An amulet is “an object superstitiously worn to ward off evil; a protective charm.” The American College Dictionary, 1962 ed. A handgun holds one or more “rounds,” but no magic. A person has to (1) have opportunity and (2) know how to use that gun, for the gun to work. 1/7

Opportunity: People buy guns for defense of their home. Guns do not emit force fields to ward off bad guys. People assume crime rates drop when ‘good guys’ are armed. (See Wenner-Moyer, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, 10/1/17.) But maybe not. 2/7

Among other security measures, one can buy a timer so that lights turn on and off like one is at home. Think of Harry and Marv (the “wet Bandits”) in “Home Alone,” who prey on homes of those who are away. Most burglars avoid occupied residences. 3/7

Know-how: Most people don’t know how to use a gun. There is more to it than point and pull the trigger. Cops and members of the military receive a lot of training in firearms. The purchase of a fancy handgun does not permeate its new owner with Harry Callahan’s skills. 4/7

In a gun-safe that gun is not so easily accessible. If you have kids, who can be very curious about guns, a gun-safe is a necessity. Then there are the dead who receive little mention, but make up over half of the USA’s gun deaths: suicides. 5/7

A security system probably is cheaper than a gun, and won’t blow someone’s head off. Want to attract burglars? Make it known you have handguns. Handguns are easily fenced. If you’re not there you can’t use it, but it can be stolen. 6/7

As I said yesterday, a rabid dog deters burglars, but that dog’s more likely to bite you. You live there. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. on Civil Discourse Now on Facebook we shall discuss guns and violence from a consumer’s perspective. There will be no rabid dogs. 7/7.