Re: Guns for Protection in the home:  If you've got the presence of mind to find, prepare to fire (unlock triggerlock, load, find target and aim) and fire your weapon, you've got WAY bigger juevos than me.  Personally, if an intruder comes into my house with ill intent, I'm scoopin' up the kids and running the fuck away.

Personally, If I'm cornered, I'd prefer to beat them with a table leg.  Much fewer steps, you don't need a license and my kid can't blow his own head off with a table leg.  (I said table leg as I've got an extra one leaning in a corner of my bedroom but I'm sure any blunt instrument will do nicely.)

Some stats I'd like to see if someone wants to dig em up.

Number of lives saved per year by guns (handguns, rifles, shotguns, assault rifles, etc) where there is documentation of the gun as a deterrant. (intruder left) I would like to compare this with home security devices like alarms, protective barriers and/or really loud dogs. Also, number of lives saved by guns where assailant was actually shot (wounded or killed.)

Number of people who have ever shot and killed someone and still own a gun.  (morbid curiosity)

Ratio of weapons which are stolen from homes each year and circulated in the illegal weapons trade vs. number of blunt instruments stolen each year and circulated in illegal weapons trade.  For an added bonus, how many drive by bludgeonings, drive by poisonings and drive by suffocations there are per year.

Well...that's all I've got.  It's 5 in the morning and I've been working all night.  My head is fried.

PRH