Comments on: A Man’s Wal-Mart Is His Castle?

By: Inrptrn

Inrptrn — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:58:16 +0000

This law should be passed in every state.

Violent crime would drop significantly.

For the people that would go too far in defending themselves we have investigations into the lawfulness of their actions. If they abuse the use of self defense they go to prison. It’s quite simple really.

By: Bilgeman

Bilgeman — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:58:15 +0000

arby63:
“If someone who outweighs me by 160 pounds hit me in the faced and knocked me to the floor then I would have shot him MORE THAN once.”

I had a shipmate once who spent 7 years in the Maryland House of Corrections in Jessup, (aka: “The Cut”), for shooting more than once.

He was jumped by two guys. He shot one guy, who dropped, and then he shot the other guy in the back as that guy was running away.

Whatever your or my opinions on the matter are irrelevant, because the jury found him guilty.

Let me make this as plain for you as I possibly can.

You shoot ONLY to STOP the threat.

When the threat stops, you STOP shooting.

All the tough talk can very likely put you down by law in a place you don’t want to be in for a very long time.

For God’s sake, man. Talk like that makes you your own worst enemy…and mine.

Cool it, will ya?

By: Daniel

Daniel — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:52:49 +0000

Mr Owens rights a good article that lays out both sides well but seems to have a slant against Constitutional freedoms.

“Craig Schmidt walks the streets of Billings a free man — at least for now — after shooting a man in the face over a work-related argument that escalated to gunplay. Somehow, I don’t think that is the kind of outcome that the Montana legislature had in mind.”

It appears he is in favor of keeping Schmidt guilty until proven innocent.

It is important to note, Craig Schmidt did NOT shoot anyone over a “work-related argument”. He shot someone because he was knocked to the ground by a punch in the face delivered by an aggressive man that was 100 pounds heavier.

I am a 6′ 1″ 260 pound Marine. If someone my size knocked me to the ground with a punch I would feel threatened with bodily injury.

By: arby63

arby63 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:13:24 +0000

If someone who outweighs me by 160 pounds hit me in the faced and knocked me to the floor then I would have shot him MORE THAN once. We will now have to wait for the facts. But here is one fact: No one can legislate self-defense. Until you have had your had smashed in by someone in what appears to be a “workplace argument” then you should shut up.

By: ThankGFE

ThankGFE — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:01:57 +0000

I’ve lived in Billings, Montana, and am happy to report that, as a woman, I carry a 9mm, not necessarily for its deadly force, but simply for the practical ability to defend myself against the criminal element. I enjoy the lightweight construction of the 9mm and learned how to use one with some accuracy. As any reasonable person, I chose where I lived and where I recreated with personal security as the over-riding factor when I first moved to Billings.

Now for a bit of my experience living in what I believed to be a low-crime city: A woman was attached walking to her car by a male with a knife who slashed her several times, front and back; slashed on the front because she foolishly (I kid, where was her great equalizer?) tried to defend herself, slashed on the back because she foolishly attempted flight; she lives to tell the tale. The offender just stated in court the reason he did what he did was because he needed $100 dollars to pay a debt. HMMM, that sounds almost as bright as “Vivo’s” attempts at cogent analysis on any given topic. Moving on, that same garage is one I have parked in many times when I worked for a company in the downtown Billings business district. If that were only one crime perpetuated against innocents, it would be one too many. Crime does not seem to be reserved for cities with a huge populous.

I can assure you, I have never felt safer than when I have my 9mm snuggled securely against my side or in my purse ready to hand should I need a trusted friend in any perilous situation. There is something to be said for living life unafraid and enjoying it.

By: Bilgeman

Bilgeman — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:11:15 +0000

#91 vivo:
“If you don’t have this, don’t go to Mexico City, San Salvador, Bogotá, Sao Paulo, Miami, NYC, Detroit, Mexican border, Los Angeles, and many local spots including your neighborhood. Oh, and Billings, Montana.”

Ahhh, but what you are doing by thinking like that is surrendering vast swathes of territory to the barbarian.

Step back and look at what you have said here.

A law-abiding citizen, going about his life in his own country, should constrain himself from his legitimate and free passage of certain areas because his government has infringed upon and thereby denied him his right to self-defense.
That isn’t freedom.

That’s as whack as our policy in Viet Nam, where we, and ONLY we, respected the border drawn on the 17th Paralllel, while the Communists of the North freely and repeatedly marched across it.
That’s how you lose, and essentially, that’s how we lost.

No, vivo, I categorically reject the “wrong part of town” mindset.

There is NO “wrong part of town” for a law abiding citizen.

The “wrong part of town” is for those who break the law and disturb the peace…and that “wrong part”, for them, is EVERYWHERE.

As Lincoln is supposed to have said when his generals told him that the Confederate invaders were “driven from our soil”:

” Why didn’t they pursue them? Don’t they get it? It’s ALL ‘our soil’”.

Free your mind and you @ss will follow.

By: ray

ray — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:48:11 +0000

As mentioned, more facts are needed. Without other witnesses or substantiating evidence it becomes one of those he said/he said situations that are very difficult to judge. In the meantime, having a system where you are innocent until proven guilty is something very important to maintain. And having a system where you are allowed to defend yourself from physical violence is also very important.

By: Blackwater

Blackwater — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The law sounds good to me. No person should ever be physically assualted if they were simply minding their own business. Try to imagine you’re out for a jog and a group of thugs thinks it might be a good idea to beat the crap out of you for no apparent reason and possibly even beat you to death. And sadly there’s a huge amount of these “a**holes of the world”. I see them almost every day messing with people. And a lot of them carry knives and guns (and banning guns and knives would only make the problem worse since now only the violent low lifes would carry them – so don’t even go there). They basically never grew out of the bully phase they went through in school and some people are flatout hardcore murders and criminals. And what would you suggest doing if a group of men makes rude comments at your girlfriend, sister, daughter, wife, grandmother, father, handicapped friend or brother, etc? What if your father tells them to go F themselves and get a life? And then in response they start to assualt you and your loved ones. What would you do? Sit there and take it? Well let me tell what happened in Israel recently when an unarmed father was ganged up on. An elderly Jewish man and his family were being harassed by a large group of arab-Israeli citizens who ended up beating the elderly Jewish man to death. They even chased him down when he tried to run away. They through his body in the ocean. Sorry, but barbaric a**holes like those arab thugs DESERVE WHAT THEY GET UNDER CASTLE LAWS. Don’t want to get shot? Then don’t start assualting innocent bystanders who are simply trying to enjoy a stroll with their friends and family. Sounds simple enough to me. Don’t tell me you actually feel sympathy for these douchebags? I would never start randomly assualting people. If I did then I derserve the consequences of my actions. It’s time these jacka**es get put back in their place. Society would be a lot better that way.

By: vivo

vivo — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:32:12 +0000

90. Bilgeman:

“How do you tell you’re in a dangerous place until something dangerous happens?”

One of the rules for survival is knowing where you are and the dangers around. It takes common sense, information and instinct.

If you don’t have this, don’t go to Mexico City, San Salvador, Bogotá, Sao Paulo, Miami, NYC, Detroit, Mexican border, Los Angeles, and many local spots including your neighborhood. Oh, and Billings, Montana.

By: Bilgeman

Bilgeman — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:20:47 +0000

#89 vivo:
“Common sense, my friend. Guns are good for self-defense if you live in a dangerous place; otherwise, you don’t need them.”

Well, here’s some common sense.

How do you tell you’re in a dangerous place until something dangerous happens?

It’s kinda late to try taking steps THEN.

I’m reminded of all the people during the LA riots in ’92 who rushed out to buy a gun, and then ran smack-dab into LA County’s 15 business day “cooling off period”, that many of them had voted for.

Ooops!