I received hundreds of emails about the teleseminar we offered with Jeff Anderson on Home Invasion.

One in particular, from Veronica in Latin America, really got me thinking and I wanted to share it with you…

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Hello,

I enjoyed your teleseminar, but as someone who lives in Latin America, I was a bit astonished by a lot of it.

There is nowhere near the degree of violence where I live as there seems to be in the States, although there is a lot of petty crime in some areas, and some housebreaking in the poorer districts.  Most homes are not easily broken into in the first place.

All windows have iron bars. All exterior doors have an iron gate in front, which has to be unlocked first. All houses are surrounded by walls, often with razor/electric wire on top of the wall, and there is ironwork on top of the wall in any case, which makes jumping the wall very difficult, and would make an escape very difficult as well. In addition, most houses also have a dog or two.  So to enter a middle class home, let alone a rich home, you would have to be a real ninja type. It’s just not worth it. This is probably why kidnapping is the easier route for the determined criminal,  or simple armed assault while in a parking lot, etc.

Very rich people, of course, have body guards. Others simply use common sense and avoid dangerous situations to the extent possible–assuming such risks are in the area, which is quite rare. Also, traveling in groups helps a lot. Such problems are rare in any case, except perhaps for the really big cities, such as Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Caracas, and the like. Where I live, a child can walk to school and back with no problems. I agree with the man who suggested moving if it really is too dangerous.

In any case, I find it really amazing that one would not take the sort of construction-level precautions I’ve mentioned, yet have guns in every room, in a pajama pocket (!), and the like. I couldn’t and wouldn’t live that way. There’s no way I would live in a place where there was a real possibility of the sort of violence your audience sometimes described.

Sincerely,

Veronica

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First, my thanks to Veronica for sharing her comments.

As you read them, you understand the essence of what it means to have a truly international client base.

Now I’m sure a lot of gun owners may have bristled at Veronica’s view on guns in the house. But remember we view life from the perspective we culturally grew up with as kids.

For you gun owners in the US who feel it’s prudent and fine to own guns and use them as a self defense option, let me ask you these questions:

  • How many of you have walls around your house, rimmed with broken glass and razor or electrified wire?
  • How many of you have metal bars on all your windows?
  • How many of you have steel barrier doors?
  • How many of you have attack dogs roaming your property?

And last question…

  • How many of you think some or all of the above options are extreme?

I mean, imagine what the neighbors would think of those unsightly metal bars?

And there’s no way your CCR’s would let you build a high wall with broken glass on top, let alone razor/electrified wire!

Attack dogs? Geez, your homeowner’s policy would be canceled in a second! Imagine the liability!

To us, all this seems a bit extreme. It’s much easier to just “have my guns.”

Of course, from Veronica’s perspective (and many of my other clients outside the US) all of the above measures are completely prudent.

As she pointed out, criminals in her country have been forced to alter their choice of crime since home invasion barriers there are so extensive. To these clients the idea of having few, if any, of the above barriers would be unthinkable. To them it seems that many of us here in the US have an over reliance on guns for home defense.

The reality is that we all (law abiding citizens worldwide) protect ourselves with measures that are legally and culturally acceptable in our communities. What may seem extreme in one part of the world is often quite prudent in another.

I took the time to post Veronica’s email to remind everyone in the TFT community that we are part of an international group. As such, we need to view our home protection measures from within the legal and cultural aspects of our unique home communities.

What methods you employ may or may not be available to others.

So, as we continue this discussion about preventing home invasions, please remember it’s a big world, and practices are going to vary.

Which is why with TFT, I  focus on giving you principles that universally work for your self defense needs… while letting you apply the specific methods that are congruent with your locale.

-Tim Larkin

PS. Some of you may have missed my note about Jeff Anderson personally joining us on a second, private home invasion teleconference call for TFT clients only. This call will be available to anyone who gets his Home Invasion program by Monday. As I mentioned, at $47 you can hardly go wrong. And something I forgot to tell you, not only is the program instantly available for download, Jeff’s also going to the expense of physically mailing you the actual printed version of his book as well as the CDs of all the audio. So you’re covered whether you prefer the hard copy or online download.

Once you get your email receipt just go here and enter the order ID number, and we’ll send you info on the call date as soon as it’s available. And yes, we’ll record it and make the MP3 available if you can’t make the call.

PPS. Be watching tomorrow for Part 2 of Chris’ Self Defense Against Multiple Attackers post.

ddd

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