By
Wiley Vaughn
Look at this photograph. Look beyond the pistol and see the man instead. I am 56 years old. Though I'd like to think I'm as strong as I ever was, nature tells me this is not so. I cannot compete one-on-one with younger men in running, feats of strength or, though I am a peaceable man, fighting. My home and business have been burglarized. Though one burglar was caught and convicted, I've seen only a few hundred dollars of the ...
more By
Wiley Vaughn
Look at this photograph. Look beyond the pistol and see the man instead. I am 56 years old. Though I'd like to think I'm as strong as I ever was, nature tells me this is not so. I cannot compete one-on-one with younger men in running, feats of strength or, though I am a peaceable man, fighting. My home and business have been burglarized. Though one burglar was caught and convicted, I've seen only a few hundred dollars of the $13,000 he owes in restitution. He plays the court system and freely continues his criminal career.
Had I been at home and unarmed when this evil young man and his hooligans broke in, I could have been killed along with my wife, son and daughter. Still, much property was destroyed and thousands of dollars worth of goods stolen. He and his thieving friends remain free. The law has completely failed me.
For protection, I keep the Glock Model 32C handy. While 10 rounds of .357 Sig ammunition are not as effective as Bruce Willis and a bazooka, it will do until I get something better. I don't want to kill anyone, but I don't want to be a victim, either. Perhaps Louis L'Amour said it best in his book, "The Cherokee Trail": "If you want to be civilized, ma'am, you're going to have to fight to protect it, or all the civilized will be dead, and we will be back in the darkness of savagery."
less 
Photo By Wiley Vaughn/Yahoo! Contributor Network Wed, Feb 20, 2013 3:00 PM EST