One day I was so sick that I stayed home from school. I was a teacher and it took a lot to keep me in bed, but I was really sick. My husband usually left for work after me. So this day, he kissed me goodbye and left. It wasn’t five minutes later that I heard someone trying to break in the front door.
Now, having lived in New York most of my life, it took me awhile to become an Okie, but this day was the birth of the full fledged Oklahoman. We have a law here that is called, “Make my day.” So I decided to make the burglars’ day. I went and got my gun, loaded it, and stood in front of the door. I said in a calm loud voice, “Come on in, but I’ve got a gun loaded and aimed at your face.”
I heard the storm door close slowly and they were gone. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t feeling too well and I felt “a might” disappointed that they didn’t make my day.
Three days later, my husband said, “Where’s the front porch glider?” I realized they must have loaded that first, and then started coming in. Next time I’ll just shoot.
Y’all come back now, here.
The crime rate in Oklahoma is much lower than in other states with gun laws. The reasoning: You can bet that 95% of the homes are armed and ready. Many people want to do away with guns, but then I might not be here today to disagree with those folks. As a bumper sticker here states, “Gun Control is shooting with both hands.”
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Comments: 53
My husband is from Texas. Texas gun laws are close to Ok.
I wish California's were the same.
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We had a similar incident a few years back living out in the boondocks near a big city.
A loaded 308 made all the difference.
I think more gun education is needed to prevent those unfortunate tragic accidents.
I think people that want to take all the guns away from responsible, law abiding citizens are looney.
If somebody wants to kill they'll use a hammer, a shovel a baseball bat.Whatever their sick twisted minds can fathom just like documented incidents from Great Briton and Australia.
I don't think AK 47's are necessary and are more firepower than necessary if you're out deer or turkey hunting unless you want your meat sliced and diced and thus can skip the trip to the processor. But if gun control on one model strated that'll open the door to more guns.
Yeah right. Until family members shoot one another and kids shoot up the local high school.
It's never the gun's fault....
I would have opened the door, I think. But then, it hasn't happened to me.....
How does it happen that you teach your students how and when to use guns?
The only people gun laws affect are the law abiding citizens. Criminals have their guns illegally anyway. They could care less about gun laws. If it ever comes to the law abiding citizen unable to own a gun, that's when we will start seeing more home invasions. It'll be one of the worse things to be taken away. There will be no deterant for the criminal to come in. That's when we will have to break out our crossbows and just sit back in the recliner and wait ;-) Maybe we'll need to learn to make poison blow darts, too. Silent..but deadly. lol
Owning guns, brandishing guns, is part of the culture of violence.
Far more connected to violent crime than video games.
Carol's article is wrong about the facts in the way that all the fearful gun-lovers are wrong - gun ownership does not deter crime.
Carol concludes triumphantly, "The crime rate in Oklahoma is much lower than in other states with gun laws."
This is a bold-faced lie, or incredible ignorance..
A simple look at The FBI Uniform Crime Statistics would show how wrong this is.
Oklahoma City has an Incidence of Violent Crime that is 40% higher than New York City.
{Violent Crimes: 4,538 per population of 448,593 in Oklahoma City}
{Violent Crimes: 54,623 per population of 8,115,690 in New York}
For every criminal that you think you are detering from a home invasion, there are four children (usually boys) that you are teaching to use a gun if someone stands in my way.
Did you really want to kill somebody that badly just because you weren't feeling well?
I know from experience that the feeling of having your personal space, your home, invaded can be worse than the loss of your possessions. It's a sickening feeling to walk in the house and realize that somebody's been there while you were gone. And it's even worse to live in constant fear that they might come back, and that when they do, they might not just take your stuff.
I had guns for personal and home protection most of my adult life until I moved to Australia. I found myself in situations similar to Carol's a few times, but luckily I never killed anybody.
I look back and think how sad, and crazy, it was that I would even consider killing somebody over stuff. It's one thing to be willing to kill somebody to save your own life, or the lives of your family, but it's another thing to be willing to kill them to save your stereo or your TV.
Peter, I agree that living in an environment where casual violence is routine, and where the cultural norms support violence is dangerous and unhealthy.
I don't have a problem with guns. I still own a few, although I don't have them here with me in Australia. One day I'm sure I'll teach my kids how to shoot, if they're interested in learning. If I ever felt that having a gun was necessary to protect myself and my family, I'd get one, regardless of whether it was legal for me to do so or not.
But for now, I'm very glad that I don't live in (and that I'm not raising my kids in) an environment where there is so much violence, fear, hatred and insecurity that people feel disappointed because nobody will "make their day."
But, I do worry about how easy it is for kids to get weapons.
I saw a news story the other day where an elderly woman shot her intruder. Where would she have been without that gun. It's also not unusual to hear stories where young children have been killed with their parent's guns.
What a society?
As for the high school shootings. Guns aren't new in the American household. Bullying isn't new, either. But, the way kids are responding is definitely newer.
I took the FBI Report on Violent Crimes (they publish them, along with handy charts and diagrams) and took the population statistics from the same source.
The FBI Violent Crime Index is the source of the statistics I quoted.
And, it has been a long tiome since you've been in New York, Carol. Harlem has the hottest real estate for the past four years, and the area has been transformed.
The point of my earlier comment is that rural areas no longer lag in serious and violent crimes. The idea of "big city" crime is a myth in most cities. (Philly, Baltimore, etc are the exceptions.)
There are lots of reasons for this, and a lot of research has been done by law enforcement about this phenomena.
Gangs pushed out of urban areas, crack epidemic replaced by rural meth labs, much higher police surveillance and cameras in urban areas, etc.
But, a constant factor in rural and suburban violence is the the ready availability of guns.
Many rural areas are much more dangerous than most urban areas.
It's not an opinion, it's where the crimes are occurring.
So you just wanted to kill somebody, and it had nothing to do with the fact that you weren't feeling well. Got it.
"As for crime being 40% higher in NYC than in Oklahoma, you'd have to prove that to me. Statistics are easily twisted."
How would he prove it to you if you're unwilling to believe the numbers?
Let's just go back to the wild west and brag about it.
Kinda wondering why we have a low crime rate here in Murray where most people legally own guns?
Meaning what? That they're somehow beyond your comprehension?
Personally I could care less if you have a gun--it isn't going to effect me any--but the idea that you're safer by having one is an illusion. It seems you could have just said you had a gun and this guy would have left--he would probably have left as soon as he figured out someone was home. A woman is 3 times as likely to be murdered if she has a gun in the home than if she doesn't and that the murderer is much more likely to be someone she knows than a stranger.
Hope you get your chance to kill someone some day soon.
In case you want citations for the evidence, which you don't:
http://www.vpc.org/fact_sht/domviofs.htm
The law has come into rulings on several occasions; almost all relating to surprise entries to homes. Recent cases include that of Larry Kintz - whose house had previously been broken into five times - who shot and killed a burglar that invaded his home when he was asleep. [1],. However, Nick Velme was not protected by the law when he shot dead his neighbor, who had 'surprised' him. Upon inspection of the crime, prosecutors deemed him to not be protected by the law, as his neighbor had at no point entered his house. As such, Velme was charged with second degree murder [2].
This tells me that the intruder has to be in the dwelling. And you the occupant have the right to use any means to stop the intruder if you believe the intruder will use physical force on anyone in the dwelling.
Pretty broad coverage except for the fact that the intruder has to Enter the dwelling.
Scaring them away with the threat of having a gun aimed at them is quick thinking. I'd much rather scare them away then have to shot them. I like that the criminals here in OK know you probably have a gun, and thus they might think twice before breaking into your home.
Yeah, it would be very sad if kids ,looking to steal some item,any item,they could fence to fuel their crystal meth habit were shot .....tragic if killed.
Yeah, it would be sad if some adult or adult male or female were rooting around to steal a car or another personal possesson that does not belong to them were shot and injured or disfigured or killed.
Yeah, and it would be equally as tragic if Carol would have not heard the potential break-in..strangers tresspassing without good intentions. Let's see, what would they do if she hadn't woken up ?Hmmm..just tip toe in and steal everything they could easily carry?
If they found her asleep would they maybe try to take sexual advantage and maybe beat and rape her...or kill her so that she couldn't identify them?
Until the world is ready to beat weapons into plowshares ,I'll keep my guns.Yeah, plural because additionally I find them to be beautiful works of art,depending upon make and model.
Pete you must be one of the lucky never to have been touched by violence or witnessed it firsthand.
Wil B. goodday, mate, how nice to live down under where they do have gun laws but they still have murder.
Elizabeth,you are correct and the homeowner,property owner at times and more frequently will face manslaughter charges.( BTW,Wikipedia is not a great place for facts as it was reported that Wiki'sinfo is easily changed by hackers.)
So one must be judicious before brandishing a weapon and using it to protect one's 'stuff' as Wil mentions.
Still, we all work pretty damn hard for our stuff. I am not ready to open my doors and windows stand aside and say'have at it ,folks" and as mentioned before, am not ready to become a murder stat...oh there is that "S" word again. I already am a stat(oops) in the victim of robbery category. A lock means nothing to some. A life means nothing to some.I do not want to be in the position to choose mine or my family's life and health over somebody who is where they aren't suppose to be.
Here is a true story for you that I was witness to.
An 82 year old widow was brought to our ER with third degree burns over 40 % on her body, a subdural hematoma from skull fractures, broken pelvis and bilateral hip subluxation, collapsed lung, mutiple contusions and bruises. She had evidence of strangulation finger hold on her neck. She had been beaten, raped and sodomized and left for dead. She was dragged to the basement and set on fire.
The "perps" were two teenager 15 and 16. the old dear lived(if you can call it that) long enough to ID those "kids" They admitted that they wanted to rob her. They said that they knocked on her door, she let them in,probably out of loneliness,and she gave the 'soda pop'. OK so she made a grave error, So did they as they preyed upon a sweet, old soul that wanted to live and did long enough to put them in jail.
A friend of mine had his head cracked wide open with a baseball bat walking in Hollywood one evening and not realizing that he had entered gang territory. They hit him from behind and lucky him the police were a block away.
My step-daughter was almost kidnapped when she was 8 years old only two blocks from our home while walking with friends after school. Yeah, we dodged that bullet but later somebody else's kid was kidnapped.
Sorry, folks, I don't live in Disneyland and I doubt that you do. I don't go looking to even any scores"vigilant like" but if trouble comes to my door I'd rather be ready and prepared for it. As much good as there is in our world there still remains a measure of evil.
Carol's gallow humor was just that and I doubt she truly is of that mind. Walk a mile in her shoes.A sick ,frightened woman who knows that a door separates her from the unknown.
I can't speak for anybody else, but this is the part of your story that made it sound to me like you wanted to kill the person on your porch:
"To tell you the truth, I wasn't feeling too well and I felt "a might" disappointed that they didn't make my day."
Were you really disappointed that he person didn't "make your day"? Were you really disappointed that they didn't listen to your warning? Would you have preferred if they'd busted the lock on your door and came into your home so that you could've shot them in the face?
Or did you include that in your story just to give it a bit more punch?
Yes Sheila, there's still murder here, as there is everywhere. But I don't live in fear of it, and I don't feel like I need a gun to protect myself and my family. I know that here, more murders involve knives than guns, and statistically speaking, I'm much more likely to be murdered by my wife, another family member, or a friend than by a stranger. I'm pretty confident that I won't get murdered even though I don't carry a gun, or keep one in the house.
"Still, we all work pretty damn hard for our stuff. I am not ready to open my doors and windows stand aside and say 'have at it ,folks""
You're right, we all work pretty damned hard for our stuff, and I doubt any of us are ready to open the doors and let people take what they want. But not all of us want to blow somebody away to stop them from stealing our TV. I admit there were times in my life when I felt otherwise, and I'm happy that they're over. I'd much prefer that nobody steals my TV, but if they do, it's insured.
"So did they as they preyed upon a sweet, old soul that wanted to live and did long enough to put them in jail."
And how would that story have turned out any differently if the sweet old soul had been armed with a gun? It's horrible that these sorts of things happen, but having a bunch of guns doesn't necessarily stop them.
You look like a big ,strappin' bloke and I'm sure you're not afraid of somebody beating the shit out of you. Lucky you for your good genetics. But if you feel your wife and friends would kill you,then what does that say about their character and more precisely ,your character? Are you some big mean SOB that everybody loves to hate?
Or did you just say that to punch up your statement some with a little weird humor?
Have they outllawed all sharps down under and you all using plastic utensils?
My point is that as I stated earlier, if someone is sick and twisted enough to kill you, they don't need a gun.I'm sure guns are still available on the black market in Australia.
Nobody wants to be robbed and if it does occur hopefully no one is at home because the chance is greater for bodily injury or death from murder if somebody enters your place ...so why would you not take measures to deter an interloper not knowing where or if they would stop. Taking belongings and taking a life sometimes does not matter to criminals.
The sad , but true, story I recounted would never have occurred if those children had a value system that respected life. Those boys, their actions were a symptom of our society. That poor old lady was a symptom of our society.
As I said ,when we as humans no longer show aggression on any level,no longer covet or act on jealousy ,when we no longer experience want or need then there will be no reason to feel that "the best offense is a good defense".
Sheila......Yes he is! LOL !
It doesn't say anything about their character, or mine. If you go back and read my original statement again, you'll notice that I said "statistically speaking".
In Australia, a male is more likely to be murdered by a member of his family or a friend than by a stranger or a person connected to him in some other way (employee, colleague, business associate, etc.). In fact, the ratio is about 70% to 30%. For a female, it's about 90% to 10% (with a 60% chance she'll be killed by her husband/partner).
Not that murder's much of a problem here. Again, statistically speaking. Fewer than 300 murders for the whole country last year. I'd take that homicide rate over Oklahoma's any day. Or Texas, which has pretty much the same population but more than triple the number of homicides.
And presumably those crime statistics don't include all the potential burglars and muggers that make somebody's day. How many more corpses do you think that would add to the total?
"The sad , but true, story I recounted would never have occurred if those children had a value system that respected life."
I agree. I just don't think a value system that says it's good to kill somebody if they try to steal your TV is one that respects life.
Thanks for your response.
Keep the stats. My statement was made in relation to what you claimed of Carol "punching her story up".
There is no argument that will change my stance on gun ownership at this time
unless all those negative conditions that currently plague mankind that I listed are
eliminated.
I wish you a long ,happy, healthy life free of worries,my friend.
Stay positive and I will stayed armed. :)
Wil thinks this article is about someone stealing your T.V. He has a problem with comprehension, and sometimes you have to break out the Jumbo Crayons and draw him a picture. Notice that he stated in his comment(s):
"I don't have a problem with guns."
"I still own a few..."
"One day I'm sure I'll teach my kids how to shoot..."
"If I ever felt that having a gun was necessary to protect myself and my family, I'd get one, regardless of whether it was legal for me to do so or not"
Wil doesn't have a problem with gun ownership as long HE'S the owner, whether it's "legal for him to do so or not". That's the difference between a LAW ABIDING gun owner and Wil. Also, on another thread, he lamented about how he "misses" his guns.
Seems to me that he likes to talk out of both sides of his A$$.
Maybe you're the one with the reading comprehension problem, HG.
I don't have a problem with guns. I have a problem with people who walk around (or sit at home) hoping somebody will "make their day."
unless all those negative conditions that currently plague mankind that I listed are
eliminated."
I'm not trying to change your mind, Sheila. Or anybody else's. Just expressing some of my thoughts and reactions to the article and the discussion.
"I wish you a long ,happy, healthy life free of worries, my friend."
Right back at ya! :)