She emerged from her upstairs bedroom to hear strange voices coming from downstairs.
A third-year college student home on break, Chelsea had learned a thing or two about gathering her wits and summoning self-control. Although her heart was racing in her chest, she stepped carefully and quietly down the hall just far enough to peek over the banister.
Two strange men stood in the family room. They were talking to one another, obviously unaware of her presence. She observed carefully for a long moment and noted that they were not armed. Then she blurted out, “Will you please leave my house?”
They looked up, startled. But they made no move to leave.
Chelsea went calmly but quickly to her father’s bedroom closet and opened his gun safe. She grabbed a pistol – it wasn’t loaded, but the men downstairs didn’t need to know that – and returned, gun in hand, to the same spot overlooking the family room.
They were still there and gave no indication that they planned to leave. She held up the gun, pointed it in their direction, and said, “Now, will you leave my house?”
This time they bolted.
Obviously, whatever these two criminals had in mind to do, they weren’t willing to risk their lives for it. The (unloaded) gun was wielded, and all criminal intents were instantaneously overshadowed by instinctual self-preservation.
People have different views on gun ownership, and firearms are (not unjustifiably) associated with violence. But this incident illustrates one rarely-mentioned fact:
Often, the mere presence of a firearm results in the prevention of a crime.
Chelsea’s father had taught her well. She knew how to handle a home invasion - not with fear, but with confidence, calmness, and strength. Even though there were two of them and one of her, because of her quick thinking, her father’s preparedness, and the American Founders' foresight to ensure the right to keep and bear arms, a crime was stopped short, and not a shot was fired.
- Packing Heat and Trusting Providence: Why I Own a Handgun by Karen Swallow Prior
- Do More Guns Equal More Murders? by Mark LaRochelle
- 2nd Amendment Proves Valid Defense against Gangs by Colin Flaherty
Great observations. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteGreat observations. Thanks for this
ReplyDeleteYes, people have a right to have a gun in their home, but whether it’s a good idea or not is not so clear. The data on the topic by unbiased observers paint a far different picture.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Chick-fil-A sandwich today — smothered in bigotry and prejudice!
Guns in the Home Provide Greater Health Risk Than Benefit
ScienceDaily (Apr. 28, 2011) — Despite the fact that nearly one-third of American households have a firearm, studies show that having a gun in the home poses a household a greater health risk than a potential benefit. A new study released in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine examined scientific research on both sides of the debate to put hard numbers to this on-going discussion.
Author David Hemenway studied the various risks of having a gun in the home, including accidents, suicide, homicide, and intimidation. Additionally, the benefits of having a firearm in a household were also examined and those benefits included deterrence, and thwarting crimes (self-defense). From this in-depth look, it was concluded that homes with guns were not safer or deter more crime than those that do not. In fact, it was found that in homes with children or women, the health risks were even greater.
“Whereas most men are murdered away from home,” wrote Hemenway. “Most children, older adults, and women are murdered at home. A gun in the home is a particularly strong risk factor for female homicide victimization.”
It’s not just the increased risk by others in a home with a gun, but also an increased risk of suicide.
“Even though suicide attempts with guns are infrequent, more Americans kill themselves with guns than with all other methods combined,” wrote Hemenway. “That is because among methods commonly used in suicide attempts, firearms are the most lethal.”
After weighing the evidence on both sides, the review concluded that the risks greatly outweighed the benefits or perceived benefits.
“There is compelling evidence that a gun in the home is a risk factor for intimidation and for killing women in their homes, and it appears that a gun in the home may more likely be used to threaten intimates than to protect against intruders,” wrote Hemenway. “On the potential benefit side, there is no good evidence of a deterrent effect of firearms or that a gun in the home reduces the likelihood or severity of injury during an altercation or break-in.”