-=> ernie wrote to Dan Clough <=-

 DC> For someone (like me) who has a loaded pistol in my nightstand, the
 DC> outcome will likely be two dead thugs, and my family and property safe.

 er> Hi Dan, I have a question. I have no issues with your reasoning.
 er> I fully understand you wanting/needing to protect your
 er> family/etc.  (and even the sporting aspect.)

Glad to hear.

 er> I'm curious as to why this scenario always ends up with 'dead
 er> thugs' or some such.

 er> Why isn't the goal ever to incapacitate the 'thugs' to ensure
 er> they go through the system, receive punishment for their crimes
 er> and suffer in prison? (Hell, depending on what they've done, I'm
 er> OK with them living their life in solitary so they never get to
 er> interact with another human again.)

The goal in a home defense scenario is not *necessarily* to kill 
the intruders.  It is to end the threat to life and property.  
Since you probably don't know the extent of the armament of the 
intruders, you can take no chances.  The customary (widely 
accepted and not subject to interpretation) procedure is to end 
the threat as soon as possible.  Therefore anyone with any 
training is taught to aim at the "center of mass".  If you are 
skilled (and a little lucky perhaps), that's where your bullet(s) 
will hit.  Since that is probably the chest/torso area of the 
intruder, there's a pretty good chance that that may result in 
killing them (heart/lungs/etc).

Look at it this way - if you purposely shot them in the leg to 
incapacitate them, then maybe they are laying there on the floor 
and stopped for the moment.  What if there are two or more of 
them?  If you turn away to engage another threat, what would stop 
that first one from pulling a gun and killing you while laying on 
the floor?  You can't take that chance.  Another thing to remember 
is that it is likely that the room(s) you are in are very dimly 
lit or even almost pitch black.  You shoot at the target until it 
is neutralized and that's it.  You just can't take a chance in 
doing it any other way.

 er> Is murdering an individual because they entered your house really
 er> justification for murder?

In the laws of any state that I know of..... Yes.

Again, you don't know their intentions and have every right to 
protect yourself.

 er> (Do I really have the right to decide whether someone else's life
 er> has no value and can terminate it without going through the
 er> judicial process?)

Yes, you do, in the situations I am describing.

 er> (I do understand that there may be situations where you injure
 er> them and they continue to attempt to attack, which very well may
 er> be justification.)

Discussed that above, and remember that you could become *DEAD* 
because you allowed them to "continue to attempt to attack".

Hope this clears things up a little for you.


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