Posted on 02/13/2012 7:41:48 PM PST by djf
For most of us, our home is our refuge. There is even an old proverb: a man’s home is his castle. But what happens if there is an intruder? Or worse, an intruder whose intent is bodily harm toward you or your family members regardless of the reason? How would you defend yourself and, more specifically, would you shoot someone? Could you shoot someone?
I have struggled with the answer to these questions and more, because, if there were a collapse of society – a true SHTF situation – there is a strong likelihood that I would be placed in a position to defend myself, my homestead and my stuff. And therein lies the problem. I am not at all sure I could shoot someone. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure I could not.
There, I said it. For in spite of the fact that we have shopped for a suitable weapon for someone of my size and gender, and in spite of the fact I have researched classes and shooting ranges where I could practice and become proficient, I personally do not think I could not do it.
And you know what? My informal poll of others – both men and women – has told me that about 50% of us – if we dig down deep – feel the same way. I could not shoot with the intent to harm.
Sure, I know that shooting someone is not the question. The question really is “Can you safely defend yourself and your family against a life threatening situation or attack?” And if the answer is “I don’t know” or even “No”, then you have a problem. I know I do.
From the way I see it, we have three basic issues:
What are the circumstances where we should use extreme force to defend ourselves? Will I end up in jail or prison for exercising my right to defend myself and my family? How do I defend myself especially if I am uncomfortable around guns?
What are the circumstances where we should use extreme force to defend ourselves?
In my mind, you are justified in using force – lethal or otherwise – against another human being if, and only if, there is immediate and unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm to an innocent person. So by my definition, someone stealing my stuff does not qualify. Neither would revenge for something that happened yesterday.
Breaking this down, this means that the threat would have to be now, not yesterday and not tomorrow. “I am going to come and get you tomorrow” would not qualify by my definition.
Will I end up in jail or prison for exercising my right to defend myself and my family?
Good question. The answer is maybe. There is something called the Castle Doctrine that dictates, on a state by state basis, the circumstances where you can legally defend yourself from bodily harm. Notice that I said bodily harm and not destruction or theft of property.
Castle doctrine derives from English Common Law, and broadly affirms that the lawful occupants of a dwelling has the right to use force, up to and including deadly force, to protect against attack. Depending on individual state law, Castle Doctrine generally applies only if you have a “reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm” to yourself or to others.
Like I said, Castle Doctrine varies from state to state and some states have something called “Stand Your Ground” instead. Still, as a generalization, protections offered include the following:
Reinforced right to use deadly force: You have the right to use deadly force if you have an immediate and reasonable fear of imminent death or great bodily harm. In some cases, the “reasonable fear” is presumed if someone attempts to make a forcible and unlawful entry into your residence or, in some states, vehicle.
No duty to retreat: The laws generally reinforce your right to “stand your ground” when attacked, rather than having to attempt to flee, provided you reasonably believe force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury and provided you are lawfully in the place you occupy.
Immunity from criminal prosecution: In cases of justifiable use of deadly force, police or other law enforcement authorities may generally investigate but not arrest you unless they find probable cause that the force used was unlawful.
Immunity from civil action: In cases of justifiable use of deadly force, a plaintiff (e.g. the family of the perpetrator) is barred from civil action and may be required to pay attorney’s fees and court costs from bringing such action against you.
How do I defend myself especially if I am uncomfortable around guns?
Okay, here are the choices that I have come up with in no particular order:
Chemical Sprays (pepper spray , bear spray, wasp killer) Martial arts Firearms (shotgun, rifle, pistol) Battering devices (batons, fireplace pokers, baseball bats) Stun Guns If SHTF, Could You and Would You Shoot Someone? Knives Avoidance (hiding, running away)
6205322443 31d7429d25 If SHTF, Could You and Would You Shoot Someone?I do want to note that most self defense instructors will say that avoiding, or running away or even hiding from the danger or confrontation is by far the best thing to do. Unfortunately, that may not always be a viable and safe option.
For me, having a combination of these self-defense mechanisms is best. This will allow both Survival Husband and myself to choose the very best option particular to the threat and our personal comfort lever (again “to shoot” or “not to shoot”).
Summary
Ask yourself if you are ready for the chaos created by SHTF, in whatever form it might take. Also think about putting together a “SHTF Self Defense and Intruder Safety Plan”.
Here are some tips to get started:
1. The first step is to talk to your spouse, partner and/or other family members about your individual feelings a toward guns, knives and other self defense weapons. This is not the time for BS. It is best to be honest with yourself now, before the need to defend yourself is called in to action.
2. Examine some what-if scenarios and think about what additional information you need in order to become comfortable with your plan and with a possible “shoot” or don’t shoot” decision.
3. Invest in the gear and the skills you know you will use and then learn how to use them. The gear and skills that you select for one family member may be different than those chosen for another family member. One may choose a firearm and the other may choose a combination of chemical sprays and martial arts.
4. Respect the skills and mindset of your family members or others in your household. There is no right and no wrong.
5. Educate yourself regarding the Castle Doctrine Laws in your state and use them as a guideline in formulating your plan. Keep in mind, however, that if there is a SHTF situation, there may no longer be a government so any existing laws or rules may not apply.
The Final Word
The more you think about these things in advance, the more confident you will become in your ability to make a good decision under stress when defending yourself and your loved ones is the only choice your have.
To learn more about the Castle Doctrine Laws specific to your state, visit this link: The Castle Doctrine.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
Guy has already decided to lay down and die.
Bang! Don’t ask stupid questions.
Best post so far, Joe.GOOD DOG!
No offense to the lady who wrote this article but if she is not willing to kill someone to defend herself and her family or property then I don’t think she is really the person to be offering this type of advice.
When the SHTF that is exactly what that means. There won’t be any cops around. Nobody is going to be looking up the Castle Doctrine for their state. Its going to be lock and load. The only person that can make the call to shoot someone is you. Basically if you feel endangered shoot. Unless you want to starve you may have to kill someone who is trying to steal your food.
One thing I do agree with is that you have to mentally prepare yourself ahead of time. My fiancee’ has been in a few shooting situations. I have not. We have talked about it many times at great length. As bad as it sounds you really should visualize killing someone. You cannot be making that decision at the time of a confrontation. I won’t hesitate to do what I have to do.
My fondest wish is that the S never HTF and I never shoot anyone.
I think like Patton's speech (in the movie):
"Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken-out under fire. Don't worry about it"... "When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do."
In a New York heartbeat! I have no interest in allowing someone to beat, stab or shoot me, I will do all I can to prevent it, short of paying tribute.
If you can't appreciate the pure beauty of the violin after hearing this, something's wrong with your ears.
Or you can get raw with these strings.
How about this gamechanger from America's Got Talent (which they SHOULD have won).
And finally, this, dedicated to the one and only rdb2, whose eyes are growing dim.
Either way, the violin is sweet yet LETHAL.
Do it!
Worms, too, but I've already emptied my five-shot at home invaders next door.
Plus, suppose I'm hungry, and you've caught a fish?
(...what I warn my unarmed Liberal neighbors about when discussing TSHTF...)
LOL
I’m a girl so I get cut slack for extreme mushiness....:)
I have never killed anyone, so truthfully unless faced with it I truly don’t know. I do know I have twice drawn a weapon on people that I felt were a sincere threat to my life; thankfully they decided not to bet their life that I wouldn’t. I strongly believe I could kill someone that was a serious threat to me or my family. I hope I never have to find out.
I have “jumping spiders” who live on the windowsill above the sink.
[great little fly catchers]
For reasons known only to them, they will occasionally crawl down into the sink..maybe for water. I dunno.
*Most* of the time I see them and take a spoon or something and herd them back up to the counter or pick them up if the stainless steel is too slippery for them.
Several times, I’ve found them wet and bedraggled and apparently dead after hubby used the sink without checking for them, first.
The first one I found, I placed on a paper towel to take away, later.
Lo and behold, the little guy dried out and revived!
Ever since that, if I find a soggy one, I put it on a paper towel and arrange its legs so they’re not all stuck together and so far, all but one has survived.
I haul soggy moths out of the goats’ water bucket all the time.
I just put them up on a fence post to dry out and they usually are okay unless they’ve been there overnight.
We have millipedes here but I’ve not seen centipedes, myself.
We do get the ginormous wooly bear caterpillars who occasionally get themselves into dire straits.
I like bugs.
If I find a bug stuck in an empty web, I’ll get it out but if some spider is living there, I don’t feel right stealing its food.
I may not like it but God made spiders to do what they do and I’m not crazy about thwarting His plans.
Spiders gotta eat, too.
I haven’t read the book, but hubby told me it is way different if the enemy is directly a threat to you or those close to you. I would think it would be far different to shoot at someone you are told is an enemy than someone that is a direct and imminent threat to you or even someone close to you.
I would think self-preservation/strong will to live would kick in for many if it came down to it- especially if they prepared for such a possibility ahead of time.
Be VERY thankful that you did what you did. My uncle was also a prison guard and one morning when he was at work an ex-con broke into his home, raped my aunt and beat her so badly she barely survived- at the time LEO said it was likely the scum thought he had killed her. She was in bed asleep and had no chance to defend herself.
I am the same way about insects. If a spider is inside, I loft him back outside; if a wasp is on the inside of the screen, I pull the screen or hand towel em outside. But if a human shows any signs of harming my wife, family, and pets, I will put em down like the mad animal they are.
The deal with these kinds of people, is that they know why they are there. However, we have to quickly assess the situation and react, which can take a few seconds.
As for the legal issue (assuming there is still a functional legal system), here in CA the rule is you have to be in fear of immediate bodily harm. By definition, if someone breaks into your home, that is considered reasonable cause to fear for your life. The exception would be if someone is running away, and you shoot them in the back.
Personally I hate violent criminals with a passion. I have shot lots of animals, and I like animals, so I don’t see that I would have any problem shooting any intruder.
OMG.
I am SO sorry!
Between me, my little Poodle who never slept and barked at *everything*, mom was pretty safe from stuff like that.
Years later when I was about 13, another of the cons came driving by our house while my folks were gone and I was across the road, tending to my mare’s newborn filly.
I saw him coming up the road and ducked into the barn.
He came back by again and must’ve seen me.
He turned around again but I’d sprinted across the road into the house, got the Dobe and a pistol and hunkered down under the big picture window that faced the road.
I was terrified he’d hurt my horses.
[he was a drug addled NUT]
He stopped in front of the house, screaming obscenities and telling me what he was going to ‘do to me when he caught me out, again’.
I sat there with the gun and dog ready but after 10 of the *longest* minutes of my life, he left.
A couple days later, my dad took off work [he -never- missed a day] and pretended to go to work but came back and hid the truck.
The loon came back and on his turn-around, he went into the same screaming and yelling as before.
Dad was waiting by the door and swooped out onto the porch with his .44 magnum [the “Dirty Harry” gun..LOL] and that sucker peeled out like the devil himself was on his back.
That was his last ride-by.
Never saw him again.
My dad started taking my targets in and showing them to the inmates and bragging on my aim and “cold blood”.
[he’s a real trip, sometimes]
We never got bothered after that.
[Guns are good]....;]
I had a weird childhood for a girl because as soon as I could hold a gun, my dad taught how to shoot a person.
[game too but mostly ‘bad guys’...he had lots of targets from the prison firing range]
There was none of that “shoot them in the knee” crap from him.
His philosophy was that if somebody was attacking you, you should assume they mean to kill and you should respond in kind.
Kind of heavy stuff for a little kid but on the bright side, I’ve never had the ‘moral internal argument’ with myself about killing somebody if I needed to.
I was glad when he stopped going away to hunt for 2 weeks at a time.
It was a huge, stressful responsibility to be ‘guarding’ a mother who theoretically should have been guarding her child.
40+ years of the repeated mantra “assume they mean to kill you” sort of makes you resolute and/or resigned to just doing it, I suppose.
I’m really sorry about your aunt.
I hope she’s as well as can be expected, now.
I wish FR had a “Like” button.
:)
Excellent rejoinder.
It is interesting that those of us who care about even an insect, saving it when we can, are also, in our minds and hearts, ready to do what is necessary to defend ourselves and others if we need to.
I hope to never be in that situation, but as you say there may be a few seconds of disadvantage for a potential victim, but that is where trusting The LORD comes in. He would be able to give us that lightning fast reaction that we would need. He has saved me so many times in various situations that I have learned I can count on Him; especially when I call out to Him when I am in trouble. He has done some amazing things.
CC
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