P.S.A (-ish) Crime is not never going to happen to you

[Cooly568]

Hi forums.

This is something I was thinking about talking about to the forums, as this forum is the outright best I've ever been on.

I thought about it for a while, and decided to make this into a kind of public service announcement.

Crime is something hopefully something we only see on TV, knowing it probably won't happen to us, ever.

And it's good, its usual to think that.

But what if it happens to you?

My mother didn't ever expect it to her, none of my family did.

However it was on Monday 25th, two hours before noon, the unthinkable happened.

My mother was at her work, as she works at a storage company.

At 10:07 AM (CST), a white car pulled up to my mother's work, and two masked men emerge from the car.

They bust through the door of the facility, and she is immediately put under gunpoint.

She is threatened to give the money in the cash register or be shot.

She cooperates, and gives over the money.

The thieves then make a grab at her purse, and she retaliates by attempting to grab back her purse.

The thieves forcefully push her back into her chair, at gunpoint.

They made a getaway, proceeded to rob another storage facility, and then drive their car (which was stolen) out to a railroad line, before torching the car on the tracks.

The purse had many things of value to her and us. Her debt cards, credit cards, wallet, car keys, and many other things.

But the two pieces of stolen valuables that are still giving me fret, are two very important pieces of valuables.

My mother's drivers license and truck keys.

The first one causing fret because, it has our house address on it.

The second causing fret because, it also has our house keys on it.

So now we have a possibility of being robbed and possibly killed by these three men, who are still on the loose, at anytime.

I know the possibility is low, but it's still a possibility.

Do I think it will happen? I hope to... well I don't believe in god... I hope to Jeb that nothing more happens.

I wrote this to show everyone that robbery's can happen to anyone, and you cannot think that they never will.

My mother's work is not in a bad place of town, in fact its in quite a good one.

Did I write this to scare you? No, I wrote this to help you. This could happen to you, the chance is hopefully very slim, but it's nevertheless a possibility.

Our house locks have since been changed, our truck moved into our garage, and we are taking the measures we all need to stay safe.

I wrote this to bring this to light of everyone, now I'm not saying that this will happen to you, I'm not physic, I think, but everyone needs to take precautions in case it does.

And I'm not writing this because I just can, this actually did happen, it showed up on many Kansas and Missouri News Networks.

Before I leave you with the news report that ran later that night, I want to say that none of this was written to scare you, but to help you. (I'm good at repeating things) I was not at the crime scene, I was at Middle School, but I do want everyone to take crime more seriously, because you never know when it will happen to you.

Now be safe everyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXTdis6ZtJw&feature=youtu.be

(At the off chance you live around Grandview MO, if you see people like this, CALL 911 RIGHT AWAY)

(I hope this does not devolve into a flame war, but I trusted these forums enough to put this here, so I am confident)

[Gojira]

Get yourself a weapon of some sort if they try and break in. A frying pan, a knife, a lamp, even a heavy book. Hide.

[minerman30]

Learn to throw a knife or use a butterfly knife. Get one of the airsoft pistols that shoot copper pellets, they're about $40 each. Get an air horn to scare the crap out of them.

[RocketTurtle]

use a butterfly knife.

A butterfly knife shouldn't be used for combat.

A nice classic fixed blade knife is always the way to go.

And instead of throwing knives, airsoft, etc. Just, if you can, get a gun.

If that's not possible, a taser or pepper spray are effective as well.

[Duxwing]

A butterfly knife shouldn't be used for combat.

A nice classic fixed blade knife is always the way to go.

And instead of throwing knives, airsoft, etc. Just, if you can, get a gun.

If that's not possible, a taser or pepper spray are effective as well.

And if you choose to get a weapon, then prepare! Take safety and wielding classes and plan for use.

-Duxwing

[Galacticruler]

I think you should keep an actual, razor sharp katana laying around somewhere easy to reach quietly.

[Camacha]

Carrying a weapon is statictically a liability. Without wanting to get into the whole gun control discussion, the numbers are that you are more likely to get hurt when you carry a weapon. I can imagine that is even more so when you do not know how to use it properly, as it can be turned against you.

This incident is very sad and possibly life changing for those that are a victim of it. However, the chances of it happening are in most parts of the world quite small. Also, no matter how prepared you are, things can always happen. Best thing is to take some basic precautions and otherwise to just live your life, as you can not and should not control everything.

[RocketTurtle]

I think you should keep an actual, razor sharp katana laying around somewhere easy to reach quietly.

*come running towards robbers*

HEEIIIYYYYAAAAAA!

[razark]

Sounds like they have a method that works for them. Chances are that they won't bother with the house.

Learn to throw a knife or use a butterfly knife. Get one of the airsoft pistols that shoot copper pellets, they're about $40 each. Get an air horn to scare the crap out of them.

Try this stuff against an attacker armed with a gun? You'll get shot.

[minerman30]

Changing my advice. The pellet gun can be used to nonfatally wound them from a distance. Secure an aluminum baseball bat. Or rebar. Or any long metal shaft available.

[Cooly568]

I believe she did the right thing, I mean, going against someone with a gun usually isn't a good idea, ever.

I don't think the thieves will ever come to my house, and if they did (very low chance) we have a plan for that, but I am not actively concerned that my life is threatened, I'm just uneasy.

[DisarmingBaton5]

-Crowbar, Gordon Freeman style

-Shotgun

-Pile of Estes rockets (artillery!)

-Firecrackers

-Air horn like minerman says

-Frying pan

-A large knife (learn how to use it first)

-Some sort of polearm perhaps?

Imagine a barrage of Estes rockets. Don't know about anyone else but I would be scared poopless.

[tom1499]

I think none of the above are very valid options, if you were going to get a weapon something like a taser would be best, as even in self defense, assault and possibly manslaughter (I know nobody's gonna be murdering everybody, unless you arm yourself with a katana or a knife) can still cause many legal problems even if not fines or prison charges, court is not fun.(probably, any lawyers gonna back me up?) I'm quite lucky in that where I live crime rate is low, and the locals don't really go for petty crimes like robbery, although we get the occasional crazy crime. Once the body of one of the previous presidents was stolen, we don't really know why or by who but hey. But crime rate is rising as more foreigners move here.

[Sid]

Most of the previous suggestions are jokes. I hope, anyway.

Speaking as someone who has been the victim of a home invasion scenario and repelled the attackers, I would recommend a Remington 870 or Mossberg pump action shotgun with a full stock rather than a silly pistol grip. You won't need a super dooper ' tactical ' version, but a torch is nice to have. Get the shortest barrel available.

Be sure of the laws regarding self defence wherever you live, learn safe gun handling and practice shooting.

Good luck. The chances of anything happening are very slight, but if you protect yourself you are ahead of the game.

[lajoswinkler]

Carrying a weapon is statictically a liability. Without wanting to get into the whole gun control discussion, the numbers are that you are more likely to get hurt when you carry a weapon. I can imagine that is even more so when you do not know how to use it properly, as it can be turned against you.

This incident is very sad and possibly life changing for those that are a victim of it. However, the chances of it happening are in most parts of the world quite small. Also, no matter how prepared you are, things can always happen. Best thing is to take some basic precautions and otherwise to just live your life, as you can not and should not control everything.

Yup, this.

You're more likely to get killed this way. The best thing, if you really have to experience a close encounter, would be to use pepper spray as it renders the offender incapable of pretty much anything.

The best thing would be to gtfo or hide. Your chances of survival are the best if you don't mess with them.

Many people say "I'd whack him, I'd do this, I'd do that, I have a gun, I'd shoot him", but in reality, most people freeze in terror, their legs stop working and they tremble. That's not the time to emulate superheroes.

Beware of robbers that come in the house while you're sleeping. They're more prepared for fight. Robbers that operate during summer vacations enter empty houses and are way less dangerous.

Also, it is illegal to shoot robbers. I hope everyone understands that. You have a right to shoot someone if you're defending your life or the life of others, and even then, you're obliged to try to stop the offender, not kill him.

If you see someone in your house, and he's not trying to harm you, and you get your gun and shoot him in the head, you're a murderer. No lawyer will save you from incarceration.

Edited November 27, 2013 by lajoswinkler

[ZedNova]

Carrying a weapon is statistically a liability. Without wanting to get into the whole gun control discussion, the numbers are that you are more likely to get hurt when you carry a weapon. I can imagine that is even more so when you do not know how to use it properly, as it can be turned against you.

This incident is very sad and possibly life changing for those that are a victim of it. However, the chances of it happening are in most parts of the world quite small. Also, no matter how prepared you are, things can always happen. Best thing is to take some basic precautions and otherwise to just live your life, as you can not and should not control everything.

I agree, unless you've had training with a specific weapon you shouldn't be carrying it for self-defense.

So go get yourself trained with your weapon of choice. Unless you live like a block from the police station that is.

Edited November 27, 2013 by ZedNova

[drakesdoom]

So that's it then? Your advice is to run and hide with piss running down your leg like a hunted pig?

You are a human being. A citizen of a free state. It is your personally responsibility for security of yourself, your location and your state. You do need to train with a weapon and then you need to carry it at all times. The police if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where they are not the criminals will not investigate minor crimes and they cannot protect you. The number one best deterrent to crime is a dead criminal on the front page of the paper.

[Sid]

So that's it then? Your advice is to run and hide with piss running down your leg like a hunted pig?

You are a human being. A citizen of a free state. It is your personally responsibility for security of yourself, your location and your state. You do need to train with a weapon and then you need to carry it at all times. The police if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where they are not the criminals will not investigate minor crimes and they cannot protect you. The number one best deterrent to crime is a dead criminal on the front page of the paper.

Exactly, I agree completely.

[Canopus]

A "Dead Criminal on the front of a newspaper" is not a crime deterrent. Its murder. While i agree that you should be able to defend yourself it shouldn't be through the use of guns. No one should have the right to kill somebody even in self defense. And its not your own job to keep you self. There exists something called "Police" in most countrys (although i know that its not working everywhere as well as it should.)

[drakesdoom]

A "Dead Criminal on the front of a newspaper" is not a crime deterrent. Its murder. While i agree that you should be able to defend yourself it shouldn't be through the use of guns. No one should have the right to kill somebody even in self defense. And its not your own job to keep you self. There exists something called "Police" in most countrys (although i know that its not working everywhere as well as it should.)

Yeah they have police and 2 of the 3 times I have been mugged at gun point it was a cop holding the gun. I am not joking are talking sly. I am talking about gun in face and give me your money.

Even if they are trust worthy they will be there in 10 to 15 minutes if you are lucky. How many seconds is it going to take for a criminal to kill you? Whine and beg all you want if they are resorting to crime they won't mind a little more.

[Canopus]

Why would he want to kill you though of he wants your money. That would just make matters worse for him.

[drakesdoom]

Why would he want to kill you though of he wants your money. That would just make matters worse for him.

If he has already pulled a gun he can't afford a fight, if he gets hurt that becomes major evidence. If you end up in a close grapple he could lose the weapon. He could probably get away with that if you are not around to finger him, with a witness that would be an open and shut case. Armed robbery in the states with a firearm is a multiple felonies with a 40 year maximum sentence, that is before counting any local laws that can be piled on. To them it already is your life or theirs, they won't think twice that is why you must act decisively. Once someone has threatened your life your best odds of survival is to kill them.

[lajoswinkler]

So that's it then? Your advice is to run and hide with piss running down your leg like a hunted pig?

You are a human being. A citizen of a free state. It is your personally responsibility for security of yourself, your location and your state. You do need to train with a weapon and then you need to carry it at all times. The police if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where they are not the criminals will not investigate minor crimes and they cannot protect you. The number one best deterrent to crime is a dead criminal on the front page of the paper.

Plain simple - if you want to increase the chances of survival, yes. I'm talking from a pure statistics standpoint.

What you're advocating for is murder and it's a crime, and implying that everyone should know how to operate a weapon and carry it around is downright stupid. With so much uncontrolled weapons around, yearly death rate would jump like mad.

A "Dead Criminal on the front of a newspaper" is not a crime deterrent. Its murder. While i agree that you should be able to defend yourself it shouldn't be through the use of guns. No one should have the right to kill somebody even in self defense. And its not your own job to keep you self. There exists something called "Police" in most countrys (although i know that its not working everywhere as well as it should.)

While I agree with your criticism of the post you were quoting (it's appaling and immoral), there are situations where you do have legal right to kill someone if he's a direct threat to human life, especially yours. Are you going to let someone kill you, or you'll pull the trigger? I'd pull the trigger because I value my life more than I value his.

If I don't need to do it, I won't. I am not a psycho or a vengeful person. Killing someone because it was easier or because you wanted to punish him is highly immoral by modern standards and it is a part of law in developed countries where it's defined as illegal.

Instances where you really need to kill someone who's a direct threat are very rare, so in most cases you can incapacitate him, therefore your legal duty is to do everything you can to avoid anyone's death. Usually killing is not neccessary, but people either freak out or they're evil and use the situation to fulfil one of their dark secrets.

[drakesdoom]

What you're advocating for is murder and it's a crime, and implying that everyone should know how to operate a weapon and carry it around is downright stupid. With so much uncontrolled weapons around, yearly death rate would jump like mad.

You are wrong on so many levels. If someone is threatening your life you are legally allowed to defend yourself in any way you see fit. Guess what armed robbery falls under that clearly, they are threatening your life in exchange for your belongings. You are also being horrendously selfish, do you think that just because you get away unscathed everyone they target in the future will?

As for saying people would be safer unarmed you are out of your mind. Guess what happens when someone bigger or stronger or a group comes along? The only thing that keeps people on a level field is being armed. All throughout the USA the most dangerous places are those where citizens are denied arms and are poor. Where open carry is legal and normal there is less violent crime because it is expected that any type of crime will be met with violent resistance. That makes it completely unworthwhile in the eyes of criminals

[Canopus]

Thank you lajoswinkler

Hey Drakesdoom, why not give everyone a gun? The world would sure be a better place then, am i right?

Edited November 27, 2013 by Canopus