Colorado has a “Make My Day” law. In a nut shell, it simply means that you won’t be prosecuted for defending your home, your family or your life with deadly force. It doesn’t mean that you can chase the suspect down in the street and kill him, as one homeowner did. It does mean that if someone breaks into your home with the intent to do you and your family bodily harm and rob you, the homeowner can use deadly force. In other words, blow them out of their socks. While I would prefer to cause them great bodily harm, I would not hesitate to open up with my shotgun at close range. This has two advantages; 1) it is a final solution to a home robbery and 2) the suspect can’t come back and sue for damages (that’s been done on numerous occasions).
While Colorado doesn’t have the shootouts in the streets like some Texas border towns do, we do have our share of home invasions by scumbags looking for easy pickings. I realize that the police can’t be everywhere at all times (they get there after the fact most times), it is realistic that the homeowner be prepared to protect themselves against any eventuality. I have my shotgun handy but I also have my walking stick, a six foot length of Aspen, hard as a rock and can break an arm or bust a head in one easy swing. To quote an old saying, “I’d rather be judged by twelve of my peers than be carried by six of my friends.”
The bad guys of today are getting younger and younger, knowing they can’t be tried as an adult and most likely, at the most, be sentenced to a juvenile detention center until they are twenty-one, will be released and out on the streets to continue their life of crime, often with an advanced degree in crime. Whenever I move into a new place, I always make sure that the neighbors know that I’m armed and will use my firearms; I’ve seldom had trouble from the local hoods. If I’m forced to use deadly force, I won’t apologize for doing so, I won’t feel sorry that someone is dead and I won’t apologize to his family for the loss of their child. They raised him, saw where he was heading and did nothing to turn him around. Some will see that attitude as callus and uncaring. Far from it, I care but my family comes first. If the cops can’t handle the crime rate, it is up to the individual to be prepared to do so and just call them to haul away the trash.
On a national scale, the crime rate has increased, in spite of what the Justice Department says, and more and more homeowners are being caught in the middle. We’ve been told to just call the police and let them handle it but while you’re on the phone, they’re breaking in and terrorizing your family. I have a shotgun and they have automatic weapons, like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Very unequal, unless the shotgun is loaded with turkey loads. That’s nine pieces of lead the size of a small ball bearing going out at over 1,000 ft per second. Now that can do some serious damage and discourage any intruder because they want to rob, not be killed.
We don’t live in the Old West any longer, we’re supposed to be a civilized nation of laws but the only law to date that makes any sense is the Make My Day law. More and more gun laws are passed each day and not one does any good because the criminals ignore them and they just take away yet another right of the law abiding citizen. I, for one, will not live scared in my home behind locked doors and shuttered windows. I will not be made to live in fear of venturing outside and enjoying life. And I refuse to relie on someone who won’t be there in my time of need to protect me and my family, I’ll do it myself and explain later.
Why am I ranting about this subject? because crime is hitting closer and closer to home. A new neighbor just moved in next door and while they were gone, someone broke in and stole a couple of TVs and a laptop computer (I could have told them it was unsafe to live here but they didn’t ask). I don’t believe that I could live anywhere that is completely safe and no one in their right mind would think so either. All one can do is make their home as safe as possible and refuse to live in fear. To that end, I keep my shotgun handy and loaded.
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