Man arrested after shooting at home intruder

[SteveLaura 0]

My gun stays in its case. If I take it out, unless I'm expecting to use it in a self-defence situation, the first thing I do ensure it is unloaded. Only then will I clean it, or allow someone else to handle it. The chances of being shot by an unloaded firearm (note, I've first demonstrated that it is in fact unloaded) are between zero and none. As for unauthorized handling of my gun, I wouldn't allow anyone in my home who doesn't have the sense not to handle someone else's firearm without their permission. If we are talking about visiting kids, then the gun would be made inaccessible before they came over.

So, you're hoping for one of those polite criminals, then, who willl wait patiently whilst you go to your gun case, perhaps find the key and unlock it, go to another location perhaps and get your ammo, load you gun and then proceed to aim it at them?

My gun is kept loaded.

How close to your bed is the case? Is the case locked? Where is the key in relation to your bed, if so? Do you need glasses or contacts? Do you take sleep medication?

Obviously I'm not expecting you to answer all these personal questions, but these are all considerations, I feel, as to whether a gun is actually going to make someone safer in their home.

[Cantankerous 0]

Firearms are involved in 0.6% of accidental deaths nationally

• Most accidental deaths involve, or are due to, motor vehicles (39%), poisoning (18%), falls (16%), suffocation (5%), drowning (3%), fires (3%), medical mistakes (2%), environmental factors (1%), and bicycles and tricycles (1%).
  
• Among children: motor vehicles (45%), suffocation (18%), drowning (14%), fires (9%), bicycles and tricycles (2%), poisoning (2%), falls (2%), environmental factors (2%), and medical mistakes (1%).
  

The stats are misleading. Only 0.6% of accidental deaths throughout the country may well involve firearms, but what percentage of the population own guns? A better statistic would be, what percentage of homes with firearms have led to accidental deaths? Obviously, accidental death involving cars, chemicals (poisoning) and everyday accidents are higher as more people own the necessary criteria.

There are over 80 Million gun owners in the US.

• Average Americans use guns to defend themselves against criminals at least 1 million times every year. This conservative figure is based on more than a dozen scientific studies by researchers on both sides of the gun control issue.
  
• 31 states now have laws allowing qualified citizens to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. Those states have enjoyed decreased levels of violent crime. People with concealed carry permits have a lower rate of crime than the general population. Mass public shootings fall dramatically in states that pass concealed-carry laws.
  
• Homicides have been on the wane overall for nearly 20 years. Accidental firearm deaths have been steadily decreasing for more than 60 years. This heartening trend began decades before anti-gun activists started lobbying for laws mandating trigger locks on handguns.
  

You are 3 times more likely to die from a medical mistake by your Doctor than by a firearm.

Your child is 3 times more likely to die from a bicycle or tricycle accident than by a firearm.

[SteveLaura 0]

Firearms are involved in 0.6% of accidental deaths nationally

• Most accidental deaths involve, or are due to, motor vehicles (39%), poisoning (18%), falls (16%), suffocation (5%), drowning (3%), fires (3%), medical mistakes (2%), environmental factors (1%), and bicycles and tricycles (1%).
  
• Among children: motor vehicles (45%), suffocation (18%), drowning (14%), fires (9%), bicycles and tricycles (2%), poisoning (2%), falls (2%), environmental factors (2%), and medical mistakes (1%).
  

The stats are misleading. Only 0.6% of accidental deaths throughout the country may well involve firearms, but what percentage of the population own guns? A better statistic would be, what percentage of homes with firearms have led to accidental deaths? Obviously, accidental death involving cars, chemicals (poisoning) and everyday accidents are higher as more people own the necessary criteria.

There are over 80 Million gun owners in the US.

• Average Americans use guns to defend themselves against criminals at least 1 million times every year. This conservative figure is based on more than a dozen scientific studies by researchers on both sides of the gun control issue.
  
• 31 states now have laws allowing qualified citizens to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. Those states have enjoyed decreased levels of violent crime. People with concealed carry permits have a lower rate of crime than the general population. Mass public shootings fall dramatically in states that pass concealed-carry laws.
  
• Homicides have been on the wane overall for nearly 20 years. Accidental firearm deaths have been steadily decreasing for more than 60 years. This heartening trend began decades before anti-gun activists started lobbying for laws mandating trigger locks on handguns.
  

You are 3 times more likely to die from a medical mistake by your Doctor than by a firearm.

Your child is 3 times more likely to die from a bicycle or tricycle accident than by a firearm.

So, there are significantly less gun owners than there are people in this country, which was my point. The 0.6% stated includes homes where there is no gun. How many car owners are there? More than 80 million. Hence that higher stat. So, yes, as many more homes have bicycles and tricycles, and more people see a doctor than own a gun, I'm not surprised that those numbers are higher.

Again, show me stats that state what percentage of gun owners have been involved in incidents of accidental death. If it's still as low as 0.6%, you'll have my attention.

Edited July 20, 2007 by SteveLaura

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My gun stays in its case. If I take it out, unless I'm expecting to use it in a self-defence situation, the first thing I do ensure it is unloaded. Only then will I clean it, or allow someone else to handle it. The chances of being shot by an unloaded firearm (note, I've first demonstrated that it is in fact unloaded) are between zero and none. As for unauthorized handling of my gun, I wouldn't allow anyone in my home who doesn't have the sense not to handle someone else's firearm without their permission. If we are talking about visiting kids, then the gun would be made inaccessible before they came over.

So, you're hoping for one of those polite criminals, then, who willl wait patiently whilst you go to your gun case, perhaps find the key and unlock it, go to another location perhaps and get your ammo, load you gun and then proceed to aim it at them?

Exactly. If people want to arm themselves with a gun in their home, that's fine, but it's just not logical to say that bringing a gun into your home automatically makes you and your family safer. Statistics say otherwise. There are pros and cons to everything - but many gun advocates ignore or sidestep the cons of gun ownership.

[Cantankerous 0]

So, there are significantly less gun owners than there are people in this country, which was my point. The 0.6% stated includes homes where there is no gun. How many car owners are there? More than 80 million. Hence that higher stat. So, yes, as many more homes have bicycles and tricycles, and more people see a doctor than own a gun, I'm not surprised that those numbers are higher.

Again, show me stats that state what percentage of gun owners have been involved in incidents of accidental death. If it's still as low as 0.6%, you'll have my attention.

Over the years that the US population doubled; gun ownership has quintupled, crime is down drastically, and so are accidental shootings

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2004 there were 661 Accidental Deaths by Discharge of Firearms. With 80 million firearm owners then 0.00082625% of them were involved in accidental shootings.

[mawilson 2,133]

Like what? I mean something effective, something that'll drop a man cold but not kill him. None of that tear gas "i'll make you cry" #######.

Taser creates electric shotgun

Taser, the stun gun company, has announced a shotgun cartridge which fires a wireless

electric shock round to knock down a person up to 65 feet away.

The 2.4 gram TASER XREP (pictured) leaves an ordinary 12-gauge barrel at about 300

feet per second. When it hits, as well as providing "blunt impact", four barbed electrodes

puncture clothes to deliver the same painful jolt as one of the firm's handheld weapons.

The 20-second shock comes from a lithium ion battery.

It's in pilot for the next six to 12 months, and is expected to cost about $99 a shot on release.

XREP was one of a trio of new initiatives at yesterday's annual conference of the world's

leading electropain outfit. There is also a deal with robotics firm iRobot to slap remote-

controlled electric shock weaponry onto machines used by the military and police.

A third application of "Neuro-Muscular Incapactation" will see a battery of six wired taser

darts sprayed simultaneously in a 20 degree arc. The Taser Shockwave is aimed at border

guards who feel the need to take down several people.

At the launch, Taser CEO Rick Smith said: "The TASER Shockwave addresses the need for

enhanced area denial and force protection at checkpoints where life-and-death decisions

must be made instantaneously."

[Translation: it really hurts and there's a better chance a panicked grunt won't kill someone

than if he reaches for the M16.]

There's a load more info, including some pretty creepy promotional videos, here. The new

designs are just the latest fruits of Taser's efforts to apply cattle prod technology to as many

situations as possible. At CES this year, it launched a version for consumers, in five pretty

colours.

[SteveLaura 0]

With 80 million firearm owners then 0.00082625% of them were involved in accidental shootings.

OK, you've got my attention.

Seriously, tho, we're looking just at the accidental deaths in a year. 0.6% does seem a small number, but bear in mind that only about 25% of people own guns. How often are they used, compared to cars? What are the chances of someone breaking into my house and wanting to do physical harm to my family as opposed to being one of the 661 accidental victims? It's a risk I'm not willing to take - for my sake and my family's.

[almaty 19]

damn, i want one...

[mawilson 2,133]

damn, i want one...

The Taser shotgun?

[isleta521 5]

damn, i want one...

The Taser shotgun?

Yes, could us it regularly!!

[almaty 19]

damn, i want one...

The Taser shotgun?

yes sir!

[mawilson 2,133]

damn, i want one...

The Taser shotgun?

yes sir!

Soon coming to the store near you

[Cantankerous 0]

With 80 million firearm owners then 0.00082625% of them were involved in accidental shootings.

OK, you've got my attention.

Seriously, tho, we're looking just at the accidental deaths in a year. 0.6% does seem a small number, but bear in mind that only about 25% of people own guns. How often are they used, compared to cars? What are the chances of someone breaking into my house and wanting to do physical harm to my family as opposed to being one of the 661 accidental victims? It's a risk I'm not willing to take - for my sake and my family's.

Firearms are used over 1 million times a year for self-defense - most often just by being seen by or pointed at the criminal.

How many people own a car? In the same year I quoted earlier, there were over 43,000 accidental deaths caused by motor vehicles. Do the math; it's far more dangerous for someone to own a car than a firearm. More children drown in swimming pools than are killed by firearms. Where's the public concern to take away everyone's pools? It's a never-ending conversation ...

I'm not trying to change your mind on anything. I'm just full of facts that most people are not aware of.

Take care and best wishes to you and yours.

[SteveLaura 0]

How many people own a car? In the same year I quoted earlier, there were over 43,000 accidental deaths caused by motor vehicles. Do the math; it's far more dangerous for someone to own a car than a firearm.

But how many minutes a week are people in a car? And how many minutes a week are people handling guns? There are going to be more accidents involving cars as 1) more people have them and 2) spend a greater amount of time involved with them. I could argue that as more accidents in this country involve Japanese cars than Rolls Royces, then a Roller is a safer car. The stats would back me up. It wouldn't, however, make it so.

Take care and best wishes to you and yours.

Cheers!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

With 80 million firearm owners then 0.00082625% of them were involved in accidental shootings.

OK, you've got my attention.

Seriously, tho, we're looking just at the accidental deaths in a year. 0.6% does seem a small number, but bear in mind that only about 25% of people own guns. How often are they used, compared to cars? What are the chances of someone breaking into my house and wanting to do physical harm to my family as opposed to being one of the 661 accidental victims? It's a risk I'm not willing to take - for my sake and my family's.

Firearms are used over 1 million times a year for self-defense - most often just by being seen by or pointed at the criminal.

How many people own a car? In the same year I quoted earlier, there were over 43,000 accidental deaths caused by motor vehicles. Do the math; it's far more dangerous for someone to own a car than a firearm. More children drown in swimming pools than are killed by firearms. Where's the public concern to take away everyone's pools? It's a never-ending conversation ...

I'm not trying to change your mind on anything. I'm just full of facts that most people are not aware of.

Take care and best wishes to you and yours.

How many households with children own a firearm and how many people have been accidentally killed by gun in their own home? How many homes were broken into with the intent to harm?

Does anybody know?

Edited July 20, 2007 by Mister Fancypants