We had our second burglary attempt within the past three weeks, and it changed our minds about gun ownership

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you truly prepared to kill someone? Are you prepared to be someone who shot someone dead? Do you know what that does to a person psychologically? Think about that before buying a gun.

If someone hopped up on crack went towards my kids’ room I’f have no compunction whatsoever in shooting them in the head. I could live with myself if I was such a coward I could not defend my family.

How many times have you shot a gun?

DP, probably tens of thousands of times, but I grew up in a family where shooting was just something we did

Ah ok. That makes sense then. DH is similar and I'm also pretty comfortable shooting a gun (though I can't say for certainty how well I'd do actually having to shoot someone). I've just heard people make that claim and then say they've never shot a gun and it always makes me pause.

[Anonymous]

Before you get a gun, get a fence with a gate that locks. And maybe a dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to keep your cars parked in your driveway so it always looks like someone is home. Hiring your cars in your garage makes it look like your house is empty.

Always keep a light on downstairs.

We keep a tv on overnight in a room and leave the curtains open so it appears we have a night owl.

Honestly, if someone has approached your house twice, I’d be worried too. Did you recently have someone in your home? Perhaps the company that shampooed your rugs? Any outsider could case your home. If you were wearing fancy jewelry, that could make you a target. Or if they saw your car keys and car, they could come back for it (I know a family that happened to; construction workers grabbed their spare keys and took the car overnight).

This is why I always dress down and don’t wear jewelry when I have workers in my house. I also don’t leave any keys out (I put my purse and all keys in a closet upstairs when I have workers present).

I also make a point of saying that I work from home and so do most of my neighbors ever since Covid. And I say that my husband usually works from home but is at a meeting.

You can’t trust anyone.

+1

[Anonymous]

OP, if you’re real, you are exactly the sort of person who shouldn’t have a gun- emotional, impulsive, panicky. Bringing a gun into your home makes you more likely to accidentally harm yourself or a family member, self harm, accidentally harm someone like a delivery person, lost teen, etc, and you’re more likely to be injured if you try to use a firearm to defend your home (see below for a good collection of data).

It’s easy to say, that you can handle it, but most people have no idea how they will react when adrenaline is pumping and they are terrified. It takes a lot of training and certain personal qualities to physically attain calm and make good decisions with a gun during a crisis.

Since you have so much money, why not build safe rooms? Get a dog, any dog is a deterrent. You correctly assessed that you can’t manage a guard dog, well I don’t think you can manage a gun either. You can afford a dog walker.



https://www.thetrace.org/2020/04/gun-safety-research-coronavirus-gun-sales/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you truly prepared to kill someone? Are you prepared to be someone who shot someone dead? Do you know what that does to a person psychologically? Think about that before buying a gun.

If someone hopped up on crack went towards my kids’ room I’f have no compunction whatsoever in shooting them in the head. I could live with myself if I was such a coward I could not defend my family.

What if they weren't on crack? What if they didn't go towards your kids' room? What if they just wanted to take electronics and china? Or steal your dog? Then would you kill them? Can you make that decision in a split second?

[Anonymous]

Why not install a panic room instead? It’s much safer for you and your kids can’t use it to kill someone’s accidentally.

[Anonymous]

OP driving her car is far, far higher risk than her imaginary burglars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you truly prepared to kill someone? Are you prepared to be someone who shot someone dead? Do you know what that does to a person psychologically? Think about that before buying a gun.

If someone hopped up on crack went towards my kids’ room I’f have no compunction whatsoever in shooting them in the head. I could live with myself if I was such a coward I could not defend my family.

What if they weren't on crack? What if they didn't go towards your kids' room? What if they just wanted to take electronics and china? Or steal your dog? Then would you kill them? Can you make that decision in a split second?

Would you not have to? Thieves aren’t going to come in and say hey, no worries, just here to steal little your poodle and your iPod! And even if they did say that, this is someone who literally broke into your home. You’re going to believe them? I don’t have a gun but that’s pretty nuts, feeling bad for thieves.

[Anonymous]

Well, you know what our founding father, George Washington, always said: stay strapped or get clapped.

[Anonymous]

Not sure I get all this. OP lives in a really well-to-do neighborhood which is a gated community with its own armed patrol. Then some houses in the neighborhood have full-time guards stationed at the entrance to their house.

Yet, in such a nice neighborhood, there is a constant threat of break-ins? Maybe it's time for the homeowner's association to fire the community's security company, or pay them more to increase staffing?

Anyway, you don't need to jump straight to "gun". You should first hire a security consultant who can analyze your house, the neighborhood, and all the weakneses. From waht I unerstand, strangers walked onto your yard, but never even tried to open a door or break in.

A securty consultant will look at how your doors and windows and home overall is secure. At our house, we checked the type of locks on each door for ease of kicking in the door, and have special security film (bulletproof too actually) over all glass on our main floor, so the windows can't be smashed in. We also have security cameras, and they are wired so wifi issues do not affect them. As for lighting, most of the lighting at our house stays on all night -- it's not motion triggered. It's also mounted high enough that a criminal can't just reach up and unscrew the bulb. This is the kind of stuff a security consultant will help you with.

[Anonymous]

OP is living in the poor section of the high crime ultra wealthy neighborhood that pays for armed guards, but has bad WiFi signal, carpet in the living room, and cheap curtain they bunch up?

OP maybe move to a cheaper neighborhood without crime? I’ve lived in lots of neighborhoods without regular crime sprees. But like a PP said, the wildlife does often set off my motion sensors, though the armed guards don’t come for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone's plan is just "let the burglars take whatever they want; its not worth it," then

- what if they are breaking in to rape your daughter?

Statistically rare. There are easier ways to rape someone than to break into a house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you truly prepared to kill someone? Are you prepared to be someone who shot someone dead? Do you know what that does to a person psychologically? Think about that before buying a gun.

If someone hopped up on crack went towards my kids’ room I’f have no compunction whatsoever in shooting them in the head. I could live with myself if I was such a coward I could not defend my family.

What if they weren't on crack? What if they didn't go towards your kids' room? What if they just wanted to take electronics and china? Or steal your dog? Then would you kill them? Can you make that decision in a split second?

Someone breaks into our house and we don't know their motive ... they lost the "courtesy" of us asking why they're there. And stealing my pet? That doesn't equal safety for an intruder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP, if you’re real, you are exactly the sort of person who shouldn’t have a gun- emotional, impulsive, panicky. Bringing a gun into your home makes you more likely to accidentally harm yourself or a family member, self harm, accidentally harm someone like a delivery person, lost teen, etc, and you’re more likely to be injured if you try to use a firearm to defend your home (see below for a good collection of data).

It’s easy to say, that you can handle it, but most people have no idea how they will react when adrenaline is pumping and they are terrified. It takes a lot of training and certain personal qualities to physically attain calm and make good decisions with a gun during a crisis.

Since you have so much money, why not build safe rooms? Get a dog, any dog is a deterrent. You correctly assessed that you can’t manage a guard dog, well I don’t think you can manage a gun either. You can afford a dog walker.



https://www.thetrace.org/2020/04/gun-safety-research-coronavirus-gun-sales/

This is all BS.

And all of it was already refuted in the other thread.

PP: you probably think Kamala Harris should not be allowed to have her gun in her home for home defense.

I’m going to side with the VPOTUS over you, PP, since you’re just some internet rando who doesn’t care at all about my family’s safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP, if you’re real, you are exactly the sort of person who shouldn’t have a gun- emotional, impulsive, panicky. Bringing a gun into your home makes you more likely to accidentally harm yourself or a family member, self harm, accidentally harm someone like a delivery person, lost teen, etc, and you’re more likely to be injured if you try to use a firearm to defend your home (see below for a good collection of data).

It’s easy to say, that you can handle it, but most people have no idea how they will react when adrenaline is pumping and they are terrified. It takes a lot of training and certain personal qualities to physically attain calm and make good decisions with a gun during a crisis.

Since you have so much money, why not build safe rooms? Get a dog, any dog is a deterrent. You correctly assessed that you can’t manage a guard dog, well I don’t think you can manage a gun either. You can afford a dog walker.



https://www.thetrace.org/2020/04/gun-safety-research-coronavirus-gun-sales/

This is all BS.

And all of it was already refuted in the other thread.

PP: you probably think Kamala Harris should not be allowed to have her gun in her home for home defense.

I’m going to side with the VPOTUS over you, PP, since you’re just some internet rando who doesn’t care at all about my family’s safety.

+1