Recently, I saw a discussion on social media go as predicted. The post from a liberal friend started out by asking who has used a gun in their home to defend themselves.
You are not fooling anyone
First off, who cares? I mean really, what is the point of starting a conversation on social media. Experience will tell you it is a transparent method for justifying their own agenda. I say transparent because it is pretty obvious in case you are wondering. If the motive were genuine why not reach out and have an honest conversation. Explore the subject from a different angle. Be willing to accept you don’t know everything; which is why you are seeking another point of view. Take the time to listen and ask questions, but honest follow up questions. I am all for engaging in conversation, but doing so on social media is reserved for grandstanding only.
It doesn’t matter
Why not be armed in your own home? There were some great parallels drawn in the conversation such as wearing a seat belt. I wear one because it has proven itself to save lives. Ironically, a firearm has saved lives. A nasty truth bomb the anti-gun want to ignore. Being able to defend your home should be the first point to discuss. Is it reasonable for the legal occupant to defend their home? Can we get a ruling on this question because if we all agree it is reasonable then what on God’s green earth does it matter. Whether it be a lawnmower or blender, who cares.
Be smart and be vigil
It so happens a firearm is an incredibly effective means to defend oneself. Having a firearm in the home can also invite accidents. Yes, this is true and if we are not willing to own up to this fact then we are just as misguided as the anti-gun crowd. However, accidents can happen with just about any household appliance and then some. As parents we go out of our way to “baby-proof” our homes. No different with firearms, they are either unloaded, secured from unauthorized access, stored in a ready locker or carried on the body. There is no margin of error here and if you cannot figure out what is the best choice, then go with unloaded, secured from unauthorized access.
Safe storage versus immediate access
While storing in a ready locker is great, if you do not have immediate access don’t expect it to be helpful. It doesn’t matter how ready it is, when you need a firearm you typically need it right then. Difficult to call time out so you can safely retrieve your firearm. I’m not against them, they serve a valuable purpose. The problem is immediate access and since you cannot predict where you will be in your home when you need access it makes it less appealing.
Keep it
That leaves on body; which I feel is a great option. One of the best ways to ensure unauthorized access is to keep it on your body. Keeping it on your body also solves the immediate access problem. The downsize often times is the size of the firearm. Downsizing your firearm to something more compact with the understanding it’s purpose is to address an immediate threat allowing you time to improve your weaponry. It is not for me to tell someone a 38spl snub nose revolver is not a good choice. It very well may be the best choice in your time of need.
Don’t get lulled into those discussions, don’t even waste your time calling them out. Instead, consider what have you done today to improve yourself and your mission.
Indeed. Just because you haven’t used a gun at home for self defense doesn’t mean a future incident will not necessitate that use.
I have a Glock 35 near the bed. It has a SureFire X300 weapon-mounted light attached, Trijicon night sights and three loaded magazines. One magazine is in the magazine funnel. All I have to do is tap & rack to seat the magazine and chamber a round. I also have a standalone flashlight and knife nearby.