Options for protection

The nice Jan. 3 story about Spokane Police Officer Traci Ponto helping a Spokane gun owner, and the tragic story of a young Idaho woman killed by her 2-year-old both raise important questions about guns. I know some obnoxiously vocal folks either can’t stand guns or can’t stand implied criticism of some gun owners, but most Americans fall rationally between those extremes.

I don’t fault the homeowner for having a gun, assuming she knows how to use (and store) the weapon, and is fully willing to kill an intruder. If she isn’t trained, or if she hesitates, she or another innocent is more likely than an intruder to be shot.

In addition, though a shotgun isn’t as glamorous as a handgun, it is better for home protection: easier to aim and shoot but less likely to kill someone in another room or outside the house. Still, unless the homeowner is willing to kill someone, a dog is a better means of home defense.

For self-protection outside the home, pepper spray is better than a handgun for most people. It won’t fulfill gun-slinging fantasies, but it will stop bad guys and won’t kill children, or let toddlers kill their mothers.

James McPherson

Spokane