Sometimes people tell me that I don’t need a gun. That if something bad happens, I can just call the police. But the police have no duty to protect you, and even if they want to, they often cannot.

When you call the police in an emergency, how long will it take until they arrive? Unless you live inside a police station, you would be very lucky if they arrived in less than five minutes. When staff from Sandy Hook Elementary School called police to report a shooter in the school, it took police 20 minutes to arrive. That’s for a school shooting! And following a major natural disaster, they may never respond to your call.

When you call the police, they are under no obligation to protect you. If there’s a patrol car nearby, and they aren’t busy with something of equal or higher priority, you may get a police officer in a few minutes. Or, if it’s a busy night or you’re unlucky, then they might not arrive for a very long time.

When seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

Imagine the following scenario. You’re relaxing at home; the kids are asleep in the next room. Suddenly someone smashes a windowpane and starts to break into your home. What are your options? Would you like to protect yourself right now, or in half an hour? Try and reason with the home invader?

Home invasions and other attacks happen more commonly than you may think. Denying someone the right to defend themselves is criminal.