Maybe some people are just more comfortable due to certain events (the fact that your father is ex-military) and don't see someone knocking at the door in the night as a huge threat. And I'm saying this not knowing what he did in while in the military, but everyone perceives threats differently. I think it's awesome that he decided to keep his HD firearm loaded and at the ready.
I personally am much more wary of humans than I was a year ago. This is due to having spent much time camping in places where there are few people. When I got home and was in a different environment than I became used to, I began to realize that people are much more unpredictable than any wild, non-rabid animal. I can camp in a place where there is a high bear population and be totally comfortable, because I know what they want in my campsite, food. And can take precautions to prevent them from coming near me. So now I always have a pistol, magazine loaded, chamber empty in a safe under my bed. There are small children in the house, which makes a small safe a necessity, God forbid one of them found it if I just kept it stuck under my mattress. But it is always at the ready, even though I, and my parents will most likely never have to use it. But it's there, and I have earned a distinguished expert qualification in pistol from the NRA, so I don't have to worry about whether I would be able to hit my intended target.
