Sunday afternoon, napping with your wife, your door gets kicked in. True story.

[TN_Mike]

And some people think I overreact because I always carry at home.

Call me paranoid, call me stupid... it doesn't mean a hill of beans to me. It is my destiny to be prepared for that one life-changing moment, due in at a time unknown to me.

May God grant my daughter wisdom to learn something from me about the real world.


It's going to be loud. Real loud.

Crouching nude on the bathroom floor beside my wife, waiting for some scum to determine whether we live or die?

Screw that--it ain't happening.

Amen Grady! Same here!

I carry at home and I don't really care what anybody thinks about that.
My daughter just tonight picked out a gun she wants. (Proud Dad Smile)
My wife carries every day!

If anyone tries to get into out house, it will be loud, bloody, nasty and not a good day for them at all.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[paramedic70002]

[*]They burned sage--a Native American custom--in the 4 corners of the house to ward off evil spirits.[*]A false perception of reality shattered (my words, not his).[/LIST]

I'll have to add sage to my defensive tool kit!

So what does he do next time? Be prepared to get robbed/raped/murdered?

If that is right Virginia laws SUCK.

I agree. Tried to get Castle Doctrine couple years ago but it was shot down with the argument that VA has good case law for self defense. Good, not great. Oh well.

And we are required to retreat before shooting. And to be sure that the intruder has intent.

I think, however, we may be losing sight of the basic element of the affirmative defense of "self defense": it always, always, always requires a reasonable belief based on objective facts that one is faced with a serious threat of bodily injury or death.

What sucks about the affirmative defense of self defense is that you have to admit killing the guy on purpose, then say it was justified. So if the jury doesn't buy self defense, then you have admitted to murder. Makes it an easy conviction.

User, you say the state still has to prove ill intent, that's not how I have read it explained, can you elaborate?

[ecorrigan]

Grady, my whole family gives you a standing ovation. Very well written and very well put! You have put into words all of the thoughts and feelings I've always had but couldn't explain! I can't thank you enough for sharing this with us!
I must say with all due respect, there isn't a member of my family that shares your wife's complacency in regards to home safety/security! Mom (I moved back home when she got diagnosed with cancer) keeps a Winchester 1300 by her bed and a S&W .357 with her whenever she goes out, my Dad carries a 3-inch SP101 in .357 EVERYWHERE, my sister keeps a small revolver under her pillow and with her on night-time drives and me... well I put on my full-size M&P 45 even before I put on my boots in the morning. My sister is 24 and has the mindset that no-one, future husband or other, will come between her and her strong-willed belief to protect herself!!
Like you said, (in my personal household) we'll "...find our peace when the screaming stops, the shots have ceased, the smoke is wafting out of now-silent barrels, the sirens are coming..., and my family is still alive and well." Forgive the paraphrasing, but our feelings are exactly the same as yours!

Thanks again!!

[rottkeeper]

If anyone tries to get into out house, it will be loud, bloody, nasty and not a good day for them at all.

Is your outhouse connected to your living quarters?

[kazzaerexys]

If anyone tries to get into out house, it will be loud, bloody, nasty and not a good day for them at all.

Remind me not to come over for dinner on chili night.

[64zebra]

And we are required to retreat before shooting. And to be sure that the intruder has intent.

sure should make folks here in Texas and other places appreciate their laws

this makes me think of Dirty Harry when the mayor confronts him about a shooting and Clint says "when an adult male is chasing a female with the intent to commit rape, I shoot 'em" (edited of course)
Mayor asks, 'intent, how did you establish that'
Clint replies "well, when a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher knife and a (edited)...I figure he ain't out collecting for the red cross"

[Ivan4x4]

great post brother, I,m guessing we at this forum wont have that problem, it's the sheeple that do

[rottkeeper]

sure should make folks here in Texas and other places appreciate their laws

this makes me think of Dirty Harry when the mayor confronts him about a shooting and Clint says "when an adult male is chasing a female with the intent to commit rape, I shoot 'em" (edited of course)
Mayor asks, 'intent, how did you establish that'
Clint replies "well, when a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher knife and a (edited)...I figure he ain't out collecting for the red cross"

Clint is a classic all the way.

[paramedic70002]

Grady I got carried away earlier and forgot to mention that your commentary here would be wonderful in a national gun magazine. The writing is that good and the subject matter needs to be in circulation.

[Spirit51]

I leave my personal security totally up to no one but myself. My husband is part of the team, but he is not always with me and what if he became unable to respond to a threat.

I learned this by working most of my adult life on a Metro Fire Department EMS team. I have seen close up and personal the evil done to not only women and children, but also men by predators in our society.

That experience made me a protective mother to my daughter, but now that she is grown with a daughter of her own and working EMS...she understands and is just as protective.

I have seen the most horrible things happen to those who are not aware and able to defend themselves and I refuse to be one of them.

I can't tell you how to get your women to take their own safety into their own hands. Don't they read the papers? Don't they watch the News? These incidents are not going away...they are just getting worse.

It may take an experience to make them open their eyes...hopefully not to them. Too many people have been raised to be sheep and just don't believe things happen to people like them. Too many women don't believe they can be a defender of their safety and security as well as their children, and even their husband.

[Chroode]

KVOA News 4, Tucson, Arizona - Incredible home invasion caught on camera

Click on the red video box.

In case you haven't seen it yet.

Home Invasion/Crime Facts and Figures Property Crime Facts:

— According to the FBI in the US: FBI — Federal Bureau of Investigation Homepage

o One property crime happens every 3 seconds.
o One burglary occurs every 10 seconds.
o One violent crime occurs every 20 seconds.
o One aggravated assault occurs every 35 seconds.
o One robbery occurs every 60 seconds, or 1 minute.
o One forcible rape occurs every 2 minutes.
o There were over 2 million burglaries in 2005.
o An increase in burglary offenses was the only property crime to
increase in 2005 compared with the prior year data.

Home Invasion Facts:

o According to a United States Department of Justice report:

§ 38% of assaults & 60% of rapes occur during home
invasions.

§ 1 of every 5 homes will experience a breakin
or home invasion. That's over 2,000,000 homes!

o According to Statistics Canada, there has been an average of
289,200 home invasions annually over the last 5 years.

o Statistically, there are over 8,000 home invasions per day in
North America

o According to Statistics U.S.A., there was an average of 3,600,000
home invasions annually between 1994 and 2000

[Primony]

I'm sure the anti-gun nuts will promote this as a gun would have just made things worse when nothing bad really happened. I think it of a gun would have taken one more thug off the streets.