Defending yourself and your home

 We can’t turn on the radio or television or look on the Internet without being bombarded with talk of gun control and gun violence and so on and so forth. In talking with Jim Snyder the other night, he said there is a record number of people who are taking gun classes to qualify for a concealed handgun license, referred to as a CHL. After the tragedy in Connecticut at Sandy Hook, more people are mindful of protecting themselves and their families. Some school districts are now allowing qualified and licensed staff to carry guns on campus. I’m sure there  are mixed feelings about that; however,

how mixed they may be, if someone is wanting to harm our children, knowing some schools are no longer a gunfree zone would sure deter some people. All the mass shootings have been in churches, schools, movie theaters, etc, places that are known to be gun free. More and more people are finding their homes broken into; even some are robbed without having the burglar forcefully enter as people leave doors unlocked to their homes and cars. As you go about your daily activities, be mindful of what can happen around you. At home, if you go outside to do yard work, carry a key around your neck after you have locked the house. You may be in the back yard and have a good view of your back door, but what about the front door and any side does

that you can’t see from the back yard?

Gone are the days when we can safely

go about our business and leave doors

unlocked. Gone are the days when we

were so trustful. People would not enter

your home or vehicle in days gone

by simply because back then people

respected other people’s property. For

the most part, people still do today, but

we have some who don’t and those are

the ones we have to be vigilant about

protecting ourselves from.

Many good ideas have sprung up recently

other than the usual protection

 of having a gun. I thought the most hilarious

and effective method would be

to have a nail gun to protect yourself. I

don’t think many intruders would enjoy

getting riddled with nails.

Other good ideas range from keeping

a set of your vehicle keys on your

nightstand and in the event you hear

an intruder, hit the horn button on

the key. That will set up a stir which

all your neighbors from a block or two

away would be aroused to see what

that annoying noise is. It is also an idea

when you are leaving a store in a parking

lot, keep your keys in hand and if

someone approaches you and makes

you feel threatened, hit that horn button

on your key chain. Everyone in the

parking lot will immediately focus on

where that annoying sound is coming

from and see what is happening to you.

I like the idea of wasp spray. Now that

would be some powerful stuff to hit

someone with, and it is estimated the

spray goes 20 feet away from you. That

saves you from getting too up close

and personal with an intruder. Hair

spray is another, but it doesn’t have

the power in a can to spray very far.

(Hair spray is wonderful to use to bring

down a wasp; hit them with it and their

wings get coated and they fall.)

I have also been advised by Hughes

Springs Police Chief Randy Kennedy

that the newer LED lights in flashlights

can be used to blind someone temporarily.

Ever have one shine in your

face, or any bright light? It temporarily

blinds us. It can do that to someone

in your space and give you time to get

away. If ever in that situation, scream

and make as much noise as you can to

attract attention.

Whatever your choice of weapon is

to defend yourself, think about it. Run

scenarios around in your head and

practice thinking what you would do

if that unspeakable happened. Have a

plan and keep yourself and your family

as safe as you possibly can. In fact,

having more than one good plan would

 be a good idea.