Title: Firearms And The Protection Of Family Word Count: 780 Summary: During the turbulent birth of our country, our forefathers gave us the right to bear arms via the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. There are many ongoing debates, pro & con on this topic. I for one, am grateful for the 2nd Amendment. Having worked in the law enforcement field for several years, I fully understand that most often, police respond to a call well after the crime has been committed. Crime prevention is relinquished to the individual. In those States that o... Keywords: Firearms,Hunting,Fishing,Archery,Camping,Geo caching,Paintball,Survival,gun Article Body: During the turbulent birth of our country, our forefathers gave us the right to bear arms via the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. There are many ongoing debates, pro & con on this topic. I for one, am grateful for the 2nd Amendment. Having worked in the law enforcement field for several years, I fully understand that most often, police respond to a call well after the crime has been committed. Crime prevention is relinquished to the individual. In those States that offers the privilege of offering conceal carry licenses, the crime rates have shown to be substantially less than those States with stringent gun control. New York & Washington D.C. Are prime example of States with strict anti-gun laws, yet their crime rates are well above average. Would you dare to stroll Central Park in the dark hours? One thing is for certain, Criminals will never have shortage of guns, no matter what State they happen to be in, and very often their firepower exceed those of our law enforcement agencies, we are however making great progress in that aspect. Long ago, I made the decision that my home and family would be protected via firearms. This is a decision that may not be viable for all. Believing that brandishing a weapon toward an intruder will be all that is needed to safeguard your family, could be a fatal error! Protecting with a firearm requires a mind set of being able to use that firearm, to pull the trigger if the situation requires it, and continue to do so until the threat has been dealt with. This may sound harsh, but seasoned criminals will often be able to tell if home owner is using his weapon for show or is actually serious about using it. There have been many instances where a home owner did not have the mind set to actually use his/her weapon, only to have it snatched by the intruder and get injured or killed by their own gun. In my case, should an intruder invade my home and poses a threat to myself or loved ones, I will not hesitate to shoot him/her until the threat has been dealt with. My aim will be for center of mass, a double tap will be fired (2 shots), then I will evaluate the situation and if the threat persists will again fire until there is no more threats and the intruder if able follows my instructions. If a member of my family has not called 911 by that time, a call will be made for police help & medical services for the intruder. All those living under my roof, have received training in the use of firearms and are quite proficient in their use. Having firearms in the home also requires extensive precautions in terms of safety. All my weapons are kept in either my large gun safe or in handgun safe boxes, out of reach from little fingers as well as out of sight. Only at bed time will I have handguns/shotgun out by our bed, a charged cell phone is also next to our bed during that time. Protection of one's family is a very important decision which should involve all adults in the home. Firearms are not the answer for everyone. Many people feel that they will never become victims in their own home & that if need arises, their local police agency will be there to protect them. My reality does not follow that line of thinking, therefore I am prepared should problems arise. I hope and pray that the day for the use of my training never materialize. These are the weapons that we would use and are proficient with should trouble comes knocking on our door. HK USP45 = full size pistol in .45acp Glock 23 = compact .40SW (wife's) Mossberg 500 Defender model = 12gauge loaded with #4 buckshot Ruger Mini 30 = 7.62x39 (20rds mags) in unlikely case where shots would be needed past 30/40 yards. My conceal carry favorite pistol is the Kel-Tec P11 in 9mm, followed closely by a Walther PPKS in .380. When fishing or hiking in areas where dangerous predators reside, a SW Mountain Gun in .44mag is always carried in my shoulder holster. I suggest that home protection be a subject discussed at home among adults, that a plan be decided upon should trouble find you, if it involves firearms make sure that SAFETY is your first objective and followed by proficiency with whatever weapon you choose. Do not get weapons that are too much for you, it is much better to be able to hit your target with a smaller caliber than to just miss and make loud noises. Wishing All a Great & Quiet Life.