[theoddz]

Hey there Novela!! Great idea for a thread.

I have a relatively large house (4 BR) and I live by myself. I live in a good neighborhood (by Las Vegas standards) that has had, historically, a low level of criminal activity. By and large, though, Las Vegas has a bad reputation for crime and we truly are "Sin City", in every way you could imagine. The city and culture caters to just about every vice you can imagine. If you want examples, just turn your television on to the show "Cops". Las Vegas makes frequent appearances on there.

So, back to your question. When I first bought my house in 2003, I immediately got hooked up with a monitored security system, which I still have. I have mixed feelings on how effective I think "those people" are. About 3 years ago, the wind blew my front doors (french doors) open at around 0230 in the morning and it set my alarm off, nearly scaring the boxers right off of me, as I was sound asleep at the time. The alarm tech called me and asked if I was okay, then told me "Well, I can call 911 for you, but they'd probably respond faster if YOU called them." Ya, this while my house alarm is going off and I'm thinking that someone has broken into my house and is going to come into my bedroom at any second and shoot me.

Anyway, it is at times like that when I rely on my secondary security system.....a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 with a 4 inch barrel and hollow point rounds. It can shoot through a door, if need be. The reason I own this weapon is because, even though I have a monitored security system, there is a LOT that can happen between the time that the system is triggered and the time that the police arrive. I want the option of being able to protect my person if it comes to that. Here in the State of Nevada, the law says that a person is permitted to defend themselves, but not their property. The only time you can shoot and/or kill an intruder is when you have a reasonable belief that your life is being threatened by them. Just them being in your home is not legal grounds for shooting or killing them. You have to have reasonable belief that they mean to harm YOU, not steal your property. So, my plan is as follows......

If my alarm system is triggered, or an intruder breaks into my home, I will grab my .38 and lock myself in my bedroom. If the intruder breaks into my bedroom or attempts to break the door down, I can reasonably assume that he/she is there to physically threaten my life and/or my person and I am prepared to shoot to kill....even through the door.

That said, I do want to point out that I am a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and I have had extensive training with firearms. It's been years since I was on active duty in the Corps, but the training has stayed with me. I go to the pistol range every now and then and brush up. It's been a fun "hobby" of sorts, too, and may end up saving my life or someone else's life one day.

Now....THAT said, I do want to strongly caution those who have NOT had firearms training against buying a firearm for personal protection without taking at least a short class on firearms safety and/or how to handle a firearm. Special cautions also need to be taken if you're going to buy a firearm and you have children in your household. In other words, if you're going to own a firearm, be a responsible firearms owner and/or parent.

Good luck and stay safe out there.

~Theo~