RobertNashville

If you have wireless internet at you home there are good wireless IP cameras (both regular and infrared that you can view, tilt, pivot, etc from any computer or even an internet enabled smart phone form anyplace you have a connection...many can even be set-up to alert you by text message or email when they capture motion including a still pic of whatever set them off. The ones I've been looking at are around the $200 each range. Of course, those won't necessarily make your home more secure against such things as a home invasion type of break-in but I think they are a possible worthwhile addition to overall security.

In the situation being talked about here it seems to me that if you are going to try and "make it" it would tactically be better to stay in a more familiar setting...as was said, if you don't already live "in the hills" and have a self-sustaining place to live, suddenly moving out into the wilderness is probably not a good move. Perhaps a finding a better location than you are in (but still within your area of area) would be the best thing...by that I mean, perhaps your particular home in a suburb isn't ideal but maybe some other abandoned home in/near the same city or an abandoned commercial building could prove a better choice; looking for something that can be more easily secured/protected and perhaps less of an inviting target, etc. Overall, in a situation where the whole of society has broken down I think a person has to think realistically about whether it's worth surviving. As was intimated earlier, surviving is one thing but truly "living" is another and they may not be much point in surviving if there is no home of "living". Of course, part of that decision comes down to who or what you are surviving for...if you are a 30-something with a family you are working in a much different framework than a 50 or 60-something widow/widower.

This is much more of a general “home defense†question than a “self defense†(i.e. gun related) question so if this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it. In thinking about making a home “secureâ€, especially from the “home invasion†sort of burglary while the homeowner is home, I’m curious about what some of you have done or are considering doing to make your home safer against such things. In particular, one issue, raised in another thread is reinforcing the obvious points of entry (doors) against being kicked in/forced open. If anyone has any thoughts on things to do; especially say on a scale from simple/inexpensive that doesn’t take much “mechanical ability†to complex/expensive and/or that require significant installation/construction I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts. I suspect that there are a lot of even simple things we can all do but may not have thought of. For my own home, my guns (except the ones I have out for immediate use) are always locked in a good gun safe…I have a dog that, while not dangerous certainly sounds dangerous from behind a door…I also have a pretty good alarm system using a land line with a cell phone back-up (all windows and doors are individually alarmed and all open areas including back hall and garage have motion sensors). I also have back yard and front yard exterior lights that are on timers and one or more sets of lights are on during all hours of darkness…many inside lights are also on timers to give the appearance of occupancy for when I’m not home. In short, I’ve think I’ve done most of the “easier†stuff but I’m now looking for things I could do but haven’t thought of and/or what I should do “nextâ€.

To each his own but I really think a 20ga is not only a sufficient shotgun gauge for home defense, it might even be superior to a 12ga and if I already had a 20 I doubt I'd then go for a 12. Frankly, I prefer a 556 (AR 15, SCAR, etc) as the best overall choice for home defense (although I still have a 12ga pump and at least one handgun handy for those purposes). Aside from the reasons already cited, with the 556 there is less risk of overpenetration. If the AR15 isn't within your pocketbook I understand but in that case, I wouldn't spend money on a 12 ga unless you have other uses for it. Just my $0.02

I can't argue with that!

Isn't it wonderful that we have outlets like YouTube so that those with no talent can prove it by putting their entertainment attempts out there for people to watch!

It's a rather moot point in my always humble opinion because Corker doesn't deserve our support. He was the better of two bad choices; it's as simple as that and while I don't regret the vote I cased for him then I do regret that I had to cast that vote to keep someone ever worse from taking the seat.

Definitely not too early for that! I've no doubt that the Republican establishment who only see "R"s and "D"s will get heartburn over it but I'm hopeful that the Tea Party groups in Tennessee will be able to find and put forth a candidate that can defeat Corker for the nomination...the primary is the time and the ONLY time we can really make a difference in our choices for office.

There is NOTHING you can do that will prevent you from being sued if someone feels you've "wronged" them and that includes moving assets (which really won't work) and even Tennessee law that is supposed to protect you when you are involved in a justified shooting. If you shoot someone, no matter how justified, you can simply expect to be sued. PERIOD. There is also the issue of what can happen to you if you shoot someone with justification but a stray bullet that didn't hit the bad guy DOES hit an innocent bystander! Now, as I understand the law here in Tennessee, you would likely prevail in most cases and would have an affirmative defense to such a suit (at least from the bad guy if he lives or the bad guy's family if he doesn't) but that doesn't mean you won't get sued and that doesn't mean you won't need an attorney to represent you (meaning you'll need some $$$ at least on the front end). If you really want to protect yourself, I'd recommend a good umbrella liability policy which isn't a bad thing to have anytime just for good financial planning and that's especially true if you have assets to protect. In addition to the umbrella policy, if you ever do shoot someone don't say a dam thing to the police except "I thought my life was in danger", until you've retained an attorney.

I'm glad they have this bastard; it's just too bad that the taxpayers now have to go through the expense of a trial and likely keeping him in jail for the next 60 or so years. It's especially sad that this elderly couple didn't shoot and kill this guy before he shot them; they would still be alive and the taxpayers would be saved a lot of money. I do agree with the posts above; this is yet more evidence that we need to be prepared to defend ourselves at all times and especially so when we least expect to need to do so! Being prepared and being paranoid are NOT the same thing.

Maybe we need just one giant thread where everybody can complain about Haslam...these multiple threads are giving me a headache.

I also carry an LCR as my backup gun...and sometimes my only gun. It's small and light enough that I can carry in pretty much anywhere/everywhere when carrying anything else could cause problems.

Same here, WD...it was great to meet all of you and I look forward to next time (I'd love to shoot a flintlock sometime...I can't even imagine how cool that would be!)

The only problem I see with your anger and disgust at our choices for the general election is that it's too dam late to do any good. The time to get involved and actually do something constructive about this process is well before the primary season. To continue the "medicine" analogy, at this point you are faced with chemo that may or may not heal you but will cause you pain or not taking it at all and facing almost certain death...once you reach that point, worrying about the 4 packs/day of cigarette smoking all you life is pointless.

Everybody has to register and pay the fee at the main building - that's the parking lot I was referring to. As you turn off the road into MCSC you have long, paved road into the complex (with a couple of peaks and valleys)...you then come to a stop and are directed to turn right and register...you really can't miss the building.

I understand where you are coming from; in fact, I share your feelings, but the fact of the matter is that every vote NOT cast for Haslam and/or cast for someone with no chance to win makes it that much easier for McWherter to win...there is no getting around that. Granted, Haslam has enough of a lead that it probably won't make a difference but after meeting and listening to both candidates, there is simply no doubt in my mind now that Haslam is a decidedly better choice than McWherter; as such, I don't want to risk a win by McWherter by not voting for either one or by voting for a candidate that can't win. The only way we will ever get better candidates to vote for is to get involved and work on getting better candidates to run (and perhaps change Tennessee's antiquated and questionable rules so that we don't have people with nominations who didn't even get 50% of the votes cast). That kind of work must happen in the primary...it's too late now to cry about choices we don't like. Not voting for either major candidate doesn't help. It may make you feel better but it won't send a message to anybody (at least, not a message that anyone will hear or care about).

I think we are good to go and I'm still planning on being there. I will likely be in a black cherry (deep maroon) Nissan 370Z roadster so I shouldn't be too difficult to spot!

They aren't all...they are the largest but that may change...that's why I'm a member of the GOA and TFA.

Well...I think the NRA could have found a way to not "shun" him without having to go so far as to officially endorse him. It was, in my always humble opinion, a very stupid move on their part and one of the reasons I'm an annual rather than a life member.

Well..the NRA (for a time anyway) DID endorse Harry Reid so given that recent history, I would say that who the NRA does or does not endorse is not really meaningful!

I think we pretty much have the same opinion, then...just different ways of getting there.

Actually, while it's not true in every state it IS true in Tennessee.

I would suggest that there were multiple reasons for the existence of the Second Amendment; as my George Washington quote below would suggest, he seemed to feel it was both a right and an obligation of a free people to have arms, ammunition and know how to use them including using them to protect themselves and the people at large from those who would seek to do them harm whether the harm was coming from a government or anyone else. In any case, the language of the second amendment seems pretty clear to me and there is nothing in it that would necessitate or support having any sort of government permission to keep or to be armed. I have no desire to see the HCP process be eliminated; in fact, I would like to see it strengthened and improved; but the idea that no one should be allowed to carry within the state without the state's permission flies in the face of both the wording and, I believe, the intent of the Second Amendment (at least in my layman's opinion). There is always a risk it allowing people to actually be free - it is always possible, perhaps even inevitable that some will misuse their freedoms and their rights; that is the price we pay for liberty. But, it's a small price, in my opinion, because the other way leads to tyranny which is the direction we've been heading toward for a very long time. We need to reverse direction!

I noticed that too. I was thinking that if someone is that opposed to people exercising their right to keep and bear arms without a permission slip from the government because they "might" not be responsible probably should not be in the business of selling firearms to anyone because of what they might do someday to someone!

That was not what he said or at least it wasn't what I heard on Monday night. What he said/I heard was that he initially joined this conference based on its goal of keeping guns out of the hands of criminals which, frankly, I don't think is a bad idea and probably something most or us here would support. That was the issue he signed onto. Then group THEN was essentially taken over by the mayors of large cities like New York, Chicago, etc. and it was then it became the group we know about now. I can sympathize with something like that happening because over the years, I've been part of groups that seemed good at the time I joined but then I later decided to un-join when their agenda/purpose changed. Now, whether you believe Haslam's account or not is entirely up to you but I do think we need to be as accurate as possible regarding what he specifically said. I don't know him personally and Monday night was the first time I ever met the man. What I can say is that I have gotten to know a few folks whom I know to be as conservative as I am and whom I've come to trust and they believe him and support his run for governor and given our choices, I will be voting for him when I go to vote. He may be lying to us and he may not be. However, I do believe that whether he is or isn't lying, that he will support firearm-friendly legislation that comes out of the legislature which is a LOT better situation than we would have with McWherter (McWherter impressed me as a decent guy but he simply should not be governor).