I would say that my knowledge of history gives me a far greater understanding of human nature than you have demonstrated.

Walking around with a gun IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S HOME CONTRARY TO THEIR EXPRESSED WISHES is a clear indication that you're prepared to shoot. If you weren't, you wouldn't have brought the gun.

My great uncles got drafted and sent to France to fight with the French Army in WWI. NOBODY gets drafted to rob occupied dwellings. That's a CHOICE.

Soldiers and various other security personnel "walked around with a gun" at Katyn, Babi Yar and a variety of other places. Documented fact shows those guns got used.

Lots of German soldiers in WWII would rather have been some place besides Ukraine and Poland. Oskar Dirlewanger was EXACTLY where he wanted to be. So were Hays and Kommisarjevsky.

The very definition of naivete is believing that people bring guns into other peoples houses in order to take things without permission, absent a willingness (if not desire) to use them. If they didn't intend to use the gun, they might as well have brought a blender.

Now you sound as bad as Nancy Pelosi saying "once the gunman realizes no one else is armed, he will put down his gun and surrender, it's just human nature."

If you decide to commit a criminal offense armed with a deadly weapon you have escalated the situation, you are no longer 'just' a thief, you are now about 5-10 lbs (average trigger pull) from being a murderer, and in the heat of the moment that 5-10 lbs will seem like ounces and your desire to get away, NOT GIVE UP, will be so strong that you point the gun to scare your victim and the gun will "just go off on it's own."

I've worked for many years in the housing projects of a large city and I've seen FIRST HAND "human nature." I guarantee you "surrender" is not high on the list, getting away at all costs and not leaving witnesses is.

I suggest you get off the couch, put down your Fanny Feel Good pamphlets and explore the real world.

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Don

Unfortunately, another person with a local connection just proved your point. 28 Y.O. Amanda Blackburn, the wife of a former local pastor, was murdered in a home invasion in Indiana, Tuesday morning, while protecting her one year old son. She was twelve weeks pregnant. Just makes me cry.

Statistics may show the majority of burglars are non-violent, I just don't know. I do know an intruder here will face as much violence as this grandma can muster, and I won't be giving them a Rorschach inkblot test.

Some of you guys are firing more shots at each other than the kid fired at the burglar.

Not every snake or mushroom is poisonous. That doesn't make me want to pick up every snake or eat every mushroom I see.

Picked up by NBC
South Carolina Boy, 13, Fatally Shoots Burglar, Scares Off Second Suspect: Police - NBC News

The bottom line is that if you're committing one felony, that makes it FAR more likely that you'll commit another than if you aren't.

I'm a LOT more worried about being killed by a burglar or home invader than I am by the butcher at Giant Eagle or girl at the cash register at Walgreen's.

I don't know, that girl at the register ... there's just something about the way she looks...

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Don

In SC a couple or 8 yrs ago, the attorney general of the state issued a statement directed to all sheriffs that no one would be prosecuted for shooting someone who is breaking into their home.

Charlie

Interesting discussion.. Some truth.. Some speculation.. some supposition.. Some bad information ..Some a bit contentiousness..
Some argumentative.. Some theory..

Hmmmm I'm done and so are we..

Thank you all for your input..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP