I was wondering, if you have ever scared off an intruder who has broken into your home with your fire arm. Or if you know someone who has committed suicide using a gun. Nothing in between please. edit: If you know someone who scared off an intruder
'Right to bear arms' It's also lets scum of the earth like this bear arms: whatchagonnado But to get to your questions, no on both counts. Halloween way back when I was in 5th grade my friends and I were less than a block away from a gang drive-by.
There are far more incidents of accidental shooting in a house than someone using it to deter burglars. Is that in between or just way off topic of the thread?
Luckily I've never had anyone break into my home, so answer number one is no. Luckily I've never had anyone commit suicide via gun, so answer number two is no. I do however know someone who committed suicide via pills. I also know two others who tried.
My 8th grade teacher, Mr Brock, shot an intruder in his infant son's bedroom at 3AM. Shot him in the thigh, and got sued for it by the convicted burglar. Burglar lost the lawsuit. I knew a guy who 'supposedly' hung himself with his pants (in jail).
My 17 year old cousin found his dad's gun and shot himself (I think because he was gay and could deal with telling his dad)
My best buddy's nephew put an SKS in his mouth and killed himself. Not much of a story, but that's what you asked. In about 1964 our neighbor shot himself with a 300 Win. Mag, which is your basic elk/bear gun. He shot himself up through the chin and out the top of his head. Lost about a cup of grey stuff, half his tongue and one eye, but he freak'n lived, so I guess this doesn't meet the all or nothing criteria. He was back plowing his fields in about six months, but you really couldn't understand him due his lack of half his tongue. Go Blazers
So just to clarify, two suicides, one additional attempted with guns. One foiled robbery and one robbery that might have been stopped (or escalated in my opinion) if guns at been present in the home.
That's not a fair comparison, IMO. On one hand, you ask for personal experience of gun owners in stopping one specfic crime (home invasion burglary/B&E). You are comparing that to anyone that you know of that killed themselves with a gun. I know two guys in Seattle that stopped home invasion burglaries with their guns. I only know this one guy that killed himself with the SKS. Having my gun in my car saved me from at least a SEVERE beating by four very angry (and very inebriated) members of the Klamath or Modoc tribes. Go Blazers
True enough. My family was in a Mexican standoff with 2 drunk poachers we had turned in to authorities the day before. They found our campsite while my boys and I were out hunting and spent the next hour or so pointing their guns at my wife from their van and laughing. When we returned to find the situation as it was, we'd probably have been killed had we not been armed. As it was I was put in the position of having to instruct my boys (11 and 12 at the time) to not take their eyes off the poachers while I packed up our tent and gear, and that if anyone started shooting they would need to kill or be killed. While I felt confident I could drop both of them if it came to that, I did not want my boys and wife to witness that outcome, nor did I want to have to kill someone because they were stupid morons. In hindsight I should have simply killed them immediately, they did not deserve to live, and I will never risk my family's life again like that for a stranger's.
I had a drill sergeant pull a Cobain after getting busted with cocaine. Made for a weird graduation from Basic Training, that's for sure.
I feel very fortunate to be unable to identify with the feeling of total helplessness that leads some people to end their lives. No doubt about it, I'm a lucky guy.
