31 To Go
Another slanted story from AFP on gun laws in the United States. The headline screams it all: 'Shoot first' laws make it tougher for burglars in the United States." Yes, 19 states have enacted 'stand your ground' laws that make it legal to defend your home from an intruder. Which includes the right to ten-ring a burglar on sight. Yes, some criminals will get shot. The NRA supports these laws, the anti-gun zealots are opposed - and are the ones labeling these laws as 'shoot first'.
"This law will bring common-sense self-defense protections to law-abiding citizens," said Rachel Parsons, a spokesperson for the NRA.
"If someone is breaking into your home, it's obvious that they are not there to have dinner with you," she continued. "You do have a right to protect your belongings, your family and yourself.
"The law needs to be put on the side of the victim, and not on the side of the criminal, who is attacking the victim."
But for the Freedom States Alliance that fights against the proliferation of firearms in the United States, these new laws attach more value to threatened belongings than to the life of the thief and only serve to increase the number of people killed by firearms each year, which currently is estimated to stand at nearly 30,000.
"It's that whole Wild West mentality that is leading the country down a very dangerous path," said Sally Slovenski, executive director of the alliance.
"In any other country, something like the castle doctrine or stand-your-ground laws look like just absolute lunacy," she continued.
"And yet in this country, somehow it's been justified, and people just sort of have come to live with this, and they just don't see the outrage in this."
My state does not have a 'stand your ground' law specifically. But, as the deputy who taught my carry class said, they also don't prosecute the homeowner in cases like this. Self defense is still a right. The article mentions something interesting:
According to Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were 2.18 million burglaries to the United States in 2006, up 1.3 percent compared to the year before.
But the number is still well below the 3.24 million burglaries a year committed 20 years ago.
I wonder if anyone has looked at the high correlation between increased gun ownership and decreased burglaries over that 20 year period. Stories like this always predict that the streets will be running ankle deep in blood when the law passes - it never happens. But they still trot it out at every opportunity. On the other hand, declaring areas 'gun-free zones' has repeatedly led to bloody massacres at the hands of non-law-abiding people, haven't they? Think about that.
And don't even think about trying to break into my house.
By daveinboca, Sunday, 28 October , 2007 @ 11:12 am
After a crew of five Jamaicans were rifling my home at 12 noon last year, I bought a piece of protection. Of course, laws like this decrease home burglaries. The enemies of private property want the nanny-state to protect your home & belongings, until they tax them away. They caught the Jamaican crew chief and he plea-bargained down to 20 months plus restitution of the $5000 his dance-crew boosted. I don’t expect to get anything back from those illegal aliens.
By NortonPete, Sunday, 28 October , 2007 @ 2:37 pm
This is a tough issue for me in NJ. I have all the required permits ( not conceal ) to defend my home but I don’t think the courts would back me up. I live in a rural area of NJ which has NJ State Police coverage. A few weeks back someone committed suicide on the side of the road near me and it took 45 minutes to get a patrol car. I’m told there are only 2 troopers at night for an 400 sq mile area. Still if someone is breaking into my home I must only react with like force, meaning if the bad guy doesn’t have a weapon and they kick my door in I must not shoot him. I know, ” better to be judged by 12 then carried by 6″.
By Quilly Mammoth, Sunday, 28 October , 2007 @ 2:52 pm
The best “stand your ground” laws are those that specify that there is “no duty to retreat”. IOW: as long as you are entitled to be where you are standing you may defend yourself with deadly force.
Unless you have some idiot DA like they have down in Tulsa,
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070928_1_A1_hAret63781
A man, one Kenneth Gumm, gets followed into a parking lot by a road raged, drunken, meth head who chases Gumm around a car. Then pushes Gum, who is 67. AT which point Gumm pulls out his pistol and blows said Goblin to the hereafter.
By Gaius, Sunday, 28 October , 2007 @ 3:03 pm
The DA is an idiot.
By FedUp, Sunday, 28 October , 2007 @ 3:16 pm
It’s a sad commentary on our society that the criminal’s rights are protected and the victim is forgotten, OR blamed for the whole incident. I reccomend that anyone hoping to break into my home is prepared to deal with the consequences.
By Uncle Pinky, Sunday, 28 October , 2007 @ 6:32 pm
We’ve been pretty low on the robber’s call list this year. It might be my wall-hanging edged weapon collections, the prominent aluminum bat displays or, maybe, the fact that I’ve got a geologist hammer holstered against the interior door frame at drop hand level. My particular favourite is the Phil-e-buster, an actual Louisville Slugger inscribed with the date of my seven year duration at the bar. Seven years closing, without pulling a weapon of any sort, the guys thought I deserved a little equalizer. Took it home and it now stands proudly next to my quarterstaff. I tend to use the ballistic ashtray, pint glass or what happens to be close to hand. Burglarious sorts know this, they walk in–look around–walk out. Crime is actually, by the numbers, a pretty good living but it is not worth dying for.
I’ve got guns, and won’t hesitate to use them; but for home defense I revert to the geologist hammer or the framing hammer. When someone is in your house you kind of want to, I dunno, smite them. Plus, the cops don’t hassle you as much.
P.S. Kitchen knives are OK, hunting knives are a big no-no.