Rights And Wrongs

85-year old Alton Tillman of Clovis, New Mexico had been the victim of burglaries three times in the past week. He'd had quite enough of that, thank you, and decided to do something about it. So on Tuesday, he left his home at his usual time, then quietly circled back. When he entered the house, he found drawers opened and things in disarray - oh, and the burglar's feet sticking out from under his bed.

Tillman ordered him out, then called 911.

When officers arrived, they found Tillman pointing a handgun at a 16-year-old boy standing against a wall, they said.

Officers said they found several items belonging to Tillman in the boy's pockets and other items of the man's at the youth's home a block away.

The teenager was charged with felony burglary and larceny.

The police are not particularly happy with Mr. Tillman, saying they should have been called. Mr. Tillman did pretty well for himself, however, didn't he? Contrast this story with this one from Britain, however. A man there surprised a burglar rifling through his apartment and took exception to that. When the burglar was confronted by the homeowner, some sort of altercation occurred (nobody is sure what at this point.) But the would-be burglar ended up falling off a balcony. The British police have charged the homeowner for the robber's death.

Patrick Walsh, 56, awoke to find an intruder in his flat on Corkland Road in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester.

Police say "following an exchange of words" the 43-year-old suspect fell 35ft from the fourth floor window on to the pavement below. He suffered massive injuries from the fall, at around 6.10am on Monday, and died in hospital.

It is thought the pair got into an argument. A neighbour from a nearby property, who asked not to be named, said: "I was up at around that time, and I did hear a noise like a window being broken."

Another local said: "If the guy who fell out of the window was breaking into the property then why was the homeowner arrested?"

Good question. The criminal had no business whatsoever being inside a taxpaying citizen's home. It should be a right to defend your home - it still is in America - at least for now. Britain? Not so much.