Eric Hvolboll’s article on his family’s stand against the panga boat invasion was fascinating, both for its historical perspective as regards smuggling, and for the disturbing naïveté of the family’s decision to defend themselves with a .410 shotgun, which they chose to train on at 4 a.m., in their moment of danger. In America’s love affair with the gun, we must never forget that firearms are not toys.
As we are constantly reminded, it is our inalienable right to have and hold firearms. What annoys me is the lack of training, and poor choice of home-defense tool. Killing rattlers in the yard is not the same as stopping a human who is coming through your front door bent on causing you harm. The ranch manager’s choice of a loaded .45 on his kitchen table, with its famous stopping power, was a good way to go. I’d like to suggest that the owners of the .410 do some research into weapons, take a shooting course that includes a stress element, run scenarios through their minds of truly being able to shoot someone, with something more powerful than their snake gun, and practice; then practice some more.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t have defended themselves. I’m saying that next time, they should be prepared to do it right. –