I’ve been waiting to blog on this subject until Joe Horn gets no billed by a Harris county grand jury (and if there is any justice left in the system, that’s what will happen) but it seems that this isn’t going to happen for a while.
I’m not going to go so far as to say that someone who shoots intruders in the back because they are stealing his neighbors property is a hero; but I will say that if you don’t want to be shot and have the system look the other way, then you probably shouldn’t engage in burglary.
I only wish that other incidents like this one ended as well for the shooters. Specifically Cory Maye, who remains imprisoned for shooting a police officer during a no-knock raid on the wrong house, and recently John White, who shot a man in his front yard.
While I am not proud of Joe Horn, I am proud of the fact that I live in a state where property owners can defend their property with lethal force if necessary. Thank you Texas for that little bit of justice.
One more statement on the subject, just to be clear. For all the hand-wringers out there who decry the injustice of Joe Horns actions; every time you open your mouths, what the rest of us hear is:
“what if I’m so desperate I have to turn to a life of crime, and someone shoots me in the back?”
There can’t be any doubt that the dead men were robbing the neighbors house; there also isn’t any basis for the claims that you must follow the directions of a 911 operator. Joe Horn was responsible for protecting the neighbor’s property, because he had explicitly agreed to do so. That he chose to use lethal force is completely within reason, and within his rights, given the situation. So, if you still just can’t bear to think about criminals being dealt with harshly, then all I can do is repeat the important point written above. Don’t want to get shot? Don’t engage in burglary. It’s a simple solution.
Link to the 911 call on YouTube. You might want to check out the videos of the demonstrations. Given the delinquent behavior exhibited, I’m not surprised that the Pasadena city council banned demonstrations.
Found this article on the subject in the Dallas Morning News:
…But then another friend of mine told me that every occupation has an occupational hazard. A fireman can die in a fire. A coal miner can die in a mining accident. And a burglar can die in someone’s garage in the dark of night.
Dallas News – For gun owners, added protection – January 20, 2008
I can’t say it plainer than that.
