Gun. Gun. You just say it and instantly, you're tied to a culture of gun enthusiasts, of people preparing for an eventuality that will probably never happen, one that, even if it did come to pass, would spell for them untold amounts of legal fees and emotional distress.
Because really, that's the side of it nobody ever seems to consider.
Yes, I can ask you, "Would you take a human life to protect your family?"
And unless you're a wuss, you'd likely say, "Yes. Yes I would."
But the question bears more weight when it becomes, "Would you pay thousands of dollars in court costs to defend yourself from a wrongful death suit, and then endure the scorn and glances that people give you afterwards?"
The story doesn't end in your house when you shoot the home invader.
I admire and respect those who lawfully acquire and maintain firearms. The law is not on their side. Public opinion is not on their side. In many cases, their family and friends are not really on their side. And yet they do what is right and even necessary to ensure that they did all in their power to defend those that they love.
Even when those about whom they care couldn't care themselves.
Ignorance is bliss, but remember - apathy is the enemy of democracy.
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