Why I Carry ALL The Time

My wife was teasing me one day a couple of years ago when I was in the kitchen with my gun on my hip.

"Do you really think you need that in here?" she asked. 

Yes.  Yes I do.

Obviously, I hope to be safer inside my own home than out somewhere at a restaurant.  But I read the news.  And I am on the internet enough to see what kind of world we are living in now.

I explained to her that if I am in the kitchen, and someone kicks in the door, my gun is on the other side of the house.  I may as well not even have one.  I have friends who say if that happened to them, they would remain calm and reason with the person.

If someone is willing to kick you door in when they know you are home, there is no reasoning to be had.  They are willing to commit a felony (they are likely armed, and that is not only breaking and entering, but armed robbery).  They are willing to do bodily harm to you.  And there are countless cases of people trying to reason with the intruder, and still winding up dead.  

The story below is of two women who were killed by men running from the police.  They were "safe" inside their homes.

========================================

Two Florida residents, a mother and daughter, were brutally murdered inside their home during a chance encounter with four armed and wanted men after they wound up at the home during a crime spree and police chase.

These men were on the run after robbing a pawn shop, and became trapped inside the residential development they happened upon during the chase. Abandoning their vehicle, they burst inside the home of 51-year-old Deborah Royal, and her mother 72-year-old Patricia Moran.

As police were setting up a perimeter around the home they believed the men went into, a vehicle came right through the garage door. Police fired at the vehicle before it quickly crashed.

Before the men tried to get away by ramming the garage door, they brutally murdered the two women inside their home. The women were simply inside their own home, and had no warning as to what was about to happen.

=========================================

Having a gun, and NOT having it on you is no help.  The link below is of a video where a man and two friends are killed in a home invasion at 7:30 AM.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaBMV2BfwBc

You can watch the video from an MSNBC news story.  I WARN YOU -- it is graphic.  

The homeowner had suffered break in burglaries, and had installed hidden cameras inside his home.  

While he visits with his friends, a man comes to the back door, pointing a gun at him.  Once inside, he hits the homeowner with the gun, and beats him while he is on the ground.  The women are tied up while the thugs rummage through the home.  

The homeowner owned a gun.  But it was in the bedroom.  He owned a CHL, and didn't feel a need to carry at home.  

With the homeowner's own gun from the bedroom, one of the intruders shoots all three victims in the head.  (He missed one of the women, but they are all three shot again by the first gunman).   

These things happen.  If you own a gun, please keep it on you, even at home.  There are bad people everywhere.  

Don't be another victim.

Ship of Fools

At 8 PM Monday night, April 7th, 2014, a man walked into a police station in Los Angeles and opened fire on two officers.  One officer was hit seven times, but both he and the female officer returned fire, hitting the suspect several times. 

The officer is said to be in good condition, and the gunman was critical.  No one else was injured.

Scary moments to be sure.  But let's compare that with another incident that happened last week.

On Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014, Ivan Lopez walked into an administrative building in Fort Hood, and opened fire.  Four people were killed and sixteen wounded.

That followed less than five years after Nidal Hasan (I'll refrain from using the title "Major", as he certainly dishonored his rank) killed thirteen, and injured more than thirty others.

What is the difference in the Fort Hood shootings, and the Los Angeles police station shooting?

Common sense. 

As soon as the two officers in Los Angeles realized what was happening, they took action.  They returned fire, incapacitated the gunman, and ended the incident.

As soon as the soldiers at Fort Hood realized what was happening, all they could do is run and hide, and wait for someone to come help them. 

Men and women, who we have trained to be the best in the world were defenseless.  Those we arm, and send into harm's way to defend third world countries when needed, were unable to defend their own lives on a military base here in our own country.  Men and women who are more than capable of dealing with armed suspects intent on killing, were unable to do anything until Military Police arrived.

How stupid is this?

They are trained to defend our country, and we will not let them carry weapons on our bases here at home. 

Similar circumstances:

1.  Two officers versus one gunman.  One officer injured; gunman incapacitated.

2.  Dozens of United States soldiers versus one gunman.  Thirteen killed, more than thirty wounded.  Gunman shot and paralyzed, but still very much alive.

3.  Again, dozens of United States soldiers versus one gunman.  Four killed, and sixteen wounded.  Gunman took his own life.

Let's paint a different picture. 

Nidal Hasan walks in the building that morning in 2009, intending to kill as many soldiers as he can.  Yet, as he pulls his weapon and readies himself to kill, others in the room see what's happening, and draw their weapons.  Yes, he may have killed one or two, but then would have quickly found the justice he certainly deserved.  No long court battles.  No news stories about how many millions are being spent to provide food, shelter and transportation for Hasan.

What if Ivan Lopez had met the same resistance?  He pulls his gun, and gets off a couple of rounds before others take him out?

And before you get on to me for not being compassionate, let me explain.

I know they are saying Lopez had some mental issues after serving overseas.  I'm not saying he didn't deserve to get help.  What I am saying is, the other innocent people deserved to go home to their families that night.  If we had equipped the soldiers to do the job we expect them to do, and have trained them to do, the outcome would have been very different.

And it may be easy to look at the situation and feel a little safer.  After all, it was on a military base, and the majority of us do not live there.  But what if he had somehow taken a weapon from that base, and used it to attack the city of Killen, killing dozens?  Would we then argue that we shouldn't have those weapons on our military bases?

It's been said a hundred times.  Guns don't kill people.  People kill people.  And until we understand that the evil is not in the tool, but in the holder of that tool, we will continue to suffer.

Let's arm the men and women of our military.  We let them carry weapons when they are protecting other countries.  Let's tell them that their lives are worth as much as citizens in a country halfway across the world.  Let them do what they were trained to do.

May God bless all who proudly serve.  And may we proudly stand behind them.