Most People Will Never Be Great At Home Defense. Read Why
A home invasion is one of the most horrifying experiences that a person can go through. A burglary is tame by comparison. You see, a burglar does not want a face to face confrontation with the owners. He/she just wants some easy cash. However, a home invasion is an entirely different ball game.
Invaders are sick, sadistic criminals who enjoy the thrill of hurting other people. They’re not in it just for the money. Yes, the money is a part of it – but it is not the sole objective. These people get a high from murdering, torturing and raping. They have no compassion – they are seriously often psychopaths!
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Home invasions and burglaries are a very real threat.Still, despite having the best intentions, most people will never be great at home defense. Here’s why!
1) Reliance on the police:
Be it in movies or in real life, the cops usually never arrive on time. They seem to arrive just to clean up the mess created at the site of the crime. They try to catch the criminals if they can. Even if you have a security system with alarm, do not expect a cop car to come rushing to your help at the instant the alarm goes off.
False alarms are pretty common and hence the cops probably give more priority to rescuing kittens stranded on trees! Sure, you should summon for help immediately but, if dialling 911 is your only line of defense against a home invasion, it is like taking a toothpick to a gun fight! If nothing else, at least retreat to a safe room.
2) Wrong attitude:
Thanks to newspapers, TV , internet etc. it is common knowledge that burglaries and invasions do happen. Still, many people are under the ridiculous impression that it will never happen to them. This overconfidence is cute – some people try not to think about bad things since they have learnt that thoughts become reality.
Well, these people are probably obsessed with the self-help book ‘the secret’ and have interpreted the law of attraction a bit too literally. It is one thing to be positive and optimistic – but not bolstering home defense is downright stupidity.
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3) Being easy targets:
If you leave your house unkempt, it is like literally inviting a burglar/attacker into your house. Criminals are on the lookout for houses with careless neighbors. If you do not maintain the appearance of your house, you are sending out a strong signal saying – I am lazy and my house is easy to break into.
On the other hand, if a home is well maintained with signs on the front door clearly stating that the property is equipped with CCTV cameras etc. it prompts the attackers to look for an easier target with sloppy owners.
Note: Do not mention the exact type of alarm that you have.
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4) Not thinking for the point of view of the bad guy (or bad girl)! Pretend you are a bad guy – how would you get into your house? Can you spot any weak links? This simple exercise will help you to achieve a shift in perspective that is needed to safeguard against all types of scenarios.
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5) Not having a plan: People usually just assume that they will turn into James Bond and shoot down all the bad guys if their home gets invaded. Well, even if you really are James Bond, you are as good as dead meat if you do not have a preset strategy for dealing with a hostile attack. Bond knows all the exit points of every hotel suite that he ever checks into. He literally memorizes a building’s blueprint before entering it.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What will you do if the house is under attack?
- Do you have a safe or secret room?
- If not, how you plan to tackle the situation?
- Will you call the cops?
- Will you engage in a shootout?
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6) Not educating kids about home defense. Many people try to be overprotective and shield their kids from the reality of life. You, your partner, the kids and any other family member should all know what to do if SHTF. Rehearse and rethink your plan at least every month or couple of months.
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7) Being loud mouthed: Do not tell everything about your safe room, firearm and defense strategy to relatives, friends and neighbors. Keeping your plan a secret is more important than impressing other people.
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8) Opening doors to strangers: Never open doors to strangers, ever! Install a safety door with a grill so that you can interact with people without making yourself completely vulnerable.
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Do NOT make the mistakes mentioned above. Invest in high quality locks and deadbolts. Remember, function is more important than form. Your french windows might lose their appeal if you install an ugly metal grill over them….but do it anyway!
Stay safe & God Bless!
The biggest problem is that most people think it will never happen to them. The statisc I read was there were aprox 8000 home invasions last year, according to GOOGLE there are 124.6 million households. Which comes to aprox 4% chance of it ever happening to you. Then you take into consideration where you live and the percentage goes up and down quite a bit. Now many people are buying guns, will you really shoot someone if the need arises? The military started using human shaped targets years ago because they found that bullseye targets did not prepare people for human targets. And normal people do not shoot other people, thats a fact. You have to break those inbred bonds by training with human like targets, remember it does not violate scripture to protect you and yours.
Spot on John, very nicely said! 🙂
JD