Yeah, I should but in order to speak a foreign language, one must be able to think in that language so that means that I have to listen to it also. Oh the things I do just to keep abreast of things! Getting back to nearly being on topic, I have discovered one important element that all should be aware of. The left really doesn’t mind owning and shooting guns as long as no one else can own and shoot a gun. The only exception is when someone from the left gives them to someone from a Cartel or something similar in order to shoot people and run drugs and sex slaves. It’s really very easy to understand.
Of course, to attempt to do anything to protect your life, you have to have your head screwed on right and not be afraid of your own shadow. Hal
Hal, no one except for the well trained and experienced person knows for sure what they will do in a life threatening situation and even then, there’s always a slight chance of a no fire. I have seen guys who were at first afraid to pull the trigger go on and kill without any remorse and I have also seen guys who have killed many times freeze at a critical time. A person could train for years perchance they might be accosted but fail miserably when the time does come for them to defend themselves. Some overthink the issue and some simply allow instinct to do it’s job with no thought whatsoever. I was a “no thinker”. Pull the trigger and kill without any thought process going into it. Pure instinct. Now, even though I know what it is to take a life or lives, I often wonder what would happen if I was faced with a life threatening situation again. Obviously, I’m not afraid of my shadow nor any other person but the thought is still there, wondering if I will balk or go for the throat. Dunno, I hope that I will never find out.
Just last week here in NY,about 100 miles east of me, we had an homeowner that shot and killed two people attempting to burglarize his home. He was not charged with the homicides as they were found justified. In NY you are entitled to kill someone inside your home. You are not allowed to shoot to protect property. He was however charged with possession of an unregistered handgun. Lots of folks are up in arms about the charges. The DA had no choice. The law is what it is and the man broke the law. Had he used a shotgun or rifle there would have been no charge at all The DA is actually doing the man a favor,being the law is what it is. Man was a hoarder, house has no running water,heat or electricity and in a general state of disrepair. It was condemned after the incident. Bail was set at 10k. but the man has elected to stay in jail as he no longer has a home. More than likely he will be sentenced to time served. There are a couple of groups and agencies in line to help him find a new home when this is over. Downside is a conviction will make him a prohibited person, never being able to own a firearm again.
That's certainly something to consider, Bobby...how will we really handle the situation? You were obviously in Combat situations...Vietnam? Hal
In that guys case, perhaps it was indeed a good thing but the circumstances, to me, need to be looked into a little bit further. How did he come by the weapon? Was it given to him by a family member, was it found, was it purchased illegally? If a family member gave it to him, in most states both parties have committed a crime and in some, it’s not. If it was found, then it needed to be turned in to find out who it was registered with. If it was purchased illegally, then the seller needs to be found and investigated. That’s the thing isn’t it? If a weapon is legally purchased and registered, then that person is on the state and fed list and big brother has yet more information on it’s citizenry but yet, it’s still registered to a party who can legally own and operate a weapon. In this case, the man might not have been qualified to own a weapon but still, even though it was illegally held, with it he was able to save his own life. A paradox indeed.
It was left by his father who had passed away. He just hung on to it. In NY it is an arduous and fairly expensive process to get a pistol permit. Figure 250 to 300 bucks,and even if all your references and background check out,the judge still has no obligation to issue a permit. There is no "shall" issue, just "may" issue.
It’s a shame Pete. Nothing left by a deceased family member should be taxed to begin with and if it is a previously legal weapon, then after a simple background check, the re-registration of a weapon for home use shouldn’t be over 20 or 40 beans. Even conceal carry permits should only cost a few bucks after the adequate classes have been passed. Here in Alabama, re-registration is cheap and the local classes only cost about $100 and the permit is good for 30 states and the background checks are included in the price of the weapon. So in essence, a $150 .25 cal. Auto would cost around $300 dollars by the time a person got his or her conceal carry.
IMO, a law that allows for no prosecutorial discretion is a bad law. The man didn't buy a gun on the black market. The gun was registered, only it was registered to his father, and not to him. Being a registered gun, it was not in the home illegally. The man's only indiscretion was not turning in his father's gun. His choice during the home burglary was whether to allow himself and his family to be killed or to use a weapon that was registered to his father, and he made the only reasonable choice under the circumstances.
Agree. I have a revolver that was my dad's and I have not bothered to have it re-registered. No plans to do so. And I have to wonder... if the intruder had had the gun and murdered the homeowner, would he be charged with carrying an unregistered firearm? I have to say I have never heard of that.
And that is exactly what sucks. If the intruder had been the killer. the DA would have plead away the weapons charge in order to negotiate the murder charge. In almost every case of an serious armed felony, the weapons charge is a bargaining chip
I'd guess that it would never occur to most people to do that. Likely, he never planned on having to use it.
In all honesty, I don't know if either my wife or I could shoot an intruder/robber. But, there is that possibility though. The clips to our 9mm and .22 are fully loaded, so. Not in the firearm, but loaded.
My dad was a farmer and a "horse trader" with an arsenal. I'd venture to say that 90% of his guns were unregistered as long as he owned them. I'm just maintaining the status quo.