[August]

The thing you have to remember about robbers is that they are opportunists and will naturally gravitate toward the easier pickings. IE: An unoccupied home is easier to rob than an occupied one and, in unexpected encounters, an unarmed victim is easier to deal with (dispose of) than an armed one. In those situations the mere presence of a gun in a homeowners hands or that unmistakeable sound of a .12 gage pump being operated and the gruff "who's there?" sounding from somewhere upstairs, can be enough to defuse the situation before it comes to violence. The robber just beats a hasty exit for easier pickings.

The Criminal that enters a home he knows to be occupied is a different story. He has a plan to deal with (or dispose of) those he expects to find there. While having a gun in that situation is certainly no guarentee of safety it can give the victim a chance at survival. On the other side of the coin however the unarmed victim has absolutely no chance of preventing the criminal from doing whatever he wants to do so it's a case of betting your life and your families lives that he won't slit everyones throats to eliminate witnesses.