I agree, up to a point, for a variety of reasons:
- It is probably the most intimidating weapon to face, including a so-called “assault rifle.”
- Few intruders will try to wrestle it away from you. Just don’t let them get too close.
- It is hard to miss your target.
- A load of 7½ dove shot will cut somebody in half with a minimum of collateral damage to other people in the home or next door.
But as menacing as a double-barrel is, I prefer a good old pump action shotgun that has the unmistakable snick-snick warning that speaks all languages. And it holds more rounds.
As for Biden’s suggestion that the resident discharge both barrels outside the dwelling, the NRA makes great points that firing a gun up in the air is illegal in most urban jurisdictions and would leave the potential victim with an empty gun.
The Washington Post fact-checkers looked into the argument from both sides. But I think they got a little nit-picky by narrowing the instance to just Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware.
But you gotta love what they found out when checking with State Prosecutor Kathleen Jennings.
“In Delaware, a person can legally fire a weapon to protect themselves and others from someone intruding onto her dwelling,” said Jennings, who heads the Delaware Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Well, maybe.
Even in Texas, that’s stretching the lethal force statute pretty far. And the Texas Department of Public Safety tells concealed handgun licensees not to fire warning shots.
But here’s the best part.
Jennings works for Biden’s son, Delaware Attorney General Joseph “Beau” Biden, who appointed her in 2011.
‘Nuff said!
- Dr. Gatling