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Post by myshelly on Apr 29, 2016 20:47:48 GMT
unless your town is so small there isn't a police force - and the county has 3 cops on duty - to cover the entire county relying on law enforcement, for me, is unreliable at best I'd grab a shotgun and holler thru the door....if it's harmless they'll answer i'd look thru the window and if it's an intruder i'll shoot them thru the doorgina That'd probably be a bad idea since the prosecuting attorney could make the case that you had an escape route (if you do). I'm pretty sure in MO they have to be making an entry. Everyone should definitely know the laws of their own state. Here attempting entry is enough and I do not have to attempt to retreat.
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Post by Drew on Apr 29, 2016 20:54:29 GMT
Grab one of your assault rifles, scoot the kids out the way and shoot him through the door! What are you waiting for?! The non-American peas must be appalled. I'm American and I'm appalled.
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Belle
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Post by Belle on Apr 29, 2016 21:23:44 GMT
Interesting to read all the replies and I thank you all for leaving them! DH and I do not take stuff like this lightly. And, to be honest, that guy is lucky DH wasn't home. Our previous home was broken into about 15 years ago so we know it happens! We do have an alarm and used to have a German Shepherd who was an AWESOME barker!! The dog we have now is an awesome barker too but she is a Corgi/Cocker Spaniel mix so not exactly the same effect..... It does sound like it was a dumb, college-aged kid from what I gather. My neighbor called me after I called 911 and she said it was a friend of her DD's so I cut our conversation short so I could call the police back and not have them make an unnecessary trip out here. Neighbor has not contacted me since nor has the DD. I am guessing the neighbor is out of town and maybe that is why this individual felt he could just walk into her (my) home.
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freebird
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Post by freebird on Apr 29, 2016 21:35:13 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 21:37:42 GMT
If someone was to knock on my door right now I would know it was a neighbor, maintenance guy, or a retaliative or friend coming to visit because our apartment complex in gated and nobody can come through the gates unless they have a code or I let them in. But I still lock my doors. The one in my room going out to the patio is always locked It is easier to lock it every time we use it rather than trying to figure out if it is locked or not when we leave. I still look in and make sure it is locked before I leave. Your gated complex must be very different than the gated complex we lived in. People waited behind someone who had a code and followed them in all the time, both on foot and by vehicle. We ordered food delivery several times and not once did I have to let someone into the complex through the intercom system so I assume they also followed someone through the gate.
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Post by myshelly on Apr 29, 2016 21:39:52 GMT
Truth. You break into a house, you get shot.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 29, 2016 21:46:09 GMT
While not exactly the same, we did have someone come into our enclosed front porch at our old house once. It had a super rattly screen door, and we heard it open late one night so we went to peek out the window to see what was going on. It looked like a college aged kid (probably a girl) with a hoodie on and the hood up, just standing there looking out the screen door looking really cold.
It was winter and really cold that night. We lived within a few blocks of a college so it wasn't unusual for college kids to be roaming around at odd hours. The Christmas lights inside the porch were on, so I bet she was walking along somewhere and it looked like a warm, friendly place to stop for a bit and warm up. She didn't try the house door or anything, she just stood there inside the porch for a few minutes and then moved on. DH and I just stood there looking at each other wondering WTH? She didn't look threatening at all, didn't appear to be drunk or stoned or out of it so we really weren't sure what to do.
Unless we're right outside the door doing something or sitting out on our porch or deck, our doors are always closed and locked. We have big dogs and they go totally NUTS anytime anyone even walks PAST the house, and if someone (even someone we know) comes up the driveway the frenzy level goes from nuts to completely ballistic. I have to hold both of them back just to get the door open. They would easily bowl over anybody trying to come in.
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Post by KiwiJo on Apr 29, 2016 22:06:24 GMT
I'd grab a shotgun and holler thru the door....if it's harmless they'll answer i'd look thru the window and if it's an intruder i'll shoot them thru the door gina Let me ask you a question:- How would you feel, what would be your reaction if: - your child (no matter what age) became scared because he/she thought someone was following them. - they found their phone battery had run out - they decided to pretend they lived in the house they were approaching, hoping the follower would give up - they tried the front door, and found it was locked - they stood there a minute or two, trying to decide what to do, and becoming more and more scared - someone called out from inside the house, and now they are scared of the follower and the homeowner because they don't know them - the homeowner shoots them
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Post by myshelly on Apr 29, 2016 22:17:43 GMT
I'd grab a shotgun and holler thru the door....if it's harmless they'll answer i'd look thru the window and if it's an intruder i'll shoot them thru the door gina Let me ask you a question:- How would you feel, what would be your reaction if: - your child (no matter what age) became scared because he/she thought someone was following them. - they found their phone battery had run out - they decided to pretend they lived in the house they were approaching, hoping the follower would give up - they tried the front door, and found it was locked - they stood there a minute or two, trying to decide what to do, and becoming more and more scared - someone called out from inside the house, and now they are scared of the follower and the homeowner because they don't know them - the homeowner shoots them We can play a million what if situations. How would you feel if the person attempting to open the door is a serial killer? Here you teach your teenagers that they will get shot if they try to break into someone's house and trying to open someone else's door is attempting to break in.
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Deleted
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Sept 29, 2024 8:18:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 22:44:17 GMT
That's true - on the one hand, no I don't want to see anyone shot when they were just lost. On the other, most Americans know better - that if you end up inside someone's house without their permission, you might be shot. Scaring them in the process increases this chance.
This is 'murica! Don't most people know the risk of going into a stranger's house against their wishes? Really, I'm asking. I thought the danger of that was common knowledge.
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kate
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Post by kate on Apr 29, 2016 22:44:20 GMT
Cock a shotgun right inside the door so they could hear it. Or find a sound clip of that on my phone and play it with the volume all the way up. This assumes the person on the other side of the door could identify the sound as a shotgun.
I have only heard that on TV (and not often) - it wouldn't even be on my radar of things I could possibly be hearing.
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Post by myshelly on Apr 29, 2016 22:46:08 GMT
Cock a shotgun right inside the door so they could hear it. Or find a sound clip of that on my phone and play it with the volume all the way up. This assumes the person on the other side of the door could identify the sound as a shotgun.
I have only heard that on TV (and not often) - it wouldn't even be on my radar of things I could possibly be hearing.
It's a pretty unique/unmistakeable sound.
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Deleted
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Sept 29, 2024 8:18:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 22:47:06 GMT
Cock a shotgun right inside the door so they could hear it. Or find a sound clip of that on my phone and play it with the volume all the way up. That's why we have a shotgun, hearing that noise moves them along real quick. Plus within 2 minutes or less LEO would be here.
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Post by epeanymous on Apr 29, 2016 22:50:28 GMT
I would call 911 and tell the person through the door that I was doing so. I know this is true because I have done it. And the person was jiggling my door handle at around 8:00 in the evening (it was locked). They scooted off, and the very nice police officer who showed up very quickly afterwards looked around the neighborhood but did not find the person. Nothing ever came of it.
As I have posted, I am a former criminal defense attorney. The overwhelming majority of burglars are looking for an unoccupied house and scoot off as soon as they hear there is a person home. I have never been sorry that I don't own or use a gun, and I grew up in a house with guns.
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Post by epeanymous on Apr 29, 2016 22:55:01 GMT
I'm afraid that this thread is one of the classic ’shake your head and say "only in America" ' moments for me. All this talk of guns in the house is downright scary, as far as I am concerned; I don't know anyone who has a gun. If I heard someone trying to open my door, I would call out to ask who it is, and go to a window where I might be able to see them. If they didn't answer and went away, I would go around the house locking the doors, closing the windows, then get on with my day. If they continued to stand there I would open the door - no-one with nefarious intent is going to keep standing there - there must be some reason fr them to be there. Just FYI, while most of the people who are in shotgun mode may be Americans, I don't know that most Americans are in shotgun mode, KWIM? Most Americans don't own a gun. It's just that many Americans who do own guns are pretty enthusiastic about it.
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Post by myshelly on Apr 29, 2016 23:18:33 GMT
I'm afraid that this thread is one of the classic ’shake your head and say "only in America" ' moments for me. All this talk of guns in the house is downright scary, as far as I am concerned; I don't know anyone who has a gun. If I heard someone trying to open my door, I would call out to ask who it is, and go to a window where I might be able to see them. If they didn't answer and went away, I would go around the house locking the doors, closing the windows, then get on with my day. If they continued to stand there I would open the door - no-one with nefarious intent is going to keep standing there - there must be some reason fr them to be there. Just FYI, while most of the people who are in shotgun mode may be Americans, I don't know that most Americans are in shotgun mode, KWIM? Most Americans don't own a gun. It's just that many Americans who do own guns are pretty enthusiastic about it. I have to say that I'm not enthusiastic about guns. I'm not a member of the NRA. I believe in stricter gun controls. I believe in tougher background checks, limits on the amount and kinds of weapons you can buy, and limits on the amount and kinds of ammo you can buy. However, I also believe that you have an absolute, undeniable right to defend yourself, your family, and your property. I also believe it is wise to know the possible consequences of your actions and to teach your teenagers and young adults the possible consequences of their actions. Being killed by a gun is a definite possible consequence of breaking into a house. A consequence that, frankly, I think is deserved.
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georgiapea
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Post by georgiapea on Apr 29, 2016 23:28:26 GMT
My front door is all glass panels and I can see who is on my porch. The door is always double locked though and if I saw someone I didn't know, I'd answer with a large knife in my hand. We have no guns. We also live directly across from our county Sheriff's office and 911 facility. We're in a small town but I never leave my front door unlocked.
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Post by anniefb on Apr 29, 2016 23:50:04 GMT
Well if I thought someone was trying to break in (I keep the front door locked with a deadbolt) then I'd call the police. I did have some young guy banging on my door late one night because he mistook my house for my neighbours'. Gave me a terrible fright.
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Post by KiwiJo on Apr 30, 2016 0:25:55 GMT
Let me ask you a question:- How would you feel, what would be your reaction if: - your child (no matter what age) became scared because he/she thought someone was following them. - they found their phone battery had run out - they decided to pretend they lived in the house they were approaching, hoping the follower would give up - they tried the front door, and found it was locked - they stood there a minute or two, trying to decide what to do, and becoming more and more scared - someone called out from inside the house, and now they are scared of the follower and the homeowner because they don't know them - the homeowner shoots them We can play a million what if situations. How would you feel if the person attempting to open the door is a serial killer? Here you teach your teenagers that they will get shot if they try to break into someone's house and trying to open someone else's door is attempting to break in. This sure is an example of different cultures, isn't it?! I guess that if I lived somewhere that guns are common, I would teach my teenagers the same thing as you. I am just having trouble wrapping my mind around the whole thing; having a gun at home is such a foreign concept to me, let alone actually using one. Heck, I have even seen one in real life.
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Post by melanell on Apr 30, 2016 0:58:20 GMT
I just grew up in neighborhoods where most people, for the most part, did not lock their doors during daytime hours. And even when visiting friends or family in other neighborhoods or towns or states, they behaved the same way. People would be going in and out of the homes all of the time, especially in the homes with kids. During the summer, at my house, the front door, back door, and garage door would be unlocked and typically open most of the time. If you were going to someone's house, you'd knock on the screen door and wait for someone to yell for you to come in. And yes, they'd yell for you to come in before they even knew who it was sometimes. Even my grandfather, who would always remind us not to leave toys out on the front porch because someone might steal them, still left the front door unlocked. Now in some cases, they might leave one door locked and one unlocked, but they didn't keep all of the doors locked when they were home. And in most cases, now as an adult, many people I know still do the same thing. So that's normal to me. We don't live in an area that gets wicked hot and stays that way forever, like some do. So people aren't running central air all day everyday, so many people leave their doors open to let in a breeze. And I mean, yeah, you can go ahead and lock a screen door if you want, but it's fairly useless. Now, in our current home, we do lock our front door, because our set-up is such that there is no room from which you can see the front door, and we do not have a screen door in the front. But our back door does have a screen door and you can see it easily from the kitchen or living room, so during the nice weather we open it to let in the fresh air.
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Post by melanell on Apr 30, 2016 1:04:45 GMT
Now, my mom, grew up on a main road with a lot of businesses, and there was actually a bar across the street from her home. They did keep their doors locked all of the time. And her father did keep a gun in the home. He also owned it because he had a business that had been robbed a few times, and he walked from his business to their home with the cash each day, so he felt he needed the protection. In their case, they actually did used to have intoxicated people trying to enter their home more than once. yipes! But after my parents married and my mom was the middle of small town suburbia, she eventually developed new door locking habits. When I was very small, she only left the back door open. (That was another house where you couldn't really see the front door from anywhere.) I remember going out the front door to walk to school each day, but when I returned I always entered through the back door since it would be unlocked. But the next house had very visible doors and was in a more densely populated neighborhood and it was a free-for-all in terms of the doors. My dad had a few guns, but except for when he was heading out with a rifle to hunt, I never once saw him get a gun out for any reason ever. I've never even seen anything but his hunting rifles. He keeps whatever other one(s) he has so locked up and hidden that in 40+ years I have never set eyes on it/them.
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ginacivey
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refupea #2 in southeast missouri
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Post by ginacivey on Apr 30, 2016 1:06:40 GMT
unless your town is so small there isn't a police force - and the county has 3 cops on duty - to cover the entire county relying on law enforcement, for me, is unreliable at best I'd grab a shotgun and holler thru the door....if it's harmless they'll answer i'd look thru the window and if it's an intruder i'll shoot them thru the door gina There's no need to shoot someone standing outside.my scenario is if they are attempting to enter my home - missouri does not have the 'attempt to retreat' cause in the castle doctrine missouri law
i am not an idiot - i am not going to shoot someone i know - it's pretty damn rare to have someone you know attempting to unlawfully enter a home people around here know better than to rattle a door handle and try to get in someone's house you can come up with strange situations all you want i will still react the same way - if it's a kid scared -they will see me when i see them first and foremost - my family then, who ever is at the door we just had this happen in my little town - druggie thugs tried to break into someone's house - 2pm - broad daylight the old man living there shot him right thru the window - left him lying on the porch - the others took off no charges - the old man hollered and they didn't leave the porch - so he protected himself with a bullet thru the head i answered the question asked - i didn't ask for anyone's approval - if you are worried - don't try to get in my door! (and for those worried about where i store my guns - the shotgun is loaded in my room - my children are grown - all weapons are either in the safe in the garage or in my room - with the door locked when company is over) gina
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Apr 30, 2016 1:15:21 GMT
I'm in Texas. A news channel asked this question on Tuesday and the gun was every single person's answer. I'm not even a big gun person and it seems like a good answer to me. Mental note, never go to Texas. That's not a good answer to me, that's an outrageous, over the top, dangerous idea. I agree. I think what bothers me most is the nonchalant way in which everyone who say they would do this actually believes they would be able to shoot another human being. It just rarely plays out that way. The reality of shooting a human being to kill them is not likely to happen. You are more likely to have someone who IS willing to shoot people disarm and shoot you in the moment of hesitation that any sane person would have when faced with the reality of killing a person. Jesus christ. It's called a security company and 911.
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Apr 30, 2016 1:16:47 GMT
I'd grab a shotgun and holler thru the door....if it's harmless they'll answer i'd look thru the window and if it's an intruder i'll shoot them thru the door gina Let me ask you a question:- How would you feel, what would be your reaction if: - your child (no matter what age) became scared because he/she thought someone was following them. - they found their phone battery had run out - they decided to pretend they lived in the house they were approaching, hoping the follower would give up - they tried the front door, and found it was locked - they stood there a minute or two, trying to decide what to do, and becoming more and more scared - someone called out from inside the house, and now they are scared of the follower and the homeowner because they don't know them - the homeowner shoots them All excellent, rational points.
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raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by raindancer on Apr 30, 2016 1:19:37 GMT
Just FYI, while most of the people who are in shotgun mode may be Americans, I don't know that most Americans are in shotgun mode, KWIM? Most Americans don't own a gun. It's just that many Americans who do own guns are pretty enthusiastic about it. I have to say that I'm not enthusiastic about guns. I'm not a member of the NRA. I believe in stricter gun controls. I believe in tougher background checks, limits on the amount and kinds of weapons you can buy, and limits on the amount and kinds of ammo you can buy. However, I also believe that you have an absolute, undeniable right to defend yourself, your family, and your property. I also believe it is wise to know the possible consequences of your actions and to teach your teenagers and young adults the possible consequences of their actions. Being killed by a gun is a definite possible consequence of breaking into a house. A consequence that, frankly, I think is deserved. yourself and family, yes. I can agree. Your property? I don't think anyone should be killed over property. I cannot think of one single thing I own in which if lost, I would think the appropriate response was to kill them for it. Literally KILL them. Which is what is being proposed here.
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Post by gryroagain on Apr 30, 2016 1:20:06 GMT
I'm American and it is my number one pet peeve living in Korea that I must keep the doors locked obsessively while home because people just walk on in without knocking. All the time! Repair people, neighbors, people who think they are at a house they aren't, the girls Korean tutor- they have all just opened the door and walked in. And not the gate in the yard only, the actual door to our house in the garage (front door has a code). My biggest issue with it is safety, but THEIR safety- my dog does not like strangers in the house. We are working with him but he is old, a breed that has a strong protection instinct and frankly it's to be expected a dog will protect it's home. My dog is gigantic though and I truly worry some moron is going to just walk right in and get bitten. Thus far, everyone has stopped at the landing when faced with the dog at the bottom of the stairs, and he has not charged up the stairs, just watched them, but I shudder to think what he wou,d do if they kept on walking into the house. I was napping one day and this happened! Scared the crap out of me, and made me really angry someone just walked into my house.
If we were in the us I know it would be their own damn fault for being stupid, but here it would be my fault and the dogs, even though it is MY house (and my dogs!). My husband cannot get out of the mindset that the people who walk in are wrong and taking a risk, not our problem, so I worry when I'm gone because he doesn't lock the doors when home like I do.
I've never owned a gun, but I do think if you walk in uninvited it is to be expected something really bad could happen- get shot, police called, get bit by a dog. That is (or should be) a dangerous thing to do. I think the "home is your castle" concept is more of an American concept though.
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Post by Zee on Apr 30, 2016 1:21:26 GMT
I'm so bored I'd probably ask him to join me in the garage for a beer!
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ginacivey
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Post by ginacivey on Apr 30, 2016 1:35:18 GMT
i have a security company
and no local police force
at any one time 3 sheriff's deputies are on duty in my county
they cover 762 square miles (i just looked it up)
how reliable can that be? seriously?
have you considered that not everyone lives like you do?
i can't call 911 and know they'll be there lickty split
what would you, realistically, expect me to do?
instead of scenarios - tell me what you would do, living where i do
i am not a rapid NRA gun enthusiast
i have a CCW and rarely carry a weapon
i am not some uneducated hillbilly that y'all like to make fun of
i am truly curious as to how you'd expect me to act
ETA - i would not shoot someone to protect my property - only the safety of myself and my family
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Post by myshelly on Apr 30, 2016 1:35:29 GMT
I have to say that I'm not enthusiastic about guns. I'm not a member of the NRA. I believe in stricter gun controls. I believe in tougher background checks, limits on the amount and kinds of weapons you can buy, and limits on the amount and kinds of ammo you can buy. However, I also believe that you have an absolute, undeniable right to defend yourself, your family, and your property. I also believe it is wise to know the possible consequences of your actions and to teach your teenagers and young adults the possible consequences of their actions. Being killed by a gun is a definite possible consequence of breaking into a house. A consequence that, frankly, I think is deserved. yourself and family, yes. I can agree. Your property? I don't think anyone should be killed over property. I cannot think of one single thing I own in which if lost, I would think the appropriate response was to kill them for it. Literally KILL them. Which is what is being proposed here. It's what the law is in my state - that you can kill to protect your property. But in any case I also disagree with you. If someone breaks into your house while you are home that IS a threat to your life.
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Apr 30, 2016 2:12:27 GMT
yourself and family, yes. I can agree. Your property? I don't think anyone should be killed over property. I cannot think of one single thing I own in which if lost, I would think the appropriate response was to kill them for it. Literally KILL them. Which is what is being proposed here. It's what the law is in my state - that you can kill to protect your property. But in any case I also disagree with you. If someone breaks into your house while you are home that IS a threat to your life. Not always.
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