Never take your sweeping-brush to a gunfight…

This column has been known to take a stand on inequality in the human race where we sometimes see unfortunates drawing the short straw.This week we highlight an imbalance out there which can affect most of us in regard to the right of self-defence.So let us cut straight to the chase and ask the six-mark question: how come it is the bad guys who have the guns while the good guys are not allowed equal means of defending themselves even in their own homes?There used to be a saying out in the old west: 'God didn"t make all men equal - Samuel Colt did!' I remember one night in Paddy"s Point when two Guardia Civil came in for a drink at closing time. A close friend of ours on her first visit to Spain, said to me: 'Lord Bernie, they"re horrid small for policemen; they would never get into the Guards at home.' My reply was; Joan, do you see that little bit of equipment on his hip; that guy is as tall as he likes!' Also in Spain you can legally purchase certain types of handguns to defend your property and surely the time has come to allow this right to law abiding citizens of this country? Indeed, handguns are readily available at the moment in Ireland, but only if you are a gangster or do your business with gangsters. Gun totting gangs, many of them mere children are terrorising residents in certain areas of our country and this will get worse as potential gangland recruits see how well it is paying off.Now, for the sake of argument, let us picture a different scenario: a ruthless hoodlum has just kicked in the door of a little old lady living alone and is making his way up the stairs. If this sixty years old, eight stone woman has a loaded handgun in her bedside-locker she has, at worst, a 50/50 chance of winning the debate and maybe the criminals who are currently terrorising people would have second thoughts? Yes...yes I know dear bleeding hearts that the punk has rights and may have come from a dysfunctional family, but for the purpose of this exercise we are just dealing with the rights of the poor unfortunate law-abiding victims, who are frequently further betrayed by a system which allows the crime to be committed by those out on bail for similar offences.Admittedly there may well be the tragic innocent killing from time to time; but look at all the innocent victims right now, not to mention all who are killed by knives and nobody suggests a total ban on knives. Or motor cars which kill three or four people a week on our roads. Like knives or cars, guns don"t kill - people kill.Let me put on record that I hate guns and I have difficulty in firing a shot gun. Guns are not nice but neither is it nice for someone to break into a person"s home to rob, kill or rape and no other means of self-defence is as effective as the great equaliser.Home owners should not be prosecuted for defending their property - unless of course they step over the line of retribution or revenge, but neither should they have to wait to be attacked to prove 'reasonable force'. If someone smashes in your door at 3am it is a fair assumption that he isn"t looking to sell you a raffle ticket or wish you a happy new year. 'A man"s home is his castle' according to old English common law, but we must be provided with the support and ability to enforce this respect.Americans have fewer concerns about suffering a forcible home invasion than we do because the predators over there are more likely to be shot. Forget about trying to reason with someone who breaks into your home, or appealing with their better nature; it does not work, but looking into the barrel of a gun will help you convince them of the error of their ways.Of course all human life is sacred, but which is more sacred; the man about to be beaten and robbed in his own home; the woman in bed who fears she may be raped; or the criminal? Is not killing in self-defence more legitimate than capital punishment? Catholic Church teaching gives us the right to kill in self-defence with these words; 'Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principal of morality: Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one"s own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow.' Does that not say it all?Giving ordinary citizens the means of defending their lives and property will have to be considered because as things stand the law comes down heavily on the side of the criminal. Yes, unfortunately, introducing a gun into your house increases the risk of someone getting shot, injured or killed. Some overzealous householder may shoot too quickly and accidents will happen, but weapons would never have been invented in the first place if it were not for the need of self-defence. Guns should only be sold under strict permit and to mature law-abiding citizens.Perhaps a compromise to lethal firearms can be introduced, such as air-pistols, stun-guns, plastic bullets and so on? Anything as long as the weapon can be used to neutralise an aggressor.Like I said earlier, all human life is sacred and no right thinking person wishes to kill anyone, but a bedside lamp or a sweeping brush is no deterrent to a robber. However, don"t have a gun unless you are prepared to use it: in America many home owners are killed with their own gun because they balked at using it when confronted by an intruder: What would you do??Don"t forgetYou can"t direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails.