"I've never seen anything this bizarre, except on TV. It couldn't and shouldn't have happened here in our community, but it did."~Vigo County Sheriff Jon Marvel
WTHI, Terre Haute, IN
And that’s the way it goes. You never expect it to happen to you; you think it is so unlikely that it isn’t worth the trouble to prepare for it. But the fact is, it is going to happen to somebody, and you have no control over whether it will be you to whom it happens. Now, you tell me, as a parent, is it really worth the risk?
In this post
It happened to somebody.
It could have happened to you.
It could have been worse.
It could have been better.
Ways to make sure it is better if it happens to you.
Closing entreatments.
It Happened to Somebody Else
An event unfolded yesterday about which I feel compelled to share some thoughts.
Yesterday afternoon I was in the gym, and the local news was on one of the TVs on the wall. I didn't have any headphones, so I couldn't hear what was being said, but from the headings on the station I learned that a woman in the region had tried to kidnap a baby and that somebody had been stabbed. On the drive to work this morning, I finally found out what had happened.
A Vigo County, IN woman, Stephanie Foster, with a history of miscarriages had recently been faking another pregnancy. She was determined to obtain a child for herself, so she contrived a little plan. She began reading birth announcements in the newspaper looking for a child to kidnap and claim as her own. She selected a boy born to Ashley and Michael Speer of Prairie Creek, IN. With her target determined, Foster proceeded to gather more information about the family; Foster found the Speer's home address and phone number online.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, 23 June 2010, Foster came to the Speer's home with a toy gun and a hunting knife. Under the pretense of using their phone, Foster gained access to the home while the father napped. The assailant stabbed the mother repeatedly, attempting to steal the Speer's infant son. Awakened by the struggle between his wife and an attacking madwoman trying to steal his son, Michael Speer emerged from a nearby bedroom and attempted to subdue the stranger. He was stabbed, as well. As Michael pinned down the intruder, Ashley was able to dial 911.
Michael Speer was taken to the hospital to be treated for his stab wounds; he has already been released. His wife had to be air lifted to a hospital in Indianapolis, where she was initially in critical condition; she has been upgraded to stable condition. The assailant is in the Vigo County jail without bond. She faces preliminary charges of attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated battery, and attempted criminal confinement (aka "kidnapping", I think).
Obviously, this is a horrible situation. While it could've been a whole lot worse — the month old boy could be an orphan right now — it could also have been a whole lot better if the family, especially the father, had been properly prepared.
It Could Easily Have Been You
Twas chance that this family was selected instead of yours
You may think to yourself that this is one heck of a story, "but it won't happen to me." Is it really worth the risk? Stop a moment here. To how many families does this apply: "The only reason it didn't happen to you was that a madwoman picked a different name out of a hat." Now, do you realize that there are crazy people everywhere? It doesn't matter if you live in the sticks, in the ghetto, downtown, or in a sexy suburban scene. There are crazy people everywhere. And one day, your name may be pulled from a proverbial hat by one such person, just as the Speers discovered.
How It Could Have Been Worse
Some sadder endings to this report
This section is perhaps superfluous, but I decided to add it anyway since it'd be so short.
Every one of these is heart wrenching. Would you wish this upon any man, woman, or child? This is the stuff Lifetime movies are about! (I mean, aren't they? I'm actually not positive because I most assuredly do not watch Lifetime. Blech!) Every possible situation listed would be worse than what actually happened. And every possible situation listed was an equally possible outcome yesterday. The Speers were fortunate.
How It Could Have Been Better
Some ideas for how YOU can make sure that it will end better for you than it did for Michael and Ashley Speer.
It is my personal opinion (and I'll admit, I think this is the correct opinion and that everyone should share this opinion) that it is the duty of a husband to provide for the safety of his wife, and that it is the duty of a father and mother to provide for the safety of their children. On this hierarchy, the father carries the most responsibility.
The most effective tool at the disposal of men and women in this era to provide for safety of those in their charge is the firearm. The father should have been prepared. He should have had a gun in the house. Why didn't he?
Perhaps the couple had simply never given a thought to the possibility, to the idea of being prepared for something crazy. If they simply never considered it, since the father carries the most responsibility, yesterday's events reveal a failure on his part. To be less politically correct, I'll be blunt: if there was never thought to be prepared for this (or for "anything"), then this is Michael's fault.
Perhaps the reason he wasn't prepared was that his wife thought he was crazy or unreasonably and illogically fearful. "What‽ You want to have guns in the house with a BABY‽ Are you crazy‽" And that is a rough situation to be in, when the very ones a father has a duty protect refuse to allow him to have the tools with which to fulfill his duty. To be less politically correct, I'll again be blunt: if there had been talk of preparing but Ashley wouldn't let Michael own a gun, then this was Ashley's fault. And it nearly cost her own life.
(To be clear, I have no idea why they don't have a gun, but those are two of the most common scenarios.)
On a somewhat lesser charge, the mother should have been more careful. Why did she open the door for a stranger? Well, to be fair, women tend to have more tender hearts to strangers who show up with a good story and "just need to use your phone." But this is a urge that must be carefully managed. Even I, as a Christian, do not forsake situational awareness and basic self-preservation instincts when fulfilling my mandate to love my neighbor. Evil exists in this world, and it is not our calling to sacrifice our lives rather than fight it. (But lets not get started on that aspect here; I have a blog planned to address that later.)
The point is... if you're going to invite a stranger into your home, try to make sure there is a safe distance maintained and that you have the ability to repel an attack if need be. If you can't repel a potential attack, you better think twice before admitting a stranger to your home. If you don't keep a gun in your home, you better be VERY strong before you let a stranger in.
Finally... when a father is awakened to hear struggling in within his home, his first thought better be to make sure his family is safe (okay, maybe second, after putting on pants, but that's iffy). And, again, unless you are a bull of a man, you better have a gun at hand because there is no better way to provide that safety to your beloved wife and children.
If I am ever awakened by the sounds of a struggle and find my wife being savagely attacked, stabbed, and bleeding, a righteous rage will fill me, and the attacker will have several bullet wounds in short order, with more ready to be handed out if the first volley does not immediately terminate the attack on my family. How DARE you come into MY home and attack MY wife and threaten MY child‽ I submit to you, this is the correct response for any husband and father, even for any man.
From what I've heard, I believe Michael did the right thing at this point. But the attack could have been terminated more quickly, and probably without Michael being stabbed, if he'd emerged from his bedroom with a firearm.
As a corollary to the theorem that the husband and father should be armed, I recommend that a mother also arm herself out of love for her children and her own desire to protect them. Had Ashley been armed when she answered the door, this could have been ended even sooner, and she could have saved herself a flight to Indianapolis and a stay in critical condition.
What Will You Do?
Closing thoughts and entreatments
Hopefully you have come to the realization that something this insane could happen to you — do you think Michael and Ashley ever had this nightmare? I would bet money that they fully expected last night to be an average evening, like any other, like you will probably have tonight and tomorrow night, and all next month. But you simply cannot predict or prevent atrocities like this; all you can do is prepare.
There are stats and there are stories. There are books and there are tales. There are memories and there are tragedies. The records are there to be found if you are willing, and they will bear witness to the fact that there exists no better tool of home defense and self defense than a firearm.
This isn't based on a made-up story. This happened yesterday. In Indiana. This IS real life.
If you are a husband and/or father and haven't thought of preparing yet, it's time you start thinking about it.
If you are a wife and/or mother and are withholding the proper tools from your husband, it's time you rethink that.
If your wife is withholding the proper tools from you, it's time you start trying in earnest to help her understand.
It's your job to protect yourself, your wife, and your children. Is it really worth the risk to be unprepared?
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