Reminded of the Reverend Stephen Boissoin who is written about in Ezra Levant's book - Shakedown which is about the kangaroo courts called Human Right Tribunals in Canada. The Rev wrote an Editorial in a local paper condemning gay marriage later he was censured and told he could never again critize gays plus fined! The fine was to go towards some gay organization the funny thing was that no gay organization would take it! Later his conviction was overturned.

It is a said day when you see a country like England slowly go down the road of fascism.

It's too bad these horses' asses aren't being allowed to make complete fools of themselves. Now they will be able to run around claiming victim status.

Unless, of course, it's your right to be against gay marriage, keep kids of gay marriage out of parochial school, etc etc.

In England, self defense is not a valid defense against being arrested for "assault". If you are mugged and defend yourself, you are the one who will be arrested and have to pay the muggers that you "victimized".

In England, self defense is not a valid defense against being arrested for "assault".

We're not that far from that here. I was forced to defend myself in an incident last year, and the police informed me that if I fought back at all, the other person could file charges against me. I decided then that the legal system was not my friend.

Monica - move to a real state.

Even here in CT self defense is valid. Hell, we even allow the use of lethal force in self defense.

Oh, and on topic - this is what happens to societies that see college speech codes and say "Gee, we should make that apply to everyone!"

"I was forced to defend myself in an incident last year, and the police informed me that if I fought back at all, the other person could file charges against me."

Yes, your mugger can SUE you. How's that for adding insult to injury? But so what? You file charges, they file charges and lie, saying you attacked them, it's just like any other trial. If MonicaP is a woman and her attacker is male, it won't look quite so good for him, will it? But yes, scamming and gaming the justice system is something all criminals get lots of practice at.

But that's not today's topic. There are a few restrictions on free speech - you can't threaten the President, you can't incite people to riot (as in "go get that b----"), and you can't take someone you don't like and publish their home address so that extremists can come and kill them.

Or, maybe you can? Is that last item actually a First Amendment Right?

The dumbass states that don't allow self defense as a valid arugument is why I love living is South Florida.
We have pretty lax gun laws (sorta like Texas). If you walk uninvited in my house and try to rob me, I am allowed to shoot you dead on the spot. As long as I don't shoot you in the back, and you are actually inside the house, I can get off on self defense.

FWIW: The reason I have to shoot you in the front is because if I shoot you in the back,or outside, the argument can be put forth that you were trying to get away, or leave the premises. Then, you are considered a non-threat or some such. If I shoot you in the front, inside the home, the argument can be put forth that I was defending myself from an oncoming attack. So, next time someone breaks in, let them get in, say "Hey you!" to get their attention and as soon as they are facing you, fire away. (Learned that at the shooting range from a cop no less.)

In Texas a man got off via self defense for tracking down a teenager (followed him off his property) and shooting him, then delivering the cuop de grace after he was down from close range.

Mark Steyn shares his thoughts on the same subject here.

"the ass should be allowed to bray"

Great line. If you ever write a column on the topic, it'd make the perfect title.

Momof4, was that the kid who was playing ding-dong-ditch?

Not sure, Sabrina, we studied it in Crim class. It's been a few years....:)

Oh. Nevermind then... :p

Carry on people...

MonicaP: We're not that far from that here. I was forced to defend myself in an incident last year, and the police informed me that if I fought back at all, the other person could file charges against me. I decided then that the legal system was not my friend.

Next time you have to defend yourself, beat the living [NSFW] out of your attacker as well. As long as you're going to prison, you might as well deserve it!

As long as I don't shoot you in the back...

...even if I'm running off with your tee vee?

"As long as I don't shoot you in the back...

...even if I'm running off with your tee vee?"

Yep. Even if you are running away with something you stole from me or my home, I cannot shoot you in the back.

In a way, it makes sense. A tv isn't worth a life, no matter how disgusted I am that I was robbed, I would rather he take my tv than try to harm me. And besides, he clearly isn't trying to physically harm me if his hands are too busy trying to balance the tv while he is running away. It doesn't make sense to shoot him then. Just let him go at that point and file the insurance claim. Now, if he is holding the tv in my living room, and facing me, I would go for the knee caps and likely get away with it. But if there is nothing in his hands, and he is facing me, in myhome, all bets are off. Shoot 'em dead. Unarmed or not, he is considered a threat at that point.

Civilized!!!

Because nobody ever gets shot in Mexico...

A reminder here for those who don't know much about guns that most protective uses of guns do not involve killing anyone.

Just the presence of a gun tends to rapidly demotivate the most determined criminals.

It is hard to be sure because using a gun as a deterrent, it's most common use, is usually not recorded anywhere. Estimates run from 5 to 20 crimes halted with no one shot at all, just because the prospective victim was armed.

My favorite tale came out a few years in Congressional hearings, I believe it was.

A medical professional was asleep in her upstairs bedroom in a large city. She awoke to noises downstairs, and realized thugs had broken in.

She jumped up, grabbed her AR-15 (civilian semi-automatic version of an M-16) and racked it. (That is a colloquial expression for pulling back the lever thingie, and letting it go, thus injecting a live round into the chamber.)

One has to be from pretty deep in the cave not to recognize that most distinct sound.

The thugs recognized it, and screaming with fear dived back out the windows they had broken to enter.

That is perfect use of a firearm.

If you actually have to shoot someone to defend yourself, something went wrong.

>>Because nobody ever gets shot in Mexico...

Trying unsuccessfully to be clever, or what?

It is civilized to be able to defend yourself legally against a threat to life and health. Actually, we don't have that right here in Mexico, especially foreigners.

On the other hand, there are more guns out here than I see in the US. All illegal. The cops used to be pretty ornery, and based on the age of the firearms I see, the braceros in the 40's and 50's came back prepared to stop the abuse.

Cops usually either have full auto M-16's or full auto AK's, and if the flag ever went up, they would be horribly under-gunned. That's the farmers, not the druggies.

And, they know it, they are really polite. No more raping housewives, or kicking them to death as happened before the braceros did their thing.

This War Against Drugs is exactly what happened with the War against Alcohol, and the reason the Prohibition was repealed. Look up Eliot Ness, etc.

I am 68 years old, somehow surviving all these years with no firearms for defense. However, even without a firearm, the first five people though my front door are going to realize they made a grave mistake. Six and I lose, but there will be five losers to pay the Rowman.

Error correction. After AK's, it should have said or 12 gauge shotguns, especially common in cities so the whole city does not get mowed down in a shoot-out. In urban areas, the 12 gauge is the ideal weapon.

"If you actually have to shoot someone to defend yourself, something went wrong."

I actually agree with this. I joke about "shoot em dead." but the reality is, I hope that I never have too. Most thugs don't expect their victims to defend themselves. They want them passive. If a potential victim suddenly becomes able to defend themself, the thugs lose the upper hand so they run away. The mere presence of my firearm should and would likely be enough to deter any sort of confrontation. However, I would not hesitate to shoot it if I truly felt that it was the only way to stop a thug in my home.

fully automatic assault rifles are just a fun way to waste bullets.

Though it is amazingly simple to convert a semi auto to full auto

Yep, the conversion is simple and illegal...too bad you may just dump the whole magazine...other way to do it, pay the $200 for the tax stamp to have a legal fully automatic weapon...

Racking a round is a great way to scare away an intruder. The very distinct sound is understood in all languages.

Great ways to handle robbers:
-Put an NRA Sticker on your front door..deterrence for within those words and the eagle on it says "We have guns and we will kill you. Go steal someone else's shit.
-Keep an unloaded handgun where a criminal can easily find it, if he picks it up and it's dark...when the police arrive to take your statement who cares "A reasonable person who sees an intruder holding a firearm in his domicile can respond with deadly force." How were you to know it was yours and not loaded?

Yep. Even if you are running away with something you stole from me or my home, I cannot shoot you in the back.

Ha, you must be a fellow Marylander. :-)

"faggots and mince not on the menu" Just to point out faggots are the English word for smokes. When a brit asks for a fag he's not offering gay sex. I learned this one the hard way.

Not sure how we went from first amendment to 2nd but always a fun topic for me.

>>Keep an unloaded handgun where a criminal can easily find it, if he picks it up and it's dark...

I assume you don't have kids?

"Ha, you must be a fellow Marylander. :-)" True for most states.

"pay the $200 for the tax stamp to have a legal fully automatic weapon" The legal full auto version are are a lot more expensive. HK G3 25K HK 91 3-5K.

Nope, don't have kids...leaving firearms about the house is ok for me. Someday when I do have kids the gun stays in a lockbox with a combination and the kids will be taught to "never touch daddy's guns" and weapon safety beyond that as well.

In regard to the expense for an automatic I was talking about AR-15/M4/M16 Colts...about $1600 for a 3 round burst capable rifle. Why anyone would want full auto I have no idea...

Forgot to add,

If you have children then you have justification for shooting an intruder regardless. Can't escape with your family and there is a credible threat. Whether your state has "castle doctrine" or not that is a viable defense.

If you do have children and you do have guns don't be an idiot.

"In regard to the expense for an automatic I was talking about AR-15/M4/M16 Colts...about $1600 for a 3 round burst capable rifle." No. NFA defines a machine gun as any fire arm capable of firing more than 1 round per trigger pull. The human diaper stain Hughes made sure that all MG would have be registered pre 1986 to transferable. The one exception is Montana which flipped the finger to the NFA but all firearms must remain in the state.

I've been trying damn hard to find exemption to this and none so far.

"If you actually have to shoot someone to defend yourself, something went wrong."

Maybe. But if you're going to pull it, use it immediately and aim for mid-body. There is no "freeze while the cops get here and I cover you" in real life.

First thing they teach in concealed-carry class (yes I"m liscensed) is there is no such thing as an unloaded gun. The second thing is don't pull it unless you're going to use it, and do so immediately. The longer you stand there pointing it at another human, the harder it is to shoot, and the bigger likelihood that they will get it form you and use it on you. I also hope never to have to use a gun (couldn't right now, anyway, as it's unloaded and locked up). No sane person hopes for the reason to kill.

ALso (crim class again, I was a soc major and took a lot of crim classes) burglars do not want anyone to be home. They go to great lengths to avoid homes that are occupied (a timer on your TV is actually about the best burglar deterrent there is) so someone in your home with you there is quite likely up to something more sinister than a TV theft. Or so on drugs they just don't care.

Few things:

The racking of the shotgun in the dark (or light) is a very distinctive sound. Most criminals will leave on their own, quickly.

You can buy several pellet guns that have a close heft and weight to a real gun, but effectively are disarmed. Those are what I would leave out.

If you have to fire, make sure you fire at least twice. Once into the ceiling. Then once (or more, as needed) into the criminal. The order is subject to interpretation. ;-)

Told to a women, in the throes of a divorce, by the police. He ex would show up and leave before the police could get there. This is a few years back:

"As long as you don't leave too much blood outside we won't look too hard."

The cops eventually showed up with her standing and him kneeling on the porch. Her left hand was holding his behind his back in a come-along hold and the right had a Walther .380 jammed in his ear. He was promptly arrested.

A tv isn't worth a life, no matter how disgusted I am that I was robbed, I would rather he take my tv than try to harm me.

It was worth several hours of my life working for enough money to buy that tv. Don't kid yourself. Who steals your purse steals you life.

I don't think I could shoot someone in the back, but dismissing the robbery with a blithe "a tv isn't worth a life" is to dismiss the effort one party made to improve his life and the careless disregard for that effort the other party showed.

And, applying Frederic Bastiat, the money he spends replacing that tv could have been spent on another item which would have increased the economic traffic of the neighborhood and made others richer.

Fanny, however, means vagina in the UK.

Met a guy who accidentally offended a British tourist by talking about her "huge fanny pack." Over there, it's a "bum bag."

"Even here in CT self defense is valid."

And so is stealing your home and your land so the city council can get more tax money from the new developer.

-----

Several of you have sick ideas about using firearms in self-defense. Don't believe what anyone says about the use of deadly force in your state. Check the law itself out. The law does not care what your personal opinion might be. A good reference to start is usacarry.com.

How far off can you be? Well, Washington, DC actually states that a firearm with more than 12 rounds capacity is a "machine gun". Never forget that these laws are often made by people don't know anything about guns. That doesn't void them, though. Go look!