A sheriff says a North Carolina state senator shot one of two intruders at his home and hospital officials say the man is in fair condition.

Multiple media outlets reported that Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said that 74-year-old Sen. R.C. Soles of Tabor City shot Kyle Blackburn late Sunday afternoon.

A spokeswoman at Loris Community Hospital in South Carolina said Monday that Blackburn was in fair condition.

Batten says the shooting occurred when two men went to the senator's house and tried to kick in his front door. No charges have been filed.

The sheriff's office said the State Bureau of Investigation was handling the case. A call to an agency spokeswoman was not immediately returned. There was no answer at a number listed for Soles' home.

The Democrat has been in the Senate 32 years.

Associated Press

It is just not a good climate to break into someone's house...

It is against the law to shoot someone here, or to posess a weapon (they have preventative screenings in the street to keep us safe- no guns or knives or anything allowed), so I would call the cops. But well, the cops would be here in 5 minutes as I have two police stations around the corner. That's a very different situation, and I don't know what I would do in yours. Buy a gun probably.

I really think a huge gap is becoming visible between the US and continental Europe. As I wrote on the library post we pay very high taxes (unacceptable for american standards), but the reward is a relatively well-organized public sector that covers everyone. Everyone has health insurance, everyone who doesn't have a job has benefits of some kind (not always high, but always enough to pay the rent and food), and the police are relatively well-staffed (though some would disagree on this). In other words, it's 'social democracy', in which the state is the care-taker when individuals can't cope. 

What we sorely miss here is the American 'can do' mentality- it's a side-effect of high levels of state-intervention. People tend to think it's their right to be cared for, always. It doesn't always bring out the best in people! That said, I am very grateful that the public sector has enough resources to keep people out of poverty, to keep libraries staffed, to keep prisoners inside prisons, and to have enough police coverage so that we don't have to arm ourselves.

I had an American lover at one point, a democrat politician even, and I mentioned to him that I don't mind paying high taxes if it pays for other people's education or healthcare. It's for the good of all. He just looked at me as if he saw water on fire. It's a whole different mind-set.

I can't answer this poll. If I thought I could incapacitate a burglar, I might hit him over the head with a bat (we have one next to our bed) but more than likely I would hide and call 911.

I've already dealt with people partying on our street late at night by going out and asking them to leave, so I am not as timid as some are in my age and sex group.

81-year-old man shoots Escambia County masked home invader to death

http://blog.al.com/live/2009/10/81-year-old_man_shoots_home_in.html

Police: 70-year-old Woman Shoots, Kills Armed Intruder in Motel Room

http://www.fox8.com/news/sns-ap-ohiomotelshooting,0,845237.story

Wow!  The only thing I have next to my bed is a long, black Mag-Lite, but I'd rather not have to get that close to somebody.  Illegal to have a gun here and I do have a small, curious child in the house.  But if I could, I think I'd incapacitate them first.  Hmm. 

 Thanks for the links, Jilly.

Europe here:

I would cooperate

By the way, as child I had a recurrent dream:

Tiefs would breake in to my house, whose door lock I could not close:

as they get in I figure the best and safest way to deal with them is to be nice and  offer them my nice blankets (as if that was what they were after)

I'm sooo libra

Jessica, if someone breaks in you some out swinging. Hit them immediately as hard as you can. Don't raise the thing and threaten them or warn them or you will lose the only advantage you have.

A shotgun is nice. You don't have to aim, and if the person is killed by the blast they were too close to you for comfort. I'd never want to kill a person, I'm the ultimate laid back chicken girl. But if it comes down to them or me - and I have a choice - it's gonna be me.

Wooden baseball bat. I don't have a gun.

I'm in a new, secure building with a doorman, so it's unlikely. Unless one of my neighbors goes batshit. You never know....

Thank you, Elsa!!!! Makes sense, that any hesitation would be taken as an indication that you won't actually hit.

Has anyone ever taken a self-defense course and had good results?  It's not that I really want to learn how to save myself from a mugger - I'm skeptical of my odds once actually "caught."  What I want is to learn basic facts about combat, i.e. hitting first and hitting hardest, or whatever you can do to prevent any kind of fight-back (other than shooting them, but as above, need alternatives.)  Anyone?

Jessica, I have taken one and they definitely are worth the time and trouble.  Just going through something like that will lower your odds of being attacked.

Do you know they have shown film to rapists in prison of of people just walking in the city asking them, "who would you target?"

They all pick the same one! It's the gal with her head down who looks like she won't fight. These bastards don't want trouble / to get hurt, they want to HURT YOU. This is why if you attack them (with vengeance, full out) you are liable to prevail and if you don't... well you're risking your life as far as I am concerned, Your very life and your psychic life.

Women who think they will co-operate with a rapist are taking a hell of chance.  Like everything else, "rape" has escalated along with sex that used to  be 'fringe: is now mainstream.  You think the guy is going to just rape you but then he starts beating you to death in the middle of the rape. Er...

 I have learned from the soldier that everyone fights back eventually but typically wait until it is too late.

Some people will read that and understand it and it is for their benefit I write it.  It you have a bat and someone is in your house, swing that fucker and think about it later because if you get this backwards... well why should you get raped anyway, hmm?

Elsa, I really like that reasoning.  Thank you.  Internalized, I think that could be really life-saving in a pinch.

Jessica, next time you watch a horror movie or the like, ask yourself what would have happened if the woman had aggressivy defended herself? That is what this thread is about. "I am coming in your house / business to do you harm."

NO YOU'RE NOT.

Bang.

five minutes can be waaaaaay too long, often enough, to wait for help.

If someone enters my house uninvited, as in, they break in, then I must assume they are up to no good. Why else would they be sneaking into my house without my knowledge?

I'd defend myself. Doesn't matter where I'm at, try to fuck my shit up and you'll soon find out why you shouldn't have... sez my +

anyone remember journalist Carl Rowen?  big advocate of gun control who shot an intruder?  the gun wasn't registered to him; if I remember correctly his son was FBI and gave him the gun.

I read his autobiography in the nineties.  he was a good writer and I think a good man. 

I met him one time Satori. Nice man.

how cool, Jilly!  that book of his was fabulous... I would have LOVED to have met him.

You come into my house i will call the cops ...

While the gun i shot you with is still warm.

My dad told me the other day "when you come to visit I take the gun out of the fridge because I don't want to freak you out." Heh.

I have two teenaged sons who collect and practice, with knives and katanas. In the event of a home invasion, limbs and blood would be lost, definitely. No gun required.

we're a nerd household: we have swords.  I used to have a baseball bat but the police kept it as evidence when that guy kicked in my door and tried to stab me.

I watch Deadliest Warrior.  I like my chances. 

I have a bat, a handgun and a surgical steel hammer made for crushing bones.  Because I live out in the boonies. I'd have to run a couple acres just to get help. 

If someone's breaking in, they're gonna be seriously harmed.  No one enters a house in the middle of the night without knocking unless they're up to no good.  And I'm tired of being a fucking victim.

The only thing that hurts in that scenario is that harming someone hurts me too.  Too bad it can't be one sided.

I was taught that if someone breaks into my house to assume they will do me harm. I am pretty sure that I would be too afraid to call the cops while they were in my house in fear of giving up my position, and I wouldn't want them to hear my voice (female) and have that knowledge. I was told if I had no escape route to turn off lights and wait for them to make their way to me so that I could hear their position if not see it as well without giving up mine. When they are in range, shoot them. If you have locked yourself in a room and they are breaking in, shoot through the door.

It scares me. What if they kill me? What if I lived and had to endure physical/emotional trauma for the rest of my life??

What was their plan if they found anyone inside? In other words, what was their plan for you? They are taking a risk breaking in. They knew the possible consequences and took them. Sorry, but fuck them.

Bang bang Brizo's silver hammer came down upon his head .....

ETA Satori's nerd house hold comment reminded me of this:  when the Chilean used to live here, he had one of his dwarven-style battle axes (a real one, yo) that we mounted inside the door where most people would put their key hooks.

I live in a hotel-style apartment building, with an inner courtyard.  All of the apartment doors face the hallway, and since I'm on the 3rd floor with all my windows on the courtyard side it's the only reasonable point of entry.  Nobody was comin' in that door uninvited without meeting steel.

I've been ready for a home invasion for more than a decade:

1st line of defense: baseball bat, if there's room to swing it.

2nd line of defense:  two cavalry swords, and if I can't swing 'em I can sure as hell thrust 'em real hard!

3rd line of defense (my personal favorite): a shiny, beautiful Bowie knife.

Bring it! 

Please--somebody tell me what ETA means.  As much as I use my imagination, I just can't come up with anything besides 'estimated time of arrival.'  Sheesh.

I believe it's Edited To Add?  Could be mistaken, though... 

Oh, okay, that makes sense.  Thanks Nutsy!