by Scott Allison

Created on: December 07, 2008   Last Updated: December 13, 2008

Several years ago as an over the road truck driver, my wife questioned me about buying a gun to keep in the house while I was out on the road. She said she'd feel more secure alone with our children if she had a gun for protection. I asked her if she thought she could shoot someone that came in the house. Why would I need to know that? Because if she wasn't prepared to pull the trigger on the gun she didn't need to be holding one. If a home intruder is unarmed and you point a weopon at them but don't pull the trigger when they try take the weapon from you, he now is and is twice as dangerous as he was entering when your home. You're better off either escaping from the home where you can call law enforcement or hiding and hoping for the best. I didn't buy the gun she asked for as she couldn't answer my question.

That's what it really boils down to when it comes to home protection. A gun isn't a security blanket. You can't place it in the nightstand and go to sleep feeling secure unless you are willing and able to shoot another human being. It's a difficult question to ask yourself. If you know beyond the shadow of a doubt the noise you hear in your home is being made by an intruder and you aproach the person with the gun, there can't be any second guessing about holding the weopon. If the intruder doesn't adhere to your commands to get out, get down, lie on the floor, put your hands up or whatever you might tell them to do, you're thought process is over. You either use the weopon or there's a real good chance it will be used on you.

When I was in the Navy onboard a fast attack submarine, I came face to face with a decision similar to what we're discussing. We were tied next the the pier doing an underway simulation, meaning we had a hot nuclear reactor. I was topside in the sail on watch when a small pleasure craft came towards the boat between us and the next pier over. I called down below for the duty officer to let them know what was going on and immediately put a clip in my .45 caliber pistol. As I raised the pistol to aim at the boat that was now very close to us I realized they were turning and hightailing it out of there. The other guy standing topside watch with me had already loaded his rifle and was preparing to fire while I was calling below decks. I unloaded my weopon and put it away and shook for an hour straight. There was no doubt in my mind had the pleasure craft not turned I was pulling the trigger. Knowing that is a very scary thing to have to admit to oneself.

I'm a firm believer in the second ammendment right to bear arms. Anyone that isn't has this notion that if we get rid of our guns the criminals will get rid of theirs. There's a common misconseption that someone legally obtaining a gun is part of the violence that plagues this country. It's simply not true. Criminals don't buy their weopons from Wal-Mart. They want to rob a liquor store tonight and really don't like all the paperwork, not to mention the waiting period to buy a gun legally. We are guaranteed the right to bear arms to protect our families and that's the way it should be. Along with that right, though, gun owners have the responsibility to safeguard the gun to keep it out of the hands of children.

There's quite a long list of things you can do to protect your home, from electronic alarm systems to a good sized dog in the front yard. There is also the option to bear arms. Just make sure if you choose that route you understand that the bad guy isn't in your home selling cookies. The decision to use deadly force against him has to come before you buy the gun.

Learn more about this author, Scott Allison.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.