As reported, 21 year old Brittany Zimmerman was a University of Wisconsin college student who planned to become a doctor. She lived in an off-campus apartment with her fiancée , Jordan Gonnering. Brittany was home alone when a criminal, believed to be a stranger, broke in to her home through the door. She grabbed the phone, and called 911, but the criminal attacked and she was unable to speak. The 911 dispatcher said that no sound was heard, and so the police were not dispatched. However recorded tapes of the phone call captured screams, gasps, and sounds of a struggle. Brittany Zimmerman’s fiancée found her stabbed, beaten, and strangled to death when he returned home. The police didn’t arrive for 48 minutes.
While all murders are sad, I find this one to be especially sad. Here we have a young woman who had a bright future ahead of her, only to have that future destroyed by the actions of a violent criminal. The lives of her family, fiancée, and friends have also been irrevocably harmed. The world has been deprived of a future doctor who could have healed many people, and made this world a better place.
This type of situation is probably what worries me the most in life, as I could not imagine returning to my apartment to find my fiancée murdered. It also shows the need for armed self defense. The fact is that the police generally cannot get there in time, and are not liable for this failure. Because of this, each person needs to be able to defend themselves, and a gun is the best option. While it is true that not every murder could be prevented if the victim were armed, a great many can be and are prevented.
Without a gun, women tend to be particularly vulnerable, due to the fact that most women are less physically strong then the young men who commit the majority of violent crimes. The same is true for the elderly and the disabled. Note, however, that I am not saying that gun ownership for self defense is only needed by people who may be less physically strong then an average criminal. I’m a 6’2″ tall guy in his mid 20’s, who goes to the gym at least 4 times a week – but I don’t think that I would be in a good position to fight off a criminal with my bare hands, and so I own guns suitable for self defense. The criminal might be bigger, stronger, or better at unarmed fighting then me. Or the criminal could be armed, as criminals don’t tend to obey laws that tell them they can’t have a gun. Or there could be multiple criminals. Either way, I sleep better knowing that my fiancée and I are armed, and will therefore have the best chance of stopping a violent criminal, should one break into our home.
My thanks to Michael (a fellow law student from across the country) for pointing this story to me.