Home invasion scenario.....

[The Q]

Wrong. Guns aren't going to cause the chaos of a home invasion, the intruder brought the chaos, my gun is going to end it before it goes any further. And you think you're going to "sharpshoot" an intruder? You mean like a flesh wound to the leg or shoot the weapon out of their hand? Calmly shooting extremely accurately on a gun range is different than having to react immediately when you're scared and in a highly tense situation. You think you're Jason Bourne or something?

You may be more concerned with feeling morally superior, I'm more concerned with the safety of my family. It's not my intent to just find an excuse to gun someone down. For some reason you see it that way. And it's not murder to protect yourself in your own home. Thinking that it is, is a frightening mentality.

Edit: As Stein pointed out, there is a big difference between burglary and home invasion. I specifically used "home invasion" in the thread title for a reason.

I never said I'm going to sharpshoot anyone, so I don't see where you got that with Bourne and all. I said that I like sharpshooting and that would be a reason to have firearms, not that I'd be Bullseye.
I'm commenting on the fact that the first reaction from some people here was "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" which, as Edika mentioned already, is scary, to me it's frightening to see people that are so easy on killing, even if it's an intruder. Yeah, I don't know how would I react had I owned a firearm and stored in the house, but I'd certainly opt for non-lethal rounds (as someone else commented) and probably something of a smaller calibre. And depending on the moment, I'd probably shoot at the centre of mass as well, but at least a 22LR round would probably be less devastating than 5.56 or 7.62 rounds that some A.R. owners would use.

And not only that, but you mention that killing someone in your own home is not murder and that the reverse is fiightening (in a rather failed attempt to reply to me with my own words). Yeah it is. You may be acquitted later, but if you kill someone in your house and you claim that this is not murder just because it's not illegal then we have a serious disagreement on ethics.

I'm not going to debate it either and to me, NOT having pride for the country you live in is excessively stupid.

No. Just no. You can't feel proud for achievements you had nothing to do with. You didn't choose where you were born, you didn't had anything to do with the state of your country before you were born and feeling proud to be a Whateverian just because you were born there makes no ....ing sense. Even if you were to become someone who achieved greatness for your compatriots or even for your whole country, you'd still wouldn't be justified in feeling proud to be a Whateverian, but you'd have absolute right to feel pride in your accomplishments.

That being said, the term 'home invasion' has a different meaning here in the US than a simple burglary...you stated that someone said above that most burglars try to be stealthy, and that's true....in fact, most burglars in this country will actually try to come into your home while you're not there, lessening the chances of getting caught or shot, but the Wiki definition of 'home invasion' reads:

'In the United States, a home invasion is an illegal and usually forceful entry to an occupied, private dwelling with violent intent to commit a crime against the occupants, such as robbery, assault, rape, murder, or kidnapping. Home invasion differs from burglary in that its perpetrators have a violent intent apart from the unlawful entry itself, specific or general, much the same way as aggravated robbery—personally taking from someone by force—is differentiated from mere larceny (theft alone). As the term becomes more frequently used, particularly by the media, "home invasion" is evolving to identify a particular class of crime that involves multiple perpetrators (two or more); forced entry into a home; occupants who are home at the time of the invasion; use of weapons and physical intimidation; property theft; and victims who are unknown, but sometimes known, to the perpetrators.'

That's interesting. It sounds kinda like a certain Charles Bronson movie, but I'll accept the term. If I had to live in a place that home invasion was more than a statistic glitch, I'd probably move.

As far as the 'frightening mentality' you described above where someone is ready to murder the intruder instead of averting the robbery? I'm much less concerned with a home invader's well being than I am of the well being of my family. Read the definition. In a 'home invasion' here, these people aren't here to take your television and leave quietly....they're there to terrorize first, rape and murder second, and steal things LAST. There's no 'fighting one guy and taking him down' and having that be it....there's only taking out as many as I can so my wife has less people to shoot.

Wow.

The part where you're talking about living in the US and having firearms and using your 'sharpshooting skills' made me laugh uproariously, so thanks for that. You're talking about the above scenario, where you were dead asleep...wife next to you, kids in the next room, and you hear breaking glass. The next 25-30 seconds are going to be the most stressful of your life up to this point...the fact that you think you're going to be able to control the enormous adrenaline dump that takes place immediately upon awakening and 'sharpshoot' someone in the leg, in the dark is nothing short of hysterical. Green Berets, Force Recon troops, Delta Force, Rangers, cops, everyone in a high stress situation like this trains for years to be able to function under that kind of stress and they still fvck it up on a daily basis. Anything you've learned at a range is not going to help you at this point....there's no leg shooting going on. This is why EVERY SINGLE FIREARM CLASS YOU'LL EVER TAKE teaches you to shoot center mass...it's a large target, easier to hit when your hands are shaking, and has a greater chance of stopping the encounter. Which is my point. I want to stop the encounter, the fastest way possible. The fastest way possible is to kill the guy running at you in the dark, regardless of what you think you know.

Jeez, again with the sharpshooting. Read what I write, not what you think I did, please. I said that sharpshooting would be an excuse for me to have guns at home, not that it's a skill that I'd use on a home invasion scenario.
If I had to resort to a gun (remember, no guns here nor many legal ways to get one, much less use it) I'd probably shoot at the center of mass too. But I'd at least try to make it non-lethal beforehand, by using a smaller calibre and non-lethal rounds.

To me, it's not 'you're wrong and I'm right' or vice versa. I get where you're coming from, believe me. I don't want to kill anyone either, and it's something I hope never happens. It's just a choice I made a long time ago....I can see how you might be appalled by that choice, given the disparity of crime in our respective countries, the fact that a lot of us are brought up with guns and maybe in Greece you aren't.

Due to the difference of upbringing and with guns not really being part of the culture, it's usually a choice of right and far-right wingers here. There are quite a lot of them in the shooting club as well, but most people there are at least responsible, unlike golden dawn (neonazi) pricks that get black market guns and use them against immigrants.

The fact that you disagree with my choice doesn't make you right or morally superior, regardless of what you think about people that will shoot home invaders. If that's not your stance then right on, but the people here that disagree so violently and use words like 'frightening mentality' and 'therapy' somehow seem to come across that way...like those of us who have made this choice have something fundamentally wrong with us because we don't feel the same way you do.

As I said, I'm not against guns necessarilly, but that's because I like sharpshooting. For me it's a hobby based on dexterity, the same way carom pool is. But when it comes to home protection, reading quotes like "I have an A.R. in my bed... I'm going to greet you with a shotgun... If you enter my house I will kill you", yeah, I find this frightening.

Statistically speaking, the choice that you say you'll make in this scenario is likely to get you killed along with your family. These people aren't entering your home to do anything nice to you or your family, and any kind of day to day consideration that we all make about the sanctity of life goes out the window in this type of situation for me.

Between having a dead family I barely bothered to try to save or disagreeing with people that want to down my moral choices because they don't understand them, I'll take disagreeing with people like you all day every day.

Have a nice evening, sharpshooter.

If that ain't a strawman argument along with a false dilemma, I don't know what is.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

...If I had to live in a place that home invasion was more than a statistic glitch, I'd probably move.

Not gonna lie... that's pretty funny.

Almost like asking a poverty stricken family if you should get the new X game system or Y game system for Christmas while Mr. and Mrs. Putzenschmuck are trying to put together enough money for a Christmas dinner and a tree.

But when it comes to home protection, reading quotes like "I have an A.R. in my bed... I'm going to greet you with a shotgun... If you enter my house I will kill you", yeah, I find this frightening.

Unless you commit B&Es regularly, then you should have nothing to worry about. I find the fact that some guys have a thing for what amounts to a 500 pound woman with a body like a waterbed to be pretty frightening too [which, before you try to point out "isn't as dangerous", can lead to death as well], but I'm not gonna try and stop it when it probably doesn't affect me at all. I say "probably" cuz I could have a friend or two who is a closet plump bumper. Never know.

 

[The Q]

I've moved once. Did my research and applied for a job in various places before I settled on a place and I lived quite a few years there. So you wouldn't have the money or the means to move, but you would be able to afford a gun or two? Would this be a better option for your family compared to moving and how?


I'd still avoid some people from here in real life based on the thoughts they've expressed so far, without needing to be a criminal to do so.

 

[Steinmetzify]

I never said I'm going to sharpshoot anyone, so I don't see where you got that with Bourne and all. I said that I like sharpshooting and that would be a reason to have firearms, not that I'd be Bullseye.
I'm commenting on the fact that the first reaction from some people here was "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" which, as Edika mentioned already, is scary, to me it's frightening to see people that are so easy on killing, even if it's an intruder. Yeah, I don't know how would I react had I owned a firearm and stored in the house, but I'd certainly opt for non-lethal rounds (as someone else commented) and probably something of a smaller calibre. And depending on the moment, I'd probably shoot at the centre of mass as well, but at least a 22LR round would probably be less devastating than 5.56 or 7.62 rounds that some A.R. owners would use.

And not only that, but you mention that killing someone in your own home is not murder and that the reverse is fiightening (in a rather failed attempt to reply to me with my own words). Yeah it is. You may be acquitted later, but if you kill someone in your house and you claim that this is not murder just because it's not illegal then we have a serious disagreement on ethics.

It's not that people are so easy on killing, it's that it's such an offense to have someone break into your home with absolutely no idea of what they came there to do. You act like no one has thought this through....that we all just bought guns and sit around polishing them waiting for someone to break in so we can kill them, yeehaw Murrica! We're trying to tell you that that's not the case, and is nowhere near what we mean when we say what we'd do in this situation. As far as killing someone in my own home? Self defense is not murder. I'll say it again. Self defense is not murder. Not here, not anywhere else. Morally speaking, I have a divine right to defend my own life and the rights of my family. Nothing that you ever say or do will change that.

Technically speaking, it's not murder at all, no matter what you say or how you feel about it...your feelings don't change the definition.

Murder as a chargeable offense is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being. Acting in self-defense or in defense of another person is generally accepted as legal justification for killing a person in situations that would otherwise have been murder. It's always been this way, because the civilized world realizes the need for it. In the case of self-defense it is called a 'justifiable homicide'. How can you argue ethics of something like murder when you so clearly don't understand the definition of the word?

No. Just no. You can't feel proud for achievements you had nothing to do with. You didn't choose where you were born, you didn't had anything to do with the state of your country before you were born and feeling proud to be a Whateverian just because you were born there makes no ....ing sense. Even if you were to become someone who achieved greatness for your compatriots or even for your whole country, you'd still wouldn't be justified in feeling proud to be a Whateverian, but you'd have absolute right to feel pride in your accomplishments.

Again with the opinions. I can feel proud of anything I choose to. I'm proud of my country and the people within it, and I'm proud to be an American citizen. Although I do get irked at the people that act like they're on the football team on Sundays, so I get where you're coming from and can see why it could annoy you. Oh well.

That's interesting. It sounds kinda like a certain Charles Bronson movie, but I'll accept the term. If I had to live in a place that home invasion was more than a statistic glitch, I'd probably move.

It happens here on a daily basis; you know the term, if you doubt me feel free to look it up. There are numerous eyewitness accounts, news stories, etc...and there's no moving. I doubt you could find a decently sized city in the US that hasn't had this happen, anymore.

Wow.

Yeah, I know; I feel exactly the same when I read your posts in this thread because the fact is your viewpoint would be in the minority in most of my country, not mine. By people from all walks of life, including doctors, lawyers, CEOs, convenience store workers, nurses, truck drivers, independent business owners...the list goes on and on. Most people here have either been the victim of a violent crime or know someone who has, and has decided it won't happen to them, either again or ever.

Jeez, again with the sharpshooting. Read what I write, not what you think I did, please. I said that sharpshooting would be an excuse for me to have guns at home, not that it's a skill that I'd use on a home invasion scenario.
If I had to resort to a gun (remember, no guns here nor many legal ways to get one, much less use it) I'd probably shoot at the center of mass too. But I'd at least try to make it non-lethal beforehand, by using a smaller calibre and non-lethal rounds.

It's not a skill you COULD use on a home invasion scenario. LTL rounds would probably work, I don't know about smaller caliber rounds though. The point of the entire thing is the quick successful engagement and conclusion. I'm not willing to trust my life to a round that's not been repeatedly shown to stop most people. I also get that you'd be in a serious amount of trouble were you to respond the way we would, so that's a consideration for you that I don't have to think about.

Due to the difference of upbringing and with guns not really being part of the culture, it's usually a choice of right and far-right wingers here. There are quite a lot of them in the shooting club as well, but most people there are at least responsible, unlike golden dawn (neonazi) pricks that get black market guns and use them against immigrants.

These are the kind of people we're talking about here. The people like your neo-Nazis that just want to hurt people because it's fun. They break into your house, terrorize you, rape your wife while they make you watch, then kill you and your entire family. It happens here with increasing regularity.

As I said, I'm not against guns necessarilly, but that's because I like sharpshooting. For me it's a hobby based on dexterity, the same way carom pool is. But when it comes to home protection, reading quotes like "I have an A.R. in my bed... I'm going to greet you with a shotgun... If you enter my house I will kill you", yeah, I find this frightening.

Like I said before...different strokes. We grew up differently. I grew up in a very depressed economic area, where it was quite common to see a dead body in an alley on the way to school, usually someone beat to death or shot for their clothing or jewelry. I saw my first one at 8. This is a common occurrence in certain areas of the US. There were numerous times in my life when the fact that I had a gun ensured my survival. If you haven't had those experiences, I wouldn't expect you to understand this. I would think that your mind would change confronted with 2-3 of these situations, if only for your peace of mind. Maybe not.

If that ain't a strawman argument along with a false dilemma, I don't know what is.

Call it what you want. Your advice earlier in the thread was to "Get the jump on the burglar if you can and you are somewhat fit but don't fatally wound him, unless you want to go through the ordeal of proving that you acted on self defense and legally".

First of all, in the scenario outlined in the OP, that plan of action is very simply going to have a much better chance of leading to your death than mine will.

Second of all, the fact that this person is in my house surround by broken glass, I don't know him, and he entered by force is enough to prove to any court of law that I acted in self defense. It's completely legal. It's justified in my neighbors' minds, the responding officers' minds, the newspapers' stories, and most importantly MY mind. The second he broke into my house, it became about self defense and the defense of my families' lives. And as I stated earlier in the post, self defense is not murder, not in this country.

If I shoot the guy and he stops, that's all I care about. If he dies, he dies. If he lives, he lives. I don't care. What I care about is ensuring my survival and the survival of my family, whatever the cost, whatever the price.

I realize that we have very different morals regarding what we would and wouldn't do in the defense of ourselves and our families. You're never going to change my mind regardless of your moral standpoint and I'll never change yours. I say good day, sir.

 

[Dooky]

Manslaughter charges for killing someone that entered your home and could possibly kill you. Is it like that in all of Australia? We have ridiculous laws like that in some states in the US, but thankfully not mine.

There have been instances of it.
I remember not too long ago there was a news story about a guy who shot an intruder. The intruder was in the process of smashing the glass at the front entry and was determined to gain entry. The home owner warned the guy from inside saying: 'I have a gun and I will shoot'. The intruder kept trying to get in and had a crowbar (or something of the sort). So the guy shot him. Can't remember if the intruder died or not, but the home owner was charged for the shooting.

 

[The Q]

It's not that people are so easy on killing, it's that it's such an offense to have someone break into your home with absolutely no idea of what they came there to do. You act like no one has thought this through....that we all just bought guns and sit around polishing them waiting for someone to break in so we can kill them, yeehaw Murrica! We're trying to tell you that that's not the case, and is nowhere near what we mean when we say what we'd do in this situation. As far as killing someone in my own home? Self defense is not murder. I'll say it again. Self defense is not murder. Not here, not anywhere else. Morally speaking, I have a divine right to defend my own life and the rights of my family. Nothing that you ever say or do will change that.

Technically speaking, it's not murder at all, no matter what you say or how you feel about it...your feelings don't change the definition.

Murder as a chargeable offense is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being. Acting in self-defense or in defense of another person is generally accepted as legal justification for killing a person in situations that would otherwise have been murder. It's always been this way, because the civilized world realizes the need for it. In the case of self-defense it is called a 'justifiable homicide'. How can you argue ethics of something like murder when you so clearly don't understand the definition of the word?

That's why I preempted you on the legality of it and why it was unrelated to the killing (better term?) itself, but that's OK. Not feeling bad because something is not illegal feels wrong, "divine" or not.

Again with the opinions. I can feel proud of anything I choose to. I'm proud of my country and the people within it, and I'm proud to be an American citizen. Although I do get irked at the people that act like they're on the football team on Sundays, so I get where you're coming from and can see why it could annoy you. Oh well.

I am not annoyed by the "greeks gave the lights of the civilisation to the world, re" people here (to use a similar example), I'm at their lack of response to my follow up question "even if they did, what part did you have in that?".

It happens here on a daily basis; you know the term, if you doubt me feel free to look it up. There are numerous eyewitness accounts, news stories, etc...and there's no moving. I doubt you could find a decently sized city in the US that hasn't had this happen, anymore.



Yeah, I know; I feel exactly the same when I read your posts in this thread because the fact is your viewpoint would be in the minority in most of my country, not mine. By people from all walks of life, including doctors, lawyers, CEOs, convenience store workers, nurses, truck drivers, independent business owners...the list goes on and on. Most people here have either been the victim of a violent crime or know someone who has, and has decided it won't happen to them, either again or ever.

It sounds like a dangerous place.

It's not a skill you COULD use on a home invasion scenario. LTL rounds would probably work, I don't know about smaller caliber rounds though. The point of the entire thing is the quick successful engagement and conclusion. I'm not willing to trust my life to a round that's not been repeatedly shown to stop most people. I also get that you'd be in a serious amount of trouble were you to respond the way we would, so that's a consideration for you that I don't have to think about.

That's an interesting consideration, especially after I read how the .38 rounds were proven ineffective against Filipinos on the American-Phillipines war, but I suspect that some research can provide proper guidelines. Though I do understand that you cannot take risks when you have a small window of time.

These are the kind of people we're talking about here. The people like your neo-Nazis that just want to hurt people because it's fun. They break into your house, terrorize you, rape your wife while they make you watch, then kill you and your entire family. It happens here with increasing regularity.

Thankfully the neonazis are little whiny bitches that wouldn't scare a cat, much less break and enter. But they do amass pistols and assault rifles.

Like I said before...different strokes. We grew up differently. I grew up in a very depressed economic area, where it was quite common to see a dead body in an alley on the way to school, usually someone beat to death or shot for their clothing or jewelry. I saw my first one at 8. This is a common occurrence in certain areas of the US. There were numerous times in my life when the fact that I had a gun ensured my survival. If you haven't had those experiences, I wouldn't expect you to understand this. I would think that your mind would change confronted with 2-3 of these situations, if only for your peace of mind. Maybe not.

Agreed, I do not envy you.

Call it what you want. Your advice earlier in the thread was to "Get the jump on the burglar if you can and you are somewhat fit but don't fatally wound him, unless you want to go through the ordeal of proving that you acted on self defense and legally".

Yeah. Most people aren't though.

First of all, in the scenario outlined in the OP, that plan of action is very simply going to have a much better chance of leading to your death than mine will.

That's why you probably shouldn't get the jump on them if you're most people.

Second of all, the fact that this person is in my house surround by broken glass, I don't know him, and he entered by force is enough to prove to any court of law that I acted in self defense. It's completely legal. It's justified in my neighbors' minds, the responding officers' minds, the newspapers' stories, and most importantly MY mind. The second he broke into my house, it became about self defense and the defense of my families' lives. And as I stated earlier in the post, self defense is not murder, not in this country.

Yeah I never argued the legality of it and you'd probably be acquitted, but are you certain that the cops can do that and you won't have to appear in front of a judge, no matter how run of the mill such cases are?

If I shoot the guy and he stops, that's all I care about. If he dies, he dies. If he lives, he lives. I don't care. What I care about is ensuring my survival and the survival of my family, whatever the cost, whatever the price.

I realize that we have very different morals regarding what we would and wouldn't do in the defense of ourselves and our families. You're never going to change my mind regardless of your moral standpoint and I'll never change yours. I say good day, sir.

On the contrary to you, I've never stated that you'll never change my mind. If it were, I wouldn't bother participating into this (or any other) discussion; there's always things to (re)consider and new information to be had.

 

[eaeolian]

The Q and steinmetzify, you both need to chill out. Got it?

 

[Steinmetzify]

Chilled dude. I was done anyway.

 

[musicaldeath]

Living in Canada it makes it hard to defend yourself with any sort of weapon in this situation (at least as far as I understand the laws to work here in AB). So grabbing a gun is likely to land me in as much trouble as the guy breaking into my house.

Luckily, I think I could get the kid and barricade him in our bedroom as he is just across the hall (3 steps?) and we have a heavy dresser and a desk that could pin the door shut. Also have mine and my wife's cellphone in the bedroom. Cops take less than 5 minutes to respond (as has been the case in the past with drunk guys fighting in the street). So the robber/home invader may get away with something, but all of it is insured. And my family is safe.

If they managed to get through the door of the bedroom (family would be locked in the bathroom at that point). Well, hopefully can take him down before the cops get here? Lol.

That's probably the extent of what I would do. Having gone through combat training etc (ex Military), I may handle the stress of that kind of situation well enough to think clearly, but I can't say for sure. Just hope I would be able to keep the family safe.

 

[narad]

You are woken up in the middle of the night as your alarm system sounds. It's a good one because you invested all the money that could have been frivolously invested in a gun collection was used to fund it. The entire perimeter of your house lights up, a loud siren sounds, lights flash as the police are alerted to the intrusion. You huddle with your wife and children and apply your basic understanding of human reasoning and motive to ponder why anyone would waste valuable escape time digging themselves further into your home.

 

[Grief]

^ In my (limited) experience in the US, those things are on interrupted autodial so as soon as the alarm goes off you get a call from the monitoring station and if you don't supply the correct code and stand them down they send the police. Of course it depends where you live as to how fast they will get there. A good rule of thumb would be so say 'afterwards.'

But the motive point is interesting.

Statistically your husband/wife is more likely to kill you than an intruder.
You insured yourself for a couple of million to give them the motive.
You filled the bedroom with guns to give them the means.
You are fast asleep and now they have the opportunity....

 

[narad]

But the motive point is interesting.

Statistically your husband/wife is more likely to kill you than an intruder.
You insured yourself for a couple of million to given them the motive.
You filled the bedroom with guns to give them the means.
You are fast asleep they and now they have the opportunity....

Slow down there, M. Night.

 

[loqtrall]

Well, since I have yet to participate in this thread and have so far had two intruders enter my house uninvited (even though they weren't trying to rob me, both instances had very odd reasoning), I'll take a crack at the original scenario in the OP.

Well, first, this scenario is incredibly specific, as I do have 4 dogs, I don't have kids or a wife, and my house is extremely quiet at night, to the point that I could recognize each individual door opening throughout the house, no matter how hard you tried not to make noise opening it.

That being said, I live in what some would call an "undesirable" neighborhood, even though I live directly at the end of it and well out of the worst part of it. So I own a gun, and have yet to use it on anyone or anything. I've had people ENTER my house (not break in) twice without my consent. One guy was being chased by a group of people who were accusing him of stealing an iPad from them, and he ran in my house as the others ran in after them, and I beat the shit out of all 3 of them with a metal chair sitting in my kitchen. The second time was from a man who had just gotten back from a long leave from his job, and he didn't know that the person that had lived there before me had moved, as they and I both own a white Ford F150, and he walked in the house thinking they still lived there and immediately explained himself and apologized.

But I do own a gun, and it stays beside me while I sleep along side a flashlight, my cell phone, and a knife inbetween my matresses (having those 3 people run into my house screaming really put me over the edge).

So what would I do if I heard someone break through one of my windows? I'd pull out my pistol, open my door, and yell out "I've got a gun, leave now, I'm not afraid to use it", then I'd close and lock my door, sit across the room pointing my pistol at the door, and call 911 and tell them someone broke in (I live within walking distance of the police station).

At no point if I thought someone was breaking into my house would I think to go investigate. I'd rather them steal my Xbox One and TV than them steal my life. I guess it could be taken differently if I actually had a wife and kids. In that situation I think I'd try at least to get the kids into my room and lock the door. Obviously the person had enough balls to break your window in the middle of the night and enter your home, it wouldn't take much to push him to the point of seriously injuring or killing someone to prevent themselves from being caught.

Eh, just my take on the situation.

 

[7stg]

^ yeah shooting without investigating the situation can cause unfortunate outcome.

 

[Explorer]

I'm not going to debate it either and to me, NOT having pride for the country you live in is excessively stupid.

Oh... so it's one of those "teaching kids esteem without them actually earning the right to it" arguments. In that case, enjoy!

That being said, the term 'home invasion' has a different meaning here in the US than a simple burglary...

OP stated in the thread title 'HOME INVASION', not burglary. Given the different definitions, I tailored my response to the definition of home invasion.

I'm confused as to how you'd be able to distinguish between a home invasion and a burglary if the OP isn't around to let us know which is happening.

"I was talking about my realistic reaction, based on the limited information I would have, *and* taking away factors like my having a dog for just this kind of scenario."

"Well, it's a magic scenario, with no doubt at all... except that I magically decree that not only is it a home invasion, but I'm also going to shut down any avenue except firearms!"

Is that what you mean?

Because that reasoning sounds stupid.

Sorry if pointing out the obvious diminishes anyone's sense of entitlement to unwarranted esteem.

 

[loqtrall]

^ yeah shooting without investigating the situation can cause unfortunate outcome.

Breaking and entering someone's home with intent to commit crime can cause an unfortunate outcome.

I have a few glasses I use for beer drinking, but that's it. So I know it's not my dog snooping around and knocking down a glass. My dogs sleep with me either way. So nobody I know personally would be breaking through my window. Even so, they'd announce themselves when I yell that I have a gun.

If you feel the need to break into my house and steal my stuff, be prepared to be shot if you don't drop everything and leave when I tell you too.

Of course I'm not going to just run out of my room firing willy nilly in the dark. I'd damage more than they were trying to steal.

 

[FILTHnFEAR]

There have been instances of it.
I remember not too long ago there was a news story about a guy who shot an intruder. The intruder was in the process of smashing the glass at the front entry and was determined to gain entry. The home owner warned the guy from inside saying: 'I have a gun and I will shoot'. The intruder kept trying to get in and had a crowbar (or something of the sort). So the guy shot him. Can't remember if the intruder died or not, but the home owner was charged for the shooting.

That's just crazy to me. Defending himself and faced charges. What do you think about that?

Statistically your husband/wife is more likely to kill you than an intruder.

Says what statistics? Maybe if someone is a moron that wakes up and starts pulling the trigger, regardless of the situation. Not saying that you think that, but certain individuals in this thread appear to believe that.

I'm confused as to how you'd be able to distinguish between a home invasion and a burglary if the OP isn't around to let us know which is happening.

Thanks for confirming that you wouldn't know what the intruders intentions are. Because most of us would have no idea either. We could always wait and see, huh? But maybe you have a way of knowing whether or not they want to murder or rape, that escapes the rest of us? But regardless we can always break out our sharpened pencils.

 

[FILTHnFEAR]

I have a knack for sharpshooting - if I were forced to use one against an intruder I'd always try to go for the non-lethal option.

So what exactly did you mean by this, then? That you'd sharpshoot them with a bean bag?

killing someone in your own home is not murder Yeah it is. You may be acquitted later, but if you kill someone in your house and you claim that this is not murder just because it's not illegal then we have a serious disagreement on ethics.

No, you're wrong. It's not murder. Look up the definition. And actually think about it. If you think it is, we have a serious disagreement on logic.

I'd probably shoot at the center of mass too. But I'd at least try to make it non-lethal beforehand, by using a smaller calibre and non-lethal rounds.

Smaller caliber rounds can be just as lethal, so that statement makes no sense. Bullets are meant to kill, not wound, no matter what caliber.

 

[Fenriswolf]

No, you're wrong. It's not murder. Look up the definition. And actually think about it. If you think it is, we have a serious disagreement on logic.

Let's see if I can make this easier.

According to dictionary.com,

noun

Law. the killing of another human being under conditions specifically covered in law. In the U.S., special statutory definitions include murder committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious crime, as robbery or arson (first-degree murder) and murder by intent but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder)


18 U.S. Code § 1111 - Murder
(a) Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Every murder perpetrated by poison, lying in wait, or any other kind of willful, deliberate, malicious, and premeditated killing; or committed in the perpetration of, or attempt to perpetrate, any arson, escape, murder, kidnapping, treason, espionage, sabotage, aggravated sexual abuse or sexual abuse, child abuse, burglary, or robbery; or perpetrated as part of a pattern or practice of assault or torture against a child or children; or perpetrated from a premeditated design unlawfully and maliciously to effect the death of any human being other than him who is killed, is murder in the first degree.
Any other murder is murder in the second degree.

 

[FILTHnFEAR]

I've moved once. Did my research and applied for a job in various places before I settled on a place and I lived quite a few years there. So you wouldn't have the money or the means to move, but you would be able to afford a gun or two? Would this be a better option for your family compared to moving and how?


I'd still avoid some people from here in real life based on the thoughts they've expressed so far, without needing to be a criminal to do so.

There's a big financial difference between moving away and being able to afford a firearm. Hilarious statement though.

And as to the second part of you're post, about "needing to be a criminal" I'm going to ask you to elaborate on that part before I respond to avoid any confusion as to what you honestly mean.