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Has Texas’ ‘castle doctrine’ law really caused more killings?
dallasnews.com ^ | 2 June 2012 | Rodger Jones

Posted on 07/03/2012 8:14:29 AM PDT by smokingfrog

That’s unknowable, yet the headline in the Houston Chronicle would have you think Texas’ 2007 law is stirring up more business for the state’s county morgues. It says:

Texas justifiable homicides rise with ‘Castle Doctrine’

It might be a useful story except for that detour it has your mind take with the verbal gymnastics. See, there’s a difference between homicides rising “with” the Castle Doctrine and “because” of the Castle Doctrine law that Texas lawmakers passed in 2007 to clarify a person’s duty to retreat when fearing danger.

The story’s lead anecdote was about a thief who was shot dead trying to run off with $20.29 from a taco stand’s tip jar, part of an increase in justifiable homicides in the Houston area in recent years. Truth is, the taco stand killing would have been justifiable even before 2007, since it was basically about protecting property. The story mentioned that, but only after leaving a false impression that two-bit pilferers are suddenly dropping like flies because of the new law dealing with the duty to retreat in the face of bodily harm.

Is this part of a pattern at downstate papers? You judge. A headline on a Beaumont Enterprise item says this:

Study finds ‘stand your ground’ laws increase murder rates

That’s true, as far as the study goes. But I think Beaumont readers care about one state’s laws and one state’s murder rates, and that’s Texas’. The truth here is that since the 2007 law change (call it “castle doctrine” or “stand your ground” law – same thing) Texas murders have gone down each year.

(Excerpt) Read more at dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; castlelaw; texas; tx
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To: stuartcr

Whose tip jar it should have a bearing on that question...


41 posted on 07/03/2012 8:36:52 PM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias...)
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To: SeminoleCounty

The descendants of former slave owners are to have no right to self defense. This of course includes all of those descended from those who fought for the Union. The 2d Amendment is henceforth to be governed by Pigmentation.


42 posted on 07/04/2012 6:23:35 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (So, Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and FU Roberts can't figure out if Obama is a Natural Born Citizen?)
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To: Svartalfiar
"Homicide" and "Murder" are often used interchangeably in the new dumbed-down America ... especially by TV reporters. It's like "Me" and "I," "Who" and "Whom," etc.

Never forget that 53% of our fellow voters cast their ballot for one Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. Democracy is a an excellent form of government in many wonderful ways. The potential for the tyranny of the stupid is not one of them.

43 posted on 07/04/2012 6:31:05 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (So, Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and FU Roberts can't figure out if Obama is a Natural Born Citizen?)
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To: Balding_Eagle

...not enought to kill someone over, besides, I never wanted the job.


44 posted on 07/04/2012 8:39:10 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: TXnMA

No tip jar has enough to kill someone over.


45 posted on 07/04/2012 8:40:43 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: TXnMA

No tip jar has enough to kill someone over.


46 posted on 07/04/2012 8:41:03 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: stuartcr

Fortunately for everyone ( except the criminals, of course) Texas has decided to codify into law a more civilized way than you have for dealing with those who would steal.


47 posted on 07/04/2012 7:34:22 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (Liberals, at their core, are aggressive & dangerous to everyone around them,)
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