a guy broke into my sister's house

[salinen]

she heard noises downstairs and slowly made her way in the dark to the kitchen where the intruder had turned on the lights. From a distance she could see that he was taking food out of the refrigerator and putting everything on the counter. He was building a sandwich. My sister approached further and he noticed her and asked her where the bread was. She told him and left and called the police and he just finished making his sandwich and sat down and ate it.

He was taken away and later my sister was told by the police that he had once lived in that house, he was retarded, and he just wanted to go home and have a sandwich.

In many American homes that would be a death sentence.

[JI7]

1. wow, i'm glad both you them are ok

did you sister feel threatened at any point ? i'm guessing when she first heard someone had come in but when he talked to her did she feel he had a mental disability ?

[salinen]

2. It happened a long time ago

but yeah, she suspected that he was disabled.

[alphafemale]

3. It is obvious within s split second and often on sight that a person is mentally handicapped.

You seem to be assuming that a person with firearms would blindly shoot.

[JI7]

4. there have been many cases of people doing just that and ending up killing a family

member who lived there.

[realism101]

13. How many is "many"? Citations, please.

I sure seem to read a lot more about break-ins that end badly for the homeowner or the perp, than an innocent family member. Then again, maybe I'm reading the wrong newspapers.

[Tab]

33. There were two in the news that I recall this year

I can't get to where I can dig them up right now, but I agree with the first poster of a couple in the news. One was a 15-yr-old that was dressed as a burglar (admittedly a different situation) and the dad killed him only to have it revealed it was his son. A little less trigger-happiness might have kept him alive.

[realism101]

71. Yeah, that's a good one.

Dressing like a burglar, and not expecting bad things to happen.

[caseymoz]

99. Oh, and nobody can take a gun and do something as stupid?

It's not like a gun awards people with 20 more IQ points. With any fatality you could say, oh, well just don't do anything stupid. There are enough fatal and life-changing accidents and mis-shootings to show that. Add that to crimes committed with guns and there are more deaths, injuries and crimes to innocent people than crimes thwarted by guns. Definitely not what the Framers intended.

Oh, and look up the stats yourself and see if I'm right. I'm not here to convince you, I'm here to declare my POV.

[alcibiades_mystery]

151. How does a burglar dress?

[A Simple Game]

85. Had something to do with his aunts house next door if I recall correctly. n/t

[krispos42]

94. I think the kid had been trying to B&E the aunt's house

which was next door.

Bad deal all around.

[Lordquinton]

53. Nearly happened to my friend on an almost nightly basis

she worked late and came home after 2AM regularly, her room mate was often in the dark living room pointing a gun at her when she did. Of course it would have been her fault for making him shoot her. Fortunately she was able to move away before anything happened.

[JI7]

56. so he knew she would come home late and he still stood there with a gun pointing ?

[JI7]

76. what makes you think she had much of a choice ?

i'm guessing the job where she came home at 2 am is something she had to do to make some money. she couldn't afford a place without a roommate. and the poster said she got out of there when she could.

[realism101]

80. I guess it depends on how badly you want out of a situation.

So, she moved to a new town, hours from any friends or family members, and randomly picked a Craigslist roommate, who happened to be a psycho with a gun? Okaaayyyy.

[JI7]

82. most likely she got the job first and moved based on that

and got what she could afford.

[realism101]

88. So, why don't you just make crap up and add to the story,

so that it fits your agenda? Oh, wait, you already did.

[JI7]

90. your the one making assumptions about the women , calling them stupid

rather than acknowledging the facts.

[Lordquinton]

98. She didn't know he was like that until it was too late

then it took a while for her to be able to move out. And yes, even though he knew she came home late, and it's not like she qas quiet about it, was a far too regular ocurance. Of course it was her fault, not the guy with the gun who didn't stop to think that "hey, my room mate works late and regularly comes in at AM hours so I shouldn't assume someone is breaking in 5 nights a week" no, it's her fault for trying to make it in the world. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

[lunatica]

118. Isn't it obvious she deliberately picked psycho and wanted to get gunned down?

Especially after picking a job that kept her working into the wee hours of the morning. Obviously she wanted to be killed. Everyone can see if someone is a psycho because they all look like psychos.



What an idiotic thing to say. I guess your next statement is that she deserved it if he killed her.

[zinnisking]

160. wtf? Did someone try to cut you hair with a gun?

[Lordquinton]

172. Nice false equivalency you've got there

You should be familiar with those around here, the typical example being "Both sides are the same"

[kracer20]

125. Here is one...

Both of these are in Minnesota, so I heard about them locally. I'm guessing there are many more that don't make national news.
http://www.startribune.com/local/183452611.html?refer=yhttp://www.startribune.com/local/183452611.html?refer=y
]

And another non-family member...
http://www.policeone.com/edp/articles/6046720-Chilling-testimony-from-man-who-shot-intruders/

[Left Brain]

157. Question for you, real: how "many" is "enough?"

Just askin'...

[humbled_opinion]

149. and many that have had

"unplanned" "Accidental"??? shootings of spouses... if you get my drift...

[salinen]

5. I've heard people say

that if they see an intruder, they'd shoot first. I bet some would.

[RedCappedBandit]

52. That is not true. nt

[Not Me]

120. Actually, that is the entire premise of the "Castle Doctrine"

which says, if someone enters your house you can shoot them to kill without impunity, as the assumption is that they were there to rob you or cause you harm. YOU might not shoot first, but many would, and these laws would hold them harmless.

[Squaredeal]

123. You're wrong

You can only shoot someone in your home if they are coming at you, you fear for your life and you have no place to retreat to. You cannot kill people just because they are taking your stuff. We don't execute thieves in our system of justice and neither does any individual have this right, except in the backwater, ignorant, racist states of the south, like Texas, for instance. There you can even legally execute people from your house who are in your neighbor's yard.

[Not Me]

126. Here is the Florida Castle Law verbatim

""WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that it is proper for law-abiding people to protect themselves, their families, and others from intruders and attackers without fear of prosecution or civil action for acting in defense of themselves and others, and

"WHEREAS, the castle doctrine is a common-law doctrine of ancient origins which declares that a person's home is his or her castle, and

"WHEREAS, Section 8 of Article I of the State Constitution guarantees the right of the people to bear arms in defense of themselves, and

"WHEREAS, the persons residing in or visiting this state have a right to expect to remain unmolested within their homes or vehicles, and

"WHEREAS, no person or victim of crime should be required to surrender his or her personal safety to a criminal, nor should a person or victim be required to needlessly retreat in the face of intrusion or attack, NOW, THEREFORE, "Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:""

Dead men tell no tales.

[ManiacJoe]

162. You quoted the wrong parts.

The flowery "whereas" sections do not mean anything. Try the actual text of the law:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html

776.013 Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.—
(1) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:
(a) The person against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person’s will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and

Folks like to skip over the important bolded part.... However, the article does not mention how the illegal entry was achieved.

[RedCappedBandit]

164. I was responding to the idea that one can instantaneously recognize mental disability. nt

[lark]

147. It is true in any state that has the stand your ground law.

It's certainly true in the state of FL and drunk kids have been killed several times knocking on the wrong door in the middle of the night. Happened to a college kid in my town earlier this year. Sorry it doesn't fit it with your "guns don't kill people" mind set, but open your frigging eyes.

[RedCappedBandit]

163. Did you respond to the right post?

[Dash87]

58. People don't think rationally in such situations, unfortunately.

Everyone who breaks into a house is assumed to be a threat. Guns just make it more likely that someone will get hurt.

[caseymoz]

95. Some would.

Here's one:

http://cjonline.com/news/2012-09-28/connecticut-man-kills-masked-teen-learns-it-his-son

If his son could do stupid things, people with firearms defending their home also can and do stupid things.

Judgment isn't always 100 percent correct, and when it's with a gun, it frequently isn't reversible.

[1monster]

115. Having worked with many mentally handicapped, it is not always obvious with in a split

second or even a few seconds that a person is mentally handicapped. Sometimes it takes a few minutes. It often depends on circumstances...

[tosh]

7. I'm glad this had a good ending for all.

I agree that it could so easily end tragically with a different set of people.

Wow.

[xoom]

8. Does the intruder have a place to stay right now or was he homeless?

Was this person just walking aroung with no one looking after him?

[salinen]

16. He did have a place to stay

but he missed his home and sandwiches.

[former-republican]

9. Why did she have her door unlocked in the middle of the night ?

[salinen]

14. It happened a long time ago

when people didn't lock doors every time.

[Coyote_Tan]

10. I might have asked him while pointing my weapon at him...

Situation dependent...

Might have shot him as well if he had done something threatening. Hard to say without being there.

[riverbendviewgal]

36. wow.....you sure are tough

and you have to tell us all how tough you are.

[secondvariety]

50. Lol.

[Coyote_Tan]

60. Not a matter of tough...

Just contributing to the conversation.

If I hear something downstairs in the night that isn't the dog, you can be confident I will check it out weapon drawn. Doesn't mean I'd shoot at the first shadow I saw...

So feel free to keep your smugness to yourself and have a lovely evening.

[cartach]

72. Yah -

but he does say you had to be there.

[GoneOffShore]

87. Frequently. It's probably an occupational hazard.

[Bigmack]

63. Ever shot/killed anyone, Coyote..?

You really think you'd have shot a mentally retarded person who didn't answer you questions correctly?

You are what we call "fucked up".

What bothers me is that you might be one of those people who could shoot somebody, find out they were retarded, and then sleep like a baby.

Sociopath.

[Coyote_Tan]

97. I've drawn upon and been drawn upon...

Haven't had to kill anyone yet.

If I had to fire at someone it would be because they presented a real threat. Anything that came out after that involved drugs, alcohol , or a mental handicap would be good to know but doesn't change much in reality.

I would wish it hadn't happened but wish in one hand and crap in the other and see what fills up first.

[Bigmack]

103. Well.. you are special, aren't you...?

I'm sure the Marine Corps could use you.

Tell them an old 0331 says that you're just what they are looking for. They just love you phony badasses.... to death!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Coyote_Tan]

109. Deep breaths...

They'll help you calm down.

[Bigmack]

110. Medications...

...they'll help you understand reality.

[Coyote_Tan]

111. Care to be specific?

Instead of rambling incoherency?

[Bigmack]

128. Sure.. I'll play along for a while...

Killing people isn't as easy and as easy to deal with psychologically as you seem to think.

For normal people, that is.

Lots of people go to bed at night and revisit the people they've killed.

You must be very young, very inexperienced, seen too many "action" films or video games.... or a sociopath.

I've found that very few people who blather on about killing people have any experience at it.... probably couldn't kill a chicken.

Why not test yourself....? Check out that Marine recruiter.

[Coyote_Tan]

131. Check down thread ...

Serving now and getting ready for another rotation.

I have no problem putting down a legitimate threat.

[Bigmack]

154. "...no problem....

Talk to us in 30 years.

[RandiFan1290]

116. Here ya go tough guy

http://www.todaysmilitary.com/contact-a-recruiter

[Coyote_Tan]

121. Already in, actively serving and prepping ...

... for another rotation.

Thanks anyway...

[Bigmack]

155. Just curious.... branch..? Outfit...? MOS...? nt

[Coyote_Tan]

158. Branched Army...

[Bigmack]

165. MOS...? nt

[lark]

148. People like you make me proud to be an American

NOT! I'm so sick of this attitude of kill em first, that's exactly how Trayvon Martin got killed. Disgusting!

[realism101]

11. Your sister is not very smart.

Most personal defense courses tell you to avoid confrontation in the first place. Even NRA courses begin by teaching people to avoid confrontation. Instead, your sister walked right into it. Even though she's not very bright, she is most definitely lucky. Had the person actually been an armed or dangerous intruder, she would likely be injured or dead. She should have called 9-1-1 immediately and waited for the police to arrive.

Just because someone has a gun in their house, doesn't mean they turn into cold-blooded killers that shoot at anything that moves. This is just like the concerns about states that allow carrying HCP's into bars. Those bars have simply not turned into the wild, wild west. Otherwise, we would hear a lot more about it.

[Lex]

12. She smarter than those running around shooting at whatever moves

and whining about not having enough guns.

[realism101]

20. Is she?

She waltzed right into a potential rapist's or murderer's hands in the middle of the night.

[Lex]

23. Yes she is.

Your fantasies about what it could have been turned out to be the opposite of reality. She dealt with the reality of the situation.

[JI7]

24. a potential murderer or rapist could be the guy at the party she goes to

or if she is in some place like a theater or school and gets murdered.

[geardaddy]

142. Bingo.

[Robb]

26. Welcome to DU!

[riverbendviewgal]

37. so you are so very right...you don't have an kind of instinct sir?

many people have that empathy and intuition. sorry you don't.

[840high]

47. Right.

[Jenoch]

106. Wow, your post has me intrigued.

Please post links to stories about people running around shooting at whatever moves and whining about not having enough guns. I want to know where this is happening so I can avoid that area.

[JI7]

15. she sensed that he had a disablity and he was just making a sandwich

and she did call the police. also the OP said this happened some years ago .

[former-republican]

18. She didn't know this until she confronted him.

[JI7]

22. this happened years ago and when it was normal at least wherever she lived

to keep doors open.

[former-republican]

32. I grew up in a small town like that

But the situation described by the OP for a single woman living alone to hear
someone in the house . Then to walk to the dark room where the man is standing.

Is a bit risky no matter if this was a small town in the 30's ,40's ,50's or 60's

[JI7]

42. one time i got home and there was a strange guy in there

i saw him as soon as i opened the door and he faced me. there was nobody else in the room at the time . he didn't say who he was. i just stood there staring at him kind of in disbelief.

but turns out the guy was there to repair some gym equipment and was waiting to get paid.

anyways my first reaction wasn't to call the cops or to run out or anything else based on fear. so i can kind of understand the sister of the OP not reacting as one would expect .

[realism101]

81. Wow.

Did he have a mental disability, too? Could you tell, just by looking at him? Was it late at night?

That's a great story, you should tell that at parties.

[JI7]

86. does it matter ? not really a story, but just a moment that people like you

would feel like you could just take out the gun and shoot someone.

[realism101]

91. No, it was a story.

But, it had no context and bore little resemblance to the OP's topic. Other than that, it was great. Thanks for sharing.

By the way, what are "people like me"? You don't know me. You have no idea if I carry a gun, own a gun or even know what a gun looks like. Just because I call BS when my BS meter pegs on 100 doesn't mean I have the means or capacity to shoot someone.

[JI7]

92. you have been wrong and made a lot of assumptions on this thread

and you sure get upset .

[salinen]

17. She's not

but I would advice not calling 911. My advice would be to sneak out of the house and go to a neighbors. Why stay where it's potentially dangerous. Are you smart?

[realism101]

28. Excellent point.

Hmm...didn't I say avoid the confrontation? If the opportunity exists to safely get out of the house, by all means, take that opportunity. However, since the OP didn't give a description of the entire situation, including a layout of the house, I just assumed there was no way out, except past the sandwich robber.

Do you know something about this situation that we don't? Were you making the sandwich?

[Jenoch]

108. Sneak out?

You're not serious are you? That would require exposing yourself to possible danger from accomplices that are there. Your sister did the correct thing once she screwed up and went downstairs to confront the intruder. Once she saw he was not threatening she called the cops. I suppose she could have walked out the door and called from a neighbor's house.

[Fumesucker]

21. People shoot family members in the home on a fairly regular basis

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/10/09/man-fatally-shot-inside-far-northwest-side-home/

Updated 10/09/12 – 9:04 p.m.

CHICAGO (CBS) — A retired Chicago police officer accidentally shot and killed his son early Tuesday, after mistaking him for a burglar, the officer’s family said.

Michael Griffin, 48, was killed at his father’s home in the 5300 block of North Delphia Avenue. His family said Griffin’s father, retired Chicago Police Detective James Griffin, mistook Michael for a burglar. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said Michael Griffin died of a gunshot wound to the head.

[realism101]

30. You're up to 1 and it was from October.

[Fumesucker]

31. I spent all of five seconds looking

And the shooter was a trained police officer.

What, October is ancient history?

[realism101]

51. Your first post...

...seemed to indicate that this happens all the time. Once every three months, while "regular" is not frequent.

[Fumesucker]

68. Jan 1, 2013

http://www.wnem.com/story/20496282/teen-comes-forward-in-flints-first-shooting-death-of-2013

FLINT, MI (WNEM) -
WNEM TV5 has learned of new developments in the shooting death of a teenager on the first day of 2013.

The shooting happened just after 2 a.m. Tuesday morning inside a home on North Chevrolet Avenue. Now a 16-yera-old who claims to have pulled the trigger has come forward to turn himself in to police.

Pastor Robert McCathern at Joy Tabernacle on Flint's north side called a press conference because the teen had come forward to say that he accidentally shot his friend on New Year's Day. Originally, a man living inside the home, who ended up being the teen's father, said his son told him someone came into the home and shot his friend and then ran from the scene.

[realism101]

77. ZERO Relevance

This story has no relevance to the OP's topic, whatsoever.

1. The article states that no one wants to talk about where the guns came from. Illegal, perhaps?
2. The teens were playing with the guns. It wasn't a situation where there was a home intruder and a family member was accidentally shot, as you originally purported happens every day.

Please.

[Speed8098]

119. You don't get it.

Once every three months, while "regular" is not frequent

Once is too much. Damn gun nuts think they have an answer for everything.

Innocent human life is valuable.

[morningfog]

38. One is too many. And, it is more than one, despite what the frothing at the mouth NRAers want

you to think.

[Unknown Beatle]

55. A retired Chicago police officer 'accidentally' shot and killed his son early Tuesday,

after mistaking him for a burglar,

Accidentally? WTF? He intentionally shot him because he thought he was a burglar. This was no accident.

[cartach]

75. Intentionally shot him by accident? OK?

[Egalitarian Thug]

29. She is smarter than you.

You are giving gun owners a bad name with this crap. Go live in fear someplace else.

[morningfog]

40. But, a gun in the house increases the risk that it will be used in a suicide or against the gun

owner.

[Jenoch]

105. It sems this story might pre-date the 911 system,

but you are correct, she should have called the cops if she suspected there was an intruder in her home. Even though people say they would shoot an intruder in their home, this situation sounds quite benign and I doubt if someone with a weapon would have used it. Of course if the intruder had seen them with a weapon it is not known how he would have responded so I guess speculation either way is pointless. Sorry about wasting the last 15 seconds for anyone who read this post.

[Squaredeal]

124. Sometimes instints need to be acted upon

My sister once shared an apartment with another woman but when her roommate's new boyfriend and his friends showed up one day with a stash of cocaine for her roommate to safeguard over the weekend, my sister moved out that very day. She wasn't about to be an innocent victim caught in the crossfire of drug dealers

[Butterbean]

19. This story just makes me sad for the guy.

My son is mentally handicapped, and he certainly doesn't "look it." I think about it all the time, about when he is a man, what will happen if he ever does something wrong and people don't realize that his outside appearance doesn't reconcile with his inside? It scares the hell out of me. I'm glad your sister was gentle. I'm glad the young man who broke in was gentle. I hope the police were gentle, and that the young man had somebody to go home to who gave a damn about him.

[Robb]

25. I hope so also.

[HiPointDem]

27. wow. glad she had the presence of mind to stay so cool.

[jqpublic]

35. pointless

this is a pointless anecdote. for every story like this there are dozens where the invader means harm. story out of GA today where a woman shot a home invader. the shoot was good and she had a gun. i am as liberal as the next guy but don't try to take my guns you will have fight on your hands. the 2nd amendment isn't just for conservatives, and it is not there because Thomas Jefferson and his pals thought we would need them for hunting. We have the 2nd amendment to protect us from the tyranny of govt.

[morningfog]

41. Welcome, and which site do you and your pals delight us from?

[malaise]

46. Sane folks are more worried about the tyranny of gun nuts

for clearly many of you are not responsible folks - by the way there ae no assault rifles mentioned in the 2nd amendment.

[realism101]

57. Nor are there any other specific guns mentioned.

Who gets to decide which guns to take away?

[malaise]

65. The same folks who decided that we needed a road code

and seat belts.
The slaughter cannot continue - wake the fugg up!!

[realism101]

70. Okay, since you pretended to swear, I've changed my whole position.

[GoneOffShore]

89. Yes you have - but we can see that you are still posting HUA.

[jeff47]

66. Actually, there are 0 guns mentioned

So we could interpret the amendment to mean daggers or swords.

[SunSeeker]

78. LOL

[secondvariety]

48. Good Lord.

Here we go again.

[riverbendviewgal]

49. why is it a pointless anecdote.

my friend relayed a story today about someone who tried to get her friend to open the door "so she could make a phone call because her car would not start" Her friend said through the door that she would call 911...which she did. while waiting for the police she heard the person who k nocked talking to another person. By the time the police came there was no stalled car or anyone waiting. the friend whose door was knocked did have her gun ready.

[mokawanis]

79. Hate that tough guy talk

'"don't try to take my guns away you will have fight on your hands".

What does that mean? You'd shoot a cop for trying to take illegally owned weapons?

How the fuck does having a gun protect you from the tyranny of government?

[brett_jv]

139. Actually, we don't ...

The 2nd Amendment was put in place because the founders saw the idea of 'Standing Armies' (i.e. our sprawling military-industrial complex ... something I'd imagine you quite paradoxically believe is a swell thing) to be a huge threat to a democratic government. Instead, they wanted 'the army' that would defend the homeland against those who might do it harm to be 'the people'. Hence, the talk of 'well-regulated militias' in it's text.

Without any 'military' or at least a rather large and powerful police force that resembles a military, 'the government' would be entirely incapable of inflicting any serious form of tyranny.

Nowhere will you find mention from Jefferson et al that the 2nd Amendment was put in place to protect 'us' from the tyranny of the government they were in the process of creating. And there is VERY scant mention (by those operating at the federal level) that the 2nd Amendment had anything whatsoever to do with 'personal protection' of one's home or family.

Now that 'we've' decided to go ahead and HAVE a huge, standing army (contrary to the Founder's intent), the 2nd Amendment is basically pointless.

Either way, the argument that it was enacted to 'protect us' from the 'tyranny of government' is demonstrably false. It's there because we were ALL supposed to be willing to act as soldiers to protect our homeland, if needed, so we wouldn't need a military-industrial complex. It's not the GOVERNMENT you should be afraid of ... it's the MILITARY that's the threat my friend.

Anyone who considers themselves a '2nd Amendment Supporter' on the basis of the FF's 'intent' ... if they are remotely intellectually honest, would also be anti-military/industrial complex in ALL of it's guises.

[closeupready]

39. In 'Life of Pi' early in the film, there is a scene where

(POSSIBLE SPOILER) Pi - as a young child, maybe 6 - wants to pet the Bengal tiger which is kept safely in captivity behind bars. Without his parents' permission, he (along with his brother, Ravi) takes a raw filet to the tiger's pen, calls it from around the corner where it is resting, and displays the filet to the tiger in his bare hand, which is outstretched between the bars towards the tiger. Ravi runs from the room, to summon their father. Meanwhile, the tiger approaches, but hesitates - he makes eye contact with Pi, who obliviously waits for the tiger to approach so he can pet him. With likely seconds to spare, his father runs into the room, alerting Pi to withdraw his arm and reprimands him severely of the danger of tempting fate.

I see this similarly. It turned out okay for your sister. However, home invasions frequently do end in harm or even death for the homeowner.

[malaise]

43. Wow

Thankfully this ended well - too sad all around.

[arthritisR_US]

44. OMG, sounds to me that your sister has a cool

head about her and very good observational skills. I am so glad it happened to her and not trigger happy nut. Good to know that all involved are ok.

[mike dub]

45. Wow, your sister was cool-headed in that situation

Glad she and the intruder were ok. I bet seeing him from a distance, making a sandwich --and *not ransacking the house to burglarize it Or Worse (as some felon intruders would be doing the instant they broke in), was a halting moment. Glad all turned out ok.

[JI7]

54. this thread sure has attracted a lot of trolls

[Electric Monk]

61. Member since: Fri Jan 4, 2013

Funny, that...

[realism101]

64. If by trolls, you mean

people that make better points than the OP did and that you disagree with, then you're right.

[Electric Monk]

67. Member since: Fri Jan 4, 2013? Yep, Member since: Fri Jan 4, 2013.

[salinen]

69. Like flys

on ............

[Gidney N Cloyd]

93. ...

[L0oniX]

133. Well you are here so that might be proof of what you are saying. n/t

[peacebird]

59. Wow. Just wow.

[ReRe]

62. Just think what would have happened...

...had your sister been a winger with a gun. So glad it turned out like it did.

[aikoaiko]

74. I think most people are prudent about these sorts of things.

Whether they have firearms for home defense or not.

[liberalmuse]

83. You're right.

If your sister had been a gun owner, that man would be dead. No questions asked. I don't know what to say, really. That's a scary situation, and I really can't judge anyone's reaction, but your sister did exactly the right thing. That man was lucky.

[kamron]

84. Only in America

The sane ones are dangerous....

[NBachers]

96. Sure is a lot of aggressive shit being thrown at people tonight. It's really too bad.

[dexter sinister]

100. As in the homes of most countries.

What is the point of this little vignette?

[salinen]

166. To piss you

off.

[dexter sinister]

171. Oh. Well, I regret to inform you that it failed miserably to do that. It did make me giggle

with high mirth, however.

[salinen]

173. laugh again

You're an underdeveloped human unenlightened and afraid, overcompensation with big man sounds only you're tiny. BTW, I'm not going to read any response from you, you're beneath me.

[mountain grammy]

101. In Denver, we lived in a fairly high crime area.

When my husband started working nights, he insisted on getting me a lady's Smith and Wesson 5 shot revolver. I took a gun safety class, learned to shoot and we bought a locked safe with a push button combination that you could open in the dark. One night I was awakened by my chocolate lab who sleeping on my feet, when she jumped up and growled. She knew someone was at the door before I even heard it open. While my dog stood at the bedroom door, I pulled the small gun safe out from under the bed, frantically trying to remember the sequence for the push buttons. Just when I figured out the combination and opened the safe, my dog started whimpering happily and wagging her tail and ran out to greet my son who had come into the living room. He didn't live with us, but had a key and had stopped by to pick something up and didn't want to disturb me. After that incident, we kept the first chamber of the pistol empty, but, I always believed my very best defense was my wonderful lab who was so lovable, but I never doubted for a minute she would rip out the throat of anyone threatening me.

[AnneD]

145. I am a firm believer of dogs as a primary defense ....

and guns as a back up. A dummy round or empty 1st chamber is a good idea too.

[SleepingGiant]

102. Outliers

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=7944123

Whenever someone speaks of "gun evils" I share the experience of "R.E." who was able to protect little Chelsea who is now alive and turning 8 this year. Who knows what would have happened to her had my cousin been stripped of his firearm. Criminals will not turn in their guns and every criminal who owns a gun does not have their firearms registered. Law abiding gun owners would be at the mercy of criminal rapists, murderers, and thugs should the Second Amendment ever be repealed.

Car crashes take more lives than guns, substantially more if you exclude suicide by gun. Should we outlaw cars? Abortion has ended the lives of over 50,000,000 children in the US alone since Roe v. Wade. Should we outlaw abortion? The hypocrisy of Politicians screaming for gun confiscation is dumbfounding. Bloomberg has a security compound staffed with a detail equipped with SUB MACHINE GUNS. All Politicians are protected by armed security details... even those who pursue "gun control" are hypocrits...

"Feinstein possessed a concealed handgun permit in the early 70's "And, I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself because that's what I did. I was trained in firearms. I'd walk to the hospital when my husband was sick. I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me."—27 April 1995 [28][29]" (credit wi-ki)

Obviously your sister knew by the intruders actions that, although a frightening situation, the guy "wasn't right in his head." I wonder how your sister would have faired had Sylvester Griffin been the one to break into her house?
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/19/4425269/guilty-verdict-in-rape-and-asphyxiation.html

[uncommonCents]

104. skewed view of gun owners

You can't assume that all gun owners would immediately shoot a man eating a sandwich in their kitchen. I know for a fact I would just ask them first what they were doing there. Given the circumstances, I would put down my gun and help the poor soul make his sandwich and send him on his way, or maybe provide temporary shelter.

[Blue_In_AK]

107. Wow,

there ARE a lot of newbies in this thread. Fascinating...

[neverforget]

113. Like a moth to flames.....

[sellitman]

144. Low post count, attack the OP

You guys are so clever.

[salinen]

167. Spewing

like a kid who ate too much candy. The "cars kill more people" always facinates me that someone's brain is that void.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

112. Both the intruder and your sister....

....were very, very lucky, and I'll leave it at that.

[DrewFlorida]

114. Wow! In this case the lack of a gun saved a life!

[reeds2012]

117. This thread has an enormous amount of recs and comments, so here is one more...

I see amongst the commenters that some have over 40,000 during their DU tenure.

How on earth???

Do people have DU implanted in their heads? lol

Can't imagine how 40,000 is even possible. Wow.

[Squaredeal]

122. Guns can kill anyone

The story reminds me of three that I had read about:
1. A home owner shooting and killing a Japanese exchange student who was IN THE SHOOTER'S DRIVEWAY at night, his having mistakenly gone to the wrong house for a Halloween Party. The shooter was not charged.
2. A home owner shooting and killing an inebriated neighbor trying to enter the condo THROUGH HIS LOCKED, PLATE GLASS DOOR at night, who confused the condo with his own in a development where they all looked the same. The shooter was not charged.
3. A home owner shooting a drunk co-ed in her stomach in his home on "college avenue", where fraternity parties were the cause of many rowdy and alcohol-induced weekend shenanigans on the street, after she had wandered into his UNLOCKED HOUSE at night and his bedroom to sleep. The shooter was not charged.

[slackmaster]

127. Cool story but it sounds fishy. Let me offer some advice on composition.

He was taken away and later my sister was told...

This kind of passive voice always detracts from a tale's credibility.

Next time try something like "The police arrested him" or "The police detained him and took him to a psychiatric hospital."

And "Later the detective who was investigating the case called my sister..."

Things don't just happen. People make them happen. A statement about an action always sounds more believable if it has an agent. Giving the name of the person provides the highest credibility because that makes it possible for someone to verify the story. Even a job title is better than nothing.

HTH

[salinen]

136. It's because

I can't remember the details. She told me this about 25 years ago.

[slackmaster]

140. Thanks, and I apologize if my reply seemed overly flippant.

It was meant to be just a little flippant.

I own numerous firearms but keep them locked up. My go-to weapon in case of an uninvited visitor would be a Hoplite style short sword. I would verbally confront the person and ask what he or she was doing, then proceed to slash and stab only if the person seemed hostile.

[appleannie1]

130. My son and another individual ran away from the facility where they live and broke into a home

because they were wet,cold and hungry. They took food, turned on the TV and then went upstairs looking for a bathroom. The owner heard them talking over the baby monitor, got a gun out of his bedroom cupboard and confronted them while his wife called police. Luckily he realized there was something a bit "off" about them and he did not shoot them. We, along with police, drummed into both of them how lucky they were to be alive. Most people shoot first in those situations.

[ranger1]

132. A guy broke into my sister's house

You are right!!! They would have wanted to kill him he's so lucky!

[OH WOE IS ME]

134. I hear about this all the time!

You know not a week goes by that I don't hear about this in the papers.. I think last week it was a bunch non violent homeless men baking cakes and donuts for a local charity.... and the week before that some poor man who escaped from the local mental ward just frying up an omelet.

[former-republican]

135. LOL

[salinen]

168. Your type is obvious

go clean your gun.

[JEB]

137. Some folks pack

a mighty big lump of fear with their heat. Not a good combination.

[Liberal_in_LA]

138. k&r

[slutticus]

141. Cool story

dot dot dot

[AnneD]

143. True story.....

we were young kids visiting my Aunt and Uncle in the Cherokee Nation. We were sleeping on pallets on the floor. Late in the night, the door flew open (this was the country where doors were seldom locked) and this huge man barged in, bumped into some furniture and began cussing very loudly in Cherokee.

Uncle came in to see what the fuss was and the man got really upset. It took a while for my Uncle to reason with the man. This bear of a man was drunk and thought he was at his house. He though bad things about my Uncle until all of us kids started waking up and peeking out from under the quilts. My uncle drove him home and told him we would bring his truck over first thing in the morning.

Now Uncle had guns in the house, but they were not always the first line of defense against humans.

edited to add I had a confused elderly woman walk into my house thinking it was hers. I gave her some food and water trying to detain her until the police arrived to help her. It ended well, but again. I had a weapon, but I never even thought of defending myself with it. She was a poor confused elderly woman for goodness sake. All that was required was a cool head.

[frazzled]

146. Another true story that happened to me

Probably 17 or 18 years ago, I was home cooking something on the stove in the kitchen (kids still at school, spouse still at work). It was a sunny early spring afternoon, and I'd left the front door open, with the glass storm door closed (and must not have locked it). I hear the door open and someone walk into my small front entry and then into the living room. I'm like, WTF? And instinct takes over. I walk out into the living room with my wooden spoon raised over my head, and I behold a 30-somethingish man with a stocking cap pulled down over his head and a shabby jacket. I start waving my little spoon and yelling, "Get out of my house!" (I think it came out in a kind of "Exorcist" voice.)

Well, it didn't take but a second for the guy to take flight. The door slammed and I went to lock it: I looked down and see that he'd left a Yellow Pages phone book for me on the living room floor. Oh my goodness, I thought, and I ran to the window to see him hobbling down the street with his stack of phone directories, probably scared out of his wits. He looked to be mentally disabled to me, and I realized he'd been hired to do this simple job of delivery. Sadly, he didn't know enough not to walk into somebody's house. I thought of running after him to apologize for scaring him, but decided it was best to leave it alone.

If I'd had a gun? Well, I never would have had a gun, so I can't imagine that particular scenario. I can, however, imagine how that might have ended in tragedy for someone who did have a gun and had been willing to use it.

Thank goodness for the common slotted wooden spoon.

[Taverner]

150. Your sister is a very brave and moral person

[raccoon]

152. My mother was a single parent back in the late 1950's. Even THEN she always kept all the doors

locked. There are and have always been some men who regard women living alone as low-hanging fruit.

If this really happened, she was damn lucky he didn't turn out to be a rapist and murderer.

[ecstatic]

153. Good for her, but the correct response is to call 911 while directing

all house occupants into a locked room. At least that's the way to handle it around these parts, gun or not...

ETA: That plan may or may not be possible depending on the home's layout.

[Claybrains]

156. I grew up next door to the VA hospital

We had numerous individuals break into my childhood home. My mother would always wake up in the middle of the night to check on us 6 children and check the doors. I can recall her finding a man asleep on our couch, and another time a guy huddling behind our color console tv. Plus there was an individual asleep on the front porch. She never owned a gun. These were patients from the VA hospital that just wandered off. The VA police and doctors would come and escort the patients back to the hospital. No charges ever filed. If she shot everyone that wandered in our house there would probably been 6+ dead veterans.

[Taverner]

170. +1

[McCamy Taylor]

159. You're right. And the homeowner who "shot first" would have suffered, too

knowing that he or she had killed someone who had the mind of a child and meant no harm.

[redstatebluegirl]

161. Wow I've hit Ignore alot on this thread

I deal with enough gun nuts where I live, I come here for some sense of sanity.... I can handle a clear argument, some of these are just NRA talking points.

[salinen]

169. Someone turned

over a rock. I'll bet some of these misinterpreters of the 2nd are getting paid for this.