Best Investment Yet
This past Saturday I made an investment. The stock market was closed, so there’s no undervalued or high dividend paying security to talk about. No, I made an entirely different kind of investment. Calling it an investment may even be a stretch, as it isn’t likely to appreciate in value, or give off any cash returns. Perhaps it is more like a combination investment / insurance policy. What in the world did I purchase?
A gun. Specifically a Glock 19 9MM semiautomatic pistol. You may be wondering why I consider this an investment. Think outside the box for a moment. We’re always looking to invest and increase our net worth. But what would happen to you if you were the victim of a home invasion? For starters, anything of value in your home would likely be taken. That’s just the best-case scenario. Worst case, the intruder could take your life, or the life of your spouse / child.
Protecting my possessions is important to me. I work hard, and don’t want to have anything taken from me. But my family and my own life are far more important. If any drug addict / crackhead / gang member / random thef does break into my home, they might as well have taken their own life. I will kill to keep my family safe, and I wouldn’t lose a minutes’ sleep over it. As for spending the money – is there any better use of money than protecting your own family?
June 10th, 2009 at 10:08 am
What kind of research did you do before this investment? I don’t mean about handguns themselves (it’s my understanding the Glock is a great gun) but about the likelihood that you will use it and the ramifications when/if you do.
Do you live in an area with a high rate of break-ins? Is there a pattern, I.E. professionals that go for “soft” targets like empty homes vs. the proverbial random crackhead that is dumb enough to break into an occupied home?
What are the legal ramifications of killing an unarmed thief in your home? Will mounting a legal defense put your family in more jeopardy than canceling your credit cards after a break-in? (I honestly don’t know.) Or do you have something in your house that is so valuable that it is honestly worth killing someone over (other than your family – which most burglars don’t want to deal with.) If so, why is it in your home?
Last, do you know how to fire a gun safely? Did you invest in a lock or a safe?
June 10th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
That sounds like a great investment. Welcome to the club of gun ownership, now 80 million strong. I encourage you to practice often. Go to the range at least monthly if not bi-weekly.
Replying to Eric G: Every homeowner should have a firearm for their personal and family protection. Boyscout motto: Be prepared. You cannot count on local law enforcement to be your only protection. As a Texas Peace Officer, yes, the random crackhead is dumb enough to break into an occupied home.
In Texas you may legally use lethal force to protect your home and belongings at night. Daylight hours are slightly different but still allow use of force, and sometime lethal force.
I keep all of my weapons under lock and key. The one exception is my backup Glock 27 that is on my side 24/7. At night I place it on the upper shelf of my closet, loaded in a holster.
James Singleton
June 10th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Eric,
I expect ( and hope ) to never need to use my Glock anywhere other than at the range, shooting targets. There have been a few breakins in my area lately, but overall it’s a very low-crime area ( at least compared to where I grew up in Baltimore. )
Legal ramifications? Fortunately I live in Texas, where the lawmakers have written the Castle Doctrine. The gist of this law is – if someone breaks into my home, I am to assume he is there to cause my family or me harm. As such, I have every legal right to shoot, and kill him. Whether he is armed or not. Quite frankly every state should have such a law. If nothing else, it’s a huge preventative measure. Knowing that homeowners are armed and unafraid to defend themselves would keep many would-be thieves away.
If I ever have to use my weapon, I will do so, and not worry about any legal consequences. The law is on my side, and on the side of common sense. Anyone who breaks into my home does not deserve to carry on in this life. My family is certainly of more importance to me than any random crackhead.
I do have a locking safe. My glock is safely inside, loaded and ready at a moment’s notice.
@ James:
I’ll be going to the range monthly at the least for quite awhile – I’m new to this, so I know I have a lot to learn. I want to become proficient so as to reduce the chances that I may miss and give an attacker more time to attack. Thansk for the support.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
@James: I didn’t ask whether or not their are crackheads that are dumb to do it. I asked whether or not there’s a pattern – I.E. how often does it happen.
Part of the investment aspect proposed was as an “insurance policy” and in evaluating such a policy one has to consider that likelihood of it paying off, and what the caveats are when it does.
That said, if it gives you piece of mind, than that’s good enough.
I live in NJ, about 14 miles from NYC. The law is not at all as clear on what would happen if I shot an intruder. However, the last rash of break-ins was about 8 years ago. There was a crew operating in broad daylight with a panel truck, hitting empty homes. (They finally hit one that had a neighbor home.)
I have 3 dogs. I’m pretty sure the Rottie would only have to bark once or twice.
June 15th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Eric,
You’re right, some states have absurd laws regarding what you’re “allowed” to do if someone breaks into your home. I’ve heard of states that only allow you to use equal force / weapons. I.E. if the criminal uses a machete, then you may use a machete. If he uses a knife with a 3″ blade, you may use a knife with a 3″ blade ( but no longer! ). If he’s armed with a baseball bat, you may use a bat against him – but you may certainly not use a knife!
Absolutely ridiculous, these laws. If someone enters my home uninvited, it is my God-given right to protect myself, and my family. Any reasonable lawmakers will make laws to that effect.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:54 am
[...] very large purchases in a single month – not something I generally recommend. I purchased my Glock 19 this month ( in cash, of course ), as well as my wife and I’s 24″ iMac. The Glock is a [...]