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Book Review:
“The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor — The Life and Times of Tony Mazzocchi” This is a fascinating book about a labor leader who has had tremendous influence on our lives, but whose name is not even known by millions of Americans. Please read my review.

From:
The American Rifleman
October, 1997

Studies indicate that firearms are used over two million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate imminent threat to life limb or in some cases property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: "The Armed Citizen," 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030

A history of alleged physical abuse by her ex-boyfriend, William Barbour, convinced Christine Pittman of Guilford Township, Pennsylvania, to buy a .25-cal. pistol. When he broke through a dead-bolted door into her home early one morning, she dialed 91l and then gave her pistol over to her boyfriend, Patrick Atkinson. When Barbour rushed Atkinson, the new boyfriend loosed five shots into his attacker. The shooting was ruled a justifiable homicide by the District Attorney as Atkinson "reasonably feared for his own safety and that of Christine Pittman." Barbour had a history of abuse and a criminal record. (The Herald Mail, Hagerstown, MD, 3/15/97)

A San Francisco, California, art dealer was awakened at 2 a.m. by the sound of breaking glass in his home. Fearing for the safety of his daughters, who were asleep downstairs, Allen Leung dialed 911 for help and grabbed his .38-cal. handgun. The intruder made his way into Leung's bedroom, demanded money and threatened him. Leung shot the man in the chest. The burglar had a criminal record. Leung was not expected to be charged because he acted in self-defense, police said. (The Chronicle, San Francisco, CA, 4/4/97)

Cayetana Martinez of Eloise, Florida, is 82. His age may have been what prompted two miscreants to view him as an easy target and break down his door and enter his home. Little did they know that he was armed with a 9 mm handgun and knew how to use it. Martinez killed one suspect and sent the other fleeing. The elderly gentleman was not injured. (The Herald, Bradenton, FL, 6/7/97)

Kenton Larson, 61, lives in a quiet, remote canyon. He is far from his neighbors in Yucaipa, California, and he has a Winchester Defender 12-ga. shotgun for home defense. He was pushed into using it one night when he awakened to find an intruder in his home. "I cocked the shotgun, chambering a shell, as I was about to enter the room he was in. He about went through the ceiling. I scared him to death," Larson recalled. He walked the frightened burglar to his phone, called 911 1 and then held him until police arrived. The suspect is thought to have been responsible for other crimes in a nearby community. (The Sun, San Bernardino, CA, 3/28/97)

After cutting the phone lines, a pair of burglars broke into Mary Scherer's home in Decatur, Indiana. Scherer had seen the intruders outside before they entered and alerted her stepson Ryan, who grabbed a 20-ga. shotgun. When the intruders began to beat Mary with a fire extinguisher, Ryan shot one of them in the chest. The second burglar fled to a waiting car. The wounded intruder stumbled into the garage, where he died. Police caught the other suspect and believe the two were responsible for a rash of burglaries in the area. (The News Sentinel, Ft. Wayne, IN, 3/20/97)

Twelve-year-old Walter Sheehan of Odessa, Texas, awoke to the sound of noises coming from his parents' bedroom. With both his mother and father away at work, Sheehan became suspicious and decided to investigate. He confronted a stranger who had taken some jewelry and begun heading toward the living room. The boy pulled his father's pistol from a dresser drawer and pointed it at the intruder, who, along with an accomplice, hastily fled. Walter promptly called 91l and waited for the police. "I'm glad he did what he did. Walter's my hero," his mother said. (The American Odessa, TX, 3/29/97)

When two intruders, one armed, entered a 77-year-old man's Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home, they got more than they bargained for. Finding the elderly homeowner in bed, the thugs ordered him into the living room, where they forced him to lie on the couch. The pair then left him unattended while they ransacked his home. The man went to his bedroom and armed himself with a .357 handgun. He announced this fact, but one of the crooks opened the bedroom door, where upon the elderly man shot him in the chest. The second suspect fled. (The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA, 3/31/97)

A quick-thinking Spokane, Washington, gas station clerk sent two thugs packing empty-handed. The would-be robbers, one of them claiming to be armed and holding his hand under his shirt, demanded money upon entering the store. As the clerk emptied cash from the drawer, he purposely dropped some so he could bend over far enough to retrieve his handgun. He then pointed it at the bandits, who ran from the building. Two suspects were later arrested on suspicion of burglary. (The Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA, 6/6/97)

Al Abel was watching television in his Buda, Texas, home when he heard the sound of breaking glass. He grabbed his shotgun and, upon opening his front door, found four teens standing on his porch. He ordered them to the ground, but they began running instead. As they fled, the group drew pistols and fired at Abel, who fearlessly pursued them. Abel was struck in the hip, but returned fire, killing one of the thugs. The other suspects were arrested and charged with attempted murder, among other crimes. A Navy veteran, Abel said, "I didn't mean to hurt anybody. I was just hoping to run them off" His home had been burglarized five times in the past eight years. (The American Statesman, Austin, TX, 5/9/97)

Animal control must sometimes be performed with a firearm. Bill Call of Ogden, Utah, was walking his miniature schnauzer when it was attacked by a pit bull. Call tried to intervene, but received bites from the ferocious dog for his trouble. After a passing letter-carrier tried to subdue the large dog with pepper spray, Call drew his .22 derringer and shot the vicious canine in the head, killing it instantly. Police said Call had no other option to save the schnauzer as well as protect himself (The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 4/7/97)

If you have had a firsthand “Armed Citizen” experience,
call NRA-ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-8683.

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Last Updated — June 20, 2008