Joe Biden, our nation’s vice president, is out of touch with reality. I can’t imagine how going outside and firing a shotgun twice into the air is going to be effective at deterring a home invader. Going outside to defend your home sort of defeats the purpose. It could be viewed as running away. Then you will have to shoot your way back into your own home. By the time you get back in what will have become of your family and home?

Shooting into the air is sort of irresponsible even in a rural setting because you have no idea where the discharged bullet will land or who it will hit. With today’s criminals able to acquire handguns with 17-round clips or more, a double-barreled shotgun sort of limits your ability to respond. You would have a better chance with a pump shotgun that had the sportsman’s plug removed.

An AR-15 assault rifle would be the weapon of choice for close combat in an urban setting, but not for defending your home. A much better choice — and the one most widely in use — would be a handgun. It’s easily maneuverable within the home and becomes an extension of the arm. It’s the right choice for defense against a home invader. You really wouldn’t want the long, cumbersome 12-gauge shotgun.

Cops do carry shotguns — pump shotguns — and they use them for attacking not defending. Usually referred to as riot guns, these shotguns are very effective in that scenario. There is even one called the “street sweeper”— a fully automatic 100-round magazine, 12-gauge shotgun. Now there is a home defense weapon. You could blow off one end of your house with one of those.

WILLIAM STINSON

Edenton