Mo. man, angered over digital switch, shoots his TV set

bnd.com ^ | 02/20/09 | KSDK

[TornadoAlley3]

The digital transition has left some confused, but a Joplin man was down right frustrated with the switch. So frustrated, in fact, that he peppered his television set with gunfire.

Police responded to the man's house Wednesday after reports of shots being fired inside.

Turns out the 70-year-old gunman was livid over losing cable and could not get his digital converter box to work. Police took Walter Hoover into custody after a brief standoff and charged him with unlawful use of a firearm.

Hoover's wife told police that he had been drinking before the incident.

[RichInOC]

Ah, yes, the remote control of last resort.

[Hatteras]

I bet he felt wonderful afterward. Probably eased quite a few frustrations.

[Cailleach]

My senior lit teacher had a kill your television bumper sticker in her class room.

[antiRepublicrat]

Discharging a firearm in a city is usually illegal because bullets tend to go through things and houses are pretty close together.

Exceptions are of course made for properly-built gun ranges and self defense, but I don’t think shooting your TV qualifies as a necessary use of a firearm, even if Helen Thomas was on and it was a knee-jerk reaction to keep you from pulling your eyes out.

[Durus]

I missed the "necessary use of a firearm" clause in the 2nd amendment. I also missed, apparently, that he damaged anything other then a TV, and that he lived in a city.

Barring any damage done to anything other then the TV I don't think he should have been arrested.

[Durus]

He himself, his wife, and the people next door were all fine. The only damage was to his TV.

[TYVets]

The only think he could get on his TV was a John Connors speech?

[kalee]

I remember her and her sticker.

[Cailleach]

she was anti-computer too if I remember. She was also probably a raging lib. Kinda hippy-ish wasn’t she?

[Arrowhead1952]

I knew I’d seen that tagline before.

[kalee]

Yes. she probably was.

[TribalPrincess2U]

It’s all your fault, Crolis. You will be getting a visit from the TV police
for inciting TV hatred. /s

[algernonpj]

Annoying isn’t it. Initially I had a few great days and thought great - more channels - better picture.

Now the bad days easily equal the good ones. Channels I never had a problem with using analog, often break up badly. And I’m researching if there is a way to accomodate for the periodic drops in signal quality.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

...;0)

[Arrowhead1952]

LOL!! I knew this was a thread made for you.

[antiRepublicrat]

I missed the "necessary use of a firearm" clause in the 2nd amendment.

It's not needed. I don't know any gun owner who would advocate the irresponsible use of a firearm, and shooting for no good reason with other houses in close proximity isn't responsible use, nor is it a responsible exercise of our 2nd Amendment right.

I like it when idiots who misuse firearms get busted. The corollary to that is that those who use them responsibly should be left alone by the government. Instead of course the government uses the irresponsible idiots as an excuse to restrict the rights of the responsible.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[Durus]

I don't know that "irresponsible use of a firearm" exists in this situation and neither do you. You don't know what the backstop was, how close the closest neighbor was, the BAC of the shooter etc. Still you assume that he must be in the wrong. There is no report of anyone being hurt or any property damage to anyone (Else's) home so where is the irresponsible use?

If someone wants to shoot up their TV, as long as no one else is hurt, it's none of your business regardless if you agree with the action or not.

[antiRepublicrat]

If someone wants to shoot up their TV, as long as no one else is hurt, it's none of your business regardless if you agree with the action or not.

I think the action itself was pretty funny. But, no, I don't think a person should be able to discharge firearms willy-nilly in a crowded environment. The possibility innocent injury is just too high. It is my business if I'm only a thin wall away from where he's shooting.

We used to take our stuff out to the desert to shoot it up. It's fun, and much more responsible.

[Durus]

What crowded enviroment?