Quote Originally Posted by Evil_Maniac From Mars View Post
The only way you would ever hit them in that case would be if they hit you first.
If they hit you first... doesn't that bring a strong possibility of incapacitation?

I won't call the police until AFTER I get shot!

I'd be carrying a stick, and I'd crack him on the back of the head. Your scenario assumes the burgler has picked or forced the lock, so he's already inside and I am therefore between him and my family, or I've let him get past me.

At no point would I be so stupid as to allow someone to get between me and those I love. I wouldn't put myself in such a stupid situation. Further, such a pathetic woman as the one you describe almost certainly wouldn't stay with a man capable of killing, unless out of fear.
But in all this you're assuming that you control the environment.

Of course you wouldn't put yourself in a bad position. But the fact is that it's the CRIMINAL who initiates and thus determines your position. Could be good or could be bad, depending on his planning.

Furthermore, if a burglar enters at night, you have to be aware of his entry to BEGIN with, and there are ways to enter a house without making noise. Furthermore, the only way that you could HOPE to be on par with the burglar physically is if you are alert, which is unlikely if you've just woken up.

Also, to whack a burglar on the back of the head? Either somehow you got behind him, which means you're no longer between him and your family, or you pulled a really nice move. A move that means you are sacrificing leverage to reach around him and whack him, which also means that you are close to him which also makes you very vulnerable.

So your in a terrible tactical situation using methods that are almost self defeating.

You know, if your plan of action is doomed to disaster when you've been sitting at home in comfort thinking it out, don't you think that if the real time came and you had a split-second decision to make, the odds are it wouldn't work?

Plan B: Firearm. Those problems disappear. You have only to point and he will probably obey, unless he has one of his own, in case you're REALLY lucky you have one too or you'd be a goner guaranteed. And if you don't think bad guys can get bad things that they're not allowed to have, well... welcome to planet earth. :)