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Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Jp!
Date: July 10, 2007 07:54AM
Ironic or Hypocritical?



[www.foxnews.com]

A state lawmaker who opposed a bill giving Texans stronger right to defend themselves with deadly force pulled a gun and shot a man he says was trying to steal copper wiring from a construction site, police said Monday.


[www.chron.com]

"The land on which Miles is building his new home is valued at $120,715, according to Harris County tax records. The planned 9,200-square-foot house...."

That's a nice, small house.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: cbelt3
Date: July 10, 2007 08:13AM
There are more men that need killin in Texas than Copper that wants Stealing...
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Robert M
Date: July 10, 2007 08:19AM
JP!,

No surprise that someone was attempting to steel copper wiring. These days, I'd rather have the metal than cash. The price of metal has skyrocketed and while it goes down a little here and there, overall, it keeps climbing and climbing. X amount will be Y dollars today and, in a matter of days or even hours, it will be Z which is that much higher. It fluctuates that quickly!

Robert
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: MacMagus
Date: July 10, 2007 08:22AM
> That's a nice, small house.

It is in Texas.

Practically a hut.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Jp!
Date: July 10, 2007 08:27AM
Yeah, they've been running news stories on copper thieves.
When our church was being remodeled in probably late 70s, someone stole all the copper downspouts (which are about 40 - 45 feet tall/long)

So, it's nothing new.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Lux Interior
Date: July 10, 2007 09:37AM
You'll never take me alive, copper!
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: davester
Date: July 10, 2007 10:03AM
Unless he was threatened with bodily harm, I'd say it is the height of insanity to shoot someone for stealing construction supplies and that he should be thrown in the slammer. Of course, they think differently in Texas...the executin' state.


"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: spearmint
Date: July 10, 2007 10:10AM
My customers have 75-100 HP and larger electric motors. The thieves will go over barbed wire to get at the control panels and wire. One good use for pit bulls.

One of the funniest and saddest things I ever saw was in South Philly. A small guy dragging an aluminum light pole down the street to the recycle center.



Da Good Life
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: MacMagus
Date: July 10, 2007 10:13AM
> Unless he was threatened with bodily harm, I'd say it is the height of insanity to shoot
> someone for stealing construction supplies and that he should be thrown in the slammer.

You didn't read the article?

Supposedly, one of the thieves threw a knife at him and he shot the guy in the leg.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Pops
Date: July 10, 2007 10:33AM
Quote
spearmint
My customers have 75-100 HP and larger electric motors. The thieves will go over barbed wire to get at the control panels and wire. One good use for pit bulls.

Pit bulls. One good use for hand guns.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: voodoopenguin
Date: July 10, 2007 11:06AM
The subject of this topic says 'voted against gun bill' but I don't see that phrase in the links provided. The actual news item says about voting against 'deadly force bill'. Is that the same thing then?
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: spearmint
Date: July 10, 2007 11:26AM
Quote
Pops
Quote
spearmint
My customers have 75-100 HP and larger electric motors. The thieves will go over barbed wire to get at the control panels and wire. One good use for pit bulls.

Pit bulls. One good use for hand guns.

I don't get it. If you are a thief you should carry a handgun to kill the junkyard dogs in your way? I am not a fan of pit bulls but if I had a yard of valuable equipment I would want some security. When the dog goes at the cyclone fence where you the thief are, would that not be a deterrent and nobody gets hurt.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2007 11:31AM by spearmint.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: kj
Date: July 10, 2007 02:59PM
>>>The so-called "castle doctrine," passed by the Legislature this year, states that a person has no duty to retreat from an intruder before using deadly force.

The question is whether he tried to retreat before shooting the man, as he believes people should, apparently. I would be interested to know what is meant by retreat. If someone is in your house, would you have to hide in a closet? Or drive away in your car? kj.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: vision63
Date: July 10, 2007 03:16PM
Deadly force for stealing. It doesn't match.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: billb
Date: July 10, 2007 04:09PM
How about if he's stealing your daughter's virginity or your wife's commitment ?
That's Ok ?
It's just stealing.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Jp!
Date: July 10, 2007 04:22PM
Quote
kj
>>>The so-called "castle doctrine," passed by the Legislature this year, states that a person has no duty to retreat from an intruder before using deadly force.

The question is whether he tried to retreat before shooting the man, as he believes people should, apparently. I would be interested to know what is meant by retreat. If someone is in your house, would you have to hide in a closet? Or drive away in your car? kj.

The main point for me, not in THIS case, is whether or not a person CAN retreat. After of course the requisite WHY?

Furthermore, when you build a house, it's not your HOME (aka CASTLE) and likely the parts (items being stolen) are not your UNTIL CLOSING. SO, technically this isn't even his CASTLE.

People were stealing from my home being built and I never had a problem with it. It was not MINE.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: kj
Date: July 10, 2007 04:47PM
>>The main point for me, not in THIS case, is whether or not a person CAN retreat. After of course the requisite WHY?

I think I agree. The law would have required that you retreat before defending yourself.

>>Furthermore, when you build a house, it's not your HOME (aka CASTLE) and likely the parts (items being stolen) are not your UNTIL CLOSING.

Is that true? I thought most people paid a contractor, and paid for materials and labor as they built, albeit with a loan. But I guess if he was being threatened, it doesn't matter where he was. kj.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Effin Haole
Date: July 10, 2007 06:17PM
The @#$%& were trespassing, stealing and then tried to kill the man who caught them.

They got what they deserved. Too bad he didn't kill the both of them and save the taxpayers the cost of a trial.


Strength without compassion is brutality. Compassion without strength is weakness.

We must train our minds to desire what the situation demands.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: MacMagus
Date: July 10, 2007 06:45PM
> The @#$%& were trespassing, stealing and then tried to kill the man who caught them.

From the descriptions, one of the thieves threw a small pocket knife. That's hardly an attempt to kill the man.

Then Miles was composed enough to shoot his assailant in the leg instead of in the chest when he had plenty of reason to aim higher.

If I lived in Texas, he'd be well toward having my vote. Few people could face that test so well.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: cbelt3
Date: July 10, 2007 09:45PM
Harrumph.

"Shot him in the leg"
Most likely missed center mass. I mean- you train to shoot at center mass. This whole 'shoot the gun out of their hand' or 'shoot em in the leg' is a lot of hollywood hoo-hah.

Someone pulls a knife on you and you have a gun, you shoot the sumbiotch dead. Someone pulls a gun on you, you either scream and run like hell or hold real still and pray he doesn't kill you.

My granddad fought in world war I and was sherrif for Suffolk County during WWII. He had a sign on his property in what became hoity-toity Southampton reading "No Trespassing. Survivors will be Prosecuted".
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Jp!
Date: July 10, 2007 10:38PM
I laugh at the sign

"Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot AGAIN!"

smiling smiley
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: wurm
Date: July 11, 2007 06:30PM
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Jp!
Date: July 12, 2007 05:27AM
But he can't return fire.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Robert M
Date: July 12, 2007 10:46AM
MacMagus,

The type of knife is irrelevant. The trespassing thief _threw_ the knife at him. Even a small knife can cause serious bodily harm upon impact. It depends on where it hits, how it hits and the force behind it.

So, assuming it is true and a knife was thrown at the lawmaker, then he was well within his rights to defend himself by whatever means are necessary. Even if that means shooting the bastich.

That and CBelt said it well. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the lawmaker did in fact aim for the body and missed his primary target and ended up nailing the guy in the leg by mistake, i.e. a fortunate accident.

Robert
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: Effin Haole
Date: July 12, 2007 11:25AM
I don't know about others, but when a person pulls a weapon on me, any weapon, I take that as a threat upon my life and respond accordingly.

The only reason he was shot in the leg is what cbelt said.


Strength without compassion is brutality. Compassion without strength is weakness.

We must train our minds to desire what the situation demands.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: kj
Date: July 12, 2007 12:37PM
>>The trespassing thief _threw_ the knife at him.

Yes, it shows his intent, whether effective or not. I can't imagine waiting to see if his next attempt is any better. kj.
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Re: Lawmaker who voted against gun bill, shoots thief.
Posted by: mick e
Date: July 13, 2007 04:37PM
Ooh look. A picture of a black man!



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