An 85 year old woman in Rossmoor, California stated that the home invasion and brutal rape she suffered two years ago was a worse experience than the holocaust. Coming from most people, such a statement might seem like hyperbole, but this woman experienced the holocaust first hand, and is eminently qualified to make such a comparison:
As reported, the woman (who name is not given for privacy reasons) was 13 years old when the holocaust came to her native country of Czechoslovakia. Her parents and five siblings were killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp, and she herself was beaten. A man who her parents had trusted to keep her safe was sexually abusive, and stole the little money that her mother had sewn into her jacket, before he abandoned her in the winter (without a jacket). Her early life story gets even worse, but I think the point is clear.
However, she told Superior Court Judge Daniel B. McNerney that an experience two years ago was even worse:
She was confronted in her kitchen by a brutal home intruder. Her house was ransacked. Her life was threatened. The man beat her mercilessly. He kicked her when she was down. And he repeatedly sexually assaulted her in several rooms of her house.
At the criminal’s sentencing, the elderly holocaust surviver went on to say:
“Today, my home is a prison,” she said, her voice quivering. “When I walk through each room, it is not the beautiful memories of days gone by that I see, but rather the horrible memories of the blood … the broken and destroyed rooms, as I continue to relive that nightmare over and over again in my mind …
The criminal, Jeffrey Blue Miller, was sentenced to life in prison, and must serve at least 53 years before he is eligible for parole.
This incredibly tragic story is exactly why I support gun rights. Every citizen should be safe and secure in their homes, and not have to fear that a criminal will break in and commit such horrible crimes. While we cannot ensure that no criminals will ever break into a person’s home, we can ensure that home owners are best able to defend themselves when such a criminal does break in. This is especially true for the elderly, as a gun is pretty much the only way that an 83 year old woman can realistically stop a a young man from attacking. Gun control benefits criminals.
Unfortunately, I am so far unable to persuade certain elderly relatives of mine that they really should have a gun in their home, so that this kind of tragedy does not happen to them.
My thanks to Anders, for pointing out this incredibly tragic story of what can happen to unarmed senior citizens.