Things We Can Learn From the Daily News

In looking for interesting topics to comment upon each day, I read through several news papers. I generally start with the major Texas papers, then on to the Denver Post, the LA Times and the Seattle Times. I find articles in the smaller papers via Keep and Bear Arms and Google. There is a lot to learn from articles on the use of firearms for self protection. Today we have a couple of good examples.

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Two dead, one injured in shooting near Packwood, Lewis County

PACKWOOD, Wash. -- Gunfire that killed two people and injured one exploded near this Lewis County community Wednesday, when a homeowner found a visitor from Las Vegas breaking into his gun safe, the sheriff's office reported.

The homeowner said a male friend from nearby Morton arrived in the morning for a visit, along with two women and a man from Las Vegas, Nev., whom the homeowner did not know, said sheriff's Chief Criminal Deputy Joe Doench.

The homeowner told investigators he became suspicious he was being distracted by three of his guests, Doench said. Armed with a semi-automatic rifle, he directed the visitors to another part of the house.

There, he said he found one of the women had broken into his gun safe and was removing weapons, Doench said. She then shot the homeowner once in the ear with a rifle, giving him a superficial head wound.

The homeowner returned fire, killing the woman.

In these four short paragraphs we learn some valuable lessons. It is very likely that these "visitors" planned on stealing the firearms from the get-go. It appears to be the whole purpose of the visit. This leads us to lesson number 1.

1. Do not advertise the quantity and type of firearms that you own. Lots of folks know that I am a firearms advocate, very few know the extent of my small collection. Just as you would probably not inform a casual acquaintance that you have $20,000 worth of jewelry in your home, don't brag on your firearms.

(Note: The tornado sirens have just gone off)

2. "...he said he found one of the women had broken into his gun safe and was removing weapons" That was not a real gun safe. It sounds like it is one of the gun lockers made by Stack-On and others that are made to keep firearms out of the reach of children, but are not a deterrent to thieves and fire. If you have a quantity of firearms, protect them with a decent safe (also a good place to put that $20k worth of jewelry).

The first two lessons are common sense to many that read this blog, the third lesson is a habit that is not practiced by many.

3. "Armed with a semi-automatic rifle, he directed the visitors to another part of the house." The homeowner had a firearm at hand and at the ready, even when he was secure in his own home. This topic comes up for discussion fairly often on the gun boards, being armed in your own home. This incident shows that having a firearm handy at all times could save your life. Is there any doubt what the outcome would have been if the homeowner had not been armed and taken action?

Another incident with a good lesson occurred here in Texas and is reported in the Houston Chronicle:

Camera tips off men to robbery

By RENÉE C. LEE

CROSBY — Startled by a loud noise in the middle of the night, Jay and Russell Jefferies stumbled from their beds early Wednesday to view the monitor of their home security camera to see what had interrupted their slumber.

What they saw jolted them awake.

According to authorities, four heavily armed men were outside their small house in the 3900 block of Crosby Barbers Hill Road trying to kick in the front door about 2 a.m.

The Jefferieses, whom investigators think are brothers, rushed to grab their shotguns and opened fire as the intruders burst through the door shooting, said Harris County sheriff's Sgt. N. Araguz. One brother managed to call 911 in the midst of flying bullets, he said.

By the time Harris County sheriff's deputies responded to the weapons-disturbance call, two suspects had been fatally wounded.

This lesson is an easy one, install cameras at the entrances to your home or apartment. Basic two camera systems that interact with your television are inexpensive and easy to install. Motion sensor porch lights and cameras in addition to your alarm system will go a long way towards securing your home.

It could be said that another lesson learned form the above incident is that a shotgun makes a fine home defense weapon, sure seemed to do the trick this time.

As you can see, news articles can be a source of ideas for what works, and what may not. Most times the author is not very knowledgeable about firearms, but you can still glean some good stuff between the lines.

(Tornado update: A funnel formed and touched down not far from here. It did not last long and now all is well in this area. The radio reports that so far 18 tornadoes have formed in this storm system and there have been a couple of fatalities)