NRA's newest convert: Even a hippie needs a gun

[Paladin]

http://www.dailytoreador.com/vnews/disp ... 3ab92ae7c4

"NRA's newest convert: Even a hippie needs a gun
By Clara Cobb/Features Editor

December 05, 2005

About two weeks ago, a male approximately 5 foot 9, 150 pounds broke and entered my house. (SIDE NOTE: This is funny because it is true.)

That night, or rather, early that morning, it was really, really not funny. I had just locked up the front door and the dog in the front room. My friend Lauren was watching TV in the back room.

Suddenly Jules, my roommate's seven-month-old black lab, began barking like she has mad cow, or bird flu, or mad cow and bird flu. She's growling and snapping like I neveer have heard her bark before.

Then we heard the coughing. Then we heard stomping. Dogs don't cough or stomp.

Lauren and I were freaking out. We grabbed butcher knives and head lamps and quickly turned on all the lights in my house.

(SIDE NOTE: For this to be funny, make sure you are picturing two women in a hallway, clutching pillows across our bodies, butcher knives in hand, wearing head lamps and pajamas.)

Finally, all the lights are on except one. The light in the front room isn't on. The switch to the light doesn't actually work - my house is old. The front room is lit by lamp light and natural window light.

We were standing in the hallway and the only barrier between him and us was the hall door. I began to call the police. In the middle of the phone call, my phone dies. I had just driven back from Austin that night and I had one bar on the phone all weekend. My phone wouldn't turn back on.

All of a sudden, the horror movie "get the hell out of there, you retard" music began to crescendo in my imagination and my head was pounding. Or maybe the pounding was coming from in my chest.

(SIDE NOTE: I have been stalked by mountain lions. I have shot a black bear at point blank range with pepper spray. I have administered CPR to a 16-year-old having a heart attack. I have never been as scared as I was that night.)

There was only a door between the man inside my house and us. Really, we didn't know there was a man in my house yet. Knives in tow, I opened the door and called the dog. She didn't come. She was trying to come, we could hear her scratching, and again it is evident she is being restrained.

She's barking again, and I peek in my front room. If anyone's there, they are not in eyeshot of the doorway. Then I see the shadowed reflection of a man in the double glass doors leading to the dining room.

The dining room doors are locked, and the hallway door doesn't lock, but since my house is old, the door sticks when slammed. We slam the hall door and run in my bedroom, slamming the door behind us. We have to buy a little time.

(SIDE NOTE: I am a pretty liberal hippie when it comes to life, a make-love-not-war type of girl. But I know enough about anatomy to know a butcher knife doesn't protect from a bullet. I have been an anti-hand gun person for years, mainly because they serve one purpose: to kill people. However, this has become a matter of self-defense. Damn it, this is Texas, and I'm gettin' a gun.)

There are only two ways out of my house, and both doors are in the front room. The windows in my bedroom are screwed shut, ironically, to help prevent someone from breaking in my window. We were so lucky my inner Boy Scout has to have a Leatherman lantern in my nightstand. I unscrewed the windows.

(SIDE NOTE: Lauren recounts this moment as the fastest she has ever seen anyone unscrew anything. Yay, adrenaline.)

We jumped out my window and now were in my backyard, where all the gates were locked, but the fence is old, rotting and falling down. We tried to break through the fence at the gate, but ultimately ended up running across a downed section into my neighbor's backyard. We pounded on the door. We have to get a phone, stat.

No response. In my mind, I was thinking about how the man in my house could have pulled a gun on us at any minute, or could have been hurting the dog or worse - he could have been finding the perfect hiding place in my house to wait until we came back and went to sleep.

We jumped the fence. Three doors down, the girls have their front door unlocked. We woke up my neighbor girl, who was sleeping on the couch and used her phone to call 911.

Dispatch tells us to wait outside for the police and return to the scene. Hell no, we weren't returning. Especially after we watched the man leave my house, literally walking out the front door.

(SIDE NOTE: *sigh.*)

Anyway, I begin my gun classes in January. I hear that with a shotgun, I won't miss much, so for the record, I also am buying a raffle ticket from the Texas Tech Polo Club.

— Cobb is a senior public relations major from Carrollton. E-mail her at Clara.Cobb@ttu.edu."

[Paladin]

"...used her phone to call 911.

Dispatch tells us to wait outside for the police and return to the scene. Hell no, we weren't returning. Especially after we watched the man leave my house, literally walking out the front door. "

911 operators seem to be giving the most dangerous, horrible advice I can imagine. It's like they want innocent people to be hurt or killed. They need to get help on the way and just keep their advice to themselves.

[stevie_d_64]

911 operators seem to be giving the most dangerous, horrible advice I can imagine. It's like they want innocent people to be hurt or killed. They need to get help on the way and just keep their advice to themselves.

Duh!

911 is not much of a priority with me, other than if I (or the Wife Unit) has time, and is not actively engaging a BeeGee...They might get a call at that particular juncture...

Otherwise, its:

"911 operator, is this a fire, police or medical emergency?"

"Hi there...My name is Steve blah blah blah..."

"Yes sir?"

"Well, I guess this might be a combo deal...I didn't hear you say coroner, so you might give them a holler too just to save a nickle on the call..."

Hehehe, who was it that gave me a hard time about going "hands free" on my wireless a while back???

Here's another opportunity...

At least I'm not a hippie...

[Paladin]

911 operators seem to be giving the most dangerous, horrible advice I can imagine. It's like they want innocent people to be hurt or killed. They need to get help on the way and just keep their advice to themselves.

Duh!

This got me wondering how many people have died while on the phone to 911... with the operator telling the victim..."stay on the line" instead of "get out of there while you can"

[Wilson]

You may have already considered the following, if not, here are a few thoughts I recently passed on to a relative.

A shotgun is great at not missing a target but a long barrel can be difficult in searching through a house. The barrel enters the room a couple of feet before you do which gives the BG a chance to grab it. Now if you plan on barricading yourself in a room waiting for the police a shotgun can’t be beat. Perhaps you should have a shotgun and a handgun. If you plan to practice at least monthly a semi-automatic pistol would be good, probably a 9mm. If you think regular range time would be difficult, I would suggest a .38 revolver with a 4� barrel (no need to practice clearing jams, limpwristing, etc.).

[Paladin]

Perhaps you should have a shotgun and a handgun.

Yep. Carrying both, if they grab the shotgun let 'em have it, and then let 'em have something else (hot lead from your handgun!)

[jimlongley]

"...used her phone to call 911.

Dispatch tells us to wait outside for the police and return to the scene. Hell no, we weren't returning. Especially after we watched the man leave my house, literally walking out the front door. "

911 operators seem to be giving the most dangerous, horrible advice I can imagine. It's like they want innocent people to be hurt or killed. They need to get help on the way and just keep their advice to themselves.

About a year ago I was trying to get hired as a 911 operator, since then I have changed my mind. I could not give such poor advice as "stop shooting him and put the gun down" or "return to your house and wait for the police."

My gut reactions would be "Is he still moving? Shoot him again."

[GlockenHammer]

Too bad it take so much to sway a Liberal to see the light. Now that I think about it, why aren't they extinct yet? ;)

[ghentry]

I had just locked up the front door

Which should have been locked after she first walked through it.

We grabbed butcher knives and head lamps and quickly turned on all the lights in my house.

They had to rely on a weapon they had no training with. They walked through the house turning on the lights instead of getting out of the house?

We were standing in the hallway and the only barrier between him and us was the hall door. I began to call the police.

Hmm... this is a good place to call the police from. Maybe they'll teleport into my hallway and rescue me.

In the middle of the phone call, my phone dies. I had just driven back from Austin that night and I had one bar on the phone all weekend. My phone wouldn't turn back on.

She needs a car charger... mine only cost $7

I opened the door and called the dog.

Thus announcing her location to the BG

She's barking again, and I peek in my front room.

She's risking her life to find her dog?

There are only two ways out of my house, and both doors are in the front room. The windows in my bedroom are screwed shut

You should always have worst case escape routes.

We jumped out my window and now were in my backyard, where all the gates were locked, but the fence is old, rotting and falling down.

I found this humorous how the fence is falling down but she puts locks on the gates?

Three doors down, the girls have their front door unlocked.

What is it with unlocked doors?

[stevie_d_64]

About a year ago I was trying to get hired as a 911 operator, since then I have changed my mind. I could not give such poor advice as "stop shooting him and put the gun down" or "return to your house and wait for the police."

My gut reactions would be "Is he still moving? Shoot him again."

Yeah, that would be bad...Good for them, but bad for you...Its that darn tape recording that gets ya in the end...

I think the TSA gig is a better deal for ya...