I don't have TV or watch it; internet news is sad enough. But I do have two guns (and know how to use them), a security system, and a severe case of "Be careful out there". They say dogs are one of the biggest deterrents to have around the house, if it makes you feel any better. Even the impression that you *have* dogs (even if you don't) can help.

Oh, and I pray every day for the safety of my family.

carla - I think you are just reacting to the stress of what happened to your daughter. I'll bet the dogs are good deterrants. I have heard that small noisy dogs are worse for bad guys then big dogs, cus the small dogs won't come near enough to be silenced - they make their noise from a safe distance. Hang tough and nil illegitimi carborundum!

In agreement with Pagan.
The first thing you can do is take a self defense course. There are some good ones out there and you'll feel better knowing a bit more about defending yourself. Take your daughter along for the course. And maybe take her friends,as well.
Our parents taught us to follow the Golden Rule; they didn't tell us that there are entities out there who never follow the Golden Rule and dealing with them is a whole different side of life.
How's your DH doing with the hit and run?
Ann

Ann, husband travels all week, every week. He is taking care of the insurance co. and has a friend who's doing him a favor and running a background check on the driver. The jerk has his first court date next Thurs. unless it's continued again. I plan to be there with a few other parents. When I think how close to death they came, I just can't handle it. The other mother is very angry and can't seem to deal with the anger. She has written some kind of letter to the city newspaper.
I have drafted a letter to pass out to the neighborhood to try and deal with speeding. I cannot prevent drunk drivers, but we can work on the speed. People walk and jog, even push babies in strollers on that street! I'm trying to figure out what my part is to try and do some good.

Carla

Karla, a gun is an excellent idea, but please take a gun safety course. You have to be able to protect yourself, family and property. It will get a lot worse before it gets better. A well armed society is a safe society.

Don't get a gun. They're dangerous and can escalate a bad situation to a worse one. The self defense class is a much better idea and will help build confidence as well as being exercise. A little bottle of pepper spray is what I had when I lived on my own back in college. Make sure it is legal in your state first. Pepper spray is usually legal to carry around with you (guns generally are not) and won't kill you if the bad guy gets it out of your hands before you use it. If you get some be sure to test it out first. I bought two of them and used one for target practice in the yard so I knew how to use it and how close I had to be.

If you do get a gun be sure to take a gun safety class and find a safe, locked place to keep it. I'm against guns on principle but I recognize that there are responsible gun owners who feel safer having them.

Well, I do have a son that comes in at all hours, he's a student at city college.
I will not buy a gun but maybe self defense sounds good.

Carla

They have tazers [sp?] that go a fair distance - that's what I'd recommend, although we are a gun family. Been a gun family since birth, and I just can't see folks understanding the level of caution and familiarity with shooting unless there were years of upbringing that way.

It's as if your initial revulsion at guns will get you in trouble if you try to use one in a tough situation, I think. They are too dangerous to try to 'learn'.

Now, I agree that you are probably having something similar to PTSD. Your worries are amplified right now... entirely normal and I'm so very sorry.

It's hard to know what to do to feel safe, I know [I did have PTSD for many years from a violent situation]. But in the end, it's your life and you can't lock yourself away from it, either... find the balance and pray :)

Criminals and thugs love gun control laws. They would love to see everyone unarmed. Do you actually think the criminals would voluntarily give up their guns? No! The best gun control is, grip it tight with both hands and squeeze the trigger.

Dear Carla, please find comfort in knowing that the girls were not more seriously injured and there were no fatalities. Lets hope that justice is served and the rotter is behind bars for a long, long time. I know it must be horrible him living right in your neighbourhood. Oh I know you were not thinking of shooting him, but I am sure that you wished you could have at times.

The shootings and violence are all crazyness but I do not believe you should get a gun. As someone mentioned above, taking a course on self defence is an excellent idea, not only will you learn some great tactics, but it would be a huge confidence builder and I think you need this right now.

...........also, you do not HAVE to watch the news!! I rarely watch it anymore as it is just so full of doom and gloom!

Enjoy, your daughter and friends, your pooches and your hubby - (not necessarily in that order, :smile)

Take good care.
Hugs,
Pauline

Carla, sometimes it is not even helpful to have a gun. A few years ago a neighbor had just got off the bus after work at 1 in the morning. A teenage girl coming home late from the game drifted onto the shoulder and knocked him thirty feet in the air and forty feet down the road. She said she just did not see him, hint he was 6, 5" tall and 230 pounds. He spent months recovering and was never the same again. Two broken legs, broken shoulder, head injury nothing much happened to the girl she just had to go to traffic school.

They have gun safes now that use a finger print to open. For the authorized user the safe opens in less than two seconds, for anyone else the gun will be unusable by the time you smash it open.

I second going to a gun safety class if you buy one.

Lance

Thank you for your responses.
Pauline, you are so sweet! Lance, don't worry. I'm not gonna shoot up the neighborhood, LOL> I am not going to buy a gun. I have trust in God. But right now I'm going to the court to buy a report on this guy. He was charged with felony hit and run, DWI, failure to reduce speed, and suspended license. I STRONGLY suspect there are more past charges. I think he will be sitting in jail if I can help it. There are still murderers out there but I can't help everyone.

Carla

Well I have a dog - not big but noisy and my neighbors have a big noisy dog that barks if anyone is in the alley (dark there) behind our houses. I also have a shotgun but no shells. Jeremiah calls it my fancy stick - he said "point at them and if they don't run - just hit them with it"

Hahaha, Rozanna, I leave a box of bullets in my truck (the gun is never in there) just to make anyone who breaks in wonder if I am going to return with the gun! Between us, maybe we could baffle the bad guys. :-)

Carla, I am glad you are not going the gun route. I have one and am always more worried about someone getting ahold of my gun and shooting me with it. :-( Hence, I keep the bullets far away from the gun.

Cheers,
Michelle

Carla, I am sorry to hear about your troubles. I too was always against having a gun in the house...then I married a cop. I have learned a lot of the so called bad side of life because of it. And now even though my husband is no longer in law enforcement we still have 2 guns in the house...I wouldn't feel safe anymore without them. BUT don't get a gun out of anger or hurt. It could make situations so much worse. Stick with your gut instincts and trust in god and your self...you will always have all of us to vent to when you need us. Good luck.
Tammy

In Gun Country" we had a 16 gage with shells filled with salt by the front door and a 12 gage with shells filled with birdshot in the SW corner. Upstairs was a collector's gallery.

After the Korean war where one uncle came back all flinty eyed and the other didn't, I lost my interest in guns.

Also I handled quite a few homeowner claims where friends, usually teenagers or younger, were shot "looking" at guns.

I now keep a bokuto under my bed. I also have an attack cat with very long teeth and hind claws. I think attitude is more important than weapons. "I am ready to die today (with a big stick resting on my sholder.) Are you --- Punk?"

Dirty Foghorn

Here is a link that might be useful: bokkens