Thought I Was Safe

[Grammy]

Illusion, that’s for sure. Cops told him the BG probably came up from out of the city and robbed him. The BGs go to areas where people have money. The Woodlands definitely has people with money. The sad thing is he gave the guy his wallet and he still shot him. For less then 40bucks!

That's the power trip component I alluded to in my earlier post. For this type of armed robber, it's not just about the money, just like rape isn't about sex. Unless you understand that, the way these folks act won't make any sense at all.

For those interested in getting a better understanding of these crimes, No Nonsense Self Defense has some pretty good material on it. The same site has good info on carjackers, rapists, property criminals, stalkers, etc. Most of their info is well grounded and very down to earth. Their site is aptly named..

If you visit the site, be sure to click on the links embedded in the main article. There's much greater depth there which the author presents through these links so that a single long article doesn't intimidate those not fond of reading. You can just skim the surface if you like, or dig as deep as you want. The strategy is well done and the articles are truly enlightening in a way that's very understandable for most folks. There's a lot of worthwhile insight on those pages for those willing to invest a little time.

Edit: Link fixed.

Sorry to hear about your incident ChattyKat.

Excaliber thanks, you always provide great links and information.
Jim

[The Annoyed Man]

Hearing about this incident has dispelled our delusion of security in this complex (or anywhere else) and has caused me to rethink whether or not to carry when I receive my CHL. -Kat

I am still amazed at the number of people who think that they are safe because they live in a gated-community. It is true that crime can happen any where. I am glad that no one was injured. It sounds like the BG knew the victim. I hope you will carry when you can.

Hi Kat, and welcome to the forum.

May of us who have CHLs also have spouses who have CHLs and carry daily, as does my wife. Deciding not to carry because my wife is, or visa-versa, is not an option for either of us. Here are some good reasons not to be that way:

1. A spouse with a gun is like an instant reload.
2. What if one or the other spouse is disabled or killed? Who will then carry the fight? And how?
3. What if one or the other spouse runs out of ammo? Who will then carry the fight? And how?
4. Isn't having two guns and being able to triangulate a bad guy if tactics call for it more desirable than not being able to?
5. Bad guys don't want to get shot once. They REALLY don't want to get shot twice. Facing two guns is exponentially more intimidating than facing just one.

That's just 5 quick reasons I was able to think of, and I am not as tactically trained as some of the members here. My wife and I are just a regular couple. We bought in a pretty nice, very low crime suburb, on a street with very low traffic, for the much the same kinds of reasons as y'all chose your luxury apartment complex. But as Excaliber pointed out, there is no such thing as a "safe place," in the sense that really bad things can happen anywhere, and potential insanity is never any further away than the next stranger's car coming down our block.

[chasfm11]

I would highly recommend 2 books: Strong On Defense and The Gift Of Fear.

The Strong On Defense is my #1 must read for personal security.

I'm a novice to the area of armed self defense. Excalibur, in another thread, recommended the Gift of Fear. I bought it and read it. It is truly an amazing book and I'd strongly recommend it. It is all about following your instincts.

I just ordered Strong on Defense.

[texas1234]

I have friends that live in the hill country, 10 years ago there was a criminal couple going around on property and playing like they were stranded or needed cash. They would hold up the house at gun point and steal anything they could. Eventually they shot a home owner.

They were holding up folks on anywhere from 10 to a few thousand acres.

It happens everywhere!

[The Annoyed Man]

I would add, by the way, that a former girlfriend of mine from my days in California had pretty wealthy parents and lived in the most upscale area of Pasadena - along the Arroyo Seco. Not coincidentally, this was the area with the highest burglary rate in the entire city.

Wealth and beautiful neighborhoods do not a secure home make. It takes a lot of other things, the willingness to carry and use firearms included, to make a home secure - no matter in which neighborhood it is located.

[ChattyKat]

My wife and I are just a regular couple.

Your points make sense and are helpful; thanks. My husband and I are just a regular [although older] couple, too.

[ChattyKat]

Once you get your plastic, the next challenge will be to decide when you should carry and when it's not necessary.

The best and most succinct answer to that is: Carry 24/7 or guess right.

That's a shorthand way of saying it's far better to have it and not need it than to need it. The reality is that you'll either make a choice to go about your business prepared all the time, or, despite having a CHL, you'll probably be unarmed when you'll wish you weren't.[/quote]

The responsibility of carrying a gun just seems so daunting. Perhaps after reading the suggested books, postings on this forum, etc., I will have a different perspective.

[USA1]

The responsibility of carrying a gun just seems so daunting. Perhaps after reading the suggested books, postings on this forum, etc., I will have a different perspective.

It is a huge responsibility. But it is also your responsibility to be able to protect and defend yourself.
By seeking knowledge, you have already taken steps towards doing just that.

[BobCat]

It was quite daunting to me at first, too, but after a while I realized that I'm not the kind pf person to fly off the handle and lash out, so my pistol would never leave it's holster unless it was truly appropriate and necessary. Now it is holstered on my belt when I'm awake.

Avoiding confrontation is simpler and more satisfying than "winning". Like speed-bumps in the parking lot, hitting one straight on at speed is uncomfortable - going slow around them is better. The pistol disappears in the holster under your cover garment and, while you never actually forget about it, it fades into the background like anything else you have with you all the time. It is there if you need it, is all.

One major benefit is that always having it with you raises your situational awareness - you are more likely to spot trouble before it jumps out at you than if you were unarmed.

Until your license is in hand, try this: go to the grocery store or toy store and buy a brightly-colored plastic pistol - obviously a toy, nothing that looks realistic. Whenever you go out, stick in in your belt or wherever you will wind up carrying your actual sidearm. Potential embarrassment at being spotted with a toy pistol will be a strong incentive to keep it concealed. You will find yourself evaluating people around you, painfully aware that the "gun" you have with you will not stop anyone who attacks you. That part is true, whether it is a plastic toy or a .38, 9 mm, .45, - no handgun is an absolutely reliable stopper. A real one is better than a plastic toy, but your first effort is to short-circuit the conflict, that way it does not matter - it only matters if you have to shoot. Having it makes you less likely to need it.

[ChattyKat]

Until your license is in hand, try this: go to the grocery store or toy store and buy a brightly-colored plastic pistol - obviously a toy, nothing that looks realistic. Whenever you go out, stick in in your belt or wherever you will wind up carrying your actual sidearm.

Wow -- that's a great idea, I will do that (carry a brightly-colored toy pistol until receiving my license). Thanks very much for your suggestions.

-Kat

[ELB]

Heads-up -- the website that Excalibur points out (nononsense) has a lot of interesting info, but my anti-virus software detects a virus everytime I go there...

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

The responsibility of carrying a gun just seems so daunting. Perhaps after reading the suggested books, postings on this forum, etc., I will have a different perspective.

It is a huge responsibility. But it is also your responsibility to be able to protect and defend yourself.
By seeking knowledge, you have already taken steps towards doing just that.

ChattyKat,


You are correct. Carrying a handgun is a HUGE responsibility. You now have the ability to take a life. You have a responsibility to study and know the laws so that you know what you can and cannot do.

More importantly you have a responsibility to you and your spouse. You have the responsibility to go home at the end of each day.

We do not carry because we think its cool or we want to shoot someone. We carry because we have the responsibility of protecting our loved ones and ourselves and making sure that we make it home at the end of the day.

The good majority of us hope that we NEVER have to use our guns on another person. However, we understand the way the world is and that we may have to use it in order to protect our loved ones or ourselves one day.

As stated above...It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[Kythas]

<thread hijack>

One thing nobody's brought up here is the fact that when the BG kicked in the door, the woman lost her pet.

While this has nothing to do with guns or self defense, it's an excellent situation to inform people about getting their pets microchipped. Your vet can do it for about $50 and some organizations such as Operation Kindness periodically hold clinics where they do it for free.

We all love our pets and getting them chipped is a great way to ensure that, if they ever run off, there's an excellent chance we'll get them back.

If the lady Kat had encountered had her dog chipped, she wouldn't be frantically searching for it 4 hours after the incident, probably scared to death that she'll never see her dog again.

In case you don't know, shelters typically put animals down 7-10 days (some shelters do it after only 72 hours) after they're found by animal control if they have no way of finding the owner, so a $50 investment could save your pet's life.

I now return you to your original programming.

</thread hijack>

[Teamless]

<thread hijack>

If you adopt from the SPCA (at least Houston SPCA), the pet comes chipped already.
</Hijack>

[Excaliber]

Heads-up -- the website that Excalibur points out (nononsense) has a lot of interesting info, but my anti-virus software detects a virus everytime I go there...

I'm using the latest version of Norton and I don't get any warnings.

What software are you using and what virus is identified?