Intruder Killed

In response to “Intruder Killed After Struggle at House,” Dec. 31: It’s about time that The Times prints an article that shows the true necessity of private citizens owning firearms. The article also highlights some of the criminal record of the slain intruder. This was a career bad guy. How many chances should a convicted criminal get to go on repeating his crimes? The police are barely more than an after-the-fact investigative service. They don’t arrive most times until after the crime has been committed. As long as our society treats criminals like the good guy, they have nothing to fear in committing their crimes. The justice system merely slaps them on the hand and lets them go.

The only deterrent for a criminal is the possibility that their victim is as well armed as they are and they may finally have to pay for their crimes. Mike Weiser did not purchase his weapon with intention of being Rambo. He is, however, a hero, and if he had not been armed there would have been two dead people. A man and his wife are alive today because of a truly concerned, law-abiding, armed citizen.

MICHAEL STEELE JR., Rancho Santa Margarita