Posted on 08/14/2006 3:24:50 PM PDT by neverdem
If ever a law was designed as a get-out-of-jail-free card for the trigger-happy gun owner, it’s one that comes to us via the gun lobby and the State of Florida. The law, passed in the last year in 15 states and being considered in eight others, allows the extraordinary use of deadly force when a person simply doesn’t want to back away from a confrontation.
There are legitimate kill-or-be-killed situations, but those are defensible in court already. There seems little reason to legally enshrine the right to maim or kill in response to a perceived threat. These laws do just that, and already a creepy picture of “Death Wish”-style justice is emerging.
In one case, a retired police officer shot twice and seriously wounded an apparently unarmed neighbor who had knocked on his door in a dispute over the number of garbage bags put out for collection. The shooter will remain free as long as his self-defense argument holds, and it well may.
The contorted logic of these laws reverses the notions that favored flight over fight and held deadly force to be a last resort. The Florida law holds that a crime victim may “stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary.” To defend homes and vehicles, an owner can wield lethal force with a freedom not granted to the police.
Redefining lethal force is bad enough, but it also comes with near-automatic immunity from prosecution and civil lawsuits. Florida’s law is a sick cousin of the work of the gun lobby on Capitol Hill, where it has successfully protected the interstate traffickers of guns used in crimes. And it is the evil twin of laws passed in 38 states that allow concealed weapons.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Thanks. I like all kinds of guns but the ones I really have an affinity for are the Western ones, especailly the good old USA. Despite performance problems, as the workhorse of the US military, I always admired the Armalite class of rifles. HEckler and Koch is another favorite especailly the MPs. Not to knock Russian and Israeli engineering, their AKs and Galils also does the trick well, respectively.
Gracias. That's one of the reasons I love FR. So many experts. Lost counts of how many times I read an article and thought to myself "Alright, what do the experts think?"
:)
If you're considering a .38 Special you might as well purchase a .357 Magnum and have the flexibility to use either cartridge. Use the revolver only if you don't have the time to summon the shotgun to duty or if you're using it to answer an unexpected knock at the front door.
To keep this thread on point, the author of the story is a Nervous Nellie attempting to offer solutions for a problem that doesn't exist. The residents of states like Florida have shown remarkable restraint in their use of deadly force. He is lying in an attempt to "make" a story.
~ Blue Jays ~
If you like guns, why don't you have any?
Oh, they didn't MISS it, they just deliberately didn't pass the fact on.
Rush always points out how the MSM always reports only what fits the (fabricated) action line, no contradicting facts are published.
Killborn is still a student and doesn't quite have the budget for firearms right now. There is more detail in the rest of the thread.
~ Blue Jays ~
For the same amount of money, you can get a .357 which can shoot both .38 and .357. This way you always have the option of shooting a hotter load. Personally, I like a 4" bbl for more accuracy and increased velocity. A wheel gun is a great choice for supreme reliability.
Thanks. This would be for in house defense only, so distance would be 25' or less. Anything outside, it's the 12ga semi, salt in the chamber and alternating shot and pumpkinball afterward. :)
Great recipe. I've never been a scatter gun advocate for inside home use. Too awkward for close up requirements. Mine are stricly for field work. Two .357s, a 9, and a .380 for indoor requirements.
Sounds like a plan...hopefully you were just kidding about the salt loads. The sole disadvantage (if you want to call it that) for a smaller .38 Special compared to a beefier .357 Magnum is the size and portability. The .357 will be built heavier and stronger to handle the hotter loads. The flexibility it offers is more than worth the extra steel you'll have to carry around on your hip.
~ Blue Jays ~
See # 20. Also, it's only been quite recent that I have decided I want to own a gun and I didn't exactly grew up in a gun environment. Out of my entire family no one owns a firearm or considers it.
Hopefully this situation won't last too long. But I still have other means to defend myself.
Thank you. I'm trying to look for a pic now that I got the name. No luck so far.
Nice. Do you own one too?
No, I wasn't kidding. I'm curious as to why you think that way. My thinking is that I want a non-leathal shot at the ready. Since it's a semi, the serious loads are just a squeeze away. I'm not a reloader, but I sealed the top of the shell with a touch of parrafin aqnd then a spray paint sealer so the wax wouldn't gum things up. Also, that shell is only a target load. All my guns are inspected and oiled monthly.
What do you own now?
Harrington & Richardson M12
http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/caliber22.htm
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