elChupacabra!
member
- Joined
- May 29, 2008
- Messages
- 562
Last night I had one of the worst dreams I've had in a long time.
In the dream, I was at home, hanging out with our neighbors and my wife. I had 2 or 3 beers, not enough to get me messy but we were enjoying ourselves and having a good time, and we were safe where we lived, not driving anywhere.
This guy who I knew from high school (random, right?) came in and started acting rowdy. He said he was going to shoot us, and I started taking him seriously - nothing will kill a buzz faster than a death threat. He left, and I started to get nervous. By the time he got back inside from his car with a rifle, I knew it was about to hit the fan - I had retrieved my HK P2000, and when he pointed the rifle at my wife, I shot him (and it was an even worse dream because I couldn't obtain a good Isosceles stance, couldn't push the gun out in front of me, my whole position was all weak and unsure and when I pressed the trigger it felt like it took forever for the gun to go off and I didn't know if I even hit him... I HATE dreams like that). I shot him 3 times and he went down. We called the police, told them what had happened, we were all so scared. He was definately dead.
I live in Tennessee, which is, fortunately, a Castle Doctrine state. So even though I was very badly shaken, I knew it would be ok because he invaded our home with a weapon, there were plenty of witnesses, it was cut and dry - until the officer saw the empty beer cans and realized that I had been drinking. The officer told me that, since I had been drinking (and even though I wasn't acting under the influence of alcohol, wasn't intoxicated, probably wasn't even a .08), I was under arrest and wasn't protected by the Castle Doctrine's laws on self defense in the home. I was taken away in cuffs and knew I was in deep trouble.
I woke up with the worst feeling you can imagine, and the worst part is, it made me wonder... what if that actually happened? How would the law look at someone righteously defending their lives if they had been drinking? Sometimes I do enjoy a couple beers or glasses of wine, though NEVER when I'm around ANY guns for ANY reason, and I NEVER drive afterwards... so it's legal and safe for me to do so, but what if I had to defend my home afterwards? I've never considered that before... what would happen? How would the law and courts look at someone in that situation?
Now, I DO NOT want this to come across as "Hey guys is it ok to drink and shoot?" because I am so firmly at the other end of the spectrum - I am always STONE COLD SOBER ANYTIME I touch a firearm, even to clean it, period, period, period. PLEASE don't come back and say "never drink and shoot, you're an irresponsible idiot" or anything like that because that's NOT what I'm advocating. I'm merely asking, if someone is lawfully enjoying alcoholic beverages in moderation in the safety of their own home, and had to legitimately use a firearm to defend said home, what would happen?
Thanks for your perspectives. I'm really interested in this one. That dream really shook me up.
In the dream, I was at home, hanging out with our neighbors and my wife. I had 2 or 3 beers, not enough to get me messy but we were enjoying ourselves and having a good time, and we were safe where we lived, not driving anywhere.
This guy who I knew from high school (random, right?) came in and started acting rowdy. He said he was going to shoot us, and I started taking him seriously - nothing will kill a buzz faster than a death threat. He left, and I started to get nervous. By the time he got back inside from his car with a rifle, I knew it was about to hit the fan - I had retrieved my HK P2000, and when he pointed the rifle at my wife, I shot him (and it was an even worse dream because I couldn't obtain a good Isosceles stance, couldn't push the gun out in front of me, my whole position was all weak and unsure and when I pressed the trigger it felt like it took forever for the gun to go off and I didn't know if I even hit him... I HATE dreams like that). I shot him 3 times and he went down. We called the police, told them what had happened, we were all so scared. He was definately dead.
I live in Tennessee, which is, fortunately, a Castle Doctrine state. So even though I was very badly shaken, I knew it would be ok because he invaded our home with a weapon, there were plenty of witnesses, it was cut and dry - until the officer saw the empty beer cans and realized that I had been drinking. The officer told me that, since I had been drinking (and even though I wasn't acting under the influence of alcohol, wasn't intoxicated, probably wasn't even a .08), I was under arrest and wasn't protected by the Castle Doctrine's laws on self defense in the home. I was taken away in cuffs and knew I was in deep trouble.
I woke up with the worst feeling you can imagine, and the worst part is, it made me wonder... what if that actually happened? How would the law look at someone righteously defending their lives if they had been drinking? Sometimes I do enjoy a couple beers or glasses of wine, though NEVER when I'm around ANY guns for ANY reason, and I NEVER drive afterwards... so it's legal and safe for me to do so, but what if I had to defend my home afterwards? I've never considered that before... what would happen? How would the law and courts look at someone in that situation?
Now, I DO NOT want this to come across as "Hey guys is it ok to drink and shoot?" because I am so firmly at the other end of the spectrum - I am always STONE COLD SOBER ANYTIME I touch a firearm, even to clean it, period, period, period. PLEASE don't come back and say "never drink and shoot, you're an irresponsible idiot" or anything like that because that's NOT what I'm advocating. I'm merely asking, if someone is lawfully enjoying alcoholic beverages in moderation in the safety of their own home, and had to legitimately use a firearm to defend said home, what would happen?
Thanks for your perspectives. I'm really interested in this one. That dream really shook me up.