Reply #378: Let's take this point by point.

[Silverhair]

Only people who are trained and responsible can use guns effectively.
Complete agreement. All of the RKBAers who post here have stated that having a gun is a serious responsibility and the person should get the right training.

90% of our public is unresponsible and untrained.
90%? I would think the figure would be lower. However, you probably mean that as "a large segment" of the public. I don't think you mean it as a hard percentage. With that understanding, I can agree.

There's an old statistic that in anyone's lifetime you will know of someone close to you that either was shot with a gun or was injured with their own gun.

That is half of a stat. It does not take into account those close to you who may save from certain victimhood by using a gun, even if only to point it at the bad guy. I am somewhat older than fifty. I know people in both camps. I know more who have had gun saves, than I do of shooting victims.

You list three incidents of shootings. I could easily list a dozen gun saves, by people I know. And none of them would be to vague imagined threats, but to situations where the bad guy had clearly indicated his intentions. I will list three:

1. Woman saw burglar climbing in window. She grabbed gun and he dove backwards out the window. No shots fired.
2. Attempted carjacking. Car was blocked in and woman could not drive away. Carjacker was bringing hammer up to smash window when she pulled .357. Carjackers ran away. No shots fired.
3. Black man in car (again blocked in) was being approached by KKK tough looking for trouble. He laid .38 on dash of his car where it was visible. KKK guys turned and walked away. (Their pickup had KKK stickers on it, so I conclude KKK membership.)

If you think you have a gun in the house and it will protect you from being robbed, you're living in dream land.
In the house it will do little. In my hand it can do much.

Most robberies case your house and rob you when you're not home.
Correct. They don't want to get shot by a homeowner who is at home and objects to the burglary. Most USA burglaries are indeed, "cold burglaries." Countries with a disarmed populace have higher rates of "hot burglaries."

Any other direct attempt to get in with you there will probably be something you can't deal with. Whatever makes you say that? Crooks aren't supermen.

Will you know when to shot to kill? Shoot/no-shoot decisions are part of CCW training in Texas. Yes, I have that knowledge. If you would like I can recommend some excellent videos on the subject.

Non-lethal weapons technologies are here, workable, and should be much more effectively sold to the public so that the entire issue of gun ownership for the sake of personal protection goes away.

1. Some states and Canada forbid the ownership of such items. Self-defense sprays are forbiden in Canada and in New York. (Could you please speculate on why?)
2. Such items often don't work. In the news today is a police shooting in which the dead guy was sprayed with pepper spray and it didn't work. Tasers are not realistic as only defense. They have only one shot, then must be reloaded.
3. Guns are USUALLY a non-violent solution as the bad guy almost always runs away from a gun.

Regarding home defense. Guns should be part of a layered defense, not the only defense. First there should be good locks, alarms, lights, locks on internal doors, cell phone, etc. Don't go searching the house looking for the noise. Take cover and let him come to you. Have a battery lantern that you can place away from you and illuminating the door the bad guy will have to smash in. (The light will help blind him and make sure of your target so you don't shoot the wrong person.)

Most important - don't get into a gunfight over stuff. The bad guy could get in a lucky shot as he falls over dead and still kill you. Stuff can be replaced. Fight to protect your family and yourself from harm.