The message is that you can't shoot someone for stealing your goddamn stereo, get it?!!
Vicenty's life wasn't in danger, the only things that were in danger were a stereo system and the change from his ashtray. You don't shoot people when they break into your car, you call the cops.
Which is a major flaw in the system. The notion that you should allow yourself to be a passive victim in society while the local cops refuse to do anything more constructive to clean up your neighborhood than sit around in the donut shop is a major contributing factor to the decay of certain areas of the country. Criminals know they can basically depredate at will in certain cities and as long as they don't cross over that magic legal line that justifies lethal force for the peons, they can have a nice, productive criminal career. I'm always amazed when I read of these scum getting arrested for rape or murder and the news account mentions that they were "arrested 17 times before on various charges ranging from larcenty to assault" yet he was somehow still out on the streets, with good people legally impotent to do a thing about it.
11 posted on 7/20/02 3:20 AM Pacific by Zeroisanumber
And your attitude is EXACTLY why we have multiple offenders walking the streets praying on innocent citizens. Boneheads like you sitting on a Jury, listening to some Bleeding heart telling you how poor Jerome had a bad upbringing, so he should be able to rape and pillage throughout the City. Boo hoo only give him probation, cause he is the father to 15 children and he needs to be free to steal to support them.
You become a victim of more than one crime by the these kinds individuals and watch as the Local Doughnut Cavalry rides in to say, "Bummer, unless we see him doing in there isn't much we can do. Were not going to put a detective on something like this. If it happens again call us. "(At the Local Dunkin Doughnut Shop)
Have one of the Slugs of society decide to target you or your family and then lets see how you feel. Expecially when their little pillage is interrupted and someone gets hurt. (like You)
As one that has experienced being the victim of this Bullshit....Texas has it right, Shoot the SOB's on SITE!
Um, I'll just say it like it is. My stereo that I worked hard for is worth more to me than a criminal's life is.
Well, you once could, before the criminal was granted license to steal by liberal judges.
"The yellow haired lady was buried at sunset,
The stranger went free, of course,
'cause you can't hang a man
for killing a woman
who's tryin to steal his horse."
(from "The Red-Headed Stranger", Willie Nelson)
I like that old song. ahaha
Around here we do. It saves the taxpayers money.
In NEW YORK CITY, you are supposed to run and let the theives steal you blind. In Texas you can use deadly force to stop a felony in progress. Or to stop theft during the night, but the story doesn't say if this was in the night. Besides, you missed this part: Vicenty later said Bethea had threatened his life when he asked him to get out of his car.
It is clear the cops would do nothing, since this perp had robbed FOUR TIMES in the past and was still on the streets, running free.
The only mistake this guy did was not to use a bigger caliber rifle or a 12-guage. One shot to the head would have ended this scumbags life.