Garbo

I had dinner with a group of people last night and our conversation idled aimlessly about many things, but the topic of the recent government attempts of more control on firearms came up. There was the normal talk of building a stockpile of ammo, and making sure the guns were safely stored and such. There was one personat the table that told an interesting story that happened to him this past December.

He was working in South Florida and had a temp. home that his company had renting for him to live in while working away from home. He only used the home during the week most of the time but would stay over some weekends when he was very involved in a project or very busy, but most of the time would fly back to his home and familyfor the weekend. One Friday night he had to stay in Florida and worked late that Evening. He got to the rented house late at night and when he opened the garage door he noticed there were lights on in the house that normally wouldn't have been on, but thought he may have left them on and didn't give it anymore thought. He got his things together and went inside. He got to the Master bedroom heard someone else talking in the house. He said, "It scared him to death". He had a rifle that one of the guys he worked with had let him borrow to go deer hunting with while in Florida in his closet and that was the only weapon he knew of in the house other than knives in the kitchen. He got the rifle out of the closet and put 4 rounds in the magazine and as he got the last one in a Black Man walked down the hallway toward the room he was in. He shouldered the rifle and the man walked into the room to find himself looking down the barrel of a high powered rifle at very close range. The intruder had his son with him and he walked in behind him.

He told them that he would kill both of them if they as much as moved. He then told the Man to lay on the floor face down and he told the boy to press speaker on the bedside phone and dail 911 then lay down beside his father. With the phone on speaker, he dispatched help from the police, with the rifle never leaving his shoulder. He stood over the two until the police walked in the open backdoor to find them the same way, laying face down and him standing over them with a rifle, and the police took over. The young boy was 14.

After telling his story, he said he had never felt the way he did when he was in a situation to take another human's life. He also said that he was not sure he could have done it if things wouldn't have gone sowell andhe would have had to futher defend himself. He asked the rest ofus, if we thought we could take another human life andalmost everyonesetting at thetable said "Yes", but no other at the table had ever been so close as he had, and he still was not sure if he could.

All things considered, could you take another Human Life?

fishingfromagunship

Most definitely. I promise you that if "things hadn't gone so well", the guy wouldn't have had the same second thoughts about sparing his life. When things escalate to that level, the choices narrow considerably.

nextstep

the moment of the taking wouldnt be hard, it would be living with it afterwards that would be the problem.

HighCotton

Yup.

Telum Pisces

Once I had firearms in my house for protection, I made my mind up that I could pull the trigger in an instant. In my house, you do not get a warning. If I identify you as someone that is not supposed to be in my house, it's bang. I am not going to ask you to lay down and wait for the police to get there. I do not want any split second where an intruder can get the upper hand. If you hesitate, they can get to you. In your story, the guy is lucky the guy complied. I do not want to rely on someone else's willingness to comply. I do not have control over that.

Most people say that the sound of loading a round in a shotgun is enough to scare someone off. I do not want them to even know I am fixing to pull the trigger. It's a simple bang. My shotgun stays loaded with one in the chamber with the safety off.

I can and will take another human life to protect my family and myself. It is something that I will probably feel bad about and I don't 100% know how I will react after the act is done.

But my family is my #1 priority over any person that has intentions that can do harm tomy familyor myself. And if shooting someone else is the way to protect them, I am commited to doing so. That is the only 100% sure thing.

duckhuntinsailor

Personally, I don't thinkthe thief or his son would have made it,had it been my shoulderat the other end of that rifle. It's hard to say for sure, I've never aimed a gun at another, but I feel strongly that if I ever find a threat in my sights, well they won't be dialing anything.

Thinkingseriously about the this situation, what if both of these intruders had guns.Your friendshesitation could'vemeant someone telling his children; "Daddy isn't coming home". As for the afterthought, in my young mind if they put themselves at the wrong end of my gun, (soon to be missles and bombs) then my decision is made for me. Be it a thief, intruder, F*$%ing terrorist, or any other enemy) I'll pull the trigger and not think twice about it.

NavySnooker

HOOYAH!!! WELL SAID. I'VE HAD TO DEFEND MYSELF ON THE STREET BEFORE. I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT, BUT I'M STILL ALIVE. A GUY CAME AFTER MY WIFE AND I IN YBOR CITY DURING A FESTIVAL. YBOR CITY IS IN TAMPA FL, AND SURROUNDED BY GHETTO SKUM. I WAS HELD AT GUNPOINT WITH A .22 REVOLVER. I ASKED THE DUCHEBAG TO POINT THE WEAPON AWAY FROM MY WIFE, ACTED LIKE I WAS REACHING FOR MY WALLET, AND HE SHOT ME IN THE KNEE. I IN TURN PROCEEDED TO DRAW A BEAD ON HIS PELVIS AND PUT ONE IN HIS BLADDER, A DOUBLE TAP TO THE STERNUM, AND A FOURTH IN HIS CHIN. I HOPE HE'S BURNING IN HELL FOR HIS BAD DIRTY DEEDS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TELUM, I WILL DEFEND MY FAMILY AND MYSELF AT ALL COST. EVEN IF THAT MEANS ACTIVELY TAKING ONE OR MORE HUMAN LIVES. THAT'S WHY I JOINED THE MILITARY!!! SO OTHERS MAY LIVE!!!! BACK TO MY STORY, I WAITED FOR AN AMBULANCE TO TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL, WAS LATERTAKEN UNDER ARREST, AND GOT OUT THE NEXT MORNING; AWAITING MY COURT DATE. THE JUDGE RULED A "SELF DEFENSE" SITUATION AND I WAS A FREE MAN. EVEN IF WAS TO STAY IN PRISON, I WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY WITH MY WIFE INTACT AND MY LIFE. MY TWO CENTS TURNED OUT TO BE MORE LIKE A QUARTER DOLLAR. SORRY

crazyfire

could/did OIF 2005 Operation Matador. terrorist mofos.

semper fi marines!!

stickmyshare

If you are not going to use a gun on someone in that kind of situation, don't show it. That is how you will get killed. When I shoota deer for the freezer, I get mixed emotions. Thankful for the meat, but sad to have taken a beautiful animal's life. A scumbag that I have to defend myself or family against would probably bring a feeling of relief that I got the drop on him instead of the other way around. I'd like to think that I would ask the Lord for forgiveness and be done with it.

Tuna Man

I'd hope that when the first round hit the man, that it would go right through him to his son...I would hate to waste a round on pieces of crap. Damn my insurance company would hate the bill to clean everything up. I wouldn't be tickled but wouldn't of given it any thought. No harder then dropping a deer.

You wouldn't EVER have to worry about them coming into your house let alone anyones house....They will do it again and the next homeowner might not a fare as well.