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.