My wife and I went to the Gunsite Training Academy and we both earned an "e-ticket" - an expert rating in the week-long class. What we learned is that one shoots only when in immediate or otherwise unavoidable threat of death or grevious bodily injury...in other words...we shoot to live!
Ken Siverts, USA

When did the law get to such a sorry state where criminals dictate the level of punishment they should receive? R Animashaun, UK

Vanessa Collingridge writes that there is no easy answer for the grief or the fear of crime, but she is certain that gun ownership in the hands of law-abiding citizens is not it - because taking the life of another person is too difficult to live with. There's also no easy answer for the grief of seeing your family brutalized, raped, or killed by an intruder who has evil in his heart and is in a position to take it out on your wife, your daughter, your grandson. Given that, with a gun, I have an opportunity to protect my family from this, I can learn to live with the grief that comes from taking the life of a social deviant.
Rick Schwartz, United States

I think that to defend your home from thieves you should be able to use some form of violence. I don't think burgulars should get compensation - if you stand in the middle of a road do you expect compensation if you step in front of a car?
Jessica (14), Nottingham

How on earth can a burglar complain what happens to them whilst they are breaking the law ? When I got hit by a motorcycle on my way home I was prosecuted because although the accident was not my fault I was just over the legal limit of alcohol to drive. Therefore, the cyclist was waived of any blame. If you are in the act of breaking the law you cannot, cannot use the law to protect you - that makes a farce of the law.
Eddie, England

I beleive in the light of the Tony Martin case, it is a shame to see the British legal system become its own worst enemy. The former burglars emphasised their claims to compensation from the people whose property they intended to steal on the fact that they could have

I honestly do not know how I would react if I encountered burglars - but I am frightened even to think about it Rev. David J Downham, UK

been killed. Obviously this is just an increasingly overused ploy playing on the predominantly European stance against death penalties and such like, to take full responsibility for the absolute wrongfullness of their actions. The most important question to be answered is when did the law get to such a sorry state where criminals dictate the level of punishment they should receive?
R Animashaun, UK

How ridiculous to allow criminals to sue their victims. If they commit the crime, they should pay the price, even if that means getting beaten, shot or killed. If they are allowed to sue for this, where will it end? Will a husband or father be sued for protecting his family in the event of someone attempting to attack them? A buglar looses all their rights the minute they enter your premises uninvited.
Mark, England

I thought your programme indicated that the circumstances of each case must be taken into account C Cartwright, Scotland

My home has doors with two deadlocks and two Chubb bolts on each exit door. Surely this is sufficient warning to any would-be intruder that they are not to enter my property? If they persist, in my estimation, they are asking for trouble and have forfeited their rights. I honestly do not know how I would react if I encountered burglars - but I am frightened even to think about it. I might do anything. Burglars need to be told that they forfeit any rights if a householder takes action to prevent his or her home being violated.
Rev. David J Downham, UK

If only 2% of buglaries are violent, then perhaps an even smaller percentage of drink driving incidents end in accidents yet those drivers are punished more than burglars. Next we will have drink drivers sueing sober drivers for swerving into them to avoid an accident.
Angelique, UK

I thought your programme indicated that the law is probably about right at the moment and that the circumstances of each case must be taken into account. Incidentally, I believe the situation in Scotland is slightly different from England and Wales. In Scotland it matters whether the burglary is during the day or at night; as I understand it, if it is at night, then you as the occupant have the right to injure (and presumably accidentally kill) the burglar, whereas during the day you are expected to be able to identify the intruder again, so must not injure them except in direct self-defence. Something else to think about, perhaps?
C Cartwright, Scotland

I believe that we have inherited from the States a lot of customs and practices which have been to the detriment of our society. However, I srongly believe that we have a right to defend our own property and provided that we can demonstrate that we have every reason to assume that the person was intent on ciminal activity, then we should and must be immune from prosecution.
Terry Dearnley, UK