I  consider home invasion to be a crime of the most serious nature.  Self-preservation is the most basic instinct.  It is not natural to simply roll onto your back and be killed, without putting up a defense. 

Most of the time the sound of barking dogs will make somebody go away.  Barking dogs wake up their owners and draw attention.  That, in itself, will usually be enough to keep somebody away that shouldn't be around.  Without a dog, I would feel extremely vulnerable if I were living alone, even if I owned 10 guns.  A gun won't wake you up at night and let you know there's something wrong.  An unloaded gun is no good in a surprise attack, and there is no way I would have a loaded gun in my house where my grandchildren come to visit a lot.  And, shaking hands would be no good trying to load a gun, anyway. ( If I thought someone was trying to get in my house, I would be so scared my hands would be shaking ).  I still say, a dog is the best protection.  And, I also say, don't sit around and worry so much about all the bad things that could happen.  Life isn't all that bad.  It really isn't.

Who knows...if you're not from ND, you wouldn't get it...so I won't bother trying to explain.

Rey, a taser is a good idea. The bad thing about carrying a weapon when you're out of the house is that  you best be proficient in its use or the other person can get control of it and use it against you. You don't want that to ever happen. That's why most homeowners are discouraged from keeping weapons in their home. I think its an okay idea though, if you've undergone alot of training and know exactly what you're doing. We have weapons in our home, of course, but then we have a few cops in our family, plus military, so it goes with the territory. I'm pretty handy with a 9mm Baretta, but I hate it. I hate to use it, I hate the sound of it and I hate the smell of it. I will use it though, if I have to efend myself in my home. If they get past our dogs...which we have 5 of, then they can deal with us. I've seen so many home invasions, and that, to me, is the worst thing a person can experience, besides a kidnapping. They bust into your home usually around 4-5am...while you're asleep and unaware and they have complete control of the situation for as long as they are in your home.

I used to carry pepper spray....and I would also carry a tazer...instead of a gun. If I maced you or tazered you I would be on the phone in a heart beat to the police.

I'm sorry Sneaky, but just because some criminals who escaped from prison from another state happened to end up being captured in North Dakota, doesn't really make me feel any more like purchasing a gun.  I won't own a gun.  I didn't own one when I lived in a big city, and I won't own one now.  I don't like guns.  (but, we have already gone through all that before on other blogs).  North Dakota has it's own criminals.  Every state does.  My dogs are my protection.  They always have been and always will be.  I trust in them 100%.  For those of you who want to have a gun, that's OK with me.  But nothing will ever make me want to have one.  Anyway, I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about all the bad things that could possibly happen to me.  I know that someday something will cause me to die.  A gun isn't going to stop that from happening.

Say, here's a thought:

Perhaps we should acknowledge the law enforcement officers who brought this situation to a peaceful conclusion.