Majority of Americans believe that owning a gun increases safety, a majority of the facts say that is bullshit.

Courtesy of Vox:

Does gun ownership make you safer? 

If you ask the general public, most Americans say it does. According to a new poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, 58 percent of Americans agree with the statement that “[g]un ownership does more to increase safety by allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves.” In comparison, 38 percent agree with the statement that “[g]un ownership does more to reduce safety by giving too many people access to firearms and increasing the chances for accidental misuse.” 

This is a shift from 1999, when 41 percent of Americans agreed with the first statement and 52 percent with the second. 

But if you look at the research, it seems the majority from 1999 had the right idea: Gun ownership decreases safety — on both an individual and collective level. 

Individually, several studies have found that the presence of a gun in a home elevates the risk of death. A 2014 review of the research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, for instance, found that access to firearms was associated with a doubled risk for homicide and a tripled risk for suicide. A 2017 piece by Melinda Wenner Moyer in Scientific American also ran through the evidence, concluding that gun ownership was associated with a higher risk of homicide, suicide, and accidental shootings.

These facts need to be broadcast far and wide to counter the argument from the NRA and gun nuts who seem to think that banning military assault weapons would somehow render them impotent. 

The truth is that if they need a gun to make them feel safe, or like they are a real man, then they are already impotent.

Donald Trump's nominee for Education Secretary cites grizzly bears as reason for guns in schools.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump's education secretary nominee, said it should be up to states whether guns are allowed in schools, citing grizzly bear protection as part of her answer. 

She also said she would support Trump if he moved to ban gun-free schools zones, a position he advocated on the campaign trail. 

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, who represents Sandy Hook, the site of the 2012 school shooting, asked DeVos if she believes guns have "any place in and around schools." 

"I think that is best left to locales and states to decide," she said. 

After Murphy pushed DeVos about why she can't say definitively whether they belong, DeVos brought up a story Sen. Mike Enzi told earlier about a school in Wyoming that has fences around it to protect against grizzly bears. 

"I will refer back to Sen. Enzi and the school he is talking about in Wyoming. I think probably there, I would imagine there is probably a gun in a school to protect from potential grizzlies," she said. 

The comment drew some laughs in the room.

I actually watched this live as it happened, and even tweeted about it.

Went to school in Alaska. Never once had grizzly bear show up in classroom. https://t.co/aJwkE2SFu4

— Gryphen 2009 (@Gryphen2009) January 18, 2017

I kind of forgot about the exchange until I saw it show up again last night and thought it needed to be shared here on IM.

First off I am sure that all of you know that I consider the idea of guns in public schools to be just about the dumbest idea imaginable.

Having said that I thought I should share that I actually worked at a school where a grizzly bear once ambled onto the playground.

We had moose show up with some frequency but this was our first bear.

In case you are wondering the protocol was to bring the children into the school, no running, and to then notify the authorities that there was a bear in the area.

No shots were fired, because we are Alaskans and we know that is an ignorant overreaction.

We actually went back out later in the day as if nothing had happened, and the bear never made a return visit again.

Simply put there is NEVER a good reason for guns to be in a public school setting, and no not even if a grizzly bear shows up.

P.S. By the way this was only one of the pathetic answers provided by DeVos, you can see many more by clicking here.

For the first time in recorded history there have been no commercial fishing fatalities in Alaska. And yes that IS a big deal.

Source

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:

For the first year-long period on record, from Oct. 1, 2014, through the end of September 2015, the Coast Guard recorded zero operations-related commercial fishing fatalities in Alaska, a milestone in an industry known for its “Deadliest Catch” persona. 

In an article in Alaska Fish & Wildlife News, published by the state Department of Fish & Game, the change is credited partly to management practices that have been making the industry safer for years. But also, the article notes, fewer people are fishing. 

Through much of the 1980s, an average of 31 fishermen died in Alaska each year, according to the report.

All of my life I have been told that you could make some REAL money commercial fishing, if you survived that is. 

And yes the deaths were numerous, and I knew at least one person who never made it back from one particular fishing season.

Over the years the number of deaths has slowly decreased though even back in 2008 commercial fishing was referred to as the deadliest job in America.

Really hard to tell if the reason for this milestone has more to do with safety precautions or the fact that there are far fewer boats on the water.

Either way, it is indeed a milestone.

Rage inducing video of the day.

Yes that was a car ignoring the blinking lights and stop sign on the school bus and damn near killing three young children trying to board their bus.

Here is more from King 5:

Police are looking for the driver of an SUV that passed a stopped school bus on the right and nearly hit some children getting ready to board. 

Lisa Razo and Brandy Wheeler say their kids were nearly run down as they headed out to catch the bus Friday morning. 

"I looked up and the car passed by the kids and my heart almost dropped," said Razo. 

It happened Friday at 7:25 a.m., according to bus security video, near the corner of 124th Avenue East and 224th Street East in Graham. 

Witnesses say the driver of the GMC Jimmy drove through a ditch to pass the school bus on the right hand side. Several angles show the SUV passing the bus. Children seen walking toward the bus door suddenly jumped back as the SUV passed.

I don't think you have to be a parent to have your heart jump into throat while watching that video.

I don't usually yell out loud when I see a video but I certainly did in response to this.

There is a $1,000 reward for information about this lunatic, and I certainly hope somebody gets the chance to collect it.

I assume that the cops can only charge him with some traffic violations and reckless endangerment, but personally I feel the person should be charged with attempted murder.

I realize that probably wouldn't fly but I can still wish for it. Right?

Secret Service agents drunkenly crash car into White House security barriers. Can we trust the safety of our President to this organization?

Courtesy of the Washington Post:  

The Obama administration is investigating allegations that two senior Secret Service agents, including a top member of the president’s protective detail, drove a government car into White House security barricades after drinking at a late-night party last week, an agency official said Wednesday. 

Officers on duty who witnessed the March 4 incident wanted to arrest the agents and conduct sobriety tests, according to a current and a former government official familiar with the incident. But the officers were ordered by a supervisor on duty that night to let the agents go home, said these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal matter.

The investigation is being handled by the Department of Homeland Security. 

I am not exactly sure why the police supervisors felt it appropriate to allow these agents to leave the scene of the accident without being arrested, but it makes me concerned that there will be any disciplinary action at all.

Remember these were SENIOR Secret Service agents, not some green around the gills new hires.

These are men who are tasked with keeping the President, and the President's family safe. And I just have to say that I am increasingly worried that they are simply not up to the job. 

Or perhaps even worse, worried that they are not really even trying to do their jobs.

Remember it was only back in November of 2011 that a gunman was able to fire bullets at the White House, and the only way we know it happened is because a housekeeper noticed broken glass and a chunk of concrete on the floor.

If that were the only incident perhaps there would be no reason for concern. But it is certainly not:

Earlier this year, three agents were sent home from a trip to the Netherlands after getting drunk the night before the President was set to arrive. 

In 2013, two agents were removed from Presidential security detail after sending sexually inappropriate emails to a colleague, which was uncovered when one of the agents was discovered trying to forcefully enter a woman’s hotel room after forgetting a bullet inside. 

In 2012, eight agents were fired after it emerged that they had allegedly solicited prostitutes while on an on-duty trip to Colombia. 

In 2001, an agent admitted to having stolen nearly $3,000 in cash that the Secret Service had taken as evidence in the years prior.

There are other incidents reported by the Time magazine article, but those are scattered throughout a number of presidential administrations. The ones listed above are all from President Obama's. 

Look far be it from me to suggest that an agency as revered as the Secret Service, is simply not doing their jobs. But do you know what? It certainly fucking appears that the Secret Service are not doing their jobs!

This is the first black President ever elected in this country, he should have the best, most beefed up, most dedicated bodyguards on the planet.

And instead he seems to be surrounded by the Federal government's version of the Keystone Kops.

"Doghazi" goes viral as Palin apologists attempt to tamp down outrage. Update!

Since yesterday was New Year's Day it took the news a little while to get up to speed, but by late last night the responses to Trig standing on a dog and his mother's incredibly poor parenting were all over the internet.

And this morning the negative comments arriving on Palin's Facebook page have completely overwhelmed it. Which is interesting since as we know she as a team of people to keep that thing sanitized.

Here are but a few that are still there as of this post:  

Pam Blades: You are one dumb woman! 

Lauren Sparber: Bad parenting. Dogs are not step stools. They are lucky the dog did not bite the child or get injured. They are lucky the dog didn't get up and send the child head first into the counter or floor. 

Suze Miller: Dogs are not furniture. Who didn't get the memo? 

Bobbie Raymond Smith: Have you not taught him that abusing animals.(or people) is unacceptable behavior? And that fact that you thought this was funny... It says more about your character. He has an excuse... You DON'T. 

Danica Vuleta Jenny: the dog who is a loyal family member would not move if in pain!!!! Dogs are loyal to their owners and he sees the child is above him in pecking order, as a person it is obvious it would be uncomfortable not to mention dangerous for both. I say we get a man to stand on you face down while your son takes pics, post them and I'm sure the population of the world will like the pics!! 

Charlotte Omeara; Stupid woman !!! Protect your dog and your child and buy a proper step for your child to help with dishes all good mothers do!! Shame on you woman and in anyone else who thinks this is okay. 

Of course there are the usual Palin supporters working overtime to play this whole thing down by suggesting that if the dog were being hurt he would move. But of course that is not precisely true and also misses the point that Palin did not correct a potentially abusive behavior and allowed her child with Down syndrome to put himself and a family pet in danger of harm while she simply stood by and took photos.

A fact that has truly upset even past Palin supporters who are parents or dog owners themselves. 

Palin Facebook posts do not always receive a great deal of attention these days, but this one has gone international.

The Daily Mail has an article up.

As does the Inquisitr, The Independent, the New York Daily News, and even Australian news outlets. 

I think that this controversy really has legs as indicated by the fact that my post on it received over 400 comments on New Years Day of all days.

And really if you think about this it fits right in with the meme about Palin's poor parenting that includes her pregnant teenage daughter, her drug addicted son, her vandalizing middle child, and of course the infamous brawl.

Let's face it the real damage stories like this do is to reinforce what people already suspect about Sarah Palin and her tribe of uneducated, hateful, substance abusing offspring.

Update: And now the number one story on Mediaite.

Oh yeah, this is going to leave a mark.

Update 2: PETA is not amused by Palin's photos either:  

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called the post inappropriate. 

“It’s odd that anyone — let alone a mother — would find it appropriate to post such a thing, with no apparent sympathy for the dog in the photo,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement to POLITICO. 

“Then again, PETA, along with everyone else, is used to the hard-hearted, seeming obliviousness of this bizarrely callous woman,” Newkirk said 

I could not have said that better myself.

The signs you see in Alaska.

The idea is that if you see a bear you can jump into a nearby car for protection.

However that may not be quite enough.

I had a teacher in high school whose job it was to wrangle bears on the North Slope.

He was not allowed to carry a gun, and had to resort to firecrackers and a broom to chase the inquisitive creatures away.

Once he saw a truck by the side of the road with a bunch of yellow stuff piled beside one broken window.

When he approached and knelt down he realized that was the stuffing from inside the seat cushions.

He said that he had a moment of terrible realization and stood up only to come face to face with a huge black bear that had manged to break the window and squeeze itself into the small opening in order to dig for the sack lunch the owner had stored under his seat.

He said they both panicked and he fell back onto the ground while the bear somehow turned itself around in the cab and smashed through the other previously unbroken window to get away.

I have never left food in my car while camping since.

Even though we are going to be inundated with advertising today, I thought that this car safety ad from New Zealand was well worth sharing.

Yep, hits you right in the feels.

Wow, the group Moms Demand Action don't pull any punches!

If image does not expand click here.

Here is more about Moms Demand Action.

More Americans have been killed by toddlers this year than by terrorists. All hail the 2nd Amendment.

Courtesy of Opposing Views:  

Listed below are the 11 gun fatalities I found where a preschooler pulled the trigger (from Jan. 1 to June 9, 2013). 

Jan. 10: 6-year-old playmate shoots and kills 4-year-old Trinity Ross, Kansas City, Kan. 

Feb. 11: 4-year-old Joshua Johnson shot, killed self, Memphis, Tenn. 

Feb. 24: 4-year-old Jaiden Pratt died after shooting himself in the stomach while his father slept, Houston, Texas. 

March 30: 4-year-old Rahquel Carr shot and killed either by 6-year-old brother or another young playmate, Miami, Fla. 

April 6: Josephine Fanning, 48, shot and killed by 4-year-old boy at BBQ, Wilson County, Tenn. 

April 8: 4-year-old shot and killed 6-year-old friend Brandon Holt, Toms River, N.J. 

April 9: 3-year-old is killed after he finds a pink gun that he thinks is a toy, Greenville, S.C. 

April 30: 2-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by her 5-year-old brother with his Cricket “My First Rifle” marketed to kids, Cumberland County, Ky. 

May 1: 3-year-old Darrien Nez shot himself in the face and died after finding his grandmother’s gun, Yuma, Ariz. 

May 7: 3-year-old Jadarrius Speights fatally shot himself with his uncle’s gun, Tampa, Fla. 

June 7: 4-year-old fatally shot his father, Green Beret Justin Thomas, Prescott Valley, Ariz. 

At least 10 more tots have shot but not killed themselves or someone else this year. In the first three cases, the shooter was only two years old. 

While this analysis focuses on children, another, equally accurate, headline could read: “U.S. Gun Culture Kills More Americans Than Terrorists Worldwide.” In 2010, 13,186 people died in terrorist attacks worldwide, while 31,672 people were killed with firearms in America alone, reports CNN’s Samuel Burke. 

Of course as we know while this holocaust has been taking place at the hands of the pre-school set, the actual terrorists have only managed to take out five Americans this year.

Yet at virtually every airport in the country we are subjected to a humiliating search of our person for fear we are a terrorist, cameras track our every move to make sure we pose no danger, and at sporting events and celebrations all over the country we see a huge police presence put in place to address a potential terrorist attack, while the REAL threats to our safety are wheeled about in strollers, tended to like royalty by sycophantic adults, all while waiting for an opportunity to reign death and destruction on an unsuspecting populace.

That description may seem a little over the top, but imagine how we would be reacting if the Chinese had murdered 11 Americans this year, or the Iranians, or the Saudi Nationals. We would have introduced profiling and never thought twice about it.

Yet the toddlers of America walk freely among us as if they were....harmless.

You know I guess, if we really thought about it, there IS a way to actually render them harmless. Of course THAT would also save tens of thousands of American lives at the hands of adults as well, and we certainly can't have that.

Can we?

P.S. If you doubt any of these statistics, you can visit the link at the top and there you will find citations for all of them.

In this country passing legislation to protect our children is virtually impossible. But selling bulletproof backpacks to protect those vulnerable children from men practicing their 2nd Amendment rights? Well that's America!

Little girls demonstrate hiding behind their bullet proof back packs. Perhaps the saddest picture you will see all day.

Courtesy of the Guardian:  

The pink bulletproof rucksack that 5-year-old Jaliyah wears to school every day reaches almost down to her knees and weighs 3lbs even when empty, but for her Colorado father, the size and solidity are part of the attraction. 

"If you put it on her back, it almost covers her whole body," explains Demitric Boykin. "It was a very hard conversation to have but she knows that it's something that will keep her safe." 

Lined with ballistic material that can stop a 9mm bullet travelling at 400 metres per second, the backpack is only one of a clutch of new products making their way into US schools in the wake of Newtown school massacre. As gun control legislation grinds to halt in Washington, a growing number of parents and teachers are taking matters into their own hands. 

The Denver company that supplied Jaliyah's rucksack, Elite Sterling Security, has sold over 300 in the last two months and received inquiries from some 2,000 families across the US. It is also in discussion with more than a dozen schools in Colorado about equipping them with ballistic safety vests, a scaled-down version of military uniforms designed to hang in classroom cupboards for children to wear in an emergency. 

Tensions are understandably high in this part of America. "I live in Aurora and the shooting here really hit home; it was a huge thing," says Boykin. The new mood, however, can be felt far from the scenes of recent gun violence. 

Barry Tull, headteacher of Worcester Preparatory School in rural Maryland, has 80 ballistic shields deployed in his classrooms disguised as whiteboards and clipboards. Some teachers use them to assign homework, others lean them up against the wall, but most of Worcester's middle and high-school children know what they are for. 

"Our teachers were concerned to begin with about whether they were expected to be first responders, but at least they feel they have something now as opposed to cowering in the corner with their kids," says Tull. "The former secret service trainers we had in showed us how they can deploy them; how to hold them in front of their body defensively or use them offensively where the teacher charges at someone with the shield as cover."

So this is the America that we live in now?

An America where our children are forced to carry heavy armored backpacks, and hide behind bulletproof shields, so that 2nd Amendment assholes with microscopic dicks can finally feel like men?

What the hell is wrong with us?

The "right" to own guns cannot, CANNOT be more important than our right to protect our children, and to allow them to feel safe within their own schools.

Lawrence O'Donnell virtually eviscerates Asa Hutchinson, head of the NRA's "School Shield Task Force," in an interview last night.

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Okay I am not going to lie to you, this interview is long (Just over 25 minutes). But do yourself a favor and watch it, because Lawrence REALLY puts this guy through the meat grinder, and does NOT allow him to bullshit his way out of ANYTHING.

There were a number of times that Hutchinson looked like he wanted to just crawl away, and a number of questions, such as on the extended clips, that he simply could not answer adequately.

This is one of O'Donnell's best interviews, and I think he deserves serious props for getting Hutchinson to come on, and then doing his job as a journalist once he did.

As much as it pains me I should also say that I am impressed that Hutchinson showed up for an interview that he had to know would be hostile, and then sat through it without ripping off his mic and running for the exit. I think a lot of people would have bailed.

By the way to go along with this there is also a report on Raw Story which undermines the very premise of the NRA's "School Shield" findings: 

The proposal appears to be based on a faulty — although widespread — opinion. The NRA has said schools are not safe places for children because gun-free zones make them “utterly defenseless.” However, the article contends schools are in fact safe places. Though gun violence is the second leading cause of death among those ages 5-9 and 15-24, nearly all of those deaths occurred outside of school. In fact, Stephen Brock of California State University, a leading expert on school violence, described schools as “the safest place for a student to be.” 

“To try and reduce something that already is rare… is tricky business,” Crews remarked, noting that there is only 1 homicide or suicide at school for every 2.7 million students. 

Crews and his colleagues found there was little evidence to suggest that placing armed guards in schools would actually prevent gun violence. About 27 percent of schools in the United States already have armed or unarmed security officers. Both Columbine High School and Virginia Tech had armed security guards, but that did not prevent two deadly mass shootings. A 2011 study found schools with armed guards actually had higher rates of violence than similar schools without armed guards. 

Having armed guards in schools also raises the troubling possibility that a student could get ahold of their firearms. 

“Ongoing research that we are conducting with incarcerated perpetrators of school violence also indicates that school shooters have easy access to weapons, often getting them (either as gifts or stealing them) from their parents, neighbors, or friends who may have purchased them legally,” Crews explained. “Putting more weapons in schools just makes more weapons available because inevitably, someone will forget to lock their drawer, misplace their key, or otherwise lose track of their firearm, making it easy for kids who want to have one to take it.”

Personally I think that just about anybody with critical thinking skills could have worked this out on their own, but nice to see a report by experts which backs our commons sense.

The 2nd Amendment 2.0. If Georgia ordinance passes it would no longer be your 'right" to bear arms, instead it would be your "responsibility" to do so.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

Could not exercising the right to bear arms mean breaking the law? 

In the north Georgia city of Nelson, that may be the case if a proposed ordinance, requiring every “head of household to own and maintain a firearm,” is passed. The city councilman, Duane Cronic, argued that relying on sheriffs isn’t sufficient. 

“It’s a deterrent ordinance,” he said. “It tells the potential intruder you better think twice.” ]

The proposal is similar to a 1982 law passed in Kennesaw. Supporters of the ordinance cited the city’s location, straddling two counties, arguing that leads to slower response times from officials. 

One police officer patrols Nelson, Georgia for eight hours during the day. That leaves 16 hours overnight when the city is basically unguarded. “When he’s not here we rely on county sheriffs–however it takes a while for them to get here,” said Nelson City Councilman Duane Cronic.

Do these people NOT understand the concept of "freedom?" 

You would think that if the Teabaggers found the idea of laws that restrict the kinds of guns one can own, and that demand those gun owners not be criminals or mentally ill, invasive that they would certainly not want to support laws that would make it illegal not to own one either.

That is your Right Wing logic at work for ya there folks.

By the way let me tell you what results from demanding an increase in the number of weapons in your city. It does NOT reduce the number of burglaries, instead it increases them, because now that the thieves know that easily fenced handguns are in EVERY single home, they know that every break in results in a jackpot for them.

Unless these gun owners are supposed to sit in a chair on their front porch brandishing their weapons 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the thieves only have to bide their time. You have to go to work, and school, and out to eat sometime.

However a good dog, and an alarm system backed up by a reputable company, would make their house one of the least likely to fall prey to the criminal element. Of course it would also be wrong to legally mandate either of those, in case anybody was wondering.

Texas school worker shot during school sponsored conceal carry training.

Courtesy of the LA Times:  

A Texas school worker shot in the leg during a school-sponsored concealed handgun training class has been released from the hospital, officials said. 

The maintenance worker, identified by KLTV as Glen Geddie, was released from East Texas Medical Center in Tyler on Thursday morning, according to Rebecca Berkley, a spokeswoman for the hospital. 

A spokeswoman for the Van Independent School District told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that she could not confirm whether Geddie was the individual injured in the shooting. Police in Van, about 80 miles east of Dallas, referred questions to the district. Geddie could not be reached at the hospital or at home. 

The school district released a statement to The Times confirming that at the end of the concealed handgun class Wednesday, a “certified student” had “stayed for private instruction with the instructor and had a mechanical malfunction with his weapon. With the assistance of the instructor, the malfunction was addressed, but the gun misfired and the bullet ricocheted coming back to strike the VISD [Van Independent School District] employee in the left leg. The VISD employee was attended to at the scene and transferred to Tyler for further treatment. The injury is not life-threatening or disabling.” 

Texas state law allows teachers who have concealed handgun permits to carry weapons in public school classrooms if they have permission from the superintendent. 

Last month, the Van school board, which serves more than 2,000 students, made it the second district in Texas to allow guns on campus, authorizing certain school employees to carry guns on school property, at school events and at school board meetings. 

Van superintendent Don Dunn told KLTV at the time that the district offered the handgun classes to employees to better protect students.

Yes I am sure that those students feel safer already knowing that they are surrounded by a bunch of amateur gunslingers. I am usually no a proponent of home schooling, but under these circumstances  I think I would be willing to rethink my position.

It should come as no suprise that the 'facts" presented by pro-gun advocate, Gayle Trotter, in her testimony before the Senate do not hold up to scrutiny.

Courtesy of Salon:

Gayle Trotter, a senior fellow at the conservative Independent Women’s Forum, made an appearance on Wednesday to pink up the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence. 

“Guns make women safer,” she testified. “Using a firearm with a magazine holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, a woman would have a fighting chance even against multiple attackers.” 

But Trotter is wrong about women and guns, dangerously so. Far from making women safer, the presence of firearms in situations of domestic violence (which occur far more frequently than any other crime in the United States, Trotter’s “stranger danger” scenarios be damned) dramatically increases the likelihood a woman will be killed by her abuser. As Amanda Marcotte reported for Slate, the Violence Policy Center conducted research to quantify this point and found that 83 women were killed by an intimate partner for every woman who used a gun in self-defense. 

Trotter added that, “Scary-looking” guns give women “more courage” when “fighting hardened violent criminals.” Here is something else that “scary-looking” guns do to women: Coerce, threaten and intimidate them into remaining in abusive, often deadly, relationships. 

According to a recent study on firearms and intimate partner violence, “Even when guns are not fired at women directly, they are often used as a tool of intimidation to facilitate other types of physical and psychological violence,” with many women reporting that their abusers would “clean” their guns during arguments.

Yeah my BS detector was going insane as I watched this woman's testimony.

You know your Uncle Gryphen used to be self defense instructor back in the day, and this issue of guns came up more than a few times.

So let me tell all of you what I told my classes back then. 

If you want an effective form of home defense, get a dog. It does not even have to be a big dog, just one that will bark it's ass off at the sound of somebody breaking in.

Most burglars obviously don't want to get caught, and the barking of a dog is going to alert the people in the home to wake up and be aware of what is happening. And to call the cops. And, as far as they know, grab a gun.

You don't necessarily have to own a gun to make somebody afraid of getting shot, or even perhaps of having their ball sack ripped off by an angry, defensive animal.

I am an advocate of alarm systems as well. I have one myself.

Really the idea is to prevent a burglary, or home invasion, in the first place. Make it seem challenging, and not worth the effort, and most likely it will never happen.

But I will tell you what WILL attract a burglar. One of those big glass display cases filled with guns, that's what! Having that on display does NOT deter a burglar, that is catnip to a burglar:

Firearms are a favorite target of most burglars. They can be sold on the illegal market or used to commit other crimes. Most people do not properly secure their firearms. 

Unsecured fired arms are a burglars dream. Residents place them in closets, drawers or under beds. The seasoned burglar has seen all this before. They know where the uninformed will hide firearms. 

When the NRA talks about criminals having guns, this is what they are talking about. 

The bad guy does not have to sweat a background check. All he has to do is let the gun enthusiast go through all the paperwork, and then break in and steal the very weapons that he bought to "feel safe."

Happens every day.

You know Fido may not have an extended clip or hollow tip bullets, but he will also never be picked up and used to injure his owner. I'm just saying.