From: vojak@icebucket.stortek.com (Bill Vojak)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: Re: Burglars, selfdefense & guns
Date: 12 Aug 92 15:04:08 GMT
Organization: Storage Technology Corp.

cthong@fraser.sfu.ca (Christopher Thong) writes:

>a strong door and a basically secure house doesn't neccessarily
>give you perfect protection but it gives you a darn sight better
>chance of prevention than a loaded gun no?

No. My door is steel, with a good deadbolt. At maximum I expect
it to withstand a determined assault for about 10 seconds. Ask
anybody whos kicked doors in. Even the "Hard" doors aren't that
hard to get through. The idea behind locks, doors and alarms is
to make your home a less attractive target. Any thug with an IQ
greater than 20 can get into almost any home. It's a matter of how
much noise they need to make, how obvious they must be, and how much
effort is involved. All of which increase their chance of being
caught. In many bigger cities, Denver included, response times for
even the most serious calls are approaching the double digit mark
in minute.

>to look at it from a realistic point of view.
>to keep from having accidents in the home, a firearm should logically
>be kept out of reach of any body but responsible family members no?
>and if this includes locking it up, tell me how it helps you if you need
>it in 10 seconds? 

No problem. I have a safe to keep my guns in. All I do is dial
the combination and unlock the latch when I get home. At night
all I would have to do is get out of bed, open the closet door,
and I can have my had on a gun in <10 second total. There are also
childproof quick access boxes that can be kept next to the bed
at night, or even inside your gun safe for an add level of protection.
These child-proof safes still only take <5 seconds to open. In the 
morning all I have to do is lock the safe. I don't have kids so I could 
even put the gun on a nightstand, under the bed, in a drawer, or
just about any place else. As long as I re-secure it in the morning,
it doesn't matter. BTW: Those two big black furry things with teeth
that will greet you at the door should also slow you down a bit more,
and also provide me with > 10 seconds warning. 

There is no incompatably with keeping a gun safe and secure, even
with kids in the house, and allowing for fast access. Your paranoia
about guns is amazing! In my parents neighborhood, three homes have
been destroyed by gas leak/explosions this year killing several
people. Many more burned down because of wiring or appliance problems.
I have very little control over the gas-lines coming into my house, or
the electrical wiring. We tend to take these thing for granted. (when
was the last time you checked your gas-lines for a leak?) I never
take a gun for granted. I always check to see if it's loaded, keep
it aimed in a safe direction, lock up when no ones around, and 
maintained so it doesn't malfunction. I've even spent my own time
and money to take handgun Safety and Marksmanship classes. I realize
that a gun has the potential to cause harm, hence it should be
handled with care.

                                Bill Vojak
                                Bill_Vojak@stortek.com
                                NRA, ILA, CFC

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Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns