Rightwords... Prudent Conservatism

The Assault Begins:

0200: The front door crashes in with splintering and cracking sounds. The burglar alarm sounds off immediately, which, contrary to the publicity, does not deter the burglar. He recovers from his two-footed ramming handily, and races up the stairs, heading for the payoff places for a house burglary. He knows that he has at least 5 minutes to rob the house, since the police response time is that slow.

At the top of the stairs he meets with Jay, the homeowner. One look by the burglar and Jay stands aside, not willing to be pummelled to the floor or shot. Judy, his wife, joins him, and they watch, huddled in each other's arms, as the burglar ransacks their bedrooms for money or small valuables. The burglar turns to them and demands their hidden money...or else! Judy runs to the bathroom and recovers their vacation cash, then hands it to the burglar.

0205: The burglar, with a grin, runs out of the house and makes his escape.

0209: The police arrive and make a big show of searching the house and neighborhood and radioing in a description of the burglar, but they are far too late and they know it. The alarm company sends out a representative to soothe their feelings and to sell them additional and obviously useless alarm capability. The homeowners are out perhaps several thousand dollars in cash and jewelry, plus a new door for another thousand or so. Jay and Judy are very, very lucky that they weren't assaulted physically, and sent to the hospital as a result of their injuries. An assault occurs in about 1 out of 5 or so burglary cases, with serious injuries occurring, mostly head traumas, each time.

The Alternate Scenario:

0200: The front door crashes in, and the burglar runs through and up the stairs. Jay hears the crash, grabs his gun, and rushes to the head of the stairs and stands there with his 9mm pointed firmly with both hands at the burglar. The burglar, gun and all, turns and runs out faster than he came in. No one is injured; no one is shot; and there is a fair likelihood that the burglar will be picked up eventually and prosecuted.

0209: The police arrive and do their thing, and so does the useless alarm representative. The loss is one door, plus a good scare.

This scenario (and similar variations) is repeated many times per year and goes almost totally unreported by the media. John Lott estimated from reading police blotters that it happens about 3 million times all over the US per year. The simple message being that having a gun in the home saves lives, and injuries (and of course, property) far, far in excess of any self-inflicted gun injuries or deaths the gun's presence in the home may cause.

Thank God for the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution!

Labels: Guns

# posted by Mannning @ 1:49 PM