few years ago, I frequently had people taking a leak on the lawn (and getting ANGRY that I didn't let them finish!!!) and people coming up on the porch and basically treating all the residences on the block as public property.
I don't see why anybody would be offended that you just shoot for fun. One thing I don't understand, maybe I didn't "get it" when I read your post, but why would you have a shell out that would show somebody you might have a shotgun if it is locked away? Why would you have the shell out at all? Just curious about that.
 
relientk1988 . . .

relientk1988,

"How many people have actually had their homes broken into? I know some of you have and yes, you should protect your home and family. I think CCW is a great idea, but not if it makes you see everything as a threat."
Click to expand...

Please allow me to comment on your post.

To begin, I’m approaching 60, a retired senior Naval officer, and I, too, live in the upper middle class suburbs (of Fairfax County, Virginia). I mention these cursory demographics, so you will quickly understand that I make no pretense of living -- or working -- in the more dangerous areas of an inner city.

I respectfully believe your fundamental thesis is flawed. I GREATLY enjoy hunting, target shooting, sporting clays, and plinking. However, I have learned that no one is immune from criminal activity and violence. In the almost 23 years I have lived in Fairfax County, I have had three serious felonies perpetrated against me: an auto theft, an attempted auto theft, and a breaking and entering of my home while my family was asleep on its upper floor. These were in neighborhoods noted for their VERY low crime rates. Two of the three cases were solved and the felons were incarcerated. However, the fact is each these felonies happened in venues where they were -- according to your thesis -- extremely improbable.

Over twenty years ago, two burglars broke into my home, by removing a sliding glass deck door, in the wee hours of the morning while my family and I were asleep on the dwelling’s top floor. That event convinced me to become far more defense- and firearms-oriented. My wife, my children and I were asleep within feet of the burglary, I heard some noises, assumed one of the kids had left the TV on in our great room, and wandered downstairs -- with no more on than my skivvies -- to confront and chase two intruders from our home. If the criminals had stood their ground, my family and I could easily have been murdered.

Therefore, this whole arena is simply one of risk mitigation for me. No one wants a serious medical problem, a house fire, and major automotive accident, and so forth. However, life teaches us that these catastrophes happen. So, too, do crimes -- and even in the best and safest of areas. We all have insurance, we also have first aid kits and fire extinguishers, and we should similarly be prepared to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and other innocents from criminal ravages.

No police force can be omnipresent; a 911 call is likely to result in a delay of several minutes -- and often more -- before the first cop appears. People are killed in seconds, not in minutes. I hope and pray I will never have to use lethal force to prevent criminals from seriously injuring or killing an innocent, but I believe it is prudent to be prepared if I am compelled to do so.
 
From these threads is seems everyone lives in the worst part of New York.
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Why do so many people use New York City as an example of "the dangerous ghetto"??? NYC has one of the lowest per capita homicide rates of any large US city.
 
Well said RWK.

"From these threads is seems everyone lives in the worst part of New York."



"Why do so many people use New York City as an example of "the dangerous ghetto"??? NYC has one of the lowest per capita homicide rates of any large US city."

RightFrankDrebin. Lets look at cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles. I personally Live in LA, and while I don't live in Compton or the "50s", I do believe in the idea that there are millions of people around me, and that some of those people are of the type that wish to do harm. Can you live your whole life actually knowing that you won't have a run in with even one of those people? Chances are that you won't, but wouldn't you rather be prepared than not? And it really doesn't matter where you live.
 
The last numbers I checked, NYC only had a murder rate of less than 7 per 100,000. That's pretty remarkable. It was nowhere near the top 10. Washington DC is always up there, Detroit is usually in the mid 40's L.A. is around 20 and Gary, Indiana always seems to vie for murder capital, but NYC is relatively safe, as far as homicides go.
 
Speaking of the criminal element, we're all behind enemy lines and there is no demilitarized zone. Criminals drive too and know where the nicer neighbrohoods are...

At home one is pinned down and many areas to defend against, not to mention the fact that most people...relax at home, thinking they're in a safe haven. Illusion.

On the street...Where do I start? Very dangerous and always by suprise. The criminal will always have the advantage of suprise from premeditation.

There's no such thing as a good neighbrohood in the sense that it cant/wont happen here. Illusion.

I also think that there may be a correlation with crime & the weather. When its cold, crime goes down. When it's hot, there's more shootings. (Please note that I have no statistics for that, its my perception.)
 
I still won' visit NYC, Wash DC, Kommifornia, or any of those other backwards states untill I can carry nationwide because im an LEO (im not as of yet, but in process).

Im not saying that they are dangerous, nor that I feel a threat from everyone everywhere. I just don't like the idea of not being able to if I feel that I need to, I guess Im spoiled.
 
Abelew, your reasoning doesn't make much sense to me. I mean, shouldn't there be a limit or breaking point as to the extent of which you take to defend your life versus LIVING your life? It seems to me that your logic is very similar to someone that would never leave their house because the world is too dangerous. In this case, fear has won and taken over your life. I hate to think that there are people that would not step outside their door to see and experience beautiful and enlightening things, places, and people because of the fact that they cannot carry a firearm with them. No defense is %100 fullproof, and by limiting your experiences to those that allow you to tread armed, you are painfully limiting yourself. There is much to see, learn, and be apart of in this world. Don't be a prisoner to yourself or your weapon.
 
Lived at my current residence in Western PA for 5 years. During that time my car was broken into, my garage door was kicked in and someone unknown tried to take a screwdriver to lever in my back door but was unsuccessful. I don't even live in a bad area.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
 
Clarification

The gun is in a wood and glass cabinet(I know they can be stolen) but half the time it is unlocked so I could have easy access to it. I mention it to show the difference between me and people who have guns cocked and locked everywhere. Also, as much as I do enjoy endlessly talking about penetration in gelatin, I also just like to read about guns. I know this is the tactics and training section but the whole site in every forum is basically the same thing. I just wonder how outsiders to gun culture view us when every other thread is about protecting.




P.S. New York just sounded good compared to Branson, MO.


Ben
 
It's not a matter of not being able to live my life because i am in fear of it all the time. It's more of a difference of opinion. I dont really even carry, it's more of the principal of the matter. Kali, I wont support their komunist views, and I have no need or desire to go there. NYC, I might be tempted to go there, because I have never been. I won't be going there anytime soon, too much on my plate at the moment. If you don't want your state Kommified, you got to take a stand and do your best (legally) to prevent it from happening. I don't have guns all over my house, and I own 2 large dogs. I keep one for self protection, not because I feel I need to, but because I feel it is prudent to be prepaired. If you go camping, do you take things you probably won't need, for those rare instances you think you might? And, I don't live in the best part of town.
 
I live in Cali(LA to be exact, used to live in San Diego), and I really don't find your reference of Kommifornia to be quite accurate. With the exception of the Gun issue(which is painfully strict, especially when it comes to CCW), and how expensive it is, California is a wonderful State. There is more to offer in this great state than many people recognize. I don't see this state as being "Kommified" at all. Have you ever lived here? Or is it that you refuse to even come here and experience it for yourself because you can't carry?

And what "Kommunist" views are you talking about exactly?
And when did Liberal become "Kommunist". By the way, my state is spelled with a "C".
 
Come to my home and burglarize it when I'm not there and you'll probably set off the alarm and get to meet the local Gendarmes. If I there, the laws of the State of Texas do not require me to take prisoners.

Reideal,
I would not live in the "State of Kalifornica" for all the tea in China. Not a flame, just a statement.

Jungle Work
 
Kommifornia might just be a great state. I don't care. This one issue is enough to make me dislike a state enough to never want to be seen in it. It's more a matter of principal, and that Kommifornia want's to enact laws that conflict against, I believe, the US Constitution was designed to protect against. I live in FL, which has many of the same great beaches, maybe more, and has sensable gun laws, and a great CCW law. Long live the free world, and I emplore anyone who values their continued exercize of their Constitutional Rights (notice it didn't say privliages decided upon by PETA, Right Wing Movie Actors, and the like, to move out of that state, and place their votes where they will actually count. When your governer is Arnold, who can't even really speak English, how do you expect your Rights will not be treated as Privliages.
 
reildeal,
I pretty much agree with our young cop to be. I grew up in Cali and lived there for the first 20 years of my life. There are numerous other issues to justify the mocking of it as a state. It has much to offer as far as climate and scenery. Other than the gun issues there are immigration issues, tax issues, job issues, inflated cost vs. income, crime. I could go on and on. Not knocking your choice of state just pointing out that there are real reasons for a lot of us not wanting to live there.
 
I live in a "safe" rural area, but that didn't stop some psycho kid from opening up with a semi-auto rifle in a mall 30 miles north of me 2 weeks ago on a busy weekend shopping day. He hit 2 people (not badly hurt) and fired something like 50 rounds. He was strolling around shooting randomly. Now I am not saying a handgun is a good option against a rifle, but in this case, a shopper with a CCW probably could have put 2 in his back and rid the world of this vermin.

He is locked up now.
 
I like RWK live in a good neighborhood in Fairfax, VA. I checked the murder rates here, and in 960K people, there have been exactly 2 murders, (In 2000). I don't really have gangs to fear around here, and not many crimes, but being an ex-boy scout, I would prefer to have something that I never need, as opposed to need something that I do not have.

In the end, if I never have to use my handgun, it has given me extra security knowing that for a little weight on my right hip, I am safer. Just in case. :p
 
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