66% Of Mommyish Readers Would Feel Safer With A Gun In The House

The terrifying story of Sarah McKinley, a single mother in Oklahoma who shot and killed an intruder to protect her newborn son, has left many moms in shock and fearing for their own safety. Every mother we spoke with including those who commented on this site said she’d do the exact same thing when it comes to protecting her children. Which helps explain why 66% of Mommyish readers said a gun in the house would make them feel more safe.

“My New Year’s resolution is to learn how to shoot…a gun so that we can safely bring one into our home,” commented Mommyish reader Chelsea. “I know if someone was threatening to harm me or my family I would not think twice [about] protecting them,” said Maria, a suburban mother of two who owns several guns (her husband is a law enforcement officer).

Another reader, Melissa, said there’s no other form of protection she’d rather have even with a German Shepherd in the house. Interestingly, several moms I spoke with mentioned they’d get a guard dog before bringing a gun into their home, though it seems that’s not enough for some.

Nearly 34% of Mommyish readers would not feel safer with a gun in the house, including Michelle, who said, “There’s just something about guns that I feel really uneasy around.” I’m with Michelle, though that doesn’t change the fact that I spent Wednesday night all wide-eyed and totally freaked out because I couldn’t get the McKinley story out of my mind.

I felt silly about it at the time, but the next morning several friends and colleagues said they had the same thing happen to them (nothing like having your neuroses validated!). Would I have slept better knowing there was a gun in my home? Probably not. But for a third of our readers, a gun in the house would most certainly offer a stronger sense of security.

(Photo: iStockphoto)