About a year ago, someone burned down my parents’ house around 3 AM. The fire department confirmed it was arson because fire accelerants were found, but nobody has been caught. Their house has been rebuilt, and they’ve moved back in. My mom (58) is strongly anti-gun and thinks a simple RING doorbell is enough to prevent another incident. I love my parents, but I think they’re being naive. They don’t seem to understand why having a gun in the house could help or how a RING doorbell isn’t a real deterrent.
I was in the Army, so they think I’m overreacting, and my mom says things like, “This isn’t the military; we don’t need weapons of war in this house.” Do you have any suggestions for alternative home defense methods I can recommend? Or ways I can explain why the police might not be enough if someone breaks in again?
TL;DR: Parents’ house was burned down by an arsonist. They’ve rebuilt it but won’t consider proper home defense. Looking for suggestions or ways to convince them.
Get them fire extinguishers. They’re not just for fires—they have decent range to spray someone in the face, and they’re heavy enough to hit someone if necessary. They’re practical, don’t draw the attention guns do, and should be in every home anyway.
Sloane said: @Lorin
Why stop there? If they don’t need guns because they have the police, why do they need fire extinguishers when there’s a fire department?
Sloane said: @Lorin
Why stop there? If they don’t need guns because they have the police, why do they need fire extinguishers when there’s a fire department?
People who don’t want guns shouldn’t have guns. They’re unlikely to train or use them responsibly and might just leave them sitting in a drawer where they could be stolen. Fire extinguishers and an alarm system would be better.
@Lane
I agree in general, but I should have mentioned that my dad is a good shooter and knows gun safety. My mom just won’t let him have one in the house.
Beck said: @Lane
I agree in general, but I should have mentioned that my dad is a good shooter and knows gun safety. My mom just won’t let him have one in the house.
Sounds like he needs to get one and just not tell her or stand his ground on this.
Beck said: @Lane
I agree in general, but I should have mentioned that my dad is a good shooter and knows gun safety. My mom just won’t let him have one in the house.
If they’ve been married this long, maybe it’s time he says, “This is happening, and you’ll have to deal with it.” Relationships are about compromise, and it sounds like he’s been compromising for decades.
Whit said:
Upgrade their alarm system, add sprinklers, extra smoke alarms, and cameras covering the entire property. Don’t forget a landline for backup.
The gun debate aside, the bigger issue is someone intentionally targeting their home. That’s essentially attempted murder. I’d focus on setting up outdoor cameras with continuous cloud recording and upgrading door locks with reinforced strike plates and 3" screws. It’s about making the house harder to target.