My hypocracy? Thats rich. The situation you describe is partly the making of the gun laws and the society we live in anyway. The second is the refusal of western Countries in general and America in particular to be honest about underlying causes of crime or tackle directly them directly . You constanly vote for low taxation governments that put social programs, adequate policing bottom of the heap in terms of priority because you're indoctrinated with a concept of freedom that says its every man for himself, that 'big' government is basically a bad thing. And the free access to guns works both ways. How are you to tell whether legally acquired guns don't eventually get used for illegal purposes.?
I can look these people in the eye and say they have a right to be protected. Sure i can. Of course people given the situation as it stands will feel justified in using guns to protect themselves in cases like the one you mention and my sympathies are with them. You've misunderstood me completely on this.
I return to my original point about degree of provocation, and i dont see whats wrong in defending yourself or your family in extreme danger in this way if there is no other alternative. Its just that i dont believe any improvements in the long term will come about with gun laws the way they are and with the kind of mindset that leaves people to fend for themselves. The thing is that unless you get real about the need for collective provision in your country and taxation to fund change and address the social side of the crime equation you will never get to the bottom of it.


Regards

Alan