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I do whatever I can to avoid getting into a situation (at least when I am in the states) where I will have to resort to violence to protect myself or my family.
That being said, I am well prepared, and I believe it is part of being a responsible citizen to assume responsibility for your own well being, and that of those whom are dependant upon you.
I have a concealed carry permit, and I typically carry wherever I legally can. I don't anticipate an attack, but as a child I was attacked by a golf-club wielding man who intended to kill me. Shit happens and I don't want to become a statistic unnecessarily.
This isn't to say that I am going to come out blasting whenever something happens. If I am getting mugged, for instance, I can always choose to surrender my wallet rather than shooting the person. However, by having a firearm I have the ability to make a decision based upon how the situation develops. I have already used my CCW in a defensive situation when some guys tried to mugg me in a highway rest stop. I never even had to draw, as simply reaching for the firearm made the guys run away, but who knows what would have happenned if I had not had it.
Personally, I am far more trained and comfortable using firearms than the average person. My ability to successfuly employ a firearm to end a violent encounter is far greater than for the average person, or even police officer. I am confident that if someone gains entry into my house while I am in it, I will be able to defend myself and my wife. I have been working to harden my premesis, but nothing can be done to prevent a determined intruder, not better doors, or triple pane glass, if the person is serious about gaining entry into a house (and presumably they would have to be serious to break into an occupied home and shoot the occupants) they will get in. At best, your 'fortifications' will delay an intruder for a little while.
I do think Willravel is taking responsible steps to secure his house, but I think he ultimately is relying on an emergency service that more often than not arrives too late.
Additionally, I don't expect my wife to wrestle with an assailant, whether he is armed or not. If someone breaks into our house while I am away (which is, unfortunately, most of the time), I want her to be able to prevent an attacker from hurting her. In my opinion not all human life is equal. The life of a person who is trying to harm my family is forfeit if taking that life will protect my loved ones.
What should other people do?
As stated above, I believe ensuring your own well being is a personal responsibility. How far you go with that is also a personal choice. Several court cases have ruled that police departments are NOT responsible for ensuring the safety of individuals, and that the onus is on the individual to protect himself. Avoidance only goes so far. I believe RESPONSIBLE firearm ownership is a good starting point, though security is obviously more multifaceted than that. I don't think people should go around in constant fear that something bad might happen to them. To suggest that people who take steps to prevent something from happening are in constant fear is absurd. I wear a seatbelt to help prevent me from being injured in a car accident, I have health insurance incase I break my arm, and I mitigate the chance that someone may attempt to hurt me.
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"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence
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