[Joe Wicked]

macloft,
This is not meant to be an argument, just how/why I feel the way I feel. While what you mentioned is true for any true gangster or hardcore criminal. They will just find another way to do it. Bigger/Better weapons, better tactics. etc... The problem is this is not the majority, the majority is just looking for an easy mark. They are so lazy that they will not even work at being a good criminal. And there are those who are not scared of the legal system, but would not consider attacking an armed person because they do not want to risk getting hurt. If someone really wants your stuff you will not stop them, but the majority will be deterred. Here it has become cool to act as if you are a gangster, and this needs to be stopped. It is too much for the police to be able to do, the parents act the same, so leaves the citizens to do it themselves. A friend of mine has NRA stickers on his truck, a gun rack, and other signs around his property. His neighbors on each side of him have had their houses broken into. One of them has been broken into 2 times the other 3 times. He has never had anyone attempt to break into his house. His neighborhood is a Middle Class neighborhood and averages 8-10 home invasions/month. He tells me the other people that make it known that they have guns have not been broken into either. These criminals are looking for the easy targets and I refuse to be an easy target. If that makes me part of the "mad" society, then I am what I am.

For the record, I fully agree that we need to clean up our own backyard before we can tell anyone else to do the same.