This is a little bit long, but I’ve been thinking this over a lot in the last several months.
First, a little background. I’m not a “gun guy” but I’ve handled and fired several rifles (very accurately given my relatively low level of training), an M60, and a few shotguns, though I’ve never handled handgun. I live in a single family house with my wife, one dog, no kids, in the ex-urbs of a major east coast city. I do not currently own any guns, but I’m set to inherit a few long guns and one revolver from my recently deceased grandfather. My mildly anti-gun wife and I have an understanding that I can bring the guns into the house but I’ll be taking pretty much every safety measure under the sun to secure them and I will not have ammunition in the house.
My nature, and my background in Scouting, makes me someone who always tries to be prepared. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the unlikely possibility of a home invasion and what I might do in such circumstances. Although I acknowledge that the chances of this happening are vanishingly small, I cannot get over the thought that I would be totally helpless if someone were to break in here. As far as property goes, I say take it. Nothing I own is worth risking my life nor the incredible burden I would feel if I killed somebody over a material possession. My family’s safety is completely different, and I would be prepared to defend that with deadly force at the risk of my own life.
Last summer, a man ran off the road in front of our house and collided with a telephone poll. It took the paramedics and cops 10 minutes to get here, arriving simultaneously from two opposite directions. Apparently we’re smack between the two closest stations. 10 minutes seems like an awfully long time to hold out if I really needed the police in an emergency.
So, I’ve been thinking about the possibility of purchasing a firearm for home defense purposes. I am far away from actually deciding to do this, but I’m closer than I ever thought I would be. We’re planning to have kids soon and I honestly don’t know what I would do to protect my family should the unthinkable actually occur.
So how about it, Dopers? I am just being paranoid? My gut is saying that going down this road is not the right decision but that may just be years of thinking of myself as “not a gun guy”. I’d appreciate hearing some opinions from both sides of the fence.
Cliffs Notes
- Not a “gun guy”, hesitant to bring a gun and ammunition into home
- Worried about safety of family at home
- Buy gun?